Bimbling Into Unknown Territory. V PIC HEAVY

[JonathanD]

There's a golf course not too far away from me that has recently expanded. Six new greens have been created on what used to be overgrown farmers fields, so a huge amount of bespoke landscaping has gone into making the area challenging. The good news is, four of the old greens have been given over to wildlife. There have been loads of reports of grass snakes seen on these old greens (seen one myself), so I decided to have a bimble and see what the area looks like after two years of non golf, and to see what critters I could find.

I only saw one grass snake... a big one at that, but he was too quick for me to get a shot.

 

[Mesquite]

Looks like the wildlife has made it home for sure

What are the chances of the area becoming a new over winter home for the adders?

 

[JonathanD]

They were there already as there are no wildlife corridors they could use. So there must be a hibernaculum or two nearby. Amazingly, the golf club have never had any reports of adders on site from the members, just grass snakes. The green keepers have reported seeing adders, but very rarely. The grass snakes do seem to favour the areas closer to the green, while the adders I found were not as close. Still, it's amazing that people hunting for their lost balls have never stumbled upon a basking adder. People often mistake grass snakes for adders, but people immediately recognise an adder when they see one.

 

[Man of Tanith]

Great Photo's JD
that squirrel looks like he is about to throw something at you

 

[JonathanD]

Yeah, he was definately up to something.

 

[Man of Tanith]

all squirrels always look devious like that

 

[JonathanD]

I tell you what. There seemed to be a squirrel for every tree. I lost count of them within a ten metre walk.