Toad Chorus

This post was originally going to be a bit on the cute side.  With it being Easter weekend I thought I would post some pictures of baby rabbits in the garden (a little on the nose I admit but there were a couple of good pictures).  I was working on the photos on the computer this morning when I heard an awful squealing noise.  I looked out of the window to see one of the local cats (the same cat that took out a grey squirrel a month or so ago) trotting off with said cute bunny in it's jaws.

I didn't really have the heart to carry on working on the photos after that.

With it being a splendidly sunny and warm Bank Holiday Monday we opted to go for a walk and headed to Idle Valley.  I thought I would get some snaps from different locations around the reserve.
We also found dozens if not hundreds of toads (I did originally think they were frogs but checking on-line toads have a more "warty " skin and golden eyes and they seemed to fit the bill) filling the numerous ponds around the reserve.

Breeding season it seemed was in full swing.

Idle Weekend

Over the past two weekends we've visited the Idle Valley Wildlife Reserve in Retford.  The reserve is looked after by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and a small army of volunteers who maintain the various habitats on the site. The main area is a large lake that is a haven for waterfowl and is an important stopping point for wintering birds (although we never really saw anything more exotic than seagulls and swans on our visits).

There are several different walks of various lengths around the reserve.  We opted for the one of the shorter walks around the main lake that took us alongside Idle river.  It's not a big river by any stretch of the imagination but when it bursts its banks it can cause flooding for the locals.

"White water" on the Idle

While walking around the lake we spotted a hovering Kestrel and were able to get close enough to get some photographs of it.

North Notts College also have a facility at the reserve which they share with the wildlife trust and a small cafe.  There are regular events at Idle Valley throughout the year ranging from stargazing evenings to nature walks.  It's worth checking out the website to see what's on.