A small group of us met at Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Park for the walk in September. The centre is set in mature woodland and offers superb views over the 870 acre Hanningfield Reservoir. There are 4 bird hides in the reserve all of which offer different views over the reservoir. It was a little chilly at the start of the walk, however it turned into a lovely warm September day.
We walked through the woodland to the hides furthest from the visitor centre and we saw to our delight two goldcrests, which are Britain’s smallest bird. As you can see from the image, the goldcrest is aptly named, having a yellow stripe on the top of its head.
While walking through the woods we saw and heard a number of birds including Jackdaw, Robin, Blue Tit, Crow, and Woodpigeon.
At each of the hides we saw differing water birds, and there must have been over 100 Cormorants gathered in one place on the reservoir, suggesting that there were plenty of fish for them to feed on. However, the most remarkable sight was that of about 100 Great Crested Grebes swimming in a large flock across the reservoir. I have never before seen suck a large number of them in one place.
A total of 27 birds were recorded, including a Swallow and a House Martin, both of which were on their migration to Africa.
We ended the walk with refreshments in the Visitor centre
Terry Smith