We are now in the process of changing the cameras for the Spring season and hope you will enjoy the images in due course. This is likely to take a few days and we may be able to re-instate the bird feeder cam with a cheaper one but for the moment our priority is to [...]
We have been seeing some exciting behaviour through ditch cam the last few days. The moorhen that live in the ditches are preparing to nest. Before this happens the males tend to squabble and chase each other around in the hope of impressing the females. You can see this in the school video library clips [...]
There has not been a lot activity on the reserve during the winter months. Why do you think this might be? Animals have different ways of coping with the severe winter weather. Some animals, especially birds, stay active during the winter and we have seen this through the bird cam. A few species of bird [...]
Even thought we have had very few days of ice and snow, many of the plants have still prepared them selves for winter. To survive the harsh conditions of winter, many of the plants on the nature reserve have died back to the ground or shed all their leaves and become dormant (resting). People are [...]
You may have noticed that we have been having a lot of activity on the bird feeder. To help you identify the birds you are seeing there is a picture below of the 4 main types of bird coming to the bird feeder, great tit, blue tit, house sparrow and great spotted woodpecker. You can [...]
As discussed in previous posts, winter flooding is a natural part of the ecosystem on the nature reserve. But I had always thought of the reserve flooding in the winter and water levels returning to normal in spring and summer. One thing that the cameras have allowed us to observe this year is just how much the [...]
Water levels in the freshwater habitats on the reserve continue to change due to natural flooding which causes water levels to rise and fall. This is part of the natural life of the wildlife of the reserve but for us its a constant frustration as we endeavour to keep the live cameras operating. So while pond [...]
We have been seeing lots of activity though pond cam this past week. Many pond creatures are still in the pond but remain dormant in the cold winter months. However this year the winter has been relatively mild so far. We have also had a lot of natural flooding which has also included the woodland pond. [...]
The underwater webcam on the Leighside pond has shown that newts are already in the pond. Newts usually return to the pond in the spring. They hibernate away from the ponds and ditches in the winter but they are active already. Why do you think this might be? Firstly we have had a mild winter so far. [...]
We have had a very unusual winter so far, much milder than normal on many days, but also very changeable. Why do we think this is happening and what makes it so changeable? Well firstly wind has brought warmer weather from the south and the west giving us a mild winter when countries to the [...]
