Hosehill Lake
| Hosehill Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Reading, Berkshire |
| OS grid | SU 649 696 |
| Area | 23.6 hectares (58 acres) |
| Managed by | Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust |
Hosehill Lake is a 23.6-hectare (58-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Reading in Berkshire. It is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.[1][2][3]
Geography and site
[edit]To the east and south of the lake is meadowland.[3] The eastern meadow is cut and then grazed by wild Exmoor ponies for a short period in the spring and autumn, and the south meadow is a butterfly meadow.[3]
The site features a one-mile circular walk around the lake.[4]
History
[edit]Hosehill Lake was given its nature reserve status in 1997 by Newbury District Council.[5] Since it became a nature reserve, an island has been created in the lake, along with Tern Rafts, a Sand Martin Bank and the Butterfly Meadow.
In 2013 the management of the nature reserve was transferred from West Berkshire Council to the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.[6]
Fauna
[edit]The site has seen 168 different bird species.[1] Some of the more common birds seen are listed here:[5][1][3]
Birds
[edit]- Little ringed plover
- Great crested grebe
- Bittern
- Gadwall
- Wigeon
- Sand martin
- House martin
- Swallow
- Common whitethroat
- Chiffchaff
- Hobby
- Common tern
- Black-headed Gull
- Pochard
- Goldeneye
- Goosander
- Northern shoveler
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Hosehill Lake". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ "Map of Hosehill Lake". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Hosehill Lake". Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ "Parks in Newbury, West Berkshire | Waterways in Newbury, West Berkshire". Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ a b Theale Area Bird Conservation Group. - Theale Sites
- ^ Wildlife trust set to run West Berkshire nature reserves – Get Reading