On Wednesday it was cold but sunny so B and I decided to go for a walk at Marsh Lane Nature reserve which is located not far from Henley in Arden and Berkswell.
The reserve is located in the flood plain of the River Blythe. A Company, now known as CEMEX, started to extract sand and gravel from a 75 acre site in 1995 and extraction continued until 1999. The land was then restored by a company then called RMC Aggregates and the land owners Packington Estates and the site was opened to permit holders in July 2001.
The habitat consists of 3 main pools, several smaller pools, reedbeds, woodland, grassland and some agricultural land. One field is used to grow crops which will yield seeds for finches and other birds. There are 8 hides and by May 2018 the site had listed 203 different bird species.
Unfortunately by the time we arrived there were some very dark, angry looking clouds on the horizon so we made a quick dash to the hide overlooking Railway Pool.
Within minutes of arriving at the hide it was raining very heavily indeed.
Siden Wood - I have never actually been to this part of the reserve.
Lapwings
Lapwings and Coot
The sun finally re-appeared.
We eventually made our way back along the path
Gorse tends to flower throughout the year hence the expression "when gorse is not flowering kissing is out of fashion"meaning that gorse is always in flower somewhere.
Car Park Pool
Owl nest box - I do know that several pairs of Barn Owl nest on the reserve.
Great Reedmace
Reed Pool - a Bittern has been seen regularly but I didn't realise this until we got back to the car park and checked the sightings book! Should have read it first!
Before leaving we visited Car Park Hide which is right by the car park and overlooks a different part of Car Park Pool.
Cormorants and Grey Heron
There didn't seem as many different species of bird as I have seen in the past at this time of year but I did add twelve new species to the year list.
Sadly, the dreaded HS2 Phase 1, if it goes ahead, will cut across a corner of this reserve although not the part we visited today. In fact, in many places locally there are signs of HS2 preparatory work and HS2 depots :( Some of you may recall I wrote last year about a visit to Pools Wood which is in the path of HS2 and will eventually be erased. The good news is that so far the wood is still standing but I am not sure for how long. Yesterday I noticed little red flags lining the grass verge which looked exceedingly ominous!!
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. The birds were that far away that the few bird pictures were taken on full zoom.
16 comments:
I just despair any time I read, or see, some of the places HS2 will destroy. How have we come to this purely through greed and time is money. The diversity, the beauty, the wildlife, so much will be irreparably lost.
Trying to be positive, lovely photos and record of what must be a treasured day out. It has been many years since I visited Slimbridge, which I love, but at least today on my bus ride I saw a magnificent Red Kite hovering in a clear blue Winter sky. Kites are really getting a strong footing back in Pembrokeshire, thankfully. Such beautiful birds. Then, later on a buzzard swooped down in front of us, flying for a short while paralleling the car I was in. Love that!
Lovely bright day
It's a great place and not to far. Shame there were not many birds about as you hoped, I got coot today a bird often overlooked. Lovely photos.
Amanda. X
Lovely pics Caroline. I've been struggling to get out due to the poor weather (strong winds & frequent rain).
The HS2 project has a lot to answer to!!
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. The HS2 project is so awful - huge expense which seems to go up by the second and most importantly as you say all that loss of irreplaceable habitat and wildlife. Plus I feel so sorry for people who have lost their homes and of course there will be years of disruption for communities as the work goes ahead. The money would be so much better spend on improving public transport generally and especially in rural areas.
I haven't been to Slimbridge since the children were little! So pleased to hear that Red Kites are doing well in Pembrokeshire. When D and E were tiny we came to Wales in search of them and saw several (it must have been before the reintroduction in England as you see them by the Chilterns now everywhere and there are occasional sightings in Warwickshire).
Simon Douglas Thompson - Thanks it was bright but cold and heavy rain at times!
Amanda Peters - Thanks so much Amanda. Yes Marsh Lane is only about 20 minutes from home. There were a lot of coots there and I did spot a couple of Moorhens.
