College Lake walk.

I popped over to College Lake this morning, hadn't been there is ages. It's changed considerably since we used to go there with the boys  as 'Friends of College Lake.' Once we got the dogs it didn't seem right going for a walk without them as you can't take dogs in so our membership lapsed. Now its owned by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). It has lost some of it's charm and everything is a bit more official, guided walks for instance have a set number that they will not exceed due to health & safety! The cakes used to be made by a couple of old ladies and were proper home made cakes that stick your ribs together, now it's Mr Kipling's airy fairy cakes, it's still an interesting place to visit for all that.
 I had a wonder round and went into a couple of hides, there's alot of Canada Geese there at present, I'm no expert but I do enjoy just gazing over the lakes, my old binoculars at the ready, I also took a few photos with varying degrees of success that I have attached here. You'll see the photo of the shepherds hut built at the John Farris foundry in Shaftesbury, Dorset, this is a real coincidence as we've had ancestors from Shaftesbury who have worked there, the foundry is long gone now of course the houses built on the site are on Farris Close as I recall.
A very pleasant couple of hours, off to the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow for a trade show until Thursday.....I can hardly wait!

General view from near the visitors centre & café.

The Octagonal Hide I'd just been in. 

Display of old farm machinery and wagons.

The Shepherds hut mentioned.

The details of where it came from, how it ended up here  don't know.

Snowdrops out already.

A few Wigeon.

Wigeon.



Arty shot of some Coot & Mallard gliding across the water.