greenbenchramblings

Brandon Marshes – a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 15, 2012
4 Comments on Brandon Marshes – a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.

Once you have visited Brandon Marshes you have to congratulate Warwickshire Wildlife Trust for creating and maintaining such a wonderful reserve, with so many different habitats to explore. Woodland, pools, marsh areas, reedbeds and grassland. Seven hides are situated where you can appreciate the different birds using the reserve. And we can’t fail to mention the coffee shop with big windows affording great views of busy bird feeders, which attract Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Siskin and Reed Bunting as well as the usual suspects.

The reserve is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and boasts 2 km of paths for the wandering bird watchers to enjoy. It is hard to believe that you are just a few miles from Coventry, and that the site was used for sand and gravel extraction until the 1980’s. In fact this extraction still goes on adjacent to the reserve but you soon forget it is there and ignore its noises.

On the day of our visit the weather started cool and misty but cleared and warmed up later so we were able to stay in the hides for a long time without getting cold. We spotted 53 different birds including some of my favourites like Bittern, Snipe and Kingfisher. We were privileged to see two Bittern in flight close to and were able to appreciate their wonderful colours and markings. The Snipe were present in good numbers spotting groups of 12 and 9 whereas Golden Plover and Lapwing were present in very large numbers. A real surprise was the number of Bullfinches around the reserve. We reckoned we had seen more on that day than the total for the last 5 years or so. A flock of 8 were feeding close to the path just 100 metres or so from the hide and a second feeding group of 5 were seen after another 50 metres walk along the track.

Ducks and gulls of course were present in large numbers. Among the usual Blackheaded and Herring Gulls we spotted two rarities, a Glaucous and a Mediterranean, both firsts for us.Tufted Ducks and Teal were the most numerous with Gadwall, Pintail and Goldeneye the most unusual.

The next two photos show a male “Tufty” who obligingly stayed above water between dives to allow me to take a shot, but the Teal proved oh so different. He never stopped feeding resulting in lots of failed pictures.

Between hides we walked through woodland and along the edges of reedbeds and marshy areas. On a bank we spotted clumps of Primroses growing in profusion, with a few in flower. We could only imagine how wonderful they would look in a few weeks time.

In a marshy area with small trees and bushes we were delighted by the lichen on the branches of the trees and these rich red fungi growing close to a tiny trickle of water.

Returning to the car at the end of the day the sun was getting low in the sky and backlit this oak leaf to give it the look of burnished copper. We promised ourselves a return visit when the summer migrants have arrived.

Tags birds, conservation, Warwickshire Wildlfie Trust, wildfowl, wildlife, Wildlife Trusts

allotments birds community gardening fruit and veg garden wildlife gardening grow your own

New Plots to Come at Bowbrook Community Allotments

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 13, 2012
2 Comments on New Plots to Come at Bowbrook Community Allotments

We have 68 plots at our allotment site, Bowbrook Allotment Community, and after just three seasons of being open we have a waiting list of about 50. Phase two was on the cards from the word go but with budget constraints we didn’t really think it would ever come to fruition. The plan was to open up the field next to us and create about 50 extra plots.

Meetings with town council representatives and reports in the local newspaper over the last year or so indicated that this might still happen. Then recently the allotment management committee were asked if a few members could meet with representatives from the town and the county councils to look at plans. It seemed that things would be moving ahead in the autumn of 2012.

Budget constraints had effected the plans as the draft map for the new extension showed just 25 plots covering half the field. Still we couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth! Ideas were exchanged and the proposals will go in for planning permission and hopefully work will be done by the autumn.

So we can halve our waiting list. The plots will be so tightly packed that little space will be available to develop our community gardens but we should gain the pond, a spring and a few yards of stream and a triangle of land beneath a group of mature trees. We shall endeavour to make these exciting places!!

The strip of pastureland that will become our new allotments.

The poor neglected pond that will become part of our site.

The old Ash tree that will overlook the new allotments.

The spring emerging from its old collapsed brickwork. The water table is so low it is currently dry.

The mature trees in the corner of land to be developed as part of our community gardens.

So, opportunities are coming our way. The council will tidy out the pond, removing old fences, and other rubbish and hopefully the barbed wire surrounding it. A fence will be built around it with gated access, all conforming with the latest health and safety requirements. The old Ash tree will be attended to by tree surgeons to make it safe and ensure its future health. The 25 plots will be prepared for cultivation.

