We have some very exciting news to share this week.
After a great deal of planning and rearranging, we are delighted to share that our shop at the visitor centre has reopened! We will be open daily from 10am to 3.30pm so do please come along and stock up on bird food and feeders, grab a new hedgehog house or treat yourself to a new pair of binoculars!
And while the café remains closed we also have a selection of sandwiches, wraps, cakes and cold drinks for sale in the store. Please note that face coverings should be worn while in the shop and we ask all visitors to follow all other social distancing guidelines posted throughout the store and communicated to you by our retail team.
We're also continuing to work towards getting the Eric Morecambe and Allen hides open at some point next week - we had hoped to have them open sooner but a number of issues have slowed us down a little. Not least the weekend's very high tides and strong westerlies which can often result in the car park and footpaths at this part of the reserve being flooded. Check our social media or ask at the centre for updates.
Despite the rather autumnal feel to the weather, there have still been plenty of birds to see out and about on the reserve. Most days as I walk down the Causeway I have been hearing bearded tits calling from the reedbed adjacent to the path - a little patience will often be rewarded with good views of these fabulous little birds. Similarly, ospreys have continued to visit on a daily basis though in fairness it's often a case of being in the right spot at the right time with these magnificent birds.
As the water levels slowly recede from the pools, the islands are once again offering a little more in the way of refuge and gathering waders on the stone island at Causeway have included redshank, greenshank, lapwing and black-tailed godwit. This morning (Friday) an eclipse plumage garganey was present (photo from archive by Richard Cousens) and the number of gadwall and shoveler seem to be increasing once again.
Just one last update; face coverings are now a requirement in all hides, so do please ensure that you arrive prepared! Thanks.
Jon