A long lunch

Mum and I sauntered (!) down to the square after a bit of sock sorting to meet Kirsty for a leisurely lunch, because we probably should be doing other things.

I had been meaning to get up to the Botanic Gardens for ages. Last year there was a photography competition I never managed to enter in time, so I was determined this year. There are three categories, plants of the Balearics, plant and animal interactions and landscape within the gardens. I had half an hour before the boys finished school so I scooted around trying not to crouch too much and do myself another injury.

Then........ I heard a croaking sound. Oh, good, a frog, maybe interacting with plants, I thought. No.

I found two snakes, one with the frog's head in its mouth the other with its leg, pulling at the poor thing, it still croaking. None of the shots I took came out very well, but I'll put them on the blog later. Eventually, the leg end snake gave in and the other gulped its head down a bit more and swam off. I didn't even know there were snakes here other than grass snakes. Now I have to look these things up.

I returned to the pond five minutes later and found the snake had returned, the frog obviously having shuffled off its mortal coil, legs sticking out. I got a few more shots before it swam off again.

The whole thing was so riveting, but for a one time zoologist I felt surprisingly shaken. I'm hoping to get the shots a bit 'tightened up' (mv, can you help?).

Now to pack for tomorrow. Mrs Pepperpot, Little Agu and I are off to England. I'm hoping to get a lift on the trolley in the airport. Looking forward to some blipping fantastic days ahead. You know who you are :)

Blog entry here and here

EDIT I think it's a Natrix maura