Caldecotte Lake (Milton Keynes)

 Yesterday I went for my second visit to this beautiful lake in Milton Keynes. I left home for the 15 mile drive in thick fog, after scraping the frost off the windscreen of the car, relying on the weather forcast which said that it would be sunny after the fog had cleared.For once the weather forcasters had got it right, for right on cue, as i arrived the sun started to break through revealing bright blue water and birds as far as the eye could
see. Unfortunatly I only had time to walk around the North lake. Here are a few photos.

Cormorant (phalacrocorax carbo)

 You have to be quick it`s surprising how fast these things fly !

Great Crested Grebe (juvenile ?) (podiceps cristatus)

There were lots of these around busy diving for fish.

Greylag Goose (anser anser)

 I was slowly moving closer and closer to try and get a close up shot when they were chased by a very excitable dog !

Mute Swan (cygnus olor)

Always a graceful bird.

Wigeon (male) (anas penelope)

 Just a little wing exercise.

Wigeon (pair) (anas penelope)

 Mr. and Mrs.

Mallard (female) (anas platyrynchos)

And finaly two photos of something I found, that someone or something had removed from the lake and thankfully deposited on the bankside (close to the pumping station).

 The dreaded North American Signal Crayfish (pacifastacus leniusculus)  which is devestating our native White-clawed Crayfish.


Have a great rest of the week.