This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jun/03/west-sussex-ebernoe-common

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
A rare sight in the sunlight A rare sight in the sunlight
(4 months later)
Overhead two buzzards soar on the thermals, golden sunlight filtering through their splayed primary feathers like light through a stained-glass window. A chiffchaff is in full voice, perched on a prominent song post. The air is hazy, clouded with pollen, plumed seeds and a multitude of winged insects, from micro-moths to newly emerged mayflies that flit around my head on translucent lacework wings. Bees and bee flies are also on the wing, nectaring on the speedwell, birdsfoot trefoil and late-blooming bluebells. I cross the meadow to a thicket of gorse. The buds are only just beginning to burst, but as I approach I can already smell their tropical coconut scent – far more pleasant than the boiled cabbage stench of oilseed rape wafting across from the nearby farmland.Overhead two buzzards soar on the thermals, golden sunlight filtering through their splayed primary feathers like light through a stained-glass window. A chiffchaff is in full voice, perched on a prominent song post. The air is hazy, clouded with pollen, plumed seeds and a multitude of winged insects, from micro-moths to newly emerged mayflies that flit around my head on translucent lacework wings. Bees and bee flies are also on the wing, nectaring on the speedwell, birdsfoot trefoil and late-blooming bluebells. I cross the meadow to a thicket of gorse. The buds are only just beginning to burst, but as I approach I can already smell their tropical coconut scent – far more pleasant than the boiled cabbage stench of oilseed rape wafting across from the nearby farmland.
Feeling the warmth of the sun on my back, I strip down to my T-shirt, but it seems I'm not the only one taking advantage of this long-awaited sunshine. The steep, south-facing slope of the meadow provides perfect conditions for a spot of sunbathing and up ahead a female adder is basking on the edge of the path.Feeling the warmth of the sun on my back, I strip down to my T-shirt, but it seems I'm not the only one taking advantage of this long-awaited sunshine. The steep, south-facing slope of the meadow provides perfect conditions for a spot of sunbathing and up ahead a female adder is basking on the edge of the path.
The adder's head rests on a low gorse branch, her body loosely coiled and flattened to the ground in order to expose maximum surface area to the sun's rays. She is exquisitely patterned, her chocolate-brown zigzag dorsal markings standing out against the dusty carpet of dead leaves. I observe her through my binoculars, taking in the detail of the deeply keeled scales that give her skin the texture of popped bubble wrap and her unblinking amber eyes with their cat-like elliptical pupils.The adder's head rests on a low gorse branch, her body loosely coiled and flattened to the ground in order to expose maximum surface area to the sun's rays. She is exquisitely patterned, her chocolate-brown zigzag dorsal markings standing out against the dusty carpet of dead leaves. I observe her through my binoculars, taking in the detail of the deeply keeled scales that give her skin the texture of popped bubble wrap and her unblinking amber eyes with their cat-like elliptical pupils.
I feel a slight creeping sensation down my spine when the snake raises her snub-nosed head, her forked tongue flickering towards me as she scents the air, but I know that if I maintain a respectful distance she doesn't pose any threat. Although they are venomous, adders are not aggressive and will actively avoid human contact, striking only in self-defence. With adder numbers in serious decline I am privileged to spend time in her company.I feel a slight creeping sensation down my spine when the snake raises her snub-nosed head, her forked tongue flickering towards me as she scents the air, but I know that if I maintain a respectful distance she doesn't pose any threat. Although they are venomous, adders are not aggressive and will actively avoid human contact, striking only in self-defence. With adder numbers in serious decline I am privileged to spend time in her company.
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.