So here it is, Day 1 of 30 Days Wild with The Wildlife Trusts.
I signed up to 30 Days Wild as in incentive to myself to get out and do something "wild" every day.I've always loved Nature but due to work and my continuous treatments for my illnesses I am lucky to get one day a week to enjoy our Natural World.Doing 30 Days Wild will hopefully help me find ways I can bring Nature into my life every day.
Today I managed to finish work at 2pm so had some time for a walk around our local reserve, Messingham Sand Quarry in North Lincolnshire.A fantastic reserve just 10 minutes from Scunthorpe.
Over the first reed bed I was greeted with the glorious sight of 50-60 Swifts and Sand Martins zooming around the reeds like miniature Exocet missiles catching insects.I spent 20 minutes engrossed in their lives feeding on the wing.I also failed miserably in catching any of them in focus on my lens.lol
So I put down my DLSR and took out my camcorder to try and catch them on screen.
Around the lake, the grasses and reeds were teeming with Damselflies.
Further surveying of the vegetation produced this stunning Dragonfly, a 4-Spotted Chaser.
Being able to look at the detail close up of such an extraordinary creature can make you appreciate the beauty of our Natural World even more.
The main lake on the reserve is a haven for Black Headed Gulls, Tufted Ducks, Greylag Geese, Mute Swans and the odd Kingfisher.The highlight from today though was a pair of Shelducks with their family of 6 Ducklings.There is something about seeing Ducklings that always raises a smile on your face..try it ;)
On the walk back to the car I heard the unmistakeable call of the Male Cuckoo.I have only ever seen them in Scotland so to hear one just 15 minutes from my house was very exciting.I followed the sound of the call for about 10-15 minutes before I located him in a tree on the edge of the marsh.He was well concealed by other branches so only got this one dodgy photo.
It was a wonderful end to what started as an hours walk but turned into a 3 hour one.It is so easy to lose track of time when enjoying our wildlife.You just need to have a bit of time to get outdoors and find our amazing wildlife for yourself whether it be at a reserve or 10 minutes in your own garden.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Lose yourself in Nature and find peace" :)
Thanks for reading and hopefully you will follow me for the next 29 days to see what "wild" I can share with you.
Stuart Pike
The Arthritic Naturalist
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