Lemsford Springs and Tewinbury Farm.

Yesterday Elis and I visited Lemsford Springs Nature reserve a Herts and Middx Trust reserve that I used to frequent when I lived in Hatfield.

Orientation board in the reserve.

The reason for our visit was to look for a Jack Snipe that had been reported there the day before, sadly we were unlucky in this respect, but we did see 5 Green Sandpipers while we were looking.

Green Sandpiper

There were also 3 Common Snipe.

Common Snipe

The cress beds also held a Grey Wagtail, a pair of Teal, a Moorhen, a Little Egret a Grey Heron and a Water Rail, the last two of which I only saw in flight.

Grey Wagtail

Common Teal

Moorhen

Grey Heron

In the water warden Barry Trevis unearthed a couple of bullhead fish from under a stone.

Bullhead fish

Barry showed us around the reserve and we were joined on our walk by a young volunteer by the name of Drew. He and Barry discussed birds seen and work to be done as we walked about, made me quite tired just listening to them. It is really good to see young people getting involved in this way, it gives one hope for the future of conservation.

Fish watching made a change from birding.

If you want to know a good site for Stock Dove, well you could do a lot worse than Lemsford, we saw at least two pairs.

Stock Dove taking possession of a nest box.

Lemsford is open free to members of the trust but non members can visit by prior arrangement with Barry (phone number on the website http://www.lemsfordonline.co.uk/springsHome.html). Non members are requested to make a donation towards the running costs of the reserve.