Wildlife 'lounge' opened for Father’s Day
The Arun Riverlife Discovery hide at Arundel Wetland Centre opened on June 16. It looks more like your lounge at home than a traditional bird hide, in an attempt to appeal to novice wildlife watchers. The hide is painted in warm tones with soft furnishings and even has wildlife wall paper. It is designed to encourage beginners to learn the basics of bird watching through friendly graphics offering tips on how to use the fixed viewing scopes and binoculars.
Five families won a preview of the hide in the WWT’s Win a Day Out with Dad contest. Using the mounted viewing scopes inside the new hide the families watched oystercatchers, shelducks and black-headed gulls alongside wildlife expert and WWT Arundel Grounds Manager Paul Stevens. The children loved watching a little troop of mallard ducklings swim directly underneath the hide that sits up on posts over the water.
Floor Shevlin, mother of Erin and Molly who nominated their dad for a day at WWT Arundel said “We look forward to coming again and seeing more from the Discovery Hide.”
Jason Warner who won the day out for his family said “We all enjoyed it and were very impressed with the new Discovery Hide. We are sure it will be popular with visitors.”
