This morning, I had my annual early spring visit to Benfleet and Hadleigh Downs.
This large hilly area comprising a mosaic of grassland, scrub and light woodland runs down to grazing marsh and the seawall and saltmarsh alongside Benfleet Creek. There are spectacular views of the Thames estuary down to Southend and across to Kent.
The main purpose of my visit was to hopefully see and photograph Adders again. I have previously been successful at this site in 3 out of 4 of my previous visits but not on my visit during 2022.
Firstly, a bit about Adders ….
Adders have an ill-deserved reputation. Yes, they are the UK's only venomous reptile but they are very wary of any disturbance and invariably sense our presence and slither away long before we see them. They are very timid and they will only bite in self-defence (for example during attempted capture and handling or when antagonised) or through accidental encounters such as being inadvertently stepped on.
Whilst Adders bite hundreds of people every year in the UK causing some nasty side effects, only 14 fatalities have been recorded since 1876 and none since 1975. Therefore, deaths from Adder bites are significantly rarer than deaths as a result of wasp or bee stings. Dogs are much more vulnerable to a very serious health reaction or death arising from a bite although fortunately the only dogs that I saw were all under the control of their owners and on a lead.
Adders demonstrate obvious sexual dimorphism. Males typically have black markings against an off-white or silver-grey background with a steel-grey underside. In the breeding season, males can show an almost bluish tinge. Females typically have dark brown markings against a light brown or straw-coloured background with a dull brown underside. Females are considerably larger (50cm to 70cm in length) than males (40cm to 55cm in length).
However, both sexes are variable in appearance and individuals of various shades of brown, grey and brick-red plus wholly black melanistic individuals have been recorded. Both sexes also show the characteristic and diagnostic dorsal zig-zag pattern along the length of the upper body (black in males and brown in females) and red eyes with a vertical pupil.
Benfleet and Hadleigh Downs covers a large area so I deliberately focused on a location where I had seen Adders in previous years. During my slow, quiet and repeated walk in that area for over an hour, I had no sightings of any Adders!
Maybe it is still too early for Adders to emerge from their hibernacula (although they have been reported at various locations in Essex already) but the conditions were suitable with sunshine and temperatures around 12°C to 13°C.
I wasn’t too disappointed since there will be other opportunities during March and April to visit the location again.
Photo: typical Adder habitat at Benfleet and Hadleigh Downs
With regard to birds, my visit to Benfleet and Hadleigh Downs provided sightings of the usual expected woodland/parkland birds but also more notably Common Buzzard (3 males soaring on thermals), Chiffchaff (10 singing males heard including 1 seen), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 seen plus 2 “drumming” males heard), Curlew (several birds heard calling distantly from Benfleet Creek).
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Common Buzzard
Photo: Common Buzzards
I also recorded some of my first butterfly species of 2025: Comma (5), Peacock (2), and Brimstone (1). In addition, I saw my first Dark-edged Bee-fly of 2025 and 2 Red Admirals.
Photo: Comma
Photo: Comma
Love nature .... act now
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