14 May 2009

In September 2007, Harvey Kendall, DBWPS’s former Membership Secretary, sought permission from the Council of the Society to explore the possibility of establishing a hide at the popular birding venue of Upper Tamar Lake. Harvey’s idea finally came to fruition last October, when the new hide was opened.

Harvey writes: “Once permission and an undertaking for financing was given, I set about negotiating with South West Lakes Trust (SWLT) and eventually obtained their approval and a favourable site was agreed upon. Various quotes from builders were obtained and a final plan was submitted to Brights of Honiton who won the contract to make the hide.
During this period various site meetings were attended by myself and the then DBWPS Chairman Roger Doble, together with SWLT officers, during which the Trust offered to meet the entire cost of making the hide and its on-site construction. We agreed, on behalf of the Society, to accept this offer!

On 9 September 2008, the component parts of the hide were collected from Brights and delivered to Upper Tamar Lake. Between 10 and 14 September the hide was put together by SWLT staff, during which time I took a series of photographs of the stages in its construction (see below for photos by Harvey and Roger Doble).

While this was going on I obtained appropriate bird posters for the hide from my son, Ian Kendall, who works for the RSPB, and also produced a hide log and made a coat peg rack, as well as a hopper for Devon Birds membership leaflets.

The hide was officially opened by Lady Mary Holborrow, Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall and a SWLT Trustee, on 23 October 2008, in the presence of many local dignitaries, DBWPS officers and a group of pupils from the nearest primary school to the lake, at Bradworthy. The schoolchildren, with their two teachers, were presented with four pairs of Opticron binoculars – two pairs paid for by Devon Birds and two generously donated by Steve Rogers, owner of SW Optics in Truro.

Since this time, despite it being a fairly long walk from the car park, the hide has been used extensively by visiting birders. It is envisaged that during spring and autumn, when the mud is exposed in the conservation area of the lake, which the hide overlooks, it will prove invaluable for watching waders as well as the variety of other birds that frequent the lake.”

Congratulations, Harvey, on both your idea and its execution, and thanks to South West Lakes Trust for helping to see it through to a successful conclusion.

For Devon Birds members yet to visit Upper Tamar Lake, your hide awaits!

Above, the Devon Birds/South West Lakes Trust bird hide takes shape at Upper Tamar Lake.

At the hide's official opening by Lady Mary Holborrow (right), Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, on 23 October 2008, former DBWPS Chairman Roger Doble thanks SWLT for their support in achieving the project, watched by pupils from Bradworthy Primary School.  Photos: Harvey Kendall and Roger Doble