Lawrie Hodges
Tuesday 4th March 2003, 16:39
This was formerly known as the Sevenoaks Wildfowl Reserve but recently, when the management was taken over by the Kent Wildlife Trust, the name was changed to commemmorate the founder. The reserve contains a number of lakes, based on a series of gravel pits, in a area of mixed woodland and fed by the river Darenth. The East Lake now contains a number of islands and the water level is controlled during the year so that they are flooded during the winter and kept from developing a heavy vegetation. Several hides overlook the lakes. The reserve lies just off the A25 near Riverhead. There is a car park near the entrance with a large Visitors Centre containing a musem and shop. The reserve is open to members from Tuesday to Sunday each week, throughout the year and to visitors, at a fee (£4.00, children £0.75 and Senoir Citizens £3.00) on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Kay Optical visit the Centre on the first Sunday in each month for sales and advice on optical equipment.
Membership: £18 p.a. for an individual, £25 for joint memebrship (member and partner) and £30 for family.
Avian species seen at the reserve at one time or another:
Avocet, Barnacle Goose, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blue-tit, Brambling, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant , Crow, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dabchick, Dunlin, Egyptian Goose, Fieldfare, Firecrest, Gadwall, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Goshawk, Great Crested Grebe, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Great-tit, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Green woodpecker, Grey Heron, Grey Lag Goose, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, House Martin, Hobby, Honey Buzzard, Jack Snipe, Kentish Plover**, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Redpoll, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Whitethroat, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Little Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Little Owl, Little Tern, Long-tailed-tit, Mallard, Mandarin Duck, Marsh-tit, Mediterranean Gull, Mistle-thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pectoral Sandpiper*, Peregrine Falcon, Pink-footed Goose, Pin-tailed Duck, Pochard, Red-breasted merganser, Red head Smew, Redshank, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Ring-necked Parakeet, Robin, Ruddy Duck, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler Duck, Siskin, Sedge warbler, Smew, Song-thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Spotted Redshank, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Swift, Tawny Owl, Teal, Temminck's Stint, Tree-creeper, Tufted Duck, Turtle Dove, Twite, Water Pipit, Water Rail, Waxwing, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Widgeon, Whimbrel, Willow-tit, Willow warbler, Woodcock, Woodwarbler, Yellowhammer, Yellow Wagtail...
*Sightings in 1973 and 2002
**Sighting 24th April 1999.
It seemed more sensible to give this, culled from a number of Newsletters, than that to list what I saw on my visit last Sunday. I was concerned then with buying a gadget for my digiscoping kit and seeing if I could get a glimpse of the current excitement, the Bittern in Snipe Bog Lake ( what a great name) My picture is of East Lake, the largest of the group, taken last spring.
The reserve management is also interested providing habitats for as wide a range of fauna and flora as is possible in a relatively small area. There are occasional sightings of otters and water voles and an effort is being made to encourage the otters take up residence. The member's newsletter introduces us to many insects, floral species and fungi which many of us would not notice or recognise.
It's worth a trip!
Membership: £18 p.a. for an individual, £25 for joint memebrship (member and partner) and £30 for family.
Avian species seen at the reserve at one time or another:
Avocet, Barnacle Goose, Bittern, Blackbird, Blackcap, Black-headed Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Blue-tit, Brambling, Buzzard, Canada Goose, Chiffchaff, Common Gull, Common Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Common Tern, Coot, Cormorant , Crow, Cuckoo, Curlew, Dabchick, Dunlin, Egyptian Goose, Fieldfare, Firecrest, Gadwall, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, Goldeneye, Goldfinch, Goosander, Goshawk, Great Crested Grebe, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Great-tit, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Green woodpecker, Grey Heron, Grey Lag Goose, Grey Wagtail, Goldcrest, House Martin, Hobby, Honey Buzzard, Jack Snipe, Kentish Plover**, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Lapwing, Lesser Redpoll, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Whitethroat, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Little Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Little Owl, Little Tern, Long-tailed-tit, Mallard, Mandarin Duck, Marsh-tit, Mediterranean Gull, Mistle-thrush, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Oystercatcher, Pectoral Sandpiper*, Peregrine Falcon, Pink-footed Goose, Pin-tailed Duck, Pochard, Red-breasted merganser, Red head Smew, Redshank, Redwing, Reed Bunting, Reed Warbler, Ringed Plover, Ring-necked Parakeet, Robin, Ruddy Duck, Sand Martin, Shelduck, Shoveler Duck, Siskin, Sedge warbler, Smew, Song-thrush, Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Spotted Redshank, Starling, Stonechat, Swallow, Swift, Tawny Owl, Teal, Temminck's Stint, Tree-creeper, Tufted Duck, Turtle Dove, Twite, Water Pipit, Water Rail, Waxwing, Wheatear, Whitethroat, Widgeon, Whimbrel, Willow-tit, Willow warbler, Woodcock, Woodwarbler, Yellowhammer, Yellow Wagtail...
*Sightings in 1973 and 2002
**Sighting 24th April 1999.
It seemed more sensible to give this, culled from a number of Newsletters, than that to list what I saw on my visit last Sunday. I was concerned then with buying a gadget for my digiscoping kit and seeing if I could get a glimpse of the current excitement, the Bittern in Snipe Bog Lake ( what a great name) My picture is of East Lake, the largest of the group, taken last spring.
The reserve management is also interested providing habitats for as wide a range of fauna and flora as is possible in a relatively small area. There are occasional sightings of otters and water voles and an effort is being made to encourage the otters take up residence. The member's newsletter introduces us to many insects, floral species and fungi which many of us would not notice or recognise.
It's worth a trip!