New bird hide provided in Melton Country Park

It has been constructed near the smaller top lake and is the second in the park with the other located close to the large lake.

The hide provides a place for bird lovers to watch and enjoy the many different species without disturbing their habitats.

Volunteers with Friends of Melton Country Park (FOMCP) put it together to mark the group’s 20th anniversary of being formed.

Secretary Philippa Kurys told the Melton Times: “One of the aims of the Friends of Melton Country Park is to promote and protect the natural areas within the country park as important habitats for wildlife and as part of a wider network of green infrastructure within the Melton borough.

“In line with this aim, the Friends have built this new bird hide to encourage park users to view and learn about some of the many water birds that live and visit, including herons, little egrets, moorhens, cormorants, and various ducks and gulls.”

To cover the cost of materials, the Friends were successful in securing a community grant from Melton Borough Council, which has been supplemented with donations from other groups and organisations, including Ragdale Hall Community Chest, Melton Olympic Cycling Club and the Trumpton Christmas tours.

The group also received a generous donation from the Forbes family in memory of Bill and Jean Forbes, who were instrumental in developing the park and caring for it for many years after being founding members of the Friends of Melton Country Park volunteer group.

Philippa added: “The hide has been designed and built entirely by the volunteers, with work beginning at the end of last August.

“The construction of the new hide has taken several weeks and many human hours to complete, particularly from the core team.

“The fact that the hide has withstood the recent severe flooding in the park is testament to the quality of the build.”

The FOMCP group organise volunteer work groups in the country park and undertake a range of practical tasks from litter picking to tree planting, with sessions promoted through social media and the local press.

The volunteers come from across Melton and range in age from 18 to people in their 80s.