Update from our wildlife reserve
Depsite the chilly temperatures of late, spring is definitely on its way out on our wildlife reserve.
Hares have been spotted playing on Old Oak meadow and the grey heron colony is nesting in earnest. Wardens think a couple of pairs may already be incubating eggs, which isn’t unusual for these majestic, hardy birds. In fact, they typically squeeze two or even three broods of chicks into their long breeding season!
Young birds such as the ones in this picture will be visible in their nests from a lake-side hide or via CCTV from Waterside Cafe in the coming weeks.
Wader Lake was frozen over during the recent cold snap, but the ice has now thawed and wardens are lowering the water levels in preparation for nesting spring waders. Expected species include lapwing and the avocet, which has bred successfully on-site since 2006, with two pairs hatching chicks last year for the very first time.
