Harrold-Odell Country Park

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I tried a visit to a new lake the other day. Well, not exactly new, I’ve been once before, last year. I had a rough idea where it was, quick look on a road map, and off I went.

How hard can it be to find a place, especially when you’ve been before, and there are road signs?

Answer…….very hard. I could lose myself from my front door to my drive.

I got hopelessly lost down country lanes. I saw bits of my county and neighbouring counties I’d never seen before. Which is good; but not when the idea is to go somewhere in particular.
Eventually I came upon it by chance, and pulled into the car park, along with loads of other cars. I hate busy places, but since I was here, eventually, I decided to stay.

Harrold-Odell Country Park.
Their website describes it as………… “opened in 1986 following the restoration of a former sand and gravel extraction site. Extraction ceased in 1980 and the Park was established through planting and the flooding of 3 pits to form 3 lakes. The Park is 58.7 hectares in size and has a variety of habitats including woodland; grassland including flood meadow; open water and river. Together with the visitor centre, car parks and access routes; these features form the Park…..People enjoy visiting the Park for its peace and tranquillity and to be close to nature.”

And surprisingly, most of the occupants of the other cars, had managed to disappear in to the surroundings. Either that, or they had all fallen into the lakes. I hardly saw anyone; which suited me just fine.

I walked the circuit, following the paths, and saw a few birds. Most were pretty shy, as were the countless dragons and butterflies, but as ever, the ducks and geese seldom remain shy for long.
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This Greylag Goose came steaming over with his mates, to see if I had bread wrapped around my camera.

He seemed a little disappointed, but hung around anyway, just in case.

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I soon came under the watchful gaze of a Cormorant,

maybe to see if I had any fish wrapped around the camera, instead of bread.
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One of his mates flew in,

but soon realised, ‘no fish here’, so left.

The stars of the ‘park’, at the moment though, have to be these guys.

A small group of Egyptian Geese have raised a few chicks. I’m sure these ‘different’ looking geese are a hit with the visitors.

Or maybe most of the people just don’t know, and pass them over as just another ‘duck’.

Well, I enjoyed their company. They were very curious, and not at all shy.

Yea, it was a good morning…………eventually.
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Have a good weekend.
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