21-Aug-24 – Snappers meeting

Venue: Weston Turville Reservoir and Nature Reserve

A gathering at Weston Turville Reservoir and Nature Reserve

We plan to meet at 10:00hrs.

Wetland plants
The marshy fen, extensive reedbeds and small woodland surrounding Weston Turville Reservoir create a winter wildfowl wonderland with teal, shoveler and tufted duck and even the occasional bittern. As well as the reeds, plants include hundreds of spring-flowering early marsh-orchids, followed in summer by lesser reedmace, purple-loosestrife, gipsywort, water mint and yellow iris.

Seasonal visitors
There are good breeding colonies of reed warblers, which sling their mug-shaped nests around the reed stems. The reserve is also a regular breeding site of the water rail, whose distinctive ‘piglet squealing’ can be heard regularly all the year round. Starlings and swallows roost here in some numbers in autumn. Bittern are seen here occasionally.

Parking information
0.5 miles south of Weston Turville. 0.25 miles east of A413/B4009 roundabout, turn right onto World’s End Lane opposite The Village Gate pub; park in lay-by on right after 500m.

Find the Car Park Layby What3Words – dolly.december.ironclad