And then it will be up to new plot holders to cultivate them and the committee to develop the green spaces. the area around the spring could become a bog garden and the area under the mature trees could become a mini-arboretum. We shall see!

Tags allotments, community gardening, fruit and vegetable growing, gardening, grow your own

garden photography gardening ornamental trees and shrubs photography shrubs The National Trust trees winter gardens

Photographing winter light at Dunham Massey.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 11, 2012
11 Comments on Photographing winter light at Dunham Massey.

The lighting on the day of our visit to Durham Massey recently was amazing for taking photographs. It was a sunny day with a bright blue sky above. The light acted light a spotlight shining just above ground level. It lit up leaves, tree trunks, flower petals. And it shone in “The Undergardener’s” eyes!

Winter light reflected in the glossy bamboo foliage.

Long shadows of the White-stemmed Birch cross the carpet of Snowdrops.

Winter light turns Cornus mas flowers into gold along the orange peel bark.

DSC_0086a — Orange stems and yellow foliage enriched by the light

Curling silhouettes of an old gnarled Rhodendron bush.

Fallen rotting tree trunk looking like a huge tuning fork.

Tags cornus, dogwoods, Dunham Massey, foliage plants, garden photography, gardening, National Trust, ornamental trees, shrubs, trees, winter

allotments bird watching birds climbing plants fruit and veg garden design garden photography garden wildlife gardening grow your own winter gardens

A Wander Around Our Garden in March

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 9, 2012
7 Comments on A Wander Around Our Garden in March

This is the third of the garden wandering posts already. Why is this year going so quickly? Could it be that we have had so many days when the weather has been amenable to gardening? So what is happening here in our garden? The bulbs are at last flowering well after such a slow start but in contrast the birds are responding quickly to warmer periods of weather. Robins are nesting in the box on my fishing tackle shed, House Sparrows are using three boxes around the garden, Great Tits are using the box on the summer-house and Blue Tits have started building in the box opposite the front door. They are so busy! Blackbirds are collecting moss from the lawns and dried grass stems from the borders so are nesting somewhere close by. The early morning bird song gets louder and more birds join in the chorus each day.

We have spent most sunny days continuing to clear borders, cutting down and adding new mulch. Clearing the “Beth Chatto Garden” is a hands and knees job. Jude the “Undergardener” pulls up weed seedlings by hand. Very tedious but made more enjoyable by the constant song of Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Robins. Calls of Buzzards high above us provide a good excuse to stop occasionally.

In the front garden Euphorbias are bursting into growth and some have already sent up their flower stalks curling over like shepherds’ crooks. New growth on the later ones is showing bright colours as they emerge from the bark mulch.

The flowering quince at the end of the drive is covered in bright red blooms scattered amongst its thorny angular network of stems – it will flower for months giving a warm welcome to visitors.

At last our first daffodils are fully in flower! We have waited so long. Muscari are also now bursting into bloom adding their own shade of blue all around the garden.

The Primroses we grew from seed a few years ago now give us big clumps of flower in their own special shade of yellow. They are self seeding and spreading around the garden, with an occasional plant producing flowers of an extraordinary shade of greyish pinky. Not sure I like them!

One of the delights of this time of year are the Pulmonarias with their flowers coloured pink and blue on the same plant and their beautifully marked hairy leaves.

Helleborus have featured in both the January and February garden wanderings and they are still going strong. Two of the last ones to come into flower are this red hybrid and the magnificent near black variety. It looks good in bud and full flower and has the added attraction of interesting foliage. The clump of mixed Hellebores in the “Chicken Garden” give us plenty to look at on coffee breaks when the March sun bursts through and its warmth feels so good on our backs.

The bees appreciate the early flowering bulbs especially purple crocuses but soon they will be flocking to feed on the Flowering Currant, the exceptionally large flowered variety Ribes sanguineum King Edward VII, which is on the point of bud burst. The buds on the Daphne bhulua “Jacqueline Postill” have opened to reveal highly scented flowers in several shades of pink.

March in the garden is full of promises with buds developing and preparations underway for the productive garden. The photos show buds of Clematis, both climbing and herbaceous, and Apples and Pears.

The Sempervivum in the alpine troughs and on the slate scree bed are all budding up nicely but one pure white-flowered one is out and glowing in the March sunlight. They are such precious little jewels of plants.

