I really should cut my losses and move on, I am getting well and truly disenchanted. Every where I walk there are notice boards covered in mission statements and drawings of exciting birds and mammals but I see no evidence that they exist. Thursday we move further down the lake where the site promises WiFi. I can sort out the camera there, or at least find out how to sort it. I notice on the map there is a bird hide a mile or so down the lake. So today's entertainment is sorted.
The Youth Hostel at Butteryhaugh.
The view from the hide overlooking Bakethin Reservoir, the three islands are man made as part of the nature reserve. A lot of money has been spent but today it wasn’t being patronised by anything but a pair of Canada Geese, a couple of Mallard and a Rook. Two hours saw me frozen stiff and not a little fed up.
The guesses book had an interesting entry for the fourth of April, someone has recorded the sighting of an Osprey. They had a good day.
On the wander back we passed this colourful stream, I don’t know what causes this orange colour I have always assumed it is iron contamination but when I dip my finger in it feels more like some sort of growth.
Two hours sitting in a hide for nothing and then as we turned a corner away in the distance a pair of ducks.
Now normally I wouldn’t have looked twice, such is the scarcity of anything to look at that I investigated further. I’m very glad I did, a pair of Golden Eye, a first for me and an exciting end to the expedition. This is heavily cropped but Golden Eye they are, we sat for over half an hour but this was the closest they came.
It’s an odd thing that although temperatures are rising it feels colder, mornings and evenings are bitter and I’ve been driven to getting out my funny hat. It keeps the hairless head warm but does give me the semblance of a six foot Sherpa.
Re your orange stream - this from the University of Maine website may explain it.
ReplyDelete"Orange stuff is produced by a group of bacteria that use iron as an energy source. This is the same group of bacteria that create oily sheens. The masses of bacteria excrete slimy or fuzzy-looking material as they grow and reproduce, and the slime becomes coated with rusty iron hydroxide"
John, many thanks, I've seen this phenomenon several times before but never stopped to dip my fingers in. It solves one conundrum. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThat reserve looks to have so much potential. Maybe the inhabitants were just having a day off.
ReplyDeleteGood find with the Goldeneye though.
Keith, a good day for me. It looks as if it should be teaming with life, sadly not.
ReplyDelete