Hosehill Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hosehill Lake
Type	Local Nature Reserve
Location	Reading, Berkshire
OS grid	SU 649 696
Area	23.6 hectares (58 acres)
Managed by	Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

Hosehill Lake is a 23.6-hectare (58-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Reading in Berkshire. It is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.

Geography and site

To the east and south of the lake is meadowland. The eastern meadow is cut and then grazed by wild Exmoor ponies for a short period in the spring and autumn, and the south meadow is a butterfly meadow.

The site features a one-mile circular walk around the lake.

History

Hosehill Lake was given its nature reserve status in 1997 by Newbury District Council. Since it became a nature reserve, an island has been created in the lake, along with Tern Rafts, a Sand Martin Bank and the Butterfly Meadow.

In 2013 the management of the nature reserve was transferred from West Berkshire Council to the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.

Fauna

The site has seen 168 different bird species. Some of the more common birds seen are listed here:

Birds

• Little ringed plover
• Great crested grebe
• Bittern
• Gadwall
• Widgeon
• Sand martin
• House martin
• Swallow
• Common Whitethroat
• Chiffchaff
• Hobby
• Common Tern
• Black-headed Gull
• Pochard
• Goldeneye
• Goosander
• Northern shoveler