Dishley Pool a great place for birdwatching

Over the course of the last year with travel being so restricted due to the lockdowns in place, I have been exploring Dishley Pool, only a short walk from my home. As a keen birdwatcher I have kept detailed records of the birds I have seen there.

It’s March 23 2020 and I spot a flash of blue flying low over the stream which runs parallel to the pool.

It’s a Kingfisher, a bird which never ceases to amaze me with its energy and stunning colour. Walking round the pool I hear the unmistakable call of a Cetti’s Warbler, a brusque, loud sound which resonates profoundly.

I am very fortunate to get a brief view of its rufous-brown form. This bird is extremely skulking in its nature and is rarely seen.

On the pool itself a male Gadwall serenely glides; the Gadwall is one of my favourites of all the waterfowl, its intricate feathering a joy when seen close up.

April 2 is a bright, sunny day, and rewards me with a sublime sighting of a Long-eared Owl at the back of Dishley Pool, near to the River Soar.

I am only a cricket pitch distance from the bird. It’s perched on a low branch near a holly bush. I watch mesmerized as its orange eyes are observing me intently, its ear tufts upright. This has to rank as one of the rarest birds I have ever seen at Dishley Pool.

Late April arrives and I get my first sighting of a Lesser Whitethroat.

It’s a brief glimpse of this enchanting little warbler as it explores a dense thicket. I am made aware of its presence by its song which has similarities to a Yellowhammer. Also on this day to the west of the pool I hear the distinctive ‘reeling’ of a Grasshopper Warbler in some scrubby ground. I strive to actually see the bird but my attempts are thwarted.

In early Summer I am walking round the pool and hear the eccentric song of the Sedge Warbler from deep within the reed bed. To describe the song of the Sedge Warbler is difficult as it’s gloriously ‘all over the place’. I crouch lowdown in cover and I’m rewarded with excellent views of the bird. Walking home from the pool I notice numerous butterflies on the wing including a glorious Peacock, and lots of Orange Tips.

The winter can be excellent for birds at Dishley Pool. In the middle of January I find a pair of Stonechats north-west of the pool. They are very confiding as they perch prominently on the weedy, rough ground.

Just north of the pool is a line of Alder and Silver Birch trees. I often see large flocks of Goldfinches here; sometimes delightful Siskins are mixed in with them.

You can’t beat local birding! Richard Carl Nielsen, Loughborough