Branton’s Back Adder II
One week on from seeing my first adder of the 2022 season, I’ve spotted a couple of others. They’re pretty much in the same spot along the south-facing bank close to the entrance to the Branton Lakes Nature Reserve.
wildlife
Back Adder
Back Adder Feb 2022
Ah…it’s always a sign that Spring is just around the corner – when the adders come back. Seeing your first adder of the season means that Spring is just around the corner. And yesterday (27 Feb 2022), I did indeed see my first – just the one, and here it is:
Cross That Bridge
I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it
idiom:
An expression that means you will not worry about a possible future problem but will deal with it if it happens (Cambridge Dictionary, 2021)
Question: How does a hare cross a river?
Answer: Why, using the footbridge, of course!
Tyger Tyger
Tyger Tyger, burning bright
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Adders Galore!
Videos of adders
Since seeing my first three adders of the season on 25 February 2021, the relatively sunny weather has brought more adders into view at Branton Lakes Nature Reserve. They typically hibernate between about October – March, emerging in the late Winter/early Spring, depending on weather conditions.
Adders 2021
Adders 2021 – one year on
Like many people in the area, I really enjoy this time of the year and the anticipation of seeing my first adder of the season.
The earliest I’ve spotted one is 20 February (2018). Last year, I saw my first adder on 26 February (2020) and today – one year on – I saw my first three adders of 2021.
Vanessa Atalanta
Red Admirals in the valley
The Red Admiral butterfly (scientific name: Vanessa atalanta) is a commonly seen butterfly in gardens and along the Breamish Valley usually from Spring and right through the summer months. However, these timings are extremely variable and, perhaps like me, you’ve seen these distinctively coloured insects nectaring in your garden, along the valley or in My Autumn Dene into early Autumn?
Bird on a Wire – Frog on the Floor
Bird on a wire above you!
Got to keep reminding myself to keep looking up and keep looking down when I’m out and about. Of course, with the easing out of lockdown, we’re now able to get out and about a lot more, and more than once a day. Feels good if you can take advantage of this, doesn’t it? So, that means more opportunities to look.
Golden-Ringed Dragonfly
Golden-ringed dragonfly: Hepburn Wood
Not in Beanley Wood this time but in Hepburn Wood, a Forestry England managed forest just a few miles east of Lilburn Tower. Out exercising again – and so much to see at this time of the year.
I Love Greylags, Me!
Greylags in the valley
Weighing in at 1.5 kg more than a grey heron, it’s the greylag. This bird is the largest goose native to the UK. They are a fairly common sight on the fields along the Breamish Valley and can be seen at both Branton Lakes Nature Reserve and the Hedgeley Lakes.