Wild dining

The first full day of a holiday always feels like it doesn't need a car, and after two days of driving, this strategy was a no-brainer. The cottage we had chosen was within easy walking reach of a nature reserve. A nature reserve that had a cafe. I'm not quite as stupid as folk think! Furthermore, although I didn't know in advance (I am as stupid as folk think!), the cafe had an alcohol licence, so even more reason to walk there. 

After a leisurely start to the day, we ambled a short distance down the farm track and followed a footpath alongside a mature hedge, hoping to hear the Yellowhammer we'd heard the previous evening. When this path reached a farm, we turned onto a rougher farm track which soon delivered us, by way of a pair of Kestrels, to Kingfisher's Bridge Nature Reserve. We'd effectively walked around three sides of the arable field behind the cottage, that's how close the reserve was.

Following a browse of the visitors' centre, with its information boards and local merchandise, we set off around the reserve, enjoying the pleasantly warm sunshine and soaking up all the birdsong. There were quite a few butterflies, mainly Peacocks, making good use of the many Dandelions. 

Before we reached the first hide, a raptor calling from way above us caught our attention. It was a male Marsh Harrier, which proceeded to swoop and climb, twist and turn in an effort to impress a female harrier.

From the hide, which was on a mound high above the lake, pools and mud of the centre of the reserve, we could see all manner of swans, ducks, geese and waders. And also, at a distance of 4.5 miles, Ely cathedral.

Back down at ground level, there were mammals to see too. Or at least some part of their anatomy...

Ears of a hare

Water Buffalo, part of the habitat management team

Muntjac Deer, one of the very few that didn't run off at our presence

As could be expected, all this nature watching was hungry work, so we retraced our steps to the cafe for a leisurely lunch of paninis and a glass of wine. All in the interests of supporting local businesses obviously.

 

A view of the reserve

After another lap of the reserve, we took a different footpath back to the cottage, passing a tree which neither of us recognised. Its flowers had just opened and looked like this...

Mysterious flowers

Whilst some of last year's fruit was still attached to the tree.

Strange fruit

Later recourse to the internet suggested perhaps a hybrid of London Plane and an Eastern Sycamore, but it's not my forte. And I should've taken a photo of the bark, which might've helped.

Walking alongside another magnificent hedge, we had stopped to listen to the birdsong from Blackcaps, Bullfinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches, when I noticed this fungus at our feet. Again, it was a species I was not familiar with, but it would appear to be a Morel.

Reading about it later, I did wondered whether I should have foraged it for tea, as this species is reputed to be very tasty. However, I recalled the tongue-in-cheek quote that whilst "all fungi are edible, some fungi are only edible once!"