What is the list of criteria that ideal hide should achieve.
The subject is an important one - if you go up north you can find dozens of high quality hides and walkways through nature reserves of various kinds. Oxford Island, Quoyle, Strangford lough and elsewhere. I have always found these to be well maintained, clean and useful in terms of birdwatching. How is it that down south we can't seem to acheive this?
So i would identify the following criteria:
- the hide must be within 10 or 20 metres of birds (at some point in the tidal cycle if on an estuary)
- it must be distant from pubs or places where people gather
- it must be difficult to access at night
- it must ideally be non-inflammable
- funding for the hide should include adequate maintenance and wardening
- its design should facilitate scopes, cameras, children, seating, small groups (one great thing to do with a hide is to bring groups of school kids)
- it should be of a sympathetic design in keeping with local environment
- there should be adequate screening so that birds are not distrubed when entering or leaving
- it should be located in a bird sanctuary (otherwise it will be used by hunters)
- its use should not disturb birds
- it should ideally be north facing to avoid glare
- there should be parking nearby
- in terms of design, where only limited funding is available or its too proximate to people/pubs, a wall similar to the john d'arcy one would be a substitute but i woudl have thought longer, more curved, slats at 3 ft and at 5 ft to facilitate both kids, seated watchers and scopes, and possibly even a curved rounded design like a grotto or half-beehive and with a bench....
I am going to try to get something like the latter built at carlingford, maybe using railway sleepers.
Thahnks again for the photos!
