Wildlife trip at Cotswold Water Park

As soon as we started our walk we were listening to garden warbler, whitethroat and chiffchaff singing. 

A brief stop in the hide provided views of a pair of mute swan with their cygnets, greylag goose and a great crested grebe. On the feeders there were lots of blue tit and great tit, including the pair of blue tit nesting in the box right by the entrance to the hide.

As we headed along the walkway we saw a dragonfly exuviae which I think was from a downy emerald. We soon saw a number of damselflies including red-eyed, azure, large red and common blue.

Large Red damselfly

As we continued along the lake edge, we started to find more warbler species, with blackcap, cetti’s warbler and willow warbler all being heard but not always seen. Other birds singing included dunnock, wren, robin, bullfinch and song thrush.

After some more damselfly watching we found a showy whitethroat and a skulking reed warbler by the roundhouse-shaped cowshed.

Next we arrived in Clattinger farm – what a special place!

Amongst the plants we saw were cowslip, adder’s-tongue fern, green-winged orchid, early marsh-orchid, marsh valerian and common spotted-orchid. 

Marsh valerian

Then the ones tasted were sweet vernal-grass, pepper saxifrage, common sorrel and salad burnet.

Finally, we saw a dapper reed bunting singing and heard a lesser whitethroat chuntering from the hedge!

A brilliant few hours watching and enjoying a variety of wildlife.