Walking & Bird Watching at The Lower Mill Estate
Orchard Cottage provides an ideal spot to start your exploration of Old Father Thames as we are literally on the Thames Path and within striking distance on foot to the source some 5 miles away near the Thames Head pub, where the river begins its 154-mile journey to London Bridge.
For the bird watcher who wishes to have a relaxing few days the 450 acre estate with three private hides on your doorstep has an abundance of bird varieties to see and for those wishing to go a little further the Cotswold Water Park and surrounding area provides even greater opportunities to see some UK rarities like the Yellow-browed Warbler, Squacco Heron, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Black Tern, both male and female Red-footed Falcons, Pied-billed Grebe (Wiltshire only) Spoonbills and Little Egrets.
A neighbour of ours (keen bird watcher) has kindly given us his list of the birds he has seen on the estate and we hope you will manage to find them yourselves if you stay.
All Year
Great Crested Grebe,Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Red Headed Potchard, Coot, Moor Hen, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing, Reed Bunting, Barn Owl, Chaffinch, Dunnock, LongTailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Buzzard
Spring
Garganey, Common Tern,Black Tern, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Grey Wagtail, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Swift
picture of the cottages
Summer
Hobby,Red - Footed Falcon, Cuckoo, Nightingale, Sedge warbler, Reed Warbler,Reed Bunting, Garden warbler, Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Purple Heron, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Various Waders
Winter
Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, Water Rail, Stonechat, Red Throated Diver
picture of the cottages
Seen at Waterhay Hide
Ruff, Turnstone, Shellduck, Cuckoo, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Settis Warbler, Garder Warbler, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Ringed Plover, Lapwing
All Year
Great Crested Grebe,Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose,
Cormorant, Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Red Headed Potchard, Coot, Moor
Hen, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Pied Wagtail, Lapwing, Reed Bunting, Barn Owl, Chaffinch, Dunnock, LongTailed
Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Buzzard
Spring
Garganey, Common Tern,Black Tern, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover,
Grey Wagtail, Sand Martin, House Martin, Swallow, Swift
Summer
Hobby,Red - Footed Falcon, Cuckoo, Nightingale, Sedge warbler, Reed Warbler,Reed
Bunting, Garden warbler, Willow warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat,
Purple Heron, Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Various Waders
Winter
Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, Goldeneye, Smew,
Goosander, Water Rail, Stonechat, Red Throated Diver
Seen at Waterhay Hide
Ruff, Turnstone, Shellduck, Cuckoo, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Settis
Warbler, Garder Warbler, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Little Egret, Grey Heron,
Cormorant, Ringed Plover, Lapwing