Other places, Broadwater, Wraysbury, Fishers Green.

Other Places-
Broadwater Lake, Ruislip Lido, Harrow, Fishers Green etc.

Broadwater Lake

Broadwater Lake is a flooded gravel pit near Harefield and the Grand Union Canal. Turn Right South of Harefield (Moorhill Road) past Denham Quarry nature reserve, and Harefield Marina.
Over the Canal bridge on the LHS is the "Horse and Barge" pub, turn right into the lane opposite which leads past gravel workings to Broadwater Sailing Club.
On the left is a car park labled "Also Birdwatchers". From here walk West between the flooded gravel pit and Broadwater lake which opens out on the RHS.
You can walk right round the lake although it can be muddy in the winter months. Broadwater is run for boating and fishing but is an important place for wildfowl in winter.

Birds you can expect to see include:-

Ducks;- Pochard, Tufted, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveller, Ruddy, Smew, Goosander & White Headed Duck 2 years running, Ring Necked once.
A regular Long Tailed Duck, known locally as "Elsie" has not been seen recently.
Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Siskin, Redpoll, Goldfinch, Great, Lesser and Green Woodpecker, Tits, Tree Creeper.
Great Crested, Little and Black-necked Grebes, Herons (Heronry), Kingfishers, Grey Wagtail and a large breeding colony of Cormorants.
Greylag geese breed here, as do Lesser Whitethoat, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler etc.
Hobbies are often seen here or on the lake to the North.
On River Colne Bittern, Water Rail and in trees and bushes along the path; Reed Bunting, Nuthatch and over-wintering Chiff Chaff.
Even an Osprey!

Some Sightings around Broadwater Lake.(2000-2003)

Wednesday 8th October 2003: Goldeneye (1f), Egyptian Goose (1 hybrid), Snow Goose (1 Blue Phase Hybrid), Lapwing (12),
Ruddy Duck (5m,10f), Greylag (c50), Pochard (8), Shoveler (20+),
Lesser Black Backed Gull (1), Common Gull (2), Swallow (4), House Martin (c40).
Wednesday 27th August 2003: Common Sandpiper (1 to W of causeway), 17 Lapwing (as CSP), Ruddy Duck (3m,3f), Greylag (c30), Pochard (8),
Lesser Black Backed Gull (1), Black Headed Gull (20+), Swallow (2).
Thursday 3rd April 2003: Swallow (1 over canal), Sand Martin (c40 NW corner), Greylag Geese (6), Kingfisher (2)
Thursday 19th December 2002: Yellow-legged Gull (1), Goldeneye (2M,4F), Ruddy Duck (c40), Teal (6), Little Grebe (3), Kingfisher (1M)
Smew (1M) at Calder Lake, (SW of Broadwater).
WHITE-HEADED DUCK (1 imm F), Water Rail (2).
Sunday 16th December 2002: WHITE-HEADED DUCK (1 imm F), Goldeneye (1M,4F), Ruddy Duck (c80), Greylag Geese (2), Little Grebe (2)
also Pochard, Gadwall, Cormorant, Shoveler, Wigeon.
Reported; Little Egret (3), Iceland Gull (1), Yellow-legged Gull (4) and Caspian Gull.
Tuesday 3rd September 2002: Goldeneye (1F), Common Sandpiper (1), Shoveler (1M, 1F), Greylag Geese (5),
Common Tern (1+2juv), Pochard (10+), Gadwall (20+), Cormorant (c70)
Chiff Chaff (3), Blackcap (1F), Teal (1), House Martin (c10), Sand Martin(1+)
Friday 10th May 2002: RING-NECKED DUCK (1M), Shoveler (1M), Greylag Geese (7+), Gadwall (4), Sparrowhawk(1),
Garden Warbler (2), Pochard (2).
Cormorants nesting, also Herons.
7th Sept 2001: Ruddy Duck(1F), Shoveler, Wigeon(50+), Gadwall, Pochard(30+), Sparrowhawk(1),; Lesser Black Backed Gull(3), Greylag Geese (50, Ferals)
11th April 2001: Lake closed but viewable from lane to BW Sailing Club. Canal path also open.
Egyptian Geese(2)-By Canal at Black Jack Mill; Sedge Warbler(3)-Lane to sailing club
3rd Dec 2000: -Ruddy Duck(80+), Shoveler, Goldeneye(8F), Wigeon, Gadwall, Pochard, Sparrowhawk(1), Siskin(40).(No sign of Elsie yet-LT Duck)
NB:- It is very muddy round the lake with flooded sections.; 12/11-Redpoll(3), Lapwing(40 over), Ruddy Duck.(No sign of "Elsie" yet)
1st May 2000: Black Tern (1)on next door lake-(Rickmansworth Sailing Club)
5th April 2000: Black Jack Mill end of Broadwater (BW),and at "Rickmansworth Sailing Club" Lake (RSC) next door.; Willow Warblers, 1 back of RSC lake and another at BW Lake; Sand Martins.About 50 between Grand Union Canal at Fisheries PH and BW Lake.; Swallows about 40 in the same areas.; House Martins Approx 2 around BW only.; Greylag Geese 12.(Feral population)

