Somehow it's July already, we're well past the longest day and breeding season is drawing to a close for most of our birds, from the exotic avocets to the everyday blue tits. In fact, the majority of our avocets have gone, heading south on their autumn migration already!
However, for most of us, we're just getting into the swing of summer and we hope to welcome plenty of you to enjoy a season of (hopefully) warm weather and wondrous wildlife over the coming couple of months. With the school holidays fast approaching, we've just launched our Big Wild Summer, the RSPB's campaign for encouraging families to embark on an adventure at our reserves this season.
At Burton Mere Wetlands, our Big Wild Summer activity packs are available for families to buy (priced £3.50) all day, every day and contain one of our exciting quiz trail sheets, plus a terrific activity booklet, pencil and certificate. This month, there's a moth theme to link into Moth Night which is happening at the end of this week, then there'll be a new theme for August to keep things fresh for families who are regular visitors to the reserve.
There's no need to book or pre-order, just ask the welcome team when you arrive at the reserve and they'll get you started. Don't forget you can also pick up a range of snacks and drinks for a picnic, though our sandwiches are not currently available but we hope to fix that soon so watch this space!
The Big Wild Summer quiz trail finishes at our Wild Play area, nestled in Gorse Covert close to the car park for some den building, and fun using log balance beams and stump stepping stones.
It's nearly two months since we were able to reopen our hides, to the delight of many of our visitors thanks to the improved viewing of the pools this offers. We've had overwhelming feedback on the new Border hide, with some of the best sightings, particularly of waders starting to move through on migration, currently being enjoyed from there. All being well, our visitor centre will reopen for seated viewing on Monday 19 July, still with some adjustments to how it was used in the past, but offering its unrivalled panoramic views and shelter from the weather for those who prefer not to venture far along the trails.
Inevitably, the changes to the Government guidance expected to come into effect on Monday 19 July will impact other aspects of visiting the reserve, details of which we will share once they are clear. As always though, our friendly welcome team will provide all the latest information when you check in with us on arrival.
We hope to see you at Burton Mere Wetlands soon, and here's an at-a-glance reminder of what’s available at present:
Car park (9am-9pm)
Nature trails
Hides (face coverings required unless exempt)
Toilets
Outdoor welcome point
Takeaway refreshments (9.30am-4.30pm)
Mail-order shop (9.30am-4.30pm)
Visitor centre