WHCG - Welsh Harp - Brent Reservoir - News

Events, such as bird counts, guided tours and working parties, occur throughout the year. The purpose of this page is to keep you aware of events at the Reservoir, and to draw your attention to past highlights. You can also report and view recent sightings by following the link below.

BIRD NEWS
Something to report? Someting to discuss?

Click on the binoculars to report sightings or discuss events in the BRENT FORUM

WORKING PARTIES

Dates to be announced shortly

Your help is essential in preserving the quality of the environment of the Brent Reservoir. Please try to attend the organised working parties.

*UPDATED for 2009*

Throughout the year, visitors to the Brent Reservoir can avail themselves of the expert knowledge and guidance of WHCG members by attending guided tours. This is a free service designed to enrich people's appreciation of this wonderful asset. There is no need to book in advance, just turn up on the day.


	Click here to download the 2009 Walks Programme
	2009 WALKS PROGRAMME
	Notes for Walks 1 Walks will be led by Roy Beddard (Welsh Harp Conservation Group), John Colmans (London Wildlife Trust). and are run in conjunction with the RSPB NW London Group. 2 All walks will start from Cool Oak Lane Bridge. Most walks will last about two hours. 3 Dress sensibly – For winter walks wear warm clothes with waterproof boots and jacket. 4 Bring binoculars if you have some. Roy and John will bring relevant field guides.

For further details regarding the guided walks, contact:
Roy Beddard on 020 8447 1810
or
John Colmans on 020 8446 4029

THE BIRDS OF BRENT RESERVOIR

BOOK available now!!!.
A 240 page book detailing the birdlife of Brent Reservoir in NW London along with chapters on other forms of wildlife. Illustrated thoughout with line drawings by artists such as Jan Wilczur along with many colour photographs taken at the reservoir, this is an outstanding publication and great value at £12.00 plus £2.00 P & P. Orders can be sent to Brenda McClane, 65 York Way, Friern Barnet, London N20 0DF (cheques payable to Welsh Harp Conservation Group)

Foreword by Bill Oddie

Brent Reservoir just might be the ideal local patch. I know, because it was once mine! It was some time ago, when frankly it probably wasn't quite so well watched as it is nowadays, which is - ironically perhaps - why I've switched to Hampstead Heath. I do rather like having a place almost to myself. Mind you, the Heath has days when not only are there no birders, there are hardly any birds either!
You could never say that about the Brent. One of its joys is that there really is always something to see, even if it might take you a while to find it. But then again, that's another of Brent's attractions. I love the fact that there's quite a big area to explore, with lots of variety, and 'hidden' places that aren't so often or so easily covered (see Andrew Self's account of where and when to look on on page 175). It really is possible to lose yourself around Brent. The roar of the North Circular fades as you creep through the reedbeds along the south east shore, or peer through the bulrushes into the 'secret backwaters' of North Marsh. More than once I've found myself fantasising about being in Suffolk or Scilly instead of within a few miles of the middle of London.
And the birds have sometimes added to the illusion. Bearded Tits zinging in the rushes, Short Eared Owls quartering the grassland, even a Serin singing in the allotments. Oh yes, I've seen 'em all. OK, it doesn't happen every time, but hope springs eternal in the local patcher's breast, and it's never totally dull. Common Terns screeching round the rafts, Great Crested Grebes 'penguin dancing', gulls dropping down to roost, all great sights.
Even if the birds aren't performing, there are flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, creepy crawlies, fishy and furry creatures.... Brent really has got the lot. What's more, there are some pretty impressive humans around too. Constructive and imaginative conservation work has long been a feature of the Welsh Harp. It quite simply gets better and better. We know this, because it also has a well documented and fascinating history.
And now it's got it's very own book. This is it. Enjoy.

*ARCHIVE NEWS*
2nd February 1991
The opening of the first bird hide at Brent Reservoir

Bill Oddie and Councillor Tim Sims JP

A gathering of about 50 people came together to witness the formal opening of the birdwatching hide by Bill Oddie. The hide, kindly made possible by a donation from the credit card organisation 'Greencard', has transformed birdwatching at the reservoir, enabling the refuge in the Eastern Marsh to be watched much more thoroughly and for much longer periods of time. It was particularly pleasing that the arrival of the hide coincided with a more than doubling of the breeding population of Common Terns so people were able to watch the progress of the young and see much more of their domestic dramas than in the past. The educational value of the hide is enormous.(John Colmans)

Brent Dragonflies | Gallery | Eddie Wang | Contact | Links