Springwatch 2014

Well another Springwatch is being aired on our TV's and for me this is undoubtedly the best yet , I have been fascinated by the webcam on the Bittern nest , how else would you get to see such behaviour of this very shy and secretive bird  . The eating of the dead chick which was later regurgitated and fed to the remaining two was fantastic and it's all live and in your face not edited to tell the story they want but just as you see it . It's some years since I was at Minsmere and it's obviously changed enormously , but I can still remember it as if it was yesterday ,what's also  interesting is listening to the reserve management team describe how the habitats are achieved and maintained with a tremendous amount of hard work and thought. We where informed how the site of the Bittern Hide had been manipulated to encourage the birds into the open with some birds actually visibly  booming  to a packed hide ,  how I wish we had a reserve like this in Northumberland , yes that same old chestnut but why not, Minsmere is an Internationally renowned  reserve/tourist attraction call it what you will ,apart from it being fantastic  for wildlife  it must also put millions into the surrounding economy via jobs and visitors .
Well done the BBC.