Our two newest areas of the garden, the Chicken Garden and the Secret Garden, are turning glaucous green with Allium leaves. One area is like a lawn of Allium. They seem to enjoy our soil too much and are spreading and self seeding madly!

The productive side of our gardening mostly happens on our allotment but we have a big greenhouse in the back garden where we start off many of the veggie plants. Some seedlings have germinated in the propagator and lots cells and 5 inch pots are full of compost ready for us to sow peas, broad beans and sweet peas.

In our raised wicker beds just outside the back door the cut-and-come-again salad leaves are almost ready for the first cutting – and of course the first eating. So many different textures, colours and tastes! Delicious! Much is still to happen in March and on into April.

Our Comfrey patch is showing strong growth. This is one of the most important areas of the garden for in this 2ft by 10ft bed we grow a comfrey variety called Bocking 14, which we can cut 4 or 5 times a year. The leaves can be put in the bottom of potato trenches before we plant the potatoes to feed them and prevent the disease “Scab”. We also put them as a mulch under fruit trees and bushes as a feed and as a weed suppressant, and use them to make a liquid feed mixed with nettles.

So much is still to happen in the March garden. It is a busy and exciting month. So much to look forward to.

Tags allotments, apples, birds, clematis, foliage, foliage plants, fruit and veg, fruit and vegetable growing, fruit., garden photography, garden wildlife, gardening, greenhouse gardening, grown your own, harvest, March, organic gardening, winter

garden photography National Trust ornamental trees and shrubs photography The National Trust trees winter gardens

Looking up!

I recently published my blog about the winter garden at Dunham Massey. (see “The Winter Garden at Dunham Massey”) This wonderful area of planting is beautifully situated within and underneath an area of mature trees, some of great age and height, so my camera wandered upwards and shot some pictures.

Jet aircraft from the nearby airport painted white lined art against the deep blue of the sky.

The tracery of bare winter branches bursting from the thick trunks of the mature trees painted far more delicate works of art in the sky. No straight lines in their doodlings.

In this avenue the gardeners have added their personal touches to the trees’ artwork with their pleaching work.

The artwork below has been created over decades by the growth and development of this huge tree, creating its own unique textures and patterns.

Looking up gave surprises and delights, looking up into the world enjoyed by birds and insects. Looking up also concentrated and enhanced our listening, affording us the joy and thrill of hearing the calls of Nuthatches, Goldcrests and the Titmice family against the drumming sound of Woodpeckers.

Tags garden photography, gardening, National Trust, ornamental trees, trees, winter, winter gardens

conservation garden wildlife gardening natural pest control wildlife winter gardens

Frog Chorus – it’s frog time in the garden.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 5, 2012
1 Comment on Frog Chorus – it’s frog time in the garden.

We have been gardening with wildlife in mind now for four decades.We have endeavoured to include a wildlife pond in each of our 4 gardens in that time. Each year the frogs attracted to the ponds gather together towards the end of February to croak loudly day and night, to mate and leave piles of spawn. They have been so consistent up till now – whatever the weather the spawn appears in the same weeks of the year. If there is snow on the ground or if a mild spell gives bonus sunshine and blue skies they still perform in late February.

But this year they have waited until the first few days of March! I wonder why? We can’t complain about their lateness though as all this spawn will provide lots more frogs to live in the garden and act as natural pest controllers.

Tags conservation, frog spawn, frogs, garden wildlife, gardening, wildlife, wildlife ponds, winter gardens

garden design garden photography gardening outdoor sculpture

Some new sculpture for our garden.

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 3, 2012
7 Comments on Some new sculpture for our garden.

We enjoy pieces of sculpture around the garden, some we buy, some are pieces of interesting “found objects” from the beach or countryside, but more special are the ones we receive as presents and the most special of all are those created by the person giving them as presents.

This piece was made by our daughter, Jo, from copper sheet and copper piping, and inspired by the work of a fellow student. The piece is based on the leaves of the Stagshorn Fern. It always looks colourful with the colours changing as the day moves on and as the weather changes.

We “planted” the sculpture alongside a bronze leaved Phormium, to both compliment and enhance the sculpture and the plant.

Recently we explored the nature reserve, Brandon Marshes, run by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, and as the light began to drop the sun shone through the old leaves of a coppiced oak and the effect it presented was so similar to our sculpture. the colour, texture and shape. Amazing coincidence.

