January

Sunday January 27th

Snowdrops have appeared along the riverbank. Maybe early, but about the same time as last year.

After due consideration of the Health and Safety policy and a detailed risk assessment, intrepid volunteers scale the site uplands looking for early flowering alpines.

.......and back at base camp by the lake, the traditional launching of straw into the water.

There is a perfectly good reason for this activity. If you want to know more, contact us via the website!

You Little Egret

As people left the Wassail on Sunday, there was a somewhat uncommon visitor in the mere - a Little Egret. It's fundamentally a small white heron in appearance and reasonably rare in the UK though becoming more popular year on year. You can find out more from the RSPB. A kingfisher also put on a good display, fishing happily at the top end of the mere (beneath the houses) whilst people watched from the bridge.

kingfisher parade

a selection of kingfisher shots from 27.12.07
in each case it is the same male bird