Water Mint

I now have a permit for the Hay Bridge Nature Reserve in the Rusland Valley. It’s owned and managed by the John Strutt Conservation Foundation, and today was my first visit. I met the ranger Jim shortly after arriving, and he briefed me on the facilities and where to go. There is a real mix of habitats across the reserve.

I had a good walk around. It’s not the best time of year for birds (it will be magical in Spring) - they have all stopped singing and displaying following the breeding season, and have become skulky and difficult to see amidst all the luxuriant vegetation. The exception was birds of prey - young buzzards and ospreys (there is a nest here, three young have successfully fledged) were all very vocal. And lots of (recorded) swift screaming - there are artificial nest boxes and the way of enticing birds passing through the valley to come and see them (and to register an interest for next year) is to play “swift music”.

The reserve is also good for reptiles, although I didn’t see any - too hot for adders to be basking. There were however lots of dragonflies, I took quite a few photos. However, it’s Friday so my image is floral, a common plant of boggy places - water mint.

Extra. Watching the sun setting as I stood at the top of Arnside Knott this evening. A fabulous view of Morecambe Bay in one direction and all the Lakeland peaks in the other.