As mentioned in my previous post, 2015 has been a great year for many species, especially adders (Vipera berus). I always wondered, what are these birders on about when they say that good seasons for owls depend on if it’s been a “good vole year” and I have actually seen this myself this year for the first time. It has been a good vole year. This has benefited the local adders as well as the raptors with increased numbers of females at one of my local sites. However, at another more remote adder site it would appear that that the adders are also doing well. As we (myself and the lady friend) went for some hiking in one of the most scenic areas of north-west England we briefly stopped at the adder site which consists of beautiful open moorland with bracken, heather, rushes and streams. As I don’t know the adders here individually as I do at the other site I don’t know exactly where each female is during the summer period. But within 10 minutes we came across four large females, three of which appeared gravid. Champion! After this we began our hike in a different area and on the popular walkers track we came across a dead on road Slow worm (Anguis fragilis), known from the general area but not from this village as far as I know.