Lizard bonanza

While out for a stroll at Lanlay Meadows, Peterston-super-Ely, at the weekend Liz and I were most surprised to come across 16 Common Lizards in a short stretch of tall field margin vegetation. We counted 9 in a 5 metre stretch, mostly basking on dead leaves and some quite high off the ground, like this one:

Then about 20 metres further along the path there were 7 basking on a wooden bench (6 in the photo below and one further along the bench).

Interestingly all appeared to be juveniles, probably from last year, except for the single adult in the photo above.We didn't see any of this year's juveniles, which would still be very small and black at this time of year.

Although it was warm and sunny they allowed us to approach very closely and showed little inclination to scarper as they usually do. The whole spectacle reminded me of being on Madeira where there are lizards everywhere - I've never seen anything like it in this country.

George