Tags foliage, garden photography, garden sculpture, gardening

garden design garden photography gardening hardy perennials National Trust ornamental trees and shrubs The National Trust trees winter gardens

The Winter Garden at Dunham Massey

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date March 1, 2012
5 Comments on The Winter Garden at Dunham Massey

We visited the Winter Garden at the National Trust’s Dunham Massey just after it opened, so we returned this week to see how things had developed. Wow! This is some Winter Garden. The National Trust enlisted Roy Lancaster, one of my gardening heroes, to help with its design so there is some interesting planting. We wandered around it for hours trying different routes through it which afforded us the opportunity of seeing each bit of planting in a different light. This is a garden for all the senses, our eyes, noses, fingers and ears enjoyed every moment. It was busy but the design and quality of planting seemed to make everyone remain quiet. Quiet enough to hear the birds, bees and insects at work.

A winding path lead us through an area of mature trees underplanted with miniature daffodils, an area where the trees’ long shadows cut across the Daffodils, beautifully lit by the low sun and shining like gold, and soon we glimpsed the massed planting of white barked Birches.

There were two distinct areas of Birch trees, single stemmed specimens one side of a path and multi-stemmed on the other. Betula utilis “Doorenbos” was the chosen variety and their trunks were a clear crisp white.

As well as the usual winter flowering bulbs such as crocus, snowdrops and daffodils there were several different coloured varieties of Iris reticulata those tiny bulbous plants with over-sized flowers in shades of purple and blue, all with yellow beards.

In some areas of lawn these diminutive Irises have been naturalised under trees. We had never seen this done before and have to say it was very effective.

It was so heartening to see and hear bees, hoverflies and other insects at work around the flowering shrubs, Lonicera fragrans, Cornus mas, Daphne mezereum “Alba”, Viburnum bodnantense and Viburnum tinus.

Lovely as the flowers of winter are, sometimes the colours, textures and shapes of leaves can be just as impressive – Bergenias, Liriope and variegated Ilex for example in their many colours.

We cannot ignore the snowdrops though, and here at Dunham Massey they have been so thoughtfully placed, at the bases of trees or shrubs.

The textures and colours of bark add another dimension to this winter garden, peeling bark, shining bark, bark like snake-skin, red stems, contorted stems, curling stems, shimmering stems.

In the photo below the ginger-coloured shining bark of Prunus serrula shoot upwards from the golden leaves of Liriope.

With all the new season’s flowers, the colourful stems and bark, and the scents it would be too easy to miss the effect the winter light can have as it plays across the seed heads of last year’s flowers and stems. Giant lilly stems with their huge seed pods towering up above a sea of desiccated flower heads of a variety of Hydrangeas stopped us in our tracks.

When the wind blew these seed heads rustled gently, temporarily drowning out the sound of the Blackbirds turning over the mulch of bark and throwing the dried leaves fallen from trees last Autumn over their shoulders. The gentlest breeze set the bamboos swaying and rustling but it took a stronger wind to move the conifers overhead and start their music making. Over our heads in the mature tree canopy we could hear the calls and songs of Goldcrests, Nuthatches, Coal Tits and Blue Tits occasionally drowned out by the drumming of Great Spotted Woodpecker, all proclaiming their territorial rights in their own unique way.

There was so much to appreciate in the Winter Garden at Dunham Massey that it is hard to leave. But it had another surprise around another corner, a beautifully woven willow den, created from many coloured stems. Jude, the Undergardener, as usual could not resist, so a quick exploration was called for before coffee and cakes called even louder from the restaurant!

Tags cornus, dogwoods, foliage, foliage plants, garden photography, gardening, National Trust, ornamental trees, shrubs, trees, winter, winter gardens

allotments community gardening garden design garden photography gardening hardy perennials ornamental grasses ornamental trees and shrubs Shropshire shrubs trees winter gardens

The Winter Garden at Bowbrook Allotments Community

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 26, 2012
6 Comments on The Winter Garden at Bowbrook Allotments Community

As part of the development of the shared community spaces at Bowbrook Allotment Community we have created “Gardens of the Four Seasons”. We did this with the support of “The Peoples Postcode Trust” who awarded us a generous grant for the purchase of plants. In early 2011 we began work on the Winter Garden and now we are beginning to see some results of our labours. The work was carried out by allotment holders who attend regular working parties (look out for future blog about our working parties) and the gardens are maintained by members. Much work is also done outside working parties by individuals or small groups.

