With Christmas now a fading memory, the reserve is currently gripped in the vice of a harsh winter, the like of which has not been seen for many years. For weeks now, the ground has been frozen solid by temperatures as low as -8°C and Nature has battened down the hatches as food sources become difficult to find. Birds, in particular, suffer from these severe conditions and the berries and seeds soon become difficult to find, especially when snow covers the ground. As you walk around the reserve, you will often hear a rustle under the bushes or the taller vegetation and this is usually birds foraging where the ground debris is a little softer and more easily explored. Blackbirds flick leaves away with their beaks and skid backwards to clear the leaves and can become so engrossed in their task that they completely ignore the walker. The tiny Robin defends his territory avidly from other birds and will stop at nothing to stake his claim.
This is a tough time for small, insectivorous birds as their food supply disappears for the winter months and they turn their attention to small plants and chance encounters with a worm or two but the severe frosts take their toll. As winter continues, many of these small birds will fall by the wayside and their numbers reduce week after week but it is nothing new and this has happened many times before - it's all part of Nature's way and the fittest survive. Of course, things are not entirely as they were, there are far more predators than in past years and far fewer places to hide as the urban sprawl nibbles away at the landscape. Where once a single Magpie was an uncommon sight, it is not unusual to see five or six together at any time in the reserve and it must be remembered that these are top predators and will take small birds whenever the chance arrises. Add to these the plentiful Crows and Sparrowhawks and you can see that birds have it pretty tough one way or another.
With the frozen lake now deserted by the ducks and Moorhens and the beautiful Kingfisher away to find open water, only the Homo sapiens disturb the waterside and, judging by the amount of litter thrown onto the ice, it would appear that the juveniles are surviving well and look set to leave their mark for another year! Some of the scenery offered up by these extreme conditions is quite breathtaking and all too brief. Be in the reserve at first light on a frosty morning and you may be treated to a view that would not be out of place in Alaska. Trees hanging low with frost and grasslands looking like the scene from a chocolate box are a sight to behold but, be a late riser and you will miss it all as the weak sun claims the day.
So, the next time you venture out, spare a thought for the birds and animals all around you as they struggle to survive. They have but a few short hours to fill their bellies on very meagre pickings so, if you are visiting the reserve, keep disturbance to a minimum and, if you are a dog walker, keep your pets under control and take care not to disturb the busy world beneath the trees and bushes because, just an hour away from potential food could mean a lingering death and another bird missing the following morning. Let us all respect the reserve for what it is, a reserve and not a park, and help us keep this very special place home to some of Nature's little wonders. The future of our wildlife is in our hands and, between us, we can make a difference.
