RSPB Radipole Lake 04/08/16

 Hello and welcome to my new wildlife blog! This is my first post, and it's all about one of the most amazing and touching experiences I've ever had with the natural world.

Last Thursday (4th August) my dad and I visited RSPB Radipole Lake for an evening stroll through the reserve. As it was so late we weren't expecting to see that much... how wrong we were!

We walked down a path towards the open water to see if we could catch a glimpse of any birds flitting in and out of the reed bed trying to find the best place to roost. Little did we know that in the water in front of us was a mother otter and her cubs, about to have a lesson in hunting fish. Suddenly we heard a loud splash, and I spotted the body of the mother slipping back into the water having just dived out.
For over half an hour we stood in awe watching these beautiful creatures teasing us with quick glimpses of their paws or tail, before leaping out of the water. I could not believe how close we were to them! Our rural otters tend to be much more elusive and shy. The whole experience reminded me that no matter where you are, nature can surprise you in the most extraordinary of ways.

Other sightings included an abundance of coot, mallard and black headed gull, little egrets, grey herons, cormorants, mute swans, canada geese, and a lone moorhen. The call of a Cetti's warbler also resonated throughout the reed bed.

Thank you very much for reading my blog post and I hope you enjoyed it. I aim to post as often as I can and share my adventures with you. In the mean time I hope the natural world continues to be full of surprises, and keeps on delighting all of us!