During dinner we told about how/what to do and a safety talk in case of trouble! Then we picked up our snack bag which held a ham sandwich each, a piece of fruit and a flack of hot water with tea-bags and coffee, sugar and milk plus a teaspoon, and set off through the forest paths to the hides. You have to be in the hide by 6.00pm and lock yourself in until 7.00am next morning.
There are 2 kinds of hides. On the slope coming out of the forest are three public hides which hold 8 people and are available through the day. Then there are several photographic hides which are set around the lake facing across it or looking out over the wet meadow between the slope and the lake. All the hides have slit viewing slots and camera holes with sleeves so that cameras and lenses can be set up without disturbing the wild life.The hides are basic but do have reasonably comfortable bunk beds and a bucket toilet.
We settled into hides 1 & 2 and peered out of the windows. On the bank opposite there were Baltic Gulls, Ravens, Hooded Crows and Herring Gulls picking around the stashed food which is put out for the bears which kept us interested through the darkening evening.
Just as we were thinking that nothing was coming a bear appeared in the distance, moving to eh lt through the trees at the back of the wet meadow. Unfortunately it disappeared but patience was rewarded when it appeared again through the trees on the left and worked it's way along the bank opposite, shuffling and crunching it's way through the food provided. It was too dark for photographs but great views. Then a second bear appeared and also investigated the food stashes. It eventually moved off to the right and was seen again foraging around the wet meadows behind our hide.
A reasonaby comfortable but broken nights sleep and an early dawn brought a very misty morning, and through the mist a Wolverine appeared bounding through the mist for about 10 seconds and was gone.
There are 2 kinds of hides. On the slope coming out of the forest are three public hides which hold 8 people and are available through the day. Then there are several photographic hides which are set around the lake facing across it or looking out over the wet meadow between the slope and the lake. All the hides have slit viewing slots and camera holes with sleeves so that cameras and lenses can be set up without disturbing the wild life.The hides are basic but do have reasonably comfortable bunk beds and a bucket toilet.
We settled into hides 1 & 2 and peered out of the windows. On the bank opposite there were Baltic Gulls, Ravens, Hooded Crows and Herring Gulls picking around the stashed food which is put out for the bears which kept us interested through the darkening evening.
Just as we were thinking that nothing was coming a bear appeared in the distance, moving to eh lt through the trees at the back of the wet meadow. Unfortunately it disappeared but patience was rewarded when it appeared again through the trees on the left and worked it's way along the bank opposite, shuffling and crunching it's way through the food provided. It was too dark for photographs but great views. Then a second bear appeared and also investigated the food stashes. It eventually moved off to the right and was seen again foraging around the wet meadows behind our hide.
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