My first adder (Vipera berus L.) sighting of the year

Despite an unpromising weather forecast, I took a quick trip to Hazleton Common, hoping to catch a reptile or two to kick start my year list. Arrived 11:00ish and scouted around the northern part of the common which felt too wet and cold underfoot to be viable for sightings. On the more heathy southern end the higher ground was dryer, but still cold, with an unexpectedly biting wind under passing cloud cover.

I was just about to leave, when the sun broke through to clear sky, the wind dropped and the temperature improved by all of a whole two degrees perhaps? I waited for about 5 mins in the sunshine then returned to an area, which had been productive on past visits. I was chuffed to get onto a single male adder basking in the open, in close proximity to an artificial refugia. A couple of hasty shots with the "long Tom" for the record, and I left it alone. Lunch beckoned. Heading slowly off site, I failed to connect with any other individuals.