What a shocker!

On Saturday July 13th, my wife Clare and I visited The Lodge for the first time.  We arrived at lunchtime on a very hot day.  We drove into the car park, parked the car and got a ticket.  The first thing we wanted was a drink so we headed towards the shop.  On entering the shop there were several members of staff around the till area but on passing them we didn't get a smile or a greeting from any of them - I was surprised by this, to say the least, as when we visit our more local reserve of Minsmere we (and everybody else) are always greeted by the staff (and sometimes the reserve manager) in their reception area.  We had a good look round the shop and were quite impressed at the range of feeders, bird food, binoculars and other useful equipment - when we looked for food and drink, though, there was very little.  There was a reasonable selection of ice creams but there were not too many cold drinks and the tea came from a machine, and didn't taste very good.  After drinking it (Clare very sensibly had an ice cream) in the very pleasant picnic area in front of the shop we went back into the shop where Clare managed to get the staff talking and asked about various bird sightings - the responses she got were friendly and accurate.  As we left the building I still had yet to have anyone greet me (causing me to wonder about my after-shave!).

It was a very long walk around the reserve - we found it particularly beautiful despite the very hot temperature and we saw ravens, a wren, a hobby and an especially friendly robin at the bottom of the path leading to the quarry.  After a good rest we went up the stairs towards the HQ building.  I made it up there (with help) but a hand rail would have been very helpful as I am disabled though not yet wheelchair-bound.  We came past the old (and beautiful) house and headed into the hide.  In front of this was a pond but it was in a real state - it smelt awful and looked like it hadn't been kept clean for a long time.  It didn't help that this was the only hide, and nobody but us stayed in it for very long.

We eventually left and headed back to the car park, passing a historical trail on the way.  To our surprise, one of the items featured was a WW2 hand grenade - we hadn't known that The Lodge was once an ammunition dump - the poster stressed that the likelihood of finding a grenade was extremely slight, but that if we did see one we shouldn't touch it!  We were both surprised that such a warning wasn't posted back at the shop where more people could see it.

When we arrived back at the car park entrance there was a hut on the right hand side.  I assume the man was there to chat to visitors but once again I found myself un-greeted, so I headed for the shop where I bought a cold drink and an ice cream - I still wasn't greeted by anyone, other than to serve me in the shop.  Clare, inevitably, got chatting to the man in the car park, talked about our sightings and completed a questionnaire.  She went on into the shop where she chatted to the staff about our sightings - she reported that they were pleased we had seen what we had but again, Clare had spoken first.

I must confess that I found the visit a depressing one - we saw some lovely birds but I found the lack of interaction with visitors frustrating and I also think the reserve needs more hides.  Clare thought the car park set-up was odd - she thought the hut at the car park entrance might have been better placed at the entrance to the picnic area so that people would actually walk, not drive, past it.

It's possible that the extremely hot temperature made what would have normally been the usual warm RSPB greeting something that fell by the wayside through sheer heat exhaustion.  I have been thinking about what to say about this visit and I wished to be honest, but not to cause undue hurt.  The Lodge is a beautiful reserve and it's never a good idea to put off visitors.

I do hope someone from the Lodge takes the time to read this and will reply back on it.