You may have thought there had been numerous sightings of woodpeckers on the reserve today, but the tap tap tap was actually coming from the Discovery Centre! Today was the start of our Nestbox Building Event for National Nestbox Week. Many families sheltered from the elements and came into the Discovery Centre to make a nestbox. I was really impressed with the skills which were displayed when hammering these boxes together and even more impressed with the creative skills used to decorate the finished boxes with pictures and messages for their future occupants.
Photographs by Amy Lever
In fact I have been overwhelmed in recent days by the talent we have among the youngsters in our county and what a powerful inspiration nature can be. On Saturday I had the pleasure of dropping in on one of the Tidal Margins Art Workshops at Minsmere. They group were using the woodlands for their inspiration, focussing on mini beasts. Braving the cold they spent time looking under rocks and producing sketches in the woods. When returning to the Discovery Centre they used their sketches to produce some stunning print pictures.
As well as the thrill of making a home for nature, many of the families I was talking to had enjoyed the reserve and shared with me some of the highlights they had seen. The firecrest has been seen around the reserve again today and dazzled some lucky visitors. Many families also reported seeing an incredibly tame robin hopping around their feet! My favourite spot today was in between the snow showers this morning on my way to work; I spotted this cheeky fox looking for some breakfast on the reserve.
Photograph by Amy Lever
I am greatly looking forward to seeing the creations produced throughout the rest of this week. If you fancy making (and decorating) a nestbox then why not drop into the Discovery Centre weekdays this week between 10 am and 3 pm.