Country diary: The lizards are out, basking and, perhaps, breeding | Susie White

Allendale, Northumberland: Up close, I can appreciate their pattern of spots and coppery scales, as they lie flat to absorb the warmthIt's a warm day in the garden and a male blackbird stands sunbathing, wings held out like a cormorant, its sleek back angled to the sun. I too am relishing the warmth as I sit with a cup of tea in front of the log store.With a sudden flash of movement, a lizard scuttles from a bee-busy border of lungworts to the retaining wall of a raised bed. I watch and wait. First its head peeps out, tasting the air, then the lizard emerges followed by another. Common lizards, Zootoca vivipara, and this is only the second time I've seen them here. Continue reading...