I went to Maple Lodge today on a very impromptu visit, and forgot to charge my camera battery before I went. The work party were also there and whilst I waited for my battery to charge (luckily I had my camera charger in my rucksack) Martin and Gill took me on an off site tour of the recent works.
The three hides down the right hand fork (the double decker, Sanctuary and Rotunda hides) have all had major work done in front of them. New ponds, islands and raised banks have been created along with a very nice area just after the bend in the path which might become a little picnic area in the future. My iPhone photos don't do the work justice sadly, but the areas created are going to look fantastic once it all greens up.
The local wildlife have already been investigating the new areas and we found both fox and badger tracks....
and two Tawny Owl pellets......
After my unplanned off piste guided tour, I spent a few hours wandering around on my own.
As to be expected at this time of year there is still a lot of fruiting fungi around....
Martin is leading a fungi Walk and Talk this Sunday, which I will be attending too..
One of my favourite hides at the moment is the cosy Shell Hide. This is Reggie the Robins territory and he will dive bomb you as soon as you start walking up the path towards the hide. I've learnt on my last couple of visits to leave the door open whilst I'm in there as he likes to come in the hide window, and go out the door. This also ensures he isn't accidentally trapped in there. No photos of Reggie today, but here are a couple of out of focus pics of Vinnie the Vole. There are actually two Bank Voles that pop in and out now, and if you stay completely still and quiet (and Reggie doesn't chase them off) they do pop out to collect up any of Reggies spilt bird seed....
There were lots of Gadwall around today. These drab looking ducks actually have the most stunning intricate feather details. I just wish they had been a bit closer so I could capture that in more detail....
There are a lot of Shovellers around at the moment too, and numbers will go up as winter sets in...
One of the most heard noises on site today were the 'trilling' calls of the Little Grebe. From the Sluice Hide there were good views of three Little Grebes together, and one gave me a penetrating stare before diving down....
Even though it was a fairly cold day, the sun was out for most of it and I found one species of Hoverfly warming up on a leaf.... the very common Marmalade Hoverfly - Episyrphus balteatus
Whilst I was in the Long Hedge Hide I noticed this golf ball sized nest in the corner. I'm pretty sure it is a wasps nest, but happy to be corrected. It was small and the web underneath it seemed to be covered in either droppings or tiny flies....
As always I had a really interesting visit, and was thankful for the comfort of the clubhouse with its microwave and kettle - home made reheated lasagne and a mug of coffee never tastes better than when you're watching the local nature go by.
