Harthope Valley 24-5-09

Another day in the Harthope Valley on Sunday it was very busy, well for here anyway, I was feeling a little worse for wear so did not get too far,still no Spotted Flycatcher at the parking end , Green Woodpecker again very vocal, and Whinchat singing from the hillside ,surprising how far the song carries took me ages to spot thinking it was not far up the hill, a pair of Wheatear feeding young near where we where parked, several Red Grouse, two walking parallel to each other calling, Dipper on the stream but only the one, Buzzard over. It was quite sunny but with a strong cool breeze, only found the one Adder in a sheltered spot by a rock

A lot of wing fluttering from the Whinchat, digiscoped as it was some way off

Doesn't it always happen a Red Grouse just yards away and me with just my digcam , it was much further off by the time I got my camera

Common Milkwort, not sure what the long green leaves are from

Violet Ground Beetle Carabus violaceus ?

A moth dropped in beside me or I would never have seen it, Grass Wave ?

Came across an Adder it was using the rock to reflect the heat, I watched it for some time

Fabulous looking creature, quite content as I took these shots ( no photographer was injured in the taking of these shots :) )



A fairly large specimen

Red Grouse on the hillside another walking parallel to it just out of shot, digiscoped

Head patern are unique to each snake , will have a look for this one again , it was still there about an hour later, so I had not disturbed it in any way

Close-up of the skin ,the overlapping plates sticking up slightly in the tight curve.