Alex’s Anecdotes – June 22
We are delighted that our Tour Guide, Alex Douglas, is going to provide monthly musings on our blog, documenting her observations, experiences and intimate stories from her wonderful work across the reserve. Many of you will have met Alex on your tours and her insight into the lives of the animals here is second to none, so we are so pleased to share her thoughts with you on our blog. Here’s Alex’s first account, with her June highlights.
So the continued anticipation of the stork eggs hatching is reaching fever pitch now. Have we got our dates right, have they read the book that says 30 days incubation, are the eggs fertile??? They are still both sitting on the nest individually and still carefully turning each egg to stop the developing (we hope) embryo sticking to the side of the egg. The male is still dutifully providing straw from the stable to keep the interior of the nest cosy and comfy. And we are watching ever more closely whenever one moves of the nest for a little head or straggly feathers or legs appearing.
And still they sit ….*
* stay tuned for an update very soon
In birding terminology ducks have ducklings, geese have goslings, so why can’t coots have cootlings. Got all tongue tied this afternoon and invented a word. But that’s nothing new and the guest enjoyed by extracatting myself from my vocabular phopah. The ‘cootlings’ are just all feathers the size of a cotton wool ball. But despite their current tiny size they have voracious appetites and what a pleasure to sit and watch the adult birds diving below the lake surface and emerging with aquatic plants or even tasty insect larvae for the squeaking youngsters to devour
Please Sir, can I have some more ….
What a display in the woodlands, banks and banks of lilac, pink magenta and white foxgloves. Standing tall and proud like colour co-ordinated sentinels. Combining with the brackens, brambles and trees to provide us with an unrivalled natural botanical display
Who needs Chelsea ….
Radar love ….
So from the brisk, cold winds of the weekend – the lazy winds that go straight through you rather than around you – we have been enjoying the warmth and heat of the sunshine these last few days. It is still breezy around the lakes but rather than contemplating a route that minimises the effect of the wind we can potter anywhichway as the coolness is a pleasurable contrast to the meadows and woods. Note to self – Don’t look at eye level though now, but rather to the ground where both animals and birds will be chilling, resting and digesting in the heat
Busy doing nothing ….
Thats all for this month, we hope you continue to visit our blog and social media to stay abreast of the latest exciting news, in the meantime I’m heading back out onto the reserve and will be back with you next month with my July highlights!