Back To Work

Well, its Back To Work Day. Have replenished my feeders in the Garden, made Breakfast and am now listening to the News. Back to the Grindstone. On my last day of freedom we ventured South and visited Compen Bewley. It was quite a nice place, with pleasant staff, well kept but there seemed to be a distinct lack of wild life, or then again it might be just one of those days when everything was there 10mins before we came and 10mins after we left. A gentleman on the bank told me that the sign used to read NO FISHING but then again he told me a Tufted Duck was a Teal and a Mallard was an Eider and as he left he was telling his son (aged about 5) to hold onto his hand in case the alligators came running out of the reeds!!!!

Although the feeding station is closed during the summer someone had put some feed up and there were several of these around (Dunnocks I believe)



The Seen Today Board in the Reception Centre had loads of birds and wild life on and I asked the young lady when it had been updated and she said it had been like that for a long time. Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Roe Deer, Stoat all listed along with dozens of others gives a false impression to visitors. Dont get me wrong it was a nice place for a walk with lots of grassed tracks but the map was a bit hard to follow (I did pass CSE Geography) and will definitely go back there again but it just had that "nice and comforftable" feeling unlike other sites where you sit/walk round with that anticipation that something is going to happen at any second. But then again I've only been doing this for a couple of months so what do I know. We then decided to drive by Saltholme as my feet were walked out. Looks quite good although there seemed to be as many people on the road with big scopes looking into Saltholme as there seemed to be in the Car Park.

Headed North to Souter Lighthouse to see what was going on at the Wildlife day there - plenty of stalls with good information being imparted and the bonus was a couple of minutes walk to see the Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Cormarants etc then a trip to Minchellas for an Ice Cream.

Hope to get out in the evening for an hour or two but still havent got a key for Holywell or Big Waters despite going twice to the Wildlife Trust at Gosforth to be told sorry they havent got them in yet (also they want £7.50 for a key).