Put together a combination of cold but sunny weather and a number of eager birdwatchers and you have the makings of a very enjoyable couple of hours. Once the decision was made to keep our hide closed on Saturday, there was no shortage of people accepting my invitation to have a walk around the reserve. Starting off from the SPA building we gently strolled around the whole of the lake making careful note of what birds were about. I know this may sound a bit nerdy but this was far from the case.
We were entertained virtually the whole way around from the bullfinches on the SPA feeder, past the 'frozen' mute swan on the ice opposite the hide (it wasn't stuck really, it just looked it), to a whole range of water birds busying themselves near the slipway, not forgetting the teal feeding on the marsh. All in all 36 species of birds were accounted for on a list made whilst we warmed up on tea and shortbread biscuits! Well worth the effort.
The continued thaw meant we were able to open the hide on Sunday morning because more and more open water was appearing on the lake. What a busy place the hide was! Basking in bright sunshine, the hide was a hive of activity with almost 50 visitors calling in to watch goosanders, shovelers, gadwall et al. feed frantically close to the windows. Our most successful day for sometime. Let's hope the thaw continues and the hide remains as popular.
See you on the reserves,
Best regards,
Chris Edwards