Tins

There is an unused field behind the farm that is poorly drained and quite marshy. I thought that it would be a good place to survey for reptiles.

So I have got the permission from the field’s owner and I have borrowed some corrugated iron from my landlord and off we go.

First I had a good look around the field trying to decide the best place to put my tins. I don’t really know what I am doing, I just think that it’s worth a try. I didn’t find any reptiles today but it was a miserable overcast morning and it would be very difficult to find anything in the long grass.

I found lots of food.

I also found a spectacular Marsh Thistle, it is not every day you find one of those.

I hauled my first sheet of iron up from the farm. (surprisingly awkward to carry)

Then I walked all around the field again trying to guess where a good spot would be.

Then I decided to just slap it down anywhere. I chose a fairly damp spot close to the stream that would get the morning sun.

Will it work? I don’t know. My landlord tells me that he used to see Adders here but that he hasn’t seen any for a long time and lots of what he calls Blind Worms, he described them to me as little snakes and I think he is talking about what I know as a Slow worm.

So now I have more tin to go and get.

And that is the start of my Reptile Survey Project.