Memorable Moments on the Heath 3: Great Grey Shrike & Adder
Welcome to the third in a series, compiled by Warden Mike, featuring members of the Thames Basin Heaths Partnership team recalling memorable moments on the heath.
Warden Jo: Great Grey Shrike & Adder
Both candidates for memorable moments on the heath happened very recently.
Great Grey Shrike (credit: Paul Cools)
Seeing a Great Grey Shrike on Ash Ranges in 2020 was definitely a highlight (and the second I’d seen in a week!) but the best wildlife experience on the Thames Basin Heaths definitely goes to my first Adder!
After five years of wardening and searching for reptiles I had not seen one snake that hadn’t already been found by a dog walker or wasn’t under a tin – trust me, these sightings just don’t count! To be a ‘real’ wildlife spotter you have to understand your prey, think ‘snake’ if you like, and spot them ‘in the wild’. I had always blamed my galumphing stride (snakes can ‘hear’ vibrations through the ground) and lack of knowledge but after attending a reptile surveying course I had high hopes…but still that Adder sighting was eluding me. Feeling frustrated and a little despondent, I joined in a reptile in survey on Poors Allotment in late March.
Adder coiled up on heathland (credit: Jamie Neaves)
The weather wasn’t hopeful, a little chilly with no sun, but after only half an hour I came to a likely looking spot and checking ahead through binoculars so as not to disturb anything, there it was, my first Adder! I crept closer to take a photo. It was a beautiful male with its black zig-zag stark against its pale brown back. He was sitting on dead vegetation on a bank surrounded by heather. I had followed the advice from the course tutor to look in the gaps between the heather and I had won! I’m sure the victory felt all the sweeter for waiting five years!
Jo
Thames Basin Heaths Partnership