College Lake Nature Reserve Traditional Cache
uk_vs: It's gone and I'm afraid I'm not going to replace it this time. Thanks to those who searched and reported DNF's.
College Lake Nature Reserve
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Once a chalk quarry, College Lake has been restored over 20 years into a mix of different habitats and is now one of our flagship reserves. As you enter the reserve one of the first sights to greet you is the wide expanse of open water and marshland.
The marshland is perhaps the most important of the reserve's homes for wildlife, as in the summer it supports a number of breeding waders. These include lapwing and redshank, both of which are rare species, and College Lake is a key breeding site in Buckinghamshire. In the lake, common terns nest on specially created islands.
In the winter, the inhabitants of the water change, and wintering wildfowl, such as wigeon and teal, from Scandinavia and beyond, use the wetlands for feeding and roosting.
Elsewhere on the reserve, chalk grassland is alive with colour during the spring and summer as a wide variety of flowers come into bloom. These support a range of insects, including a number of rarer butterfly species such as the small blue. Rough grassland provides a home for breeding skylarks, as well as shelter for small mammals, which in turn feed birds of prey such as kestrels and barn owls.
Woodland, scrub and hedgerows are widespread across the reserve, and support a wide variety of wildlife, including finches and tits. In the winter thrushes such as fieldfare and redwings feed on the berries.
An unusual feature of College Lake is the Cornfield Flowers project. Started in the 1980s, College Lake was one of the first places in the country to actively conserve these rare and beautiful flowers, and now produces a glorious show of colour every year during June and July.
Opening times
Summer opening hours: everyday 9.30am - 5pm (last entry 4pm)
Open Spring and Summer bank holidays
Winter opening hours: everyday 9.30am - 4pm (last entry 3pm)
No dogs or cycling on the reserve please.
Facilities on site
Visitor Centre - College Lake has a brand new visitor centre with a large hide overlooking the marsh area. At weekends and bank holidays there is a cafe inside the centre where refreshments are available.
Free Parking on site although there is a suggested donation of £2 if you want (bear right as you enter the site), disabled parking near the courtyard.
Toilets (including disabled & baby changing facilities) available in the courtyard and visitors centre.
Picnic benches next to the Barn.
The cache isn't located on the nature reserve itself but on the bridleway running beside it. It is a good sized deep black bucket shaped container 6" or so in diameter, please ensure the lid is securely fastened before replacing. Cache was set in the winter time, so can't guarantee nettle free during the summer months.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Abg va sebag bs gur znal ryrcunag abfrq bkltra tvire :-)
Treasures
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