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Field Trip to Chew Valley Lake
Posted 11th April 2009 in 'Field Trips', by Josh
This field trip consisted of a visit to Chew Valley Lake, the 5th largest artificial reservoir in the UK and the source of much of Bristol’s drinking water. The purpose for our visit there was to learn about the various species, for which the lake is a habitat, the management techniques to look after the area and also the various legislations in place for such a site. We were enthusiastically shown around the lake by Chris Klee, one of the men responsible for its preservation. He began by telling us a bit about the history of the area, especially in regards to conservation. Chew Valley Lake is an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA) and is very famous for its bird watching and fishing opportunities.
We were then taken on a tour of some of the more ecologically exciting areas of the lake and the surrounding land, firstly stopping off and investigating some of the birds who reside on the reservoir water. Here you could see Swans, Mallards and also the rarer Shoveller and Gadwall ducks. We were rather lucky as at this time a rainbow appeared over the lake, which you may be able to spot in the pictures! Following on from this, our group investigated some of the areas around the lake for interesting wildlife, upon the way round our guide explained to us some of the various modifications he had made to the habitat in order to encourage species to reside in the area. It was interesting to see how much work goes on to attract rare wildlife to the habitat, and the complexities of their requirements- often to no avail. One particular success though was the Barn Owl house which was perched in the boughs on an Oak tree. Whilst approaching the house, two Barn Owls swooped out and flew around us, which proves its success!
Venturing further into a wooded special conservation area, a few keen-eyed members of our group spotted some young stag resting in the undergrowth, however they had noticed our presence before I could get a shot of them with my camera. Around here we were also shown a successful otter habitat by a stream and the reed beds to appeal to species of bird such as sedge warbler and grebe.
Overall the trip was a very useful experience, as it backs up what we learn about conservation of British areas in the lectures in a practical environment. Out in the practical environment you can really appreciate the difficulties and complexities in maintaining such a beautiful landscape, making sure a fair balance is established. We learnt particularly about the trade-offs that need to be made, making sure that the area wasn’t too biased in the way of favouring a certain species. Thank you to the people of Chew Valley Lake and Bath Spa University for organising this trip.
