Great Crested Grebe on nestWe were one person short of a full minibus for our visit to
the Rother Valley Country Park led by Donald Lightowler. Closure of part of the
M62 required that we take the scenic route to our destination. Our walk started
along the River Rother where we observed grey wagtails feeding young. The
vertical banks of this section of river betrayed its canalisation. The showers
were interspersed with welcome, fleeting glimpses of sunshine. We were pleased
to note the first damselfly sighting of 2009, possibly a common blue damselfly.
After negotiating the path between the lagoon and the fishing lake we stopped
for lunch despite the rain. The showers gave way to more persistent and
increasingly heavy rain, and our resolve was fading. We headed back to the
visitor centre and sought refuge in the café. Many of us were wet through and
after leaving the café, the general consensus was to depart earlier than
planned. 68 plants in flower were recorded. Our bird tally of 30 would no doubt
have been higher if we had explored the woodland area as planned. A highlight
for me was seeing a great-crested grebe on a nest.
Sue (understudy to Stuart our regular, more eloquent blogger!)