I’ve always enjoyed herping, especially during peak adder season in the UK.
But would it be possible to take the kids?
It typically requires excellent patience, sleight of foot and a significant amount of disappointment. Surely I’ve answered my own question?
A Road-Trip To Suffolk
Over 3 hours on a Friday night (with a quick stop at Pizza Express in Brentwood!), we meandered our way up to RSPB Minsmere.
One of the prime adder destinations in the UK, and home to some pretty uncommon melanistic (completely black) adders, if you’re lucky enough to see them.
Armed with our ‘Field Studies Council’ Field Guide, we lodged up a few miles from the reserve and the kids studied up before hitting the sack. It was going to be an early start.
Getting their eye in
All Eyes On The Weather
Adders slowly emerge from hibernation in late February and are best seen between March and April if the conditions are right. A warm, cloudless day, following a cold night.
It looked like we were in luck!
Minsmere doesn’t officially open until 9am, but the gates tend to be unlocked at dawn for photographers keen to catch the first light.
A quick 5 minute briefing (stay silent, move slowly) and we were off.
A Real Oasis On The East Coast
Minsmere is a stunning nature reserve and well worth a visit. Beautiful marshland sandwiched between dense forest and thick heathland, opening up to a beautiful beach.
Some local bird photographers gave us the all-important heads up, the adders had moved to the heath above the beach, behind the north wall of the reserve.
Off we went.
We were clearly in the right place!
Searching…
…and searching…
…every minute becoming that little more painful.
Bingo! I found one. The unmistakable zig-zags of a large male adder, basking about a metre away. The boys were with Katrien. I quickly shared my location.
Everything we’d talked about went out the window. Jax and Finn came cascading down the hill like two baby elephants, desperate to see their first wild snake. By the time they arrived, it had not just vanished, it had likely relocated to the next country.
And so this pattern continued. I had my eye in. They didn’t. They missed 6 more adders. Patience was wearing very thin. Theirs and mine.
Surely They’ll See One!
The second morning we were back in the reserve at 6am and despite better conditions, the snakes were nowhere to be seen.
The hours slowly passed by, the boys were amazing, scouring the bush expertly.
Nothing.
Would we really go home without them seeing a single adder?!
Cue the Hollywood ending. We decided to sit patiently together as a family in a spot where I’d seen a large adder the previous day. To our delight, after some time, we all spotted a sharp flicker of a black tongue as the same adder emerged from the undergrowth and perched up to bask, a mere metre away.
Finally, our first family adder!
Feeling like David Attenborough, we spent 20 minutes with him as the boys snapped away with their new cameras!
Immediately after, we were back in the car and on our way home to the big smoke.
Ironically, just before leaving, we checked under a sheet of corrugated iron next to our lodge and uncovered a huge grass snake. Very exciting. Slightly humbling after two days of professional-grade searching.
Worth The Trip?
Not the easiest but honestly, yes.
Such an adventure. The snakes were the icing on the cake.
Minsmere is a wild and idyllic playground for kids. The beach is perfect for when adder stalking wears thin. The Warren Lodge we stayed at was basic but perfect (with their own snakey potential, apparently!).
Staying a couple of miles from the Reserve entrance
If your kids have shown even a passing interest in reptiles, this is the trip. And if they haven’t yet, this might be the one that starts it.
It’s a drive, but not many 4 and 6 year olds can say they spent a successful weekend herping. We’ll be returning next spring!
What Are We Loving At The Moment?
The boys were keen to bring their new-found love of snakes home, so we purchased a corrugated reptile survey sheet from Wildcare for £3.99 and they’ve set it up in the garden!
The science is simple: reptiles are cold-blooded and seek out flat surfaces that absorb heat. A corrugated sheet left in a quiet sunny corner becomes an irresistible warm-up spot.
After leaving it to settle for 2 weeks, we’ll see if any cold-blooded critters have made a home for themselves!
Photo Of The Fortnight
OK, so not a Minsmere resident, but later this year we’ll be taking the boys to Namibia and visiting the Snake Park in Swakopmund.
When visiting a few years back, I took this shot of a small Horned Adder, which I’ve always loved!
