Bewl Expedition

 




I went to visit the reservoir at Lamberhurst, Bewl water. This reservoir supplies most of the south east of all its water, so it is relied upon a lot, which is a problem. I arrived there early morning around 8am. The light was not grate so I waited and then it cleared up and I set off at 9.  This was the first time I would set eyes upon the water since I was last down in Kent, which was just before September. Seeing how high the water was, I was taken aback. It was and still is incredibly low. The reservoir is a man made one, so there used to be a village where the water now is. Talking to my granddad he told me when he was a boy he delivered papers there, and when it was build (the dam and reservoir) and there were hot summers you could see some of the old houses. I though I might be able to this time but no luck.

As soon as I arrived at the Bewl trees and birds singing in my ears, surrounded me. Chiffchaffs (Phylloscopus collybita), Blackcaps; my first this year (Sylvia atricapilla), Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes), these birds don’t usually like to be seen and keep themselves hidden away in brambles and thick bushes. This was the case today as well; keeping hidden in the shade on a hot day was just what was needed for very small birds. I Also had the usual suspects as well, Robins (Erithacus rubecula), Sparrows (Passer domesticus), Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), Great tits (Parus major), Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Coots (Fulica atra), Blackbirds (Turdus merula), Moorhens (Gallinula chloropus) and a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

As I have mentioned the water was very low, so I decided to see how low it was. I left the track and headed down the slop to the waters edge. This picture shows how low the water really is and also where it should at least be. The dead weeds and underwater plants, which usually make up the murky edge of the water and now dry and burnt brown. It has been that dry that there is even new plant growth in amongst these dry plants.

While walking around this exquisite countryside I was taken aback at the varsity of the reservoir and how much the water had gone down. It was only really after my first stop off to have a drink and a snack that I really got time to look at how low it was.

It was not long after this stop that I reached an overflow pond. Which was empty. Completely empty no water, no new life. It was like a small crater on Mars. It was a very surreal moment. 

About an hour and a half later I herd some Herring gulls (Larus argentatus) cawing and making a big fuss about something. Thinking nothing of it I dismissed it, then coming to my senses I the looked round and saw them mobbing an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). This was something I was not expecting to see. So I did not get a picture of it, as I was on the walk for landscapes and to see how low the water, I was not expecting to see this monster of a bird fly right past me.  I am glad that I am a birder (ornithologist) before a photographer because I really got to enjoy seeing this majestic bird close and with no pressure to photograph it. As the osprey evaded the gulls it then fell into the clutches of 4 Buzzards (Buteo buteo), and got hounded by them for a couple of minutes before gliding gently off behind some trees.

After this the walk became the same as before, full of chiffchaffs and blackcaps and the low water still making a full point.

This was an amazing walk it is a shame that I didn’t get a shot of the osprey.  But I am just very happy to have seen one this year, this was a very successful expedition, as I got more than I had bargained for.