Lockdown update, 1st April 2021

A somewhat inauspicious date to be posting a blog but I promise that there will be no making fools of anyone here!

I updated the website yesterday but unfortunately didn’t find the time to post on here. Essentially Mondays Step 1 of the Government’s roadmap for easing out of lockdown has had little impact on visiting the nature reserve other than in two small, but significant, details: firstly, the portable toilets are now open for use again!

They have been closed since the beginning of January as a necessary saving of £200 per month while visitors were (or should have been…) staying local and visiting for exercise only, and therefore not in quite the same need of them as someone staying all day or travelling to get here.

It has been lovely to see all of the usual regulars these last few days, whom we’ve not seen since last year, and judging by the smiles they were all pleased to be back!

The second Step 1 development is that now visitors are able to enjoy the nature reserve for pleasure as opposed to just exercise we are able to put out Tracy’s lovely and informative “wildlife spotter signs” and she wasted no time in doing so!

To run throughout the Easter Holiday, she has also re-prepared and put out the self-guided “Forest Folk” activity and trail that had to be taken in after only a few days of being out at the beginning of lockdown- information on the website here: https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/events/2021-04-02-forest-folk

We’re hoping to start running some small guided events too – watch this space!

I’ll leave you with some recent photos from the reserve:

Not sure I can think of anything quite so wonderfully evocative of Spring than a brimstone nectaring on a primrose… unfortunately the butterfly flew away before I could turn my camera on, but here’s the flower!

Warmer nights mean more moths and other nocturnal insects and the light trap is taking longer to investigate in the morning. Here’s the “catch of the day” from last night, a frosted green.

Although we are, hopefully, easing out of lockdown, please do continue to socially distance during your visits to Blashford Lakes and continue to respect the one-way routes and other signage around the site. This male and female adder are exempt from social distancing having formed a “support bubble” with each other…!

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