Reservoir - Drawn to Water top tips

The reservoir - a holding place for water, a haven for wildlife!

As you emerge from Hollowood onto the opening of the reservoir, you'll be hit with the views, the tree life and the sounds of nature.

Our Drawn to Water guide is a great way to highlight key areas of our collection and wild reserve that are often overlooked. With many spots to stop, look and listen; you'll discover there's so much more to most places than first meets the eye (and ear!). It's all about pausing and taking a while to enjoy the array of nature that envelops you from the start of each and every visit to Washington Wetland Centre.

Reservoir highlights

The view from the reservoir is second to none. With distant Penshaw Monument, layers of green trees and a variety of water birds, there's lots to keep an eye out for. There's lots of natural frames, with our willow fence and overhanging oak trees proving a great opportunity for some pretty special photographs. The wooden frame is a fun frame to ask children to look through too! Reflections on the still water can be mesmerising, bouncing light and mirror-like images perfectly transform a scene.

The reservoir tends to be the spot to find tufted duck where they congregate in good numbers. Their low growling calls can help distinguish them from other duck species, and the tufts of 'hair' on the heads of the males help with ID. Other birds often found here are gadwall, coot and moorhen who make the most of feeding on the low-flying insects and surrounding vegetation which provides plenty of shelter.

There's a huge variety of trees around the reservoir. Scots pine, oak, various willow, common alder and a lovely beech tree are just a few of the variety seen around here. Their vibrant leaves, towering branches and growing fruits offer notes of interest and a provide a great chance for you to test your tree ID skills. (If you're interested in learning more about trees, join our tree-themed guided Wild Walk on Saturday 26 August with warden Kate, who will be exploring the variety of trees around our reserve).

The trees provide a vital wildlife corridor to the surrounding woodlands and nearby Hawthorn Wood. If you stand and listen for just a few moments you'll be greeted by the melody of calling chaffinch, goldfinch, robin, blue tit (pictured below - image by Bill Richmond), greenfinch and many more smaller woodland birds; many of which are busy feeding youngsters as they take their first flight. If you look carefully, you may even see a treecreeper making its way up a tree trunk.

3 ways to slow down your experience

1. The reservoir is a great spot to stand an easel and let your creative juices flow. The view, the trees, the birds - everything is just a masterpiece waiting to be painted!
2. Practise your camera skills - the water and tree combo lend itself well to photography - whether with a phone or professional camera, there's so much to focus on. Get in close to leaves, focus on the structure of our willow fence or zoom in on the birds to see the detail of their plumage or the colour of their eyes. There's a wonderful opportunity to capture it all!
3. If you're visiting with children, a good way to slow them down is to spot birds. Pick up a wetland spotters guide and search the water and surrounding vegetation for the variety of birds often spotted here.

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