Watermead Country Park

Location | Leicester, UK

Watermead Country Park is a public park located in between Thurmaston, Syston and Birstall.

Watermead Country Park is a haven for wetland wildlife enjoyed by nature lovers, walkers and families. The park has fine lake views and woodland walks with good paths and picnic areas.

The park is home to the Birstall Nature Reserve, situated towards the south of the park. This area has been a reserve since the early 1980s. This habitat supports some of the the most beautiful species of birds from blue tits to green woodpeckers, to Swans, Canada Geese and Ducks!

Watermead Country Park is a historic parkland that boasts Lakes, ditches and wonderful wildlife habitats which attract birds such as Swans and Great Crested Grebes as well as providing food and shelter for nesting waterbirds and a healthy habitat for frogs, fish and dragonflies to thrive. The colourful flowers provide nectar for insects and the reeds and bulrushes provide shelter for nesting birds.

Meet The Wildlife!

Coot

A coot is black or dark grey, it has white tips to its flight feathers and pale grey underwings. The head is black with a noticeable white shield on the top of the face. It has a pale pink bill, eyes that are deep red, and legs that are yellowy-green, with grey lobed feet. Males have a wider face shield than females.

Coots build their nests on floating vegetation, out of leaves, twigs, bark, roots and reeds. The female lays 6-10 smooth, buff-coloured eggs with dark brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for just over three weeks. Coot chicks are covered in black fluffy down with some yellow around the head and a bare, red crown. They stay on the nest for 3 or 4 days and are fed by both parents, sometimes helped by older chicks from a previous brood.

After about a month, they are able to dive and can feed themselves, but parents will continue to feed them for up to 2 months after hatching. They are able to fly at about ten weeks, but will remain near the nest for several months.

Click below to hear what a Coots Call sounds like.

Male Mallard Duck

Male and female Mallard Ducks look very different most males have a green head of feathers where females are typically brown.

Male Mallards don't quack they produce two tone calls so if you hear a Quack its likely to be a female.

A male Mallard is called a Drake, and a female Mallard is called a Hen. A baby Mallard is called a Duckling.

Did you Know: When mallards migrate they fly up to 90 Km/h and at an average altitude of 10,000ft!

Click below to hear what a Male Mallard Ducks Call sounds like.

Moorhen

Moorhens are close relatives of coots. They are black and brown, with a more bluish-black belly, sometimes with white markings on their flanks, a red and yellow beak and long, green legs.

They feed around the lake edges rather than hidden in the reeds or other vegetation. Walking well on their strong legs, they have long toes that are well adapted to soft, muddy areas. Their short, rounded wings mean they are weak fliers, although they can fly long distances, often migrating to Siberia. They are omnivorous birds, eating plant material, small rodents, amphibians, snails, insects, small fish and berries.

They build untidy nests at the water’s edge out of twigs and then aggressively defend it during the breeding season. A pair will have 3 or 4 broods in a season. The female lays 6-10 smooth, greyish-white eggs with reddish-brown or olive markings, which are incubated by both parents for about three weeks. The fluffy young leave the nest within a few days and can feed themselves. Older young help their parents with subsequent broods.

Click below to hear what a Moorhen Call sounds like.

Canada Goose

The Canada Goose is historically known as the “giant” Canada goose and are known to be the largest geese in the world.

The female is called a goose and the male is a gander. The young are know as goslings..

Originally from North America the Geese fly in a "V Shape" flock and migrate south in winter time. Did you know that the oldest goose in the wild was said to be 30 years and four months old

Click below to hear what a Canada Goose sounds like.

Swan

Swans are close relatives with geese and ducks. They live for approximately 20-30 years and are the largest members of the Waterfowl family.

The Type of Swan that can be found in Watermead Country Park is called Mute Swan which is the elegant bird of Russian ballets and European fairy tales

A male swan is called a Cob, and a female swan is called a Pen. A baby swan is called a Cygnet.

Did You Know: A Swan has up to 25,000 feathers and can fly up to 95 Km/h!

Click below to hear what a Swan Call sounds like.

Female Brown Mallard Duck

The Female Brown Mallard duck known as a 'Hen', can often be confused with an adolescent male Mallard Duck.

It is with female Mallard Ducks that you will hear a 'Quack'.

Like their male counterparts Mallard Ducks can be found in almost any wetland habitat. Unlike other species of Ducks, Mallard Ducks dabble on the water and dip their heads to find food.

Did You Know: A Female Brown Mallard Duck can lay anywhere between 1- 13 eggs!

Click below to hear what a Female Brown Mallard Ducks Call sounds like.

Magpie

A Magpie is often known as a bird attracted to shiny things, and they are! They can live up to 22 years and can be found anywhere from Ireland to Japan.

Magpies are omnivorous birds. They eat young birds and eggs, small mammals, insects, acorns, grain, and other vegetable substances.

Did you know: The magpie is believed not only to be among the most intelligent of birds but among the most intelligent of all animals and are able to recognise themselves in the mirror which makes them one of only a few species to possess this capability.

Click below to hear what a Magpie Call sounds like.

Wood Pigeon

The Common wood pigeon is a large member of the dove and pigeon family and can live up to 17 years.

The Pigeon can lay up to 2 eggs when hatched, the baby Pigeons are called 'Squabs'. Unlike most birds, both sexes of pigeons produce "milk" to feed their chicks.

The body feathers of pigeons have very dense, fluffy bases, are attached loosely into the skin, and drop out easily. This adaptation possibly serves as a predator avoidance mechanism as large numbers of feathers fall out in the attacker's mouth if the pigeon is snatched, helping the bird to escape.

Click below to hear what a Pigeon Call sounds like.