‘ad enough?
This is the 6th cache in a new series for Hadleigh Country Park, in 2009
Hadleigh Country Park lies between South Benfleet, to the West, and Leigh, to the East. The park consists of a mix of scrub, woodland and grassland hillside running down to grazing marsh and sea wall, which is adjacent to a narrow strip of salt marsh. This wide range of habitat provides many places for plants and animals to live. In summer, this is one of the best places in Essex to see butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies.
The rangers tell me that the best place to park is in the main car-park (N 51º 33.130' E 00º 35.724'), however, there is a charge for this - see Hadleigh Park parking. The car-park closes at various times so check the time, before leaving.
Adder, Vipera berus
The Adder, or common viper, is Britain's only poisonous snake. It favours heathlands, hedgerows, open woodland and river banks. Young adders are born live in late summer and stay with their mother for just a few days. Seeing an adder is no cause for alarm as these snakes are very placid and retiring creatures. People are usually only bitten during attempts to catch or handle them. Adder bites are sometimes, though rarely, fatal to pets. Recent evidence suggests that the snake’s venom is more potent during March/April after the animals leave hibernation, so extra caution should be taken when walking dogs at this time. Wear suitable footwear, keep dogs on leads and take care when sitting down in areas where Adders are known to occur.
Adders are carnivores, and bite small mammals and lizards to inject their venom. After a short while, the venom immobilizes the prey and the Adder will then seek it out by smell and devour it. This method saves the Adder having to use excessive energy struggling to subdue its prey.