After last week’s post about the delights of winter, I think that the weatherman has decided to test me! The overcast and damp weather we’ve been having has not been brilliant, but it is, however, perfect for testing our binoculars and telescopes, which has got me well and truly in the mood for our upcoming Optics Day on the 27th of this month.
Our friendly staff will be available to offer you any advice you need about buying the perfect set of optics for you. RSPB Puffin binoculars are currently being offered with a free RSPB Pocket Guide to Birds book (normally £4.99), which is a great starter kit for the older kids or for adults who would like to start getting closer to nature.
One thing we have been needing binoculars for in the last week, is all the geese which have been both flying over and visiting here. Today and yesterday I have seen great flocks of Pink-footed Geese flying over the reserve, sounding like so many yelping puppies! Over towards Lin Dyke, we’ve had a few conflicting reports about what geese have been seen there. We think that there have been four Bean Geese, one Pink-footed Goose, and two White-fronted Geese but we’ve had various combinations of one, two and all three of these kind of geese being reported by our visitors.
An unmistakeable Red Kite was seen from the Visitor Centre on Saturday morning, allowing everyone to watch it for quite a while and coming rather close above us – fantastic. I cannot fail to be impressed by a raptor in flight, and the colours of a red kite are so beautiful I literally couldn’t tear my eyes away from it.
So the excitement this week is about all of the wonderful geese that are around and about! Another reason to get really excited about winter (it’s like my very own Nature advent calendar) as more and more things come to stay with us. It would, of course, be great to see a huge flock of visitors around the reserve too as there are so many different things to see here at the moment. I also have a small request for when you do come to Fairburn Ings – come and talk to us! We love to hear about your visit, what you’ve seen, and any questions you have. I hope to see you soon.
Georgina Collins