This weekend I rekindled an old passion. For various reasons I haven’t done a lot of birding over the last few years, but the mood and opportunity presented itself and I took it. Only 3 miles bike ride away, Rushy Common nature reserve is part of the Lower Windrush Valley Project. Created after gravel extraction ten years ago, it’s now a lake that’s been quickly been taken over by birdlife.
Pretty much the whole reserve can viewed from it’s bird hide. I love hides - they make it so easy for a lazy birder like me. You just take a seat, open up the hide windows and everything is laid out in front of you like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Binoculars for general views, and a Scope clamped to the hide shelf for detailed close ups.
On a warm, sunny afternoon, with the golden light behind me, it was two peaceful hours of utter tranquil bliss. It felt like the first time I’d relaxed and not thought about work in ages.