A Walk Around Williamthorpe Nature Reserve

I had a walk around Williamthorpe Nature Reserve, which is situated very close to an industrial site. The nature reserve has three ponds, woodlands and decent walking trails. It is a former site of an old colliery that was turned into a nature reserve in the 1980s.

It was a bit disappointing as there wasn't much birdlife to see. It was a nice day, though, lovely blue sky, so a good walk without getting saturated is always welcome.

I did see a cormorant on the third pond, but it was too far away to get a decent shot. At least I saw something mildly interesting, though.

It's always good to see the tufted ducks as well.

The oak apple gall wasp causes growths, or 'galls', on the twigs. Female wasps lay their eggs in the leaf bud. The larva eats its way out, appearing in the summertime. I loved spotting these as a kid. We were easily pleased back in the day ....

It was nice to see the snowdrops as well. They are usually the first signs of spring, but we've had snowdrops in the area since Christmas. Even though there wasn't much to see this morning, it was still good to get out.