An escape from the wild into temporary cover

An escape from the wild into temporary cover

Great Crested grebe by Dave Steel

Dave Steel continues his 30 Days Wild odyssey with a trip to Warrington and a shelter from the rain

A pause to being out there on our exposed and rain swept moss-lands landscape found me settled in a hide at Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve by 7.15am. There I was  sharing tea, coffee and plenty of food with friends as we noted the wild from this comfort zone.

Swift, sand martin and swallow all swept low over the reed-bed habitat, taking the insects that were emerging from the water, whilst at least 300 black headed gulls got on with their boisterous breeding season.

Then to ensure that my wild wanderings weren’t tamed, two of us did a circuit of the lagoon. I hadn’t taken too much care of stopping the luscious vegetation from shaking its ample raindrops into my wellies, the wild happily sloshed about my socks.

Then, after noting three species of grebe, whilst trying to do them justice with my camera, we retreated back to the hide. Soon, the moss beckoned me.

Here, whitethroat proved that, in spite of the recent rainfall, they being of the WILD had still pulled off a successful nesting season. Now, with luck and the insects the stoic adults were feeding them, the young should soon be freed into independent lives.

To finish I attempted, as I had at Woolston Eyes Nature Reserve earlier, to try and capture the image of what always seem to be supersonic swift, this wild on wings swept by. And the bees bumbled on.

 

30 Days Wild