After the rain some sun must shine and that’s certainly what happened in our part of The Lake District today. The sun shone brightly from opening time onwards drying not only some rather damp optics and equipment but also some rather damp flora and fauna, even the air felt fresh and clean. The mud banks on the lake have turned into clear open water, while the New Zealand Pigmy Weed has disappeared below the surface, at least for the time being. The visitors to Dodd had some rather special experiences today; who will forget the male Osprey sitting on Adam’s Post as a flotilla of seventy Greylag Geese passed in front of him. Some of us at the lower viewpoint almost expected a salute from this proud bird but fortunately that did not come. Another special view, although more modest was that of a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the peanuts below the viewpoint. No doubt like peanut feeders all over the country our peanuts did not just have Dad on the nuts, he with the red patch at the back of the head, but also son, he with the matt red hat on top of his head (Mum for your bird information lacks any red on the head). But Son is still very young; he hangs onto the nuts as if that is what you are supposed to do, but fails on the understanding part of extracting them from the feeder. Never mind Dad is on hand to pass over a beak full every now and again.

The Ospreys all seemed to have weathered the storm, all have been seen today.