Amelia's photos with the keyword: Aston Lock Nature Reserve

This relatively new bird hide was the last part of the restoration programme on the Montgomery Canal near Queens Head. It's a bit slippery in places to get to, but the view over the lake is really good. We first ventured there in the summer and there was too much growth to see anything. Now that things are dying down we spotted a heron and 2 diving ducks which might have been grebe, but I can't be sure. I had to stand up to look through the viewing window, but most folks could just sit down on the bench and look out. ;-) We'll visit again in early winter to see what's there.

URGENT. www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4737428

Throughout the Nature Reserve there are old balance beams from locks which are decorated on 4 sides with ceramic plaques, along with poetry by local children. There are 2 hides, neither of which have yet opened to the public presumably because of the latest surge in Covid numbers. My favourite poem is the one by Viviana

This is a new sculpture positioned at the dipping pond area.

The Sunday Challenge this week is: Something ODD. This could be something peculiar or an odd number. I spotted something suitable for an odd number. In this swan family there were 2 adults and 3 cygnets.

This was taken on November 18, 2021. The weather was extremely mild for the time of year, and the dragonfly was still very active. There were quite a few wild flowers still going strong, and some deciduous trees still had most of their leaves. This is just not normal in the UK.

Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) American Author. www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/id/L004824 The PiP shows the same fence on September 4th of this year.

Up and out early for our permitted exercise. Over the 3 miles we only saw a Canals and River Trust worker maintaining the verges on the Montgomery Canal. He was on the opposite bank so not a problem for the social distancing rule. This area has been recently converted into a wetland reserve at the side of the canal. Last year we saw swans and ducks here. This morning only a heron.

Yellow-rattle is an annual that thrives in grasslands, living a semi-parasitic life by feeding off the nutrients in the roots of nearby grasses. For this reason, it was once seen as an indicator of poor grassland by farmers, but is now often used to turn improved grassland back to meadow - by feeding off the vigorous grasses, it eventually allows more delicate, traditional species to push their way through.

Today's Sunday Challenge is: BROWN. Think about textures and details and lets make brown a bit more special. This is part of a new sculpture in a protected wildlife area. The PiP shows the whole viewing area.

This is the entrance to a new bird hide - not yet open. The improvements in the area include the creation of 3 large ponds, the new viewing area and wild flower areas etc. alongside the Montgomery Canal. The work has been subsidized by monies from the National Lottery fund. So far we have been very impressed, but the birds haven't yet arrived in large numbers. The insect life is very good.

The Aston Locks Nature Reserve project is ongoing and we visit it almost weekly. It is adding to a global need for wetlands to support wildlife across the Globe • Globally wildlife is under huge threat from climate change and habitat loss. Fresh water ponds like these are essential habitats. • Water supports a huge variety of plants and animals. • These man-made ponds have been made to work like natural ponds. Different parts of these ponds provide the right conditions for different plants and animals to live. These are called habitats. • Many different plants and animals live in each habitat, their role or job in that habitat is called their niche. • All these habitats and niches combine to create a wetland that is rich in wildlife. This is the first grey wagtail we have seen here. As you can see it is perched on a new bit of fencework. The environment is perfect here, at the side of the canal with canal runoffs providing moving water, and lots of wild life now coming into the area. The project is running behind because of Covid, but it is ongoing. ahi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Aston-Lock-Nature-Reserve-Hide-Brief-FINAL.pdf