Ring-necked Duck (Broadwater La.10/5/02)	Willow Warbler (RSC Lake 5/4/00)	Goldcrest-displaying crest 11/2/00)	"Elsie" (the Long Tailed Duck!)	Osprey (2/10/99)

Pictures from Camcorder.

Goldeneye, Pair
(Wraysbury) Bittern
(Fishers Green 8/12/01) Long Eared Owl
(Fishers Green) Red Necked Grebe
(Ruislip Lido) Lesser Spotted WP
(Harrow School)

Fisher's Green

Part of the Lea Valley park just North of Watham Abbey (Jn 26 M25).
Take B194 (Nazeing) North for 1ml and at the RH bend turn Left. The first turn is labelled "Fisher's Green" but the second is the main entrance.
Cross the River (Left from car park) and you are at 70 acre Lake with it's famous "Bittern Watchpoint" Hide.

VISIT 8th Dec 2001: Bittern (1), Smew (1M), Long Eared Owl (1), Skylark (c60)
Fieldfare (c20), Redwing (c10), Snipe (6)

Ruislip Lido

North of the village on Ducks Hill Road turn Right into Reservoir Rd past the Garage.
Regular winter birds include:- Common and BH Gulls, Coots, Heron, Cormorant, Kingfisher
Mallard, Tufted, Gadwall, Wigeon, Ruddy Duck, Little & Great Crested Grebes, Canada Geese and Mute Swan.
Plus Jays, Tits, Goldcrest and woodpeckers around the lake.
Watch for occasional rarities(eg. Red-necked Grebe, Red-crested Pochard, Greenshank, Common Sandpiper etc.)

28th. August 2003: Lesser Whitethroat (1M-bushes N of Lake), Common Sandpiper (2), Teal (17), Willow Warbler (3+), Chiffchaff (2+), Jay (2)
Green Woodpecker (1), Great-spotted Woodpecker (3), Goldcrest (1), Heron (3Ad,1juv),
Common Gull (1), Black-Headed Gull (c25), Lesser Bk-Backed Gull (1),
3rd. Dec 2002: Lesser-spotted Woodpecker (1M -just N of "Waters Edge" PH), Redwing (20+), Fieldfare (10+),
Ruddy Duck(2F), also, Shoveler Gadwall & Pochard, Treecreeper(2), Jay (6+).
Green & Great-spotted Woodpecker, Goldcrest, Common Gull, Herons and Cormorants

Harrow School Sportsfields

Opposite Northwick Park Hostpital on the side of Harrow On The Hill.

BIRDS; Redwing, Fieldfare, Missle Thrush, Great Spotted, Green and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers.

Back to Front Page