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Milton Keynes and North Bucks (1 Viewer)

Peewit

Once a bird lover ... always a bird lover
Hi there

My OH produced this listing of areas local to Bedford for us to visit in the future. It was found on an individual website.

Anyone else had experience of them, and I would love to hear your stories, thoughts, and recommendations about them. :-O:t:

Little Linford Wood
Emberon Park
Blue Lagoon
Great Linford Lakes
River Ouzel - Woughton
Walton Balancing Lake
"Teardrop" Lakes, Loughton
Howe Park Wood
River Ouse - Haversham
Shenley Wood

Love to hear peoples experiences from places mentioned, and others if known. We live local in Bedford, and that is why we would like to know.

Greatly appreciated
Kathy
x
 
Hi there

My OH produced this listing of areas local to Bedford for us to visit in the future. It was found on an individual website.

Anyone else had experience of them, and I would love to hear your stories, thoughts, and recommendations about them. :-O:t:

Little Linford Wood; Emberon Park; Blue Lagoon; Great Linford Lakes; River Ouzel - Woughton; Walton Balancing Lake; "Teardrop" Lakes, Loughton; Howe Park Wood; River Ouse - Haversham; Shenley Wood.

Love to hear peoples experiences from places mentioned, and others if known. We live local in Bedford, and that is why we would like to know.

Greatly appreciated
Kathy
x

I guess that all the sites you've listed are in Buckinghamshire, and close to my home town of Milton Keynes. Sorry I'm late responding...

Little Linford Wood
This is accessed via a private farm road (past Dairy* Farm) off the Haversham to Tyringham road (permissive access, I believe) to a farm near Gayhurst, and the track goes under the M1, and ends in a small car park. (With the restricted access, I'm not happy about the security of my car there. It's too quiet.)
I've visited the wood several times, and whilst I've heard birds and seen rabbits, the main interest is perhaps the dragon- and damselflies. One year I did photograph some extraordinarily coloured bracket fungus - a year later, the colours were quite muted, and not worth a mention. (Dairy Farm is the name on my 2002 edition of OS sheet 152.)

Emberton Park -
south of Olney, yet to visit.

Blue Lagoon
This is an old clay pit, devoid of life, and used by the police, I believe, for diving training. I have seen masses of butterflies on the foliage close to the lagoon at the right time of year.

Great Linford Lakes
Probably my favourite spot. Access by annual permit from MKDC - see the resident Warden for details. Decent sized lake, lagoons and wooded areas. 3 hides. The Near Hide has excellent views of the bund which appears and disappears depending on the recent rainfall. The Far Hide overlooks the heronry where herons and Little Egrets breed. The 3rd. hide overlooks a small wood-surrounded pond, and needs feed to be in the feeders for a visit to be worthwhile. Good spot for damselflies and dragonflies by the lagoons.
The reserve is accessed via private road through a fisheries owned land - do not dawdle or deviate from the track.

River Ouzel - Woughton
Know where it is, but haven't visited.

Walton Balancing Lake
Heavily reeded, and the hides attract rough sleepers, alcoholics, incendiary vandalism, and other man sized riff raff. I now keep away - my lenses etc. would buy too many hits!

"Teardrop" Lakes, Loughton
Haven't visited this area for many years -but nearby Furzton Lake gets some good mentions.

Howe Park Wood
Old woodland, with rides etc. Typical woodland - lots to hear, nothing to see. Inter area paths quite busy with non-birders. Close to noisy building operations the last time I was there.

River Ouse - Haversham
This area is now being turned in to a wetlands area, and gravel etc. is being extracted. The far west end, Manor Farm, is already getting some excellent sightings. No hides, yet.

Shenley Wood
Haven't visited.
-----------
Campbell Park pond
-below the cricket pavilion can be very good at certain times of year. Caught an excellent series of a heron catching a fish too large to swallow in one go!

Willen Lake North
This is an excellent public venue with free access, hide and I've seen a greater variety of birds here than at many of the higher rated sites. The south lake with its boats etc. also does well attracting rarities occasionally.

Stony Stratford Reserve
Public hide, and private hide(s?). The public hide looks south so not marvellous for photography.

Gayhurst Quarry ponds
North of Newport Pagnell, close to M1 - leave your car at end of lane, and not obstructing the residents. Walk to north in direction of Mill Fm for 0.5 mile, and hope that the birds are close to the fence. Good for viewing large numbers of swans and geese.

Ravenstone Sewage Treatment Works
I've seen lots of mentions, but can't see them on my map.

-------

I'll copy an edited listing to the Bucks area as well.
 
hi Malcolm

Sorry for the late reply. no broadband for 2 months, until yesterday morning - now I have it back once more. :eek!:

Thank you for your listings. They are very useful and OH and I are looking forward to investigating them a whole lot. Not targeted any of these areas yet.

Regards
Kathy
x
 
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