I designed the garden and presented the plan to the management committee and informed other members by e-mail, asking for comments, further suggestions and ideas. The basic idea was to create a garden full of trees, shrubs, grasses, bulbs and perennials that looked good in the winter, for their stem colour, bark colour and texture, their flowers, their scents. Movement and sound was also considered so we included many grasses and some trees with rustling stems.

It is now a year since we began the groundwork. The preparation was completed by the end of February 2011 and the main framework of planting by the end of March.

The first step was to rotovate the land, almost triangular in shape, in the corner of the site furthest from the huts, about 10 x 20 metres. We then added manure and rotovated once more. We dug out a path shaped as a serpentine curve, which cut the border in two, edged it with logs and gave it a deep layer of bark. It proved soft and comfortable to walk on. A thick layer of compost was added to the planting areas and raked level and we were prepared for planting.

Our Winter Garden is situated in a corner of the site. A water-butt is ready to be placed conveniently for watering in dry periods. In front is one of our wildlife banks.

Trees and shrubs were delivered by The Dingle Nursery from Welshpool, who had proved so helpful in helping us to select the best when we visited them to place our order. Unloading the truck and unpacking the plants was an exciting time, full of anticipation. Transporting them across the site took longer than expected involving three plot-holders with wheelbarrows. Some of the trees were just too long to stay put. After an hour of laughter and regular rescuing of dropped goods, we finally began planting. It was to take a few days.

Bulbs and herbaceous plants arrived by post and were added to our structural planting of trees and shrubs. a selection of grasses was added later. We now had trees with coloured bark, shrubs with coloured stems and a winter flowering time, perennials such as Hellebores and Pulmonaria and grasses to give movement and beautiful seed heads.

In pride of place are our three silver-barked Birches, Betula utilis “Jacquemontii” planted as 3 metre tall specimens, along with similarly sized Prunus serrula with its shining gingery-bronze bark. Smaller specimens of Acer davidii (a snake bark maple), Acer griseum appreciated for its peeling red bark and a selection of variegated Hollies completed the structural planting.

For bark colour we planted dozens of Cornus, Salix and Rubus tibeticanus to give an airy network of colour all winter and early spring. We interplanted these with patches of Lavender to give some summer interest, to attract butterflies, bees and hoverflies and to provide gentle bluish foliage colour all year. For winter flowering interest and scent we planted Cornus mas and Viburnum bodnantense “Dawn”.

In order to maintain all year interest with greatest emphasis of interest we added evergreens. As well as the Hollies we included Viburnum tinus and several conifers chosen for the variety of foliage colour, texture and habit of growth – Picea pungens Procumbens, Pinus sylvestris, Chamaecyparis “Boulevard” and to top it off John, our committee’s chairman donated a lovely specimen of Cedrus atlantica glauca. As a contrast we also planted a Larix decidua a conifer that is deciduous.

When we planted the trees and shrubs, following the allotment site’s organic policy, we gave them a sprinkling of bonemeal in the planting holes and top-dressed with blood fish and bone fertiliser before mulching with manure. We plan to give the bed regular mulching of compost and manure to give a slow-release nutrient regime.

Working parties and individual volunteers worked throughout the year to keep weeds at bay.

By late summer the garden was showing lots of healthy growth and we could see much promise for the future.

In the autumn we gave the garden a mulch of chipped bark to protect it from the ravages of winter and to slowly break down releasing nutrients and improving humus levels ans soil texture.

This week three of us weeded the bed over, tidied, pruned and loosened up the soil. It was amazing to look at progress and realise how the garden had developed in less than a year. Bulbs were flowering, the trees and shrubs have made good growth and in particular the willows and dogwoods are showing strongly coloured stems.

DSC_0043-2 — Winter sunlight through Miscanthus and Cornus.

Stripes of fence shadows fall across a variegated holly.

DSC_0024-2 — Green flowered hellebore with striped shadows.

DSC_0038-1 — Premature bud burst on Viburnum.

With so much to see after such a short time, we can but wonder at what our Winter Garden will bring us in the future. It was great fun creating it and judging from comments from plot holders it is already bringing much joy!

