Tamar Lakes.

[Nina P]

I would like to reccommend a visit to the lakes at Tamar, I visited the lower lake on this latest visit, I find this a delightfully relaxing spot, and have made this a fairly frequent place to sit and watch, and this was the first place I ever had the delight of seeing a treecreeper.. A memory fixed for life in my memory bank.
On the latest visit I found a solitary spoonbill shyly appearing between the reeds at the furthest range of my bins, I saw it take no more than five steps across a gap in the reeds, and that was it!
Great crested grebes diving and swimming like half submerged submarines, loads of gulls some just moulting their juvenile plumage, and flocks of geese, they were too far away to distinguish which but I thought they were Canada geese. The other highlight was the number of herons, some in trees and one pair stalking in stately manner over the far side of the lake.
The swallows and housemartins were sweeping the lakes and the flowers were truly wonderful with meadowsweet, purple loosestrife, and hemp agrimony still in flower.
I would also like to say there are water sports on the upper lake and a cafe at this point, really a wonderful place for all ages.
B (: Nina.

[Darrell Clegg]

I agree Nina, the Tamar Lakes are a great place to visit, and I've seen some fantastic birds there over the years. Wilson's Phalarope, Blue-winged Teal and Bairds Sandpiper spring to mind straight away.

I see you posted in the Devon section of the county index. For those who are Cornish county listers (aquilla and I), Tamar lakes are in Cornwall - actually the county border runs right through the middle of both lakes so anything that turns up there appears in both the Devon and Cornwall county report.

Did you have time to visit the nearby CBWPS reserve at Maer Lake in Bude? I can highly recommend it

Darrell