18th November 2011

Winter Wildfowl Walk

If you’re interested in wildfowl such as Gadwall, Wigeon, Goosander and Shoveler, now is the best time to get out into the Blackwater Valley and see them. Every winter large numbers of birds visit the Valley’s many lakes and open stretches of water providing the perfect opportunity for birdwatchers. So to find out more about these winter visitors the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust  have organised a special guided walk on Thursday 8th December led by Colin Wilson around the area of  Moor Green Lakes, probably the most important wetland site in the Valley.

At this time of year you should be able to spot all kinds of winter visitors including Teal, Pochard and Goosander and, if you’re lucky, the elusive Mandarin Duck, as well as many of the resident and wintering birds such as Lapwing, Cormorant and Tufted Duck. In addition to the large open lakes, the area around Moor Green has many hedgerows and trees, so you could spot a Buzzard or Kestrel, as well as seeing a wide variety of smaller resident woodland birds, with Fieldfare or Redwings from Scandinavia very possible.

This walk starts at 9.30am from the car park at Horseshoe Lakes, Lower Sandhurst Road  GU47 8JW, map ref: SU 821 619. It will cover about two miles at a gentle pace and last three hours – depending on the weather and exactly how many birds you see! Don’t forget to bring binoculars and to wear suitable clothing and wet weather footwear (wellington boots may be a good idea) as the route could be wet and muddy. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, but no dogs please. The walk is free to Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust members, whilst a suggested donation of £3 from non-trust members would be most welcome. However you do need to ring 01252 331353 to reserve your place as numbers are limited.

Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve covers 36 hectares (90 acres) and is a popular beauty spot comprising three lakes with gravel islands, beaches and scrapes, fringed by scrub and grassland with mature trees and hedgerows. It opened in 1993, following the careful restoration of gravel workings and now well over 200 bird species have been recorded there,

Set up in 2002 the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust gained charitable status in 2006 and seeks to raise funds to enhance the valley for the benefit of the people and wildlife in the area. Anyone interested in the countryside on their doorstep and the local wildlife can join for just £5 per year for family membership by contacting the Trust at Ash Lock Cottage, Government Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 2PS, telephone 01252 331353 or visit the website at www.bvct.org.uk

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For more information contact:
Blackwater Valley Countryside Parntership on 01252 331335.
Ash Lock Cottage, Government Road, Aldershot GU11 2PS

NOTE

• Colin Wilson, a Trustee of the Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust, is Bird Report Editor & Records Manager of the  Berkshire Ornithological Club, which provides beginners and experts alike with birdwatching experiences in and around Berkshire and southern England throughout the year. For further details please see www.berksoc.org.uk or email Colin at colin.wilson@berksoc.org.uk