LATE NIGHT AT BARNES.

Thursday, 4th September 2008.

Some of our favourite times that we have spent at the Wetland Centre have been whilst attending the ‘late opening’ nights during the summer months. We usually travel down directly from work and so manage to get there fairly early. One can normally smell the bar-b-que before you enter the Visitor Centre; the food is well cooked and is already in preparation for the early participants. We stopped in the Observatory to kit up and were pleased to see a Ruddy Duck; the colour of his bill was almost fluorescent blue; absolutely stunning!You have to choose the way in which you traverse the site as the light changes with the weeks. Towards the end of the summer you need to visit the Peacock Tower as soon as you arrive in the afternoon; if you leave it too late the sun is setting in the west and it is impossible to see anything on the Main Lake!

A 'WILDLIFE' POND.

Photo: Reg Norman

Today we got it wrong. We had looked at the notice board on the way in and had decided to go to the Wildside area for the chance of seeing certain birds. We never saw them (in fact we saw very little) although we could hear a large Tit flock moving around in the undergrowth. Every now and then we would get the most fleeting of glimpses of a tiny bird, but it was usually gone before we could identify it! This is, of course, usual for this time of year; there is so much cover and the birds, more often than not, only make ‘contact’ calls as they move about. One of the benches provided an ideal spot to rest our work-weary bones whilst we scanned the bushes and shrubs; we were not to be entertained by our little friends though!As we moved around the Wildside area, the sheer number of flowers that were still providing a wonderful show quite surprised us both. Combined with the bunches of berries on the trees and shrubs, and, some of the first leaves already taking on their autumn hues, the site was really very colourful. Amongst these flowers there moved (although fairly blustery) a number of different butterflies adding their different brilliant shades to the picture. We supposed that they were still much in evidence as the weather, although a little windy, was quite warm.

ANOTHER 'WILDLIFE' POND!

Photo: Reg Norman

It became quite sunny as we reached the Wildside Hide; in fact it made the interior feel a little chilly by contrast. We took up our favourite seats at the western end of the upper floor; the view here being the best by far as it covers such a wide area. We noticed that a Little grebe had a very small chick, not the first that we had seen today. There seemed to be an abundance of small birds dotted on the water about the site. I suppose that the birds will keep trying to get off as many offspring as they can in any one year. The Moorhens can rely on the youngsters from previous broods to help out with the rearing of the later ones, which must be a real bonus.Leaving the Wildside Hide, we made our way back towards the Visitor Centre, stopping briefly at the Headley Hide. The vegetation adjacent to this hide is (quite rightly) very well grown and obscures large areas of the Main Lake so we were not too disappointed not to see very much. We did manage to get some very good views of the (ever growing) number of Cormorants; swimming underwater quite closely, we were able to observe them!

THE SHELTERD LAKE

Photo: Reg Norman

Seared chicken. As we passed through the Visitor Centre and out onto the bar-b-que area the air was filled with its’ aroma. There were other meats as well, all smelling as tempting as could be. Roasted vegetables were also in evidence; the whole providing the prospect of a lovely meal for the diners. I mentioned that I had not seen much salad in evidence but Leon assured me that the chef had piles!
The Dulverton and WWF hides were our next objectives. Hoping to see any waders that may have arrived, we were not disappointed as we saw, briefly, a Redshank; a little unusual for this time of year. Having visited these hides for a short while we moved on the Sheltered Lagoon walk, hoping to see more of the smaller birds that we knew favoured this area.As we moved around the walk we became surrounded by a huge flock of tits, finches and warblers. We just had to stop and watch their antics; rolling around through the trees, all the while filling the air with their contact calls. The Long Tailed Tits were the most confiding, they came right to the very edge of the vegetation where they practiced their acrobatics. This was not the first time we had been treated to such a wonderful show by these beautiful birds and it never ceases to thrill.

THE PENULTIMATE OXEYE DAISY?

Photo: Reg Norman

Very little was to be seen from the Wader Scrape hide; although the water level was not too bad their just seemed to be a shortage of birds, although there were good numbers of Gadwall and Teal with a few Wigeon thrown in for good measure.
Having moved to the Peacock Tower, the first thing that was pointed out to us by one of its’ occupants was a Little Egret; he was on the Wader Scrape and we had been unable to see him because of the vegetation! It was here too that we caught up with our friend, John Cass. He informed us that he had not seen much but that there had been a Wheatear about earlier in the day. This had been one of the birds that we had hoped to see from the Wildside hide when we first arrived.
Looking across the Main Lake we remembered why should have come here earlier; the sun had moved round to the west and now made any observing quite difficult. This did not stop a sharp-eyed chap from noticing a bird by one of the island shores, and, not being sure what it was he asked for a general opinion. Taking turns in looking through telescopes we al agreed: Ruff. We didn’t agree on its’ development at first but after some discussion we all agreed that it was an adult ‘winter’ bird.
The differences in bird plumage, amongst even a single species, at different times of the year can be quite astonishing. Leon thought that this might be the time to go to ‘the office’ to discuss the matter and so we made our farewells. Passing through the bar-b-que area we noticed that there seemed to be good trade taking place; the food smelled even more wonderful and everybody seemed to be having a great time.

FLOWERS AT THE OFFICE

Photo: Reg Norman

We did not stay at ‘the office’ for very long; being a Thursday we both had to go to work the following day. We did discuss many things though, including the fact that there was always a fabulous show of flowers on the bar where we usually sit of an evening.

BIRDS SEEN: Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Feral Pigeon, Ruddy Duck, Mallard, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Gadwall, Shoveller, herring Gull, Black Headed Gull, Heron, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Wood pigeon, Greenfinch, Dunnock, House Martin, Starling, Crow, Magpie, Lapwing, Kestrel, Ring Necked Parakeet, Jackdaw, redshank, Teal, Sand Martin, Blackbird, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Canada Goose, Little Egret, Swallow, Ruff, Green Woodpecker, Lesser Black Backed Gull.