Look what I spotted

[Forest fella]

Spotted this Slow worm yesterday it's been yr's since I've seen one and this was a big 1 over 8''.

 

[Falstaff]

Glad to hear that, used to be loads at my old location but recent years they've been rare. Like hedgehogs, mowers and strimmers are lethal for them.

 

[slowworm]

I've been lucky and always had loads of slow worms about the gardens I've had. In our current place I leave old black baking trays upside down, pieces of slate and other dark objects and there's often a gathering of slow worms underneath them and lizards use the tops to warm themselves up during the day. Plenty of long grass, weeds and a bit of old rigid fencing keeps the birds and cat off them as well.

Mowing can be tricky but I don't mow much and walk over the paths first. The mower is also on a high setting so tends to move over them.

A decent compost heap also provides a home for them.