Wildlife along the Black Swan Lake

Black Swan Lake. © www.bssc.co.uk

The best thing about Black Swan Lake, and in fact the most popular visitor attraction in the whole of Dinton Pastures, is its bird feeding frontage. It's frequented by many waterfowl, including mandarin ducks, mallards, tufted ducks, gadwells, Canada, Egyptian and greyleg geese and mute swans. Kingfishers, herons and hobbies visit, as well as the more common swifts, swallows housemartins, blackbirds, robins and whitethroats.

Insects to be uncovered are turquoise nettle weevils, soldier beetles, lace wing larvae, dragonflies, damselflies and lots of spiders.

Artificial holts and improved habitats are enticing otters back to the area. Bats have set up home here and can be seen flitting about at night. Goats are kept on the islands in the middle of the lake to keep bank vegetation to a minimum (so that boaters have increased visibility).