Emma's Safaris

It is Bank Holiday Monday and my choice between having a duvet day watching “Sweet Tooth” on Netflix and going for a walk was decided for me by the arrival of the sunshine. Today was going to be a good day for wildlife and it did not dissapoint.

Christopher Cadbury was a conservationist from Worcestershire who kindly donated and maintained the land which became the Christopher Cadbury Wetlands. This unique nature reserve is partially saline and is home to an assortment of migratory and year round bird visitors and other wildlife. Phil and I are members of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust so we have passes to access this area as much as we like.

Today Spring was in the air. The baby bunnies were out and the grass was a deep fresh green. The promise of new life was everywhere and the astounding colours of nature were present for the world to see.

Avocets stood sifting the water with their long curved black beaks onky breaking every now and again to tend to the strands of foliage lining the nests. Oyster Catchers and Lapwings shared the space in the grass wandering up and down the banks which Black Capped Gulls wheeled over head, their screeching a cacophony of sound over the otherwise silent hides and landscape below.

The Black Headed Gulls despite their name do not always have black heads. They only gain this colour during breeding season and will revert to white/grey for the rest of the year. When Phil and I visited last time they were still very pale indeed. Still completely beautiful and just as loud just a little more subtle in their appearance!

Visiting bird hides can be quite the social event. On both visits I have found myself chatting to fellow bird enthusiasts and there will always be someone keen to point out a bird that others in the hide may not have noticed and are happy to talk about photography and nature. It is always lovely to speak to like minded invidivuals.

Equally though, the solace I find is so soothing at times. You can sit and watch a female swan carefully lay reed strands on her ample nest below her or watch the Sandpipers sift through the silt on the bank. You sit, and you wait and you watch and that is all that is required of you in that moment.

When I ducked out of the hide I was delighted to spy and Orange Tip Butterfly. She danced in front of me for a brief moment before obligingly settling onto a flower. She held me captive for that second, batting her colourful wings and displaying the array of patterns below her wing tips. Butterflies have always defied me when I have my camera and will often move at the last moment, dissapearing from sight so I was quite pleased to manage this shot.

I had decided that today I would explore the Moor which was a short walk fromt he saline Flash Pools. Phil and I had been before but today on my solo venture it would be a first time properly exploring the perimeter.

The Moor was everything that I had hoped. Serene and bright and home to an assortment of birds including, to my delight a Great Spotted Woodpecker who arrived just as I was reading he bird log which confirmed that she had visited the bird feeder on a number of occasions that day.

Unfortunately, I encountered a bit of a snag in my daily adventure. I had hoped that I would be able to get a cab back home but my boots were unexpectedly muddy and I could not really get into a taxi in that state so unfortuatey it was a 3.5 mile walk back home. Howver the weather was great and the scenery was even more idylic. The company was well…. very unexpected as a few Highland Cows wandered un the filed parrallel to the road.

I adore walking at this time of year as the Rapeseed is out in force and it blankets a lot of fields here in Worcestershire. The smell is gorgeous and the sight of it is stunning.

I arrived home slightly sore in the legs but feeling elated. The day has been so full of beautiful nature and striking colours. Spring time is well underway and it never fails to lift my spirits.

Have a beauiful day everyone x