Today feels very much like summer. A perfect day for being out on the reserve enjoying the wildlife, mallards and goosander drifting sleepily across the brilliant blue water of the lake, while blue tits and bullfinches bask happily in the warm afternoon sunshine. And as we prepare for two weeks of eggshellent Easter fun over half term the weather couldn’t possibly be better.
But of course it isn’t just the weather that has caught our attention. All sorts of plants and flowers are coming up and blossoming beautifully all over the reserve. Forget-me-nots and daffodils, and even a lovely cluster of cowslip has settled happily just in front of the visitor centre.
On the other side of the reserve we have a brand new welcome sign which has replaced the old wooden one, pictured here with our new Connecting People and Nature Intern: Steven, so visitors can now see exactly where they are.
Talking of plants and new things, our volunteers have recently been on a mission to find suitable pond plants to introduce to two pools that are in development, because of the increasing popularity of our self-guided pond-dipping activities for both school parties and families. We'll have plants such as arrowhead and kingcup (otherwise known as marsh-marigold), a gorgeous little yellow flower that is part of the buttercup family. This is a fantastically exciting opportunity for us to create and sustain homes for wildlife.
If you’re looking for some exciting things to do this Easter Half term we have an array of fun-filled activities available including some Pond-Dipping Pirates, a Big Bug Hunt and an eggstraodinary Easter Egg Hunt across the reserve! Check out our Facebook page events (https://www.facebook.com/pg/RSPBWestMidlandsWarwickshire/events/?ref=page_internal) or our website (https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/reserves-a-z/reserves-by-name/s/sandwellvalley/events.aspx) for more information. And if we don’t post another blog next week, we all wish you a very happy Easter!
(Photo credits: Andy Purcell)