Hi and welcome to a slightly different sort of blog from West Sedgemoor, Greylake and Swell Wood.
Usually our blogs have updated you on what's been going on on our reserves. This week, nothing has been going on at all. On Tuesday we went out and shut up shop until the government can lift restrictions on our movements. All the staff have been working from home. Luckily, West Sedgemoor is my home. The reserve is essentially my back garden, however to make sure that there's no chance of extra risk and because it is not essential, I'm not doing any actual work and I'm not going to remote areas where I could get into trouble and end up needing help.
I'd like to thank everyone for staying away from the reserves. The wildlife is probably appreciating the quietness to get on with the business of nesting. If everyone sticks to the rules, we can get through this and get back to helping save nature.
It feels a bit like the weather is mocking us. A long wet winter has finally broken into glorious spring but we're not allowed to enjoy it. I took this photo from the hill overlooking West Sedgemoor on Thursday. The fields are drying out and it all looks beautiful. Hopefully it will brighten your day.
When I've finished writing this, I will take my permitted daily exercise by going out for a walk along the public footpath beside the reserve and see what birds are about.
Almost all the wintering birds have migrated away now but other species I've seen out on the moor include cranes, marsh harrier, greylag geese, canada geese, mute swans, mallards, little egret, great white egret, herons, coots, cormorants and lapwing. There's a pair of kestrels that seem to have taken up residence in one of the barns, although I haven't seen any nesting behaviour yet.
And of course, like many of you, I've been enjoying watching my garden feeder, where we had a pair of bullfinches the other day, which is fairly unusual, as well as the more common species.
Also in the garden have been a variety of butterfly species. It seems I can't walk out of the door without seeing a butterfly this week. The peacocks have been most evident but I've also spotted brimstone, small tortoiseshell and what looked like small white, although it's quite early for them. The bees too have been out in force, enjoying the spring flowers.
The West Sedgemoor garden
A white-tailed bumblebee resting in the ivy
I hope you can enjoy the wildlife visiting your garden, if you have one, and the RSPB will be coming up with ways to help you connect with nature even as we're forced to keep our distance from it.
Stay well, keep safe and I'll be back next week with another update.
Kathryn
West Sedgemoor Residential Volunteering team