FYI 886 - The Chard Reservoir
We are often told (correctly, if somewhat ideologically), that geocaches should take us to somewhere "interesting", and not simply be placed just for the sake of it. The aim of this series is to try and adhere to this ideal by basing caches around details given on an Interpretation Board about the area in which it is situated. By definition, it is hoped that this information will be "interesting", and will help the cacher discover things about the area that would often not be revealed by a traditional cache.
First you will need to go to the Posted Coords that will take you to an Information Board where you will need to collect some info. You will then need to do some simple maths which will give you the correct coords to find the cache.
Chard Reservoir Local Nature Reserve
Reading the Information Board, subsitute the letter for the correct number, this will give you your info!...
Chard Resevoir was built in 1A42 to provide water for the Chard Canal. When the railway arrived, the canal was abandoned. For many years the reservoir was used as a sporting area (duck shooting and fishing) until it was given to the District Council in 199B and became a Local Nature Reserve. Today the site is managed for public access and wildlife conservation.
Reading the information Board, find the number of letters in the missing word, don't forget to plus or minus from your answer if you need to, this will give you your info!
Spring
(Number of letters minus 2 =C) Goldcrest and (number of letters minus 10 =D) are just a few birds you might spot while walking through the woods. Migrant species such as Swallow and House martin swoop to catch insects abover the water, Bluebell and Primrose form colourful carpet in the spring woodlands.
Summer
In the summer, the unimproved meadows are well worth a visit, and they support healty populations of (number of letters minus 3 =E). Ox Eye Daisy, Marsh Orchid and Yarrow make beautiful floral displays. There are reports of glow worm activity as dusk falls. On hot summer nights, (number of letters =F) fly over the meadows catching their insect pray.
Autumn
One of the most important habitats at the Reserve is the mud exsposed at the reservoir's edge when water level is low. Migrating birds like (number of letters =G) Sandpiper need to fuel up after their long flight from their Eastern Europe breeding grounds. These birds feed on small crustaceans and (number of letters plus 4 =H)
Winter
The open water should provide some bird interest all year round. Look out for Little (number of letters minus 4 =J) and Great Crested Grebe which will become much more common in the last few years. A cold snap in the winter can see a big rise in numbers of wild fowl such as Teal, Shoveler and (number of letters plus 3 =K).
Under the Water
The Reservoir is home to Bream, (number of letters minus 2 =L) Eel, Perch, Roach and (number of letters plus 1 =M). Fishing is strickly controlled by the local angling club, which has a catch-and-return policy. From the hide at the south end of the reservoir you can often see fish rising.
By now you should have all the info that you need!
Checksum - A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H+J+K+L+M =59
The cache can be found at: N 50 (C-D)(E-G).(B+F-D)(A-F)(M-j) W 002 (H-L-L)(A-D-D).(K-G)(C)(C+D)
I hope that you find this an interesting variation on the caching experience. For a full list of all FYI caches in the series, please go to https://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?code=BM4RZ8H
For more details of the FYI series as a whole, you can visit the dedicated website at fyigeocaching.co.uk where you will also find details of how to place your own FYI cache (I'm sure you know of some interesting Interpretation Boards in your area!). You can also join the FYI Geocaching Facebook Group, or contact the Series Owner, John Williams, directly at fyigeocaching@outlook.com