Out & About July 2017

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W e’re welcoming back the sea-swallows
to the Nature Discovery Centre, along
with the cuckoos, reed warblers and
sand martins.
Sea-swallow is the affectionate name for the
common tern, an elegant and graceful bird with
a bright red bill and legs, black cap and long
tail feathers.
These gulls have just arrived back at the
Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham after
winter spent in western Africa, and will be
pleased to find their rafts have been spring
cleaned.
Common terns like to nest on open ground,
which makes them highly vulnerable to
predators such as foxes.
At BBOWT we have created special rafts on
the lake at the Nature Discovery Centre, and
also Hosehill Lake near Theale, to give the
terns a fighting chance to raise their broods.
During the year, grasses and other plants grow
in the gravel. Just before the terns come back
in April we remove the weeds and clean the
gravel, so it’s ready for nesting when the
terns fly in.
The work to spring clean the rafts and lots of
other jobs to keep the Nature Discovery Centre
in excellent condition for visiting wildlife and
people is carried out by our monthly work party.
They meet on the second Thursday of each
month. No previous experience is necessary,
just lots of enthusiasm to be working outdoors.
To join this friendly group contact:
Spring-cleaning is more than a seasonal task
for the happy band of keen volunteers. They’ve
been clearing paths and tracks to make sure
everything is in good condition for visitors.
One of the recent additions to the Butterfly
Lake is a pond-dipping platform, which is being
used just about every day from April right
through the summer, by children and families
from the different clubs and groups that visit
the Nature Discovery Centre.
The monthly Nature Explorers club for young
children (5-8 years) and their parents is a very
popular outdoor play session.
Young Rangers (8-12 years) meet every two
weeks on a Tuesday throughout the year. Lots
of fun, wildlife-themed games and activities,
such as animal tracking and making dens,
help children discover the world of nature all
around them.
Teen Rangers, for 12 to 18-year-olds gives
enthusiastic young conservationists the chance
to help look after the wild places around the
Nature Discovery Centre and other BBOWT
nature reserves, learning the skills they need
to become wildlife warriors.
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YOUR MAY DIARY
One good tern...
• Tuesday, May 16, 9.30am to 11.30am
Linking the Landscape Nature Tots.
Bring your pre-school little ones for a fun
morning of bug-hunting and mud-painting.
• Saturday, May 20, 10am to 12 noon
Nature Explorers Club for 5-8 year olds with
their parents. Hands-on wildlife crafts and
child-led activities.
• Wednesday, May 31, 8pm to 10pm
May Evening Safari. Crafts, games and bats.
Meet bat expert Dave Endacott to learn
about the bats that live around the Nature
Discovery Centre, use bat detectors to hear
their squeaking, squirting sounds.
The birds are returning after their winter migration and a band of
volunteers with the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust have been busy
sprucing up their nesting places says WENDY TOBITT
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
ABOUT THESE EVENTS
Pictures: Ben Vanheems, Emma Bradshaw,
Margaret Holland