We did it. It was a big piece of work considering how nature had taken over, and the measures we had to put in place to make the hides covid secure, but both hides at Greylake are now open to visitors. And just in time for the winter, when the migrant ducks and waders will start to appear. As at Swell Wood, there are some precautions we are asking you to take when using the hides.
Please read the information on the hide entrances, use the hand sanitiser provided and wear a face covering while in the hide.
You will notice some changes in the Lookout Hide. The central display boards have been removed, so you can see where people are in the hide, and how many, and to make it easier to move around safely. Some of the shelving has been removed and the loose benches as well. The windows have been locked and the handles removed, and the door has been taken off. This is to reduce contact points for people to touch. We will keep the windows as clean as possible to help with viewing. The maximum capacity of the Lookout Hide is six people.
In the Treehouse Hide, the windows are also locked shut. The maximum capacity is four people.
There is an area marked out for queuing if the hides are full. At busy times we ask you to limit your time in the hides to 20 minutes so everyone can have a chance to get in.
It took a long time to find the path. Six months worth of vegetation growth had almost completely hidden it. But we're very pleased that the hides are open again and hope that you enjoy visiting once more. At the moment, there often isn't a lot to see from the hides, but on Tuesday, while we were having lunch, this kingfisher showed up to pose for us.
It was my first stationary kingfisher sighting so I was thrilled. Always before they'd been just a blue flash darting past.
He came a little closer.
And the computer managed to zoom in fairly well. They are such beautiful birds so I was very happy.
Also at Greylake this week, I saw this dragonfly perched on one of the dragonfly information signs.It is probably a male common darter, a widespread and, as the name suggests, common dragonfly in the UK.
And my last sighting of the week was right outside my front door. This large beetle is called the devil's coach-horse, and that name alone is worth him getting a photo on the blog. When threatened, they raise their tail, making them look like a miniature scorpion. Unfortunately this one had its tail down, but never mind. They are quite common and totally harmless to people, even if they look a bit scary. I had one in the house last Autumn before I knew what it was and it freaked me out a little bit!
That's all the updates for this week. Check in next time for some more sightings.
Take care,
Kathryn
West Sedgemoor Residential Volunteering team