This February half term, South Somerset District Council’s Countryside Rangers are running their self-led bird trail that will test your bird identification skills as you follow the bird arrows into woods of Ninesprings.
At different points along the route you will have to look up high to find the hidden birds that the rangers have positioned up in the trees. Can you match the name of the bird to the clues on the trail sheet?
The trail will be up and running from 9am Saturday 11th February and can be completed any time throughout the week until 3pm Sunday 19th February. Trail leaflets will be available for collection from Ninesprings Cafe between 9am and 4pm weekdays and 9am and 3pm weekends. £1 per sheet and drop the money into the box provided. Once you have completed the trail, return to the cafe to find out the answers! Don’t forget to bring a pencil!
Countryside Ranger Kristy Davies said, “Ninesprings is the perfect place for bird spotting, the mix of woodlands, meadows and ponds allows for a great diversity of birdlife. We hope by illustrating some of the more frequently seen birds for our younger visitors, we might just be inspiring the next generation of wildlife enthusiasts. You never know you may see some of the birds in real life if you keep your eyes peeled!”
Councillor Sylvia Seal, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture said, “Our Ninesprings trail events are well known now and are really popular with families across the district. If you are looking for something educational and fun to do this half term, pop down and have a go at our events. The Ninesprings Centre has toilets and a café and so you can make a real day out in our fabulous Country Park.”
Build a Bird Box workshops are also taking place on Tuesday 14 February between 10am – 12pm and Friday 17 February between 1pm – 3pm. Children need to be booked on the workshops in advance at a cost of £10 and accompanied by an adult free of charge. Children will be building and decorating their very own bird box to take home, making bird feeders and joining in with some bird spotting in the country park with a pair of binoculars each and an identification sheet.
You can book online at www.southsomersetcountryside.com/yeovil-country-park/events-at-ycp or by calling 01935 462684.