With only two weeks to go until spring, I can’t help but wonder what lies in store at the reserves this year. I’ve certainly enjoyed my various trips through the winter, but some days have been bitterly cold. I can still remember driving back from Hall Place after spending three hours waiting for a redpoll. Even with the heating turned up to the maximum in my little car, I was still shivering by the time I got home. I said hello to the cats, unpacked in record time and ran a hot bath. I could see my skin turning a lovely shade of lobster and yet I was still chilled to the marrow. (An old expression that, but it describes exactly how I felt). As I sit here typing, I can hear the wind howling outside and it feels as though winter isn’t done with us yet. I want to see our muddy lawn and fields replaced with fresh green shoots and I don’t want to do the outside animals in the dark. It’s true that I could do them earlier, but then it would be without my husband and would leave me making several trips with assorted feed buckets, straw and hay and I’m not getting any younger.
I‘ve been toying with the idea of visiting our local reserve soon, either alone or with a friend from my photography forum. He and his wife are also retired and they spend a lot of time bird watching around the south-east. I was first introduced to it about 18 months ago and I’ve been back on a fairly regular basis. It has five lakes and a mixed habitat of ponds, seasonal flooded pools, reedbed and woodland. I find it a great place to simply wander around and clear my head.
I dragged hubby round there last summer. Partly because I wanted him to see where I go while he is at work and partly because I wanted to show him my new camera in action. (He had paid half towards the little Powershot). It was a lovely day and we covered the entire reserve during the afternoon. It was nice to have company for a change, but there was another benefit. His eyesight is much better than mine, plus he has directional hearing – I’m deaf in one ear. He was able to spot birds and insects that I would probably have missed, like the crested grebe on a little river in the featured image above.
He also pointed out the male reed bunting singing on a fairly distant tree and also the broad bodied chaser. The latter had caused quite a stir with a group of bird experts in the hide. They were kind enough to make space for me so I could take a few shots. It was the first dragonfly I photographed with my new camera and I was thrilled to bits with the detail.
So here’s to a lovely year and many more happy hours spending time in our beautiful countryside. For now, though, I need to go upstairs and put on a thicker pair of socks…
