Today, the final phase of the hide project is finished (see post of late December 2008). My dad and I prepared a pool in front of the hide. First we planned its position and, most importantly, its height while watching through the 600 mm lens. We leveled the bottom and sides of the pool, placed the foil and filled it with water by using a plunge pump and aggregate. Styling the sides with materials from the forest (left side with moss and a tree trunk, right side with soil, and the backside is 'just' a straight leveled water-line). After this labour we took a relaxing seat in the hide and enjoyed the birds that were almost instantly around us. We spotted over 40 birds of 8 species within a quarter of an hour. The feeders are doing a terrific job! Probably I have to do some restyling in the coming weeks, but what I saw through the camera this afternoon gave me already a lot of satisfaction. I can't wait to start photographing.
Best regards,
Dirk-Jan
