We visited St Aidens for the first time today. Wow, what a fantastic place it is now and will become in future!
After a bit of difficulty actually finding the place - a few 'brown signs' would help, we arrive at the smart new visitor centre and recieved a warm welcome from the staff there. The first impression is that it is a HUGE site and already quite diverse in habitat. The view from the VC is brilliant - even better from the wooded hill above. Lots of possible trails to follow. The massive old walking dragline excavator by the centre is very impressive and acts as a great landmark when heading back to the car park.
It was a lovely sunny day and we decided on the 3 mile loop of the reedbeds. Its a bit of a transitional time but we still saw some interesting wildlife including a weasel, kingfisher, dunlin, ringed plover, buzzard, kestrel and loads of dragonflies - mainly brown and migrant hawkers.
Having now found it, St Aidens is certainly somewhere we will come back to to see it at different times of year and how it develops.
Great to hear that the RSPB has finally been allowed to reopen the VC there (I must have missed the announcement!). It is a magnificent site.