Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Bluebells and Adders - Easter on the Downs


The English Bluebell is a very special plant found only in woodland in
Britain and Western France.

It has bloomed early this year and in profusion. They lie like smoke across the woodlands of Kent.

This is Kingswood, a new hunting forest created by King John where the North Downs run down to the valley of the River Stour. It is now a 1,500 acre site managed for wood production and as a public park with a craft centre.


This is the first time in a lifetime of living in Southern England that I have seen an adder in the wild. We only have two snakes on the island of Great Britain. The grass snake, which lives in wet areas and is non-poisonous, and the adder. The unusual Easter heat wave brought them out. A young girl was bitten walking in sandels through woodland and had to be treated for a bad reaction but they are mostly harmless.


Kent is full of this at the moment, rape-seed oil crops. The damn stuff is pollinating.
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14 comments:

  1. Paul O'G27 April 2011 at 21:38

    Lovely wildflowers! Makes one re-think Spring basing options...

    Snakes here are all too often seen. Of the top 10 deadly snakes in the world, 7 of the them live in Oz, including the most most venemous. Then there are the spiders...

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  2. John Lambshead27 April 2011 at 22:01

    Dear MC
    Oz has the most poisonous, dangerous everything!
    I don't even want to think about the Dunny spider.
    J

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  3. Alan M27 April 2011 at 23:21

    Ah, spring in England, glorious!

    Lovely photos and very lucky to see an adder. The nearest I've come was the odd shed skin and one dead one on the Dorset heathlands as a kid!

    The bluebells are just coming out in Derbyshire, but then we are a bit further north!

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  4. Ray Rousell28 April 2011 at 00:16

    I've only ever seen a adder once, that was in my cousins garden in Chatham when I was a kid, it frightened the life out of us!!
    @ Man-cave - You can keep the snakes and spiders, here in Kent we'll keep the bluebells, adders and even the smelly rape-seed.

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  5. kingsleypark28 April 2011 at 00:27

    I don't like snakes......

    But we do have some lovely countryside in the UK

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  6. Steve G28 April 2011 at 00:37

    Don't want to seem a smart-arse, but you forgot the smooth snake, our third native species! I've been a long time lurker and really like your blog, but as a lapsed modeller I've not had much to say until now. (Where's the blushing smiley?!!)

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  7. John Lambshead28 April 2011 at 08:16

    Dear Ethics
    It is amazing how rarely one sees an adder given that they are supposed to be common, or at least not rare.
    J

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  8. John Lambshead28 April 2011 at 08:17

    Dear Ray
    I have only ever seen a slow worm in my garden in Medway,
    J

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  9. John Lambshead28 April 2011 at 08:17

    Dear KP
    England is beautiful!
    J

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  10. kingsleypark28 April 2011 at 08:19

    It is! And so is Bonnie Scotland!

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  11. John Lambshead28 April 2011 at 08:27

    Dear Steve

    I did not realise that they existed in Kent until you pointed it out! And I am a retired British Museum Zoologist!!!!!

    I don't think they are found in the far south western provinces where I spent my childhood.

    Not smart arse at all - very interesting - you lurk as much as you like.
    many thanks on the info,

    John

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  12. John Lambshead28 April 2011 at 08:29

    Dear Ray,
    Indeed it is. Very different to the rolling gentle hills and moors of southern England. And Glasgow is one of my favourite cities.
    John

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  13. Igi29 April 2011 at 13:54

    And i think you forgot the most important! the Black Adder! :)

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  14. John Lambshead30 April 2011 at 10:36

    Dear Igi,
    But I have a cunning plan.....
    J

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