Mmmm, that’s got you intrigued hasn’t it?! More of that later...
Anyway... Happy new year!
There aren’t many sightings recorded in the log book from last week so it seems that the gloomy weather over the Christmas break has deterred people from exploring the reserve. Nevertheless, there is still plenty to see for those that don’t wish to walk far from the car. One of my favourite birds, the willow tit, is seen regularly at the feeding station at the moment.
The willow tit has declined by 91% in the last four decades and has become locally extinct in many parts of the UK. Luckily they are still clinging on here and we were able to confirm them breeding for the first time this year.
There have been plenty of mammal sightings recently. Moles are very evident in some of the fields but no-one has managed to glimpse one yet. Fox, red deer and brown hare have all been seen near Clough Meadow.
Finally we saw a real rarity yesterday afternoon, something I’d never seen before... pink mist!! It is common to see low cloud moving east up the valley early in the morning but yesterday it was present all day, creating a stunningly atmospheric look. A brief break in the cloud let in the setting sun to light up the low cloud in some fantastic colours. A real “you had to be there” moment! No photo I’m afraid so you’ll just have to come here and see what you can see for yourself!