Swimmy Snake! No planes

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Phal

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Etienne
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A first for me! I've been in this country since 89 and this is the first wild snake I've seen. Ironically I saw part of one earlier on the same day before it disappeared under some branches but this guy/girl was out for a swim so it was much easier to see!

No idea what type it is lol

We had heard some rustling in the reeds but assuming it was a little bird hiding or something and then it swam out where we could see it so I jumped up and got my camera since we'd been sitting down having a drink

Wet Snake by Phal44, on Flickr

Slurpy Snake by Phal44, on Flickr

Swimmy Snake by Phal44, on Flickr

I managed to get those shots and then I got ahead of it along the side of the pond it was swimming in. It was quite hard to get the shots in focus since the AF was struggling a bit with the small head and reflective surface. Luckily this one got locked on fairly well! Not long after that it disappeared back into the reeds :(

It's coming for meeeeeee by Phal44, on Flickr
 
It's a Grass Snake. Brilliant to have had the opportunity to grab some shots of it too.
 
A fine example of being in the right place at the right time. Great shots.
 
I knew snakes could swim but I've never seen a photograph of a grass snake swimming. Congratulations on having your camera with you at the time.
 
My 8 year old will be so jealous. He has me searching water edges all the time for the blighters
 
It's great when you're in the right place at the right time! I had just been joking about the rustling noises in the reeds with my friend... I was saying there was probably a giant snake in there that would come out and get us and then this little guy/girl popped out hehe :D
 
Nicely captured! I remember my one and only time trying to do the same and AF simply wouldn't play due to poor light, colour of the water and the snakes colouring :(

You got it nicely :)
 
Good response to an unexpected opportunity :)
 
Yep a nice example of a grass snake (natrix natrix) - it's other common name in some parts is water snake. Mainly feeds on newts and frogs so I think you were safe ;)
 
Quoth said:
Nicely captured! I remember my one and only time trying to do the same and AF simply wouldn't play due to poor light, colour of the water and the snakes colouring :(

You got it nicely :)
Click to expand...

Yeah despite good light the AF didn't have an easy job. The side on shots were easy enough but the head on was quite difficult to get on target. When I checked them later a lot had missed by a little just going behind where all the contrast was :|

PaulButler said:
Yep a nice example of a grass snake (natrix natrix) - it's other common name in some parts is water snake. Mainly feeds on newts and frogs so I think you were safe ;)
Click to expand...

I won't lie, I was a lot more comfortable with it swimming away from me than towards me lol
 
Excellent shots. Grass snakes are rare in Scotland, and I've never seen one here.

All snakes can swim well. I remember swimming in a reservoir in Hong Kong years ago during police training, and a bamboo snake decided to join us. One of the local guys recognised it as dangerous, and it cleared the pool pretty quickly!
 
Great find and shot Etienne ... I particularly like #4 swimming towards you.
 
I'd never seen a snake here in the UK (in the wild) until that day when I saw 1.1 Snakes! The .1 was the tail I saw disappear under a load of dead branches ;D
 
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