Some, like the new building at Titchwell, are very grand....
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Hides
In honour of our miserable British weather here's a post dedicated to the birdwatcher's refuge in times like these - the hide. Usually a little wooden shed with a slit window through which you can point your binoculars of telescope and sit watching the birdlife in the company of like-minded souls.
....while others, like the beautiful little Kingfisher Hide at Paxton Pits, are simplicity itself..
Despite its modest proportions it gives good views out over two neighbouring lakes and the narrow stretch of water connecting them and therefore being perfectly placed to reveal any birds flying between the two.
It's often an advantage to be in an elevated position to give a clear view across a wide area like the Jordan Hide at Holkham Freshmarsh (above).
But what could fit into the landscape more perfectly than the hides at Cley with their thatched roofs?
If anyone reading this is a little, shall we say, "shy" about going into hides you really shouldn't be. Just go in very quietly (in case there's anything posing just in front of the hide) and take a seat. You'll see more than you'll ever see just wandering the paths around a reserve and if you listen to the experienced birders you'll learn a lot - including that they get things wrong too!
Nice as it is to take in the scene from the hide it's always been my preference to walk miles and find places to sit out in the open - and if we're talking about the North norfolk coast then it can be very cold if you sit for too long! A rare, if not very beautiful, photo of the author, by the way. There are those however who say that the ideal perch for me is the bench photographed below:
Take care.
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A good intro' shot John; bought us right in! How grand is the Titchwell lookout, wow. Cley hides fit into the landscape superbly; how well thought out adding the thatched roofs, and look at all those waterbirds there. Great shot of you too; I like those on the job, 'action' pics! So you set up your point and shoot for that maybe? Is it a telescope that you're brandishing, or a camera? Neat post, made me smile finale pic.
ReplyDeleteWhat you call a "hide" we'd call a "blind." As for the last photo, we also have another word we'd use there. ;> Jim
ReplyDeleteReally a nice photo of you sitting in the "cold" along the shore. It truly says a lot about you. It is my way of doing things but the cold would have me sniveling in no time at all.
ReplyDeleteI think I've only been in a bird hide once, I like the thatched ones at Cley. That's an excellent photo of you - the Norfolk coast wouldn't be a great place to be on a day like today with the wind whipping in off the North Sea. Makes me shiver just thinking about it:)
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have spent special times with my Dad in hides, at Grizedale, in the Lakes, (I don't think they are there any more) and at Whisby in Lincs. Binoculars, cameras, flasks of coffee, waiting, waiting...lovely!
ReplyDeleteYou have featured some very impressive hides here John. I must admit if I enter one and it is filled with 'grown up' birders wielding heavy machinery I do feel rather intimidated!! I love the seat with the inscription, I have a feeling I have seen it before, perhaps on your blog? Or maybe elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry not to comment on each of your posts, I'm really not too good at this blogging game :-( I have enjoyed catching up though and particularly enjoyed your sculpture post and the very creative rain post. The weather seems to have gone from bad to worse here. Today we have extremely high winds, which has brought a large part of my ancient Lilac tree down, and driving rain!
A grand tour of hides--you lucky birders to have so many accommodations! I would love to try them all!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have been busy and meant to comment on your previous posts--a lot of work goes into them, and I want you to know that I enjoyed them all.
I love popping into bird hides to see what I can see. I don't just look for birds, sometimes I just want to see the view from inside! Maybe they're not very popular with people around here - I've never been into one and found another person in there, which is good for me as I would be 'shy' and avoid going in if there were already people there! We certainly don't have such a range of styles here though. All the ones I know of are like your kingfisher hide, but they do the job very well.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great rare photo of you and I like that bench!
Ah, Cley.... some of my all-time-best holidays were spent in that area in the 1970s. I learned a lot about birds at Cley from my Dutch friend who accompanied us and - as you say- from more experienced birders willing to share their knowledge (and often their scopes) with beginners. The great advantage of a reserve with hides is that you can be almost certain of seeing something worthwhile, and often the longer you sit the more you see. But for me the best memory is of a huge flock of snow bunting in some bushes, quite near the car park.
ReplyDeleteYour post on 'hides' has me recalling a time in childhood when my Dad decided to take me, Mother, and two younger sisters, with him on a duck hunting excursion. No elaborate 'blinds' but a crawl through tall cattails which got my Mom to sneezing and we youngsters to complaining. Needless to say we weren't invited along again.
ReplyDeleteI have only been to the Titchwell monstrosity John, its more like the bridge on the USS Nimitz.
ReplyDeleteMuch prefer small unobtrusive hides like that one you have shown at Paxton.
I note that you are suitably selective with where you sit.{:))
John this was a very interesting post, we have little hiding spots in our wetlands to watch for wildlife. Ours are not nearly as nice or as comfortable as yours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Connie :)
I am now going to do a Google search and see if we have any hides here in Perth, we have such a lot of birds, surely it's possible. Such a good idea and especially as you get such a lot of inclement weather over there John.
ReplyDeleteGreat post John! I love your collection of hides (we call them blinds over here). When I was younger, one of my favorite places to bird watch was at the Cincinnati Nature Center blind the winter. Lots of good birds came to the feeders that were installed there. But I am too impatient to sit for long... I prefer to keep moving along the trail. Wonderful self portrait by the way! Wonderful looking scope too :^)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, John. Hope all is well with everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteThey're all wonderful, but my vote for the best is: Kingfisher Hide at Paxton Pits! Love that one...
ReplyDelete