The current freezing weather has meant we've had to temporarily close our Lakesdie Hide. We've done this for two reasons; 1) The lake in front of the hide and around our island is frozen and there is very little sign of life; 2) We would not like to inflict this cold weather on anyone who volunteers to be one of our Guides-in-a-Hide!

Along with other RSPB reserves we are keeping a close eye on the weather conditions…

The general view of university students is one of late nights and subsequent lie-ins, especially at weekends. Well last weekend this misconception was blown away when we hosted 18 students from the University of Birmingham Conservation Volunteers group. This was the second visit to the reserve this term and what a lot they did. They joined force with a number of our regular volunteers and after carefully ferrying them…

Here at Sandwell Valley we like to think we're a bit out of the norm and us Black Country folk could be accused of being a different breed altogether. Take for instance our approach to birdwatching; yes we can be 'one-eyed', yes we can be obtuse; yes we can be single-minded but above all we're a friendly bunch.

Yesterday morning I happened to be in our Lakeside Hide when four visitors gingerly opened the…

Last Saturday proved to be a significant day in the road to recovery. Over 40 volunteers attended the new SPA building where they heard presentations from all the senior RSPB Midlands managers. The theme of the day was primarily by way of a thank you to the volunteers for their patience, their hard work and resilience over the past 7 months.  Steve Holliday, regional Director, reinforced the message of the determinati…

Waiting has never been a strong point of mine and this week we've done something in the wildflower garden that will take months to wait for!

Our I/C garden person, Paula, accompanied by spouse Brian and two volunteers, Trevor & Amandeep, set about planting over 500 flower bulbs. They had to ensure the bulbs were all planted 'pointy end up' and we will now have to bide our time until next year when the garden…

We have once again benefitted from work done on the reserve by the eager and willing students from the West Midlands Police Princes Trust initiative. This is the second year running RSPB Sandwell Valley have hosted them. Last year the group cleared and prepared a new river viewing point which was soon named 'Kingfisher Korner', where visitors can watch the iconic kingfisher fly along the river Tame. Not to be outdone…

Ever since the fire, which severly damaged our visitor centre back in March, it's true to say we've struggled at times to keep our peckers up! But yesterday marked another significant step along the road to recovery. To some people this may not seem important but to others it means the nature reserve is alive and well and not about to buckle in the face of adversity.

What is it that's had such an uplifting effect…

We've been without our 'comfort' facilities for almost 5 months now and this has dictated how we've approached working on site during that time. Today then is a 'red letter day' whatever that means - the arrival of our temporary accommodation on the back of 4 very large trucks was a welcoming sight this morning. These 'boxes' have been pieced together to form a large classroom, toilets and a small office, all of which…

Volunteer workparties are continuing throughout the drought. This time of the year means only one thing on site:- Himalayan Balsam removal. This invasive plant is found in areas of wetland or alongside river courses. If we do not take evasive action then the invader will flourish and stifle our native species. We still need the support of more willing helpers to remove the balsam from the reserve so if you can spare a…

Thursday 8th July will go down as an auspicious date in the records of Sandwell Valley. It was that day the 3 common tern chicks were first seen taking their initial flights over the lake. Their parents have done an excellent job raising the youngsters despite the close attention of hungry lesser black backed gulls! Watching the fledglings try out their newly developed wings was very entertaining.

The recent dry weather…

....deserves another, or in this case, 3. Yes, for the first recorded time in Sandwell Valley we are proud to announce the birth of not one but three common tern chicks! What terrific news for the reserve after what we've been through recently. The icing on the cake is the fact they're all visible from the hide.

We've held our breath over the past few weeks as we guessed the terns were laying, hatching and brooding…

Over the past few months visitors to Sandwell Valley will have noticed all the groundwork being carried out around the reserve. I'm happy to say this work will be completed by the Whitsun Bank Holiday. The path to the hide (opening in mid-week soon) has been dramatically improved, not only is it wider but also the surface has been improved to make access easier. We've even smoothed out the exciting(?) hairpin bend…

The opening of the Lakeside Hide every weekend has meant a return to the norm after our recent traumas. From 10.30am through to 3.30pm the hide is open to all visitors every Saturday and Sunday. We have established a rota system whereby a staff member and at least 2 volunteers are available to help with bird identification and general wildlife enquiries. In fact the hide seems to be a trove of information about all manner…

It's been just over 3 weeks since our Visitor Centre was badly damaged by a fire but we're not letting this set back prevent us from enjoying nature close-up. Thanks to the wonderful efforts of our volunteers the Lakeside Hide will be open at weekends from 10.30 to 3.30. We also hope to extend the daily openings to include weekdays in the very near future. We suggest that because both RSPB car parks are regrettably…

Our visitor centre has been badly damaged by a recent fire. It started in the early hours of Saturday 27 March and spread from the outside to the main building. Half the roof has been destroyed and there's substantial damage to the large classroom area, storage facility and kitchen.

We don't yet know what happened, though arson is suspected but unconfirmed. An investigation is underway.

It's gutting for the…