What a difference a week makes - after the scorching temperatures of the previous weekend, last Saturday was a reminder that Autumn was quickly approaching. A chilly wind welcomed us to Middleton Hall as we attended the Wildlife Photography Workshop. Nick gave a very informative and enjoyable talk leaving us all enthused and itching to get outside to start snapping away! We've persuaded him to hold another such event next year.
Yesterday the weather was very changeable although we didn't have the cold wind. We've learnt over the past few months that Sunday is the most popular day of the weekend to visit the reserve so the POD was on duty in the car park. Our hardy conservation volunteers were also out and about transplanting rhyzomes (moving reeds) and reducing the vegetation on the islands at the north end. We apologise to our visitors for disturbing the wildlife whilst we carried out this imporatnt facet of habitat management.
Just harking back to the photography workshop, whilst we were outside on Saturday, Nick drew our attention to the sound of a Kingfisher as it went about it's business in a nearby pool. Yesterday afternoon as I stood by the POD in the car park I heard the same shrill whistle followed by an electric blue flash across the play meadow as the Kingfisher darted in front of me, less than 10 metres away! We have more enquiries about the whereabouts of theis bird then any other species, now I can tell people it flies right by the POD!
See you on the reserves,
Best regards,
Chris Edwards