Tags allotments, community gardening, cornus, dogwoods, foliage, foliage plants, garden photography, gardening, grasses, organic gardening, ornamental trees, shrubs, trees, winter, winter gardens

bird watching birds conservation photography RSPB wildlife

Welsh Estuary Wildlife Walk

Post author By greenbenchramblings
Post date February 24, 2012
1 Comment on Welsh Estuary Wildlife Walk

We left home as the sun was about to rise. The car’s thermometer told us it was already 9 degrees. Things were looking good for a day’s wandering around the RSPB’s reserve at Conway in North Wales. Driving off into Wales the sun rising behind us gave the sky a warm orange glow and the dull flat grey concrete of each bridge we passed under looked as if it was being warmed by fire.

The problem with the coast of North Wales is that it has its own weather! Today was no exception – the closer we got to our destination the duller the sky became and drizzle began to fall. It was to continue all day! Looking out over the reserve it looked very grey indeed!

We stopped near the reserve entrance overlooking the estuary – the tide was well and truly out so it was sand and mud as far as the eye could see. On the sand a few waders probed for invertebrates – a couple of Curlew, a Redshank and a Little Egret.

We entered the reserve proper and wandered along board walks and soggy gravel paths towards the scrapes and pools. At the first hide were treated to a view of a Water Rail, that little beautifully marked rail, much smaller and harder to find than its larger cousins the Coot and Moorhen, who were here wherever we looked. Dozens of Teal, Mallard, Canada Geese and Shelduck fed busily in shallow water and on the muddy margins. Out in open water Tufted Ducks dived constantly for food. A real surprise was a pair of Goldeneyes! The award for the star of the show on this body of water was the Red Breasted Merganzer. Six of these saw billed ducks actively dived for food stopping only for an occasional skirmish. The males looked most dapper with their black and white bodies topped off with green-black heads, red eyes and long thin red bills. Their wispy crests fluttered in the wind.

We moved on wandering through areas of scrub and small trees where Meadow Pipit and Linnets were spotted, through marshy ground and finally reached the estuary. Here the breeze turned to a freezing strong blast, making it hard to look for wildlife. In the muddy foreshore a dozen or so Redshanks fed with even more Black Tailed Godwits. Two Shoveller fed amongst scores of Shelduck in areas where water remained. Both these species of duck were upending in their search for food in the shallow water. Our walk had taken us in such a short time from the sheltered area close to the reserve centre and coffee shop to this wilderness of wind, mud and driving rain.

The depth of the dark sky overhead varied as the drizzle came and went. It was amusing to watch the reaction of a Grey Heron to the arrival of the wetter, darker weather. He really seemed to sulk. The two following photos show the change in his attitude – a real mood swing!

He was not a very lively Heron at all. He definitely disapproved of the wet weather. the only time he made any movement was when an Egret landed near him and he let out a loud unpleasant “cronking” noise, sounding more like an animal than a bird. The Egret flew off but we were lucky enough to get a long very close up view of him from a hide near the estuary itself when we stopped for lunch and to escape the strong cold wind. Seeing these two members of the Heron family together illustrated just how different they are. they both sport crests and shape wise they are almost the same but the Grey Heron looks much bulkier and dull in its black, grey and white plumage. The Egret is the purest white possible in a bird and is slender in profile. The Egret sports a crest on top of its head but also is graced with long wispy feathers hanging down its chest.

We watched our Little Egret feeding just in front of the hide. He performed a shuffling feet dance to stir up the mud and disturb invertebrates and small fish. At other times he seemed to stalk his prey moving slowly, cocking his head and then stabbing at a small fish with his beak. In close up we were amazed by his bright yellow feet – usually you only see his black legs as he wades in shallow water – and a matching yellow ring around his eyes. This sequence of three photos follows him as he stalks in shallow water.

He seemed to feed continuously in sharp contrast to the Heron who had time to just stand and hide from the Welsh weather. Only once did we notice the Little Egret take his mind off hunting. Another Egret flew across from the neighbouring pool and our Egret immediately launched a vicious attack driving the intruder away. The aggressive noise he made was the same harsh “cronking” noise made by the Grey Heron, described in one of my books as “fraink”.

We moved back to the calm of the centre buildings and treated ourselves to a latte and cappuccino. This is the perfect bird reserve cafe as it serves excellent food and coffee and has a whole wall of glass overlooking a scrape, reed areas and bird feeding station. Here we relished our coffees, warmed up, dried off and enjoyed close-up views of Siskins, Reed Buntings and Goldfinches feeding.

We got soaked, our eyes and noses wouldn’t stop running but what a great day we had. This reserve is worth a visit at any time of the year. The facilities are great and the volunteers most pleasant, knowledgable and helpful.