Punk Birder - Thanks Dean. Hope the weather improves soon for you so you can get out. HS2 project a disaster all round :(
It's been hard to avoid the rain over the last week or so but it looks as if you had some lovely blue skies after the down pour. Marsh Lane looks like a super nature reserve, love your photos of the lapwings and the cormorants. I tried to take photos of lapwings yesterday at Carsington but they didn't turn out as well as yours, there were loads of them on the islands. HS2 is certainly going to devastate some of the ancient woodlands and natural habitats across our region and beyond, the money could be better spent upgrading and making more accessible both the railways, bus services and roads we already have in place:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. We just seem to have had months of rain! :( Lovely this weekend though :) We ought to go to Marsh Lane more tbh as membership is expensive. I joined when Brian was still at work as it is behind locked gates it was somewhere close to home I could go birding and feel safe. I tried to take lapwing photos in flight but they had landed by the time I pressed the shutter! I am sorry you will be affected too by HS2 and I totally agree with you about how the money could be better spent. I still keep hoping it won't go ahead but sadly I feel, like coming out of the EU, it will and there is nothing we can do to stop both horrors! :(
Thank goodness for the hide, they do make good rain covers, we've spent a fair bit of time in them hiding out for the rain, good job the birds don't seem to mind it! It was a little quiet bird wise whilst I was out at the weekend but it's nice when it's the new year and you can still add a good number of the more regular birds to the list!
Pam - Thanks - I was relieved we reached the hide before the heavens opened. As you say January is great with so many bird species new for the year list :)
Oh yes indeed HS2, leaving the EU things I was hoping wouldn't happen, all adds to the concern, disappointment and anxiety I feel at the moment. Other things like the demise of the high street and badger culling bother me too. Nothing we can do except to carry on and hope things won't be as bad as we think they might be and to keep caring for and about nature and wildlife. Have a good week:)
Hi Caroline, hope you had a great Xmas! Have you got a new camera? Looks like a very good zoom. Awful news that some of the reserve will be lost. It looks a lovely place. xx
Rosie - Thanks so much and I so agree about the worry and anxiety of all the things you mention. I didn't realise until recently just how anxious a person I have become!!! :( As you say though there is nothing we can do but just try and carry on with our lives and focus on the present and each day as it comes and enjoy nature and wildlife. Difficult and sad times :( I hope you have a good week too - my thoughts have turned to seeing the first snowdrops soon.
Millymollymandy - Hi Mandy - how lovely to hear from you. Yes had a quiet but good Christmas and I hope you did too. I don't use the olympus dslr anymore have got hooked on bridge cameras. Not sure if you knew I shared a Canon SX50 with my son (I think perhaps you did) but I decided to get my own and had the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 for my 65th birthday as a present from the family. Very pleased with it overall although I think perhaps the Canon is better for birds and macro? It is so good to have a zoom without changing lenses :) Hope you are both well and settling in.
It looks a lovely place, I hope it doesn't get spoilt by HS2.
CherryPie - Thank you. HS2 preparatory work seems to be going on everywhere round here :(
Hi again - I knew about the SX50 which I have too, but pleased to hear about your new camera! I also have a Lumix but mine only has a 400mm zoom - see yours has 600mm! I love mine, despite being heavy. It is my street and landscape camera, also very good for plants and flowers. But still use the SX50 as my macro camera, I call it my butterfly camera. Still best for distant birds. Depending on the type of outing (birding walk vs. visiting a village or looking at amazing landscapes), I take the appropriate camera. Tend to leave K to take the distant bird shots these days though as he has a Nikon huge superzoom and he is very steady, unlike me! I am much less into photography at the moment but hope it will come back to me when weather gets better and wildflowers and butterflies appear! Great to be back in touch. 😄 xx
Millymollymandy =Thank you and great to be back in touch - you have been missed!! Yes the Panasonic is heavier than the Canon and I think I have found out the same as you as Lumix great for buildings, landscapes and zooming in on things at churches. I still struggle with the macro function on it though and for some reason I find it hard to zoom in on butterflies from a distance as the view just blurs. Normally my son is with me using the Canon so I just rely on his butterfly and bird photos as they are much better!! I never use the olympus dslr anymore although I keep it as a back up. I find the bridge cameras so versatile :) I have a 70-300mm zoom for the olympus but it is heavy!!!!! and also limits you to what you can take!!! I am sure you will get more into photography as the weather improves and flowers and insects appear - would love to see more of your new home area. Take care. Best wishes Caroline
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