Snakes, Dragons and the Stonechat.

I called in to the Purbeck Artisan Yard in Wareham today to replace a few prints that have sold and took the chance to wander down the river for a while. The weather was perfect and there was plenty to see with Stonechats supplying a soundtrack just louder than the rustle of reeds in the wind. Butterflies were out in numbers as well as a few Dragonflies, Swans passed on the tide and a couple of Mallards had a serious discussion about one thing or another. Every now and again I'd stop to watch a ripple on the water, the movement of a Reed or listen to a sound that didn't seem to fit. I was careful where I stood, partly because of the mud but also to keep the noise down, but it was a bit of a shock when a beautiful Grass Snake came to life just in front of me.