Another day and another adventure out. This time to Potteric Carr which is a nature reserve that is protected by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
It was a great start to the day as I set off from the visitors centre and came across a lovely section of river which had two bridges crossing it. I couldn’t help but snap a photo of the reflection seen through the tunnel on the water. It seemed so peaceful there and so still. Minus a few blue dragonfly’s dotting about.
But then my eyes quickly moved to the side, as I saw a sudden ripple in the previously still water. A snake! I’ve only seen a handful of snakes before in the wild and only ever adders basking in the sun. But I knew instantly this was something different. It was a grass snake, known to be good swimmers. And there he was just a few meters from me showing off his swimming skills and quickly moving towards a bed of reeds. I quickly snapped another photo before continue on my walk.
A little further along my path I reached the lakes, where I found several bird hides. I sat at each one for at least 30 minutes, just admiring the views and watching the birds move about, taking countless photos. The first birds I noticed were the coots. They were families of coots in just about ever direction you look.
I must have counter over 20 species in total during the course of the day. I counted several herons that day. It was lovely seeing them fly back and forth over the lakes.
I even managed to see a Bitten which was a first for me, normally I hear them but struggle to see them. Unfortunately however I was too slow to capture her on camera. As I moved from one bird hide to the next more and more species were added to my list. It is always so special being able to watching wildlife. It was a bonus that I had nearly ever hide to myself.
Right at the edge of the reserve was a field with some highland cattle in, my favourite as well as a lovely reed bed where I came across reed buntings. How wonderful it was to watch them glide between the reeds.
I had a fantastic day watching all the different wildlife and definitely recommend adding it to your visit list if you haven’t been before.