Well, this is fun. I'm in the process of moving house to be closer to work. (Until now it was over and hour's commute, each way. And a big petrol bill / carbon footprint). I've moved out of my old place but have a two week wait before I can move into my new one. So in the meantime I am staying in the volunteer accomodation above the office.
The office itself is an old Georgian farmhouse, quite close to the reserve. Full of character (and low beams, oww!), it makes an interesting temporary home. But not just mine. I'm sharing here with Ed, the conservation intern. But maybe also with someone else. Or should that be something...?
Rumour has it that the house is haunted. Though stories differ as to by what. One tale is of an old lady, a previous resident of the house. Another is of a headless coachman, maybe one who came a cropper in an accident near here. Either way, there might be something spooky afoot. No sightings yet, but will keep you posted...
In terms of weekend wildlife, the pair of bearded tits were showing again on the reedbed (and no, John the site manager *still* hasn't seen them). Lots of yellow wagtails about on the wet grassland, together with a pair of wheatear. A common sandpiper was tootling about the reserve too, and the pair of Mediterranean gulls was back on the reedbed.
Yellow wagtail (Neil Smith)
There were quite a lot of whitethroats chuntering away in the hedgerow that borders the wet grassland. And a few sedge warblers singing from various reedy places. No reed warblers yet, they should be coming in any time now. There is a spring wildlife walk on Sunday, do come along and we can see what else has turned up by then!
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.