Little Marlow Gravel Pit
Location
OS grid ref.
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Getting there
Parking
Train
Bus
Access
Permit required?
A permissive path starts from Coldmoorholm Lane (almost opposite the Spade Oak pub) and runs west across a meadow to the east bank of the lake. It then joins a permissive path that runs around much of the perimeter of the lake. To the north, the path leaves the lake and runs alongside arable fields and a wooded area before reaching the south of the village. The path then runs south and rejoins the lake on its west side.
Please avoid walking along the concreate road on the north side, which you will cross twice. This is private and is used by very large vehicles from the Sewage Treatment Works.
The site is flat throughout but the paths are uneven in many places. In the winter and times of prolonged wet weather the paths can be very muddy and slippery. From time to time the site can flood, particularly along the south bank.
On site facilities
Local amenities
The nearest facilities are in the Spade Oak public house to the east, or the King’s Head and Queen’s Head public houses in Little Marlow.
Target species
Site description
Little Marlow Gravel Pit (LMGP) is a disused gravel pit, created in the 1960s and now covering 2.5 hectares, with water of varied depths. The lake has been allowed to develop naturally over the years, with little interference from the various mineral extraction companies, and a large sand spit gradually formed from the unwanted silt from the gravel washing process.
This sand spit has been maintained by volunteers from the Buckinghamshire Bird Club to keep the area suitable for wildfowl and wading birds. This and the natural spread of vegetation and trees has led to the lake and its surrounding areas becoming a valuable site for wildlife, and birds in particular.
The site is now owned by the Buckinghamshire County Council who plan to keep it as a nature reserve, with plans to develop it as a country park where people can walk and enjoy the wildlife.
LMGP has become one of the top bird watching sites in the county and has something to offer birders throughout the year. Over the years, it has turned up quite a few Buckinghamshire rarities.
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A summary of what birds to expect by season
Winter
This is an interesting time of year to visit, with wildfowl and gull numbers at their highest. Throughout the winter you can expect to find good numbers of the commoner ducks including Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck. Goosander are becoming more regular and there is also a chance of the scarcer Pintail, Goldeneye or Red-crested Pochard. Great Crested Grebes are present all year and high numbers can sometimes be seen in winter.
Large numbers of gulls of the five common species are often present on the lake, with the peak being the last hour or two before dusk as they come into roost. Some of these birds are fitted with colour rings which allow us to determine where they have come from, often from countries such as Germany, Holland, Denmark, and Norway. Caspian, Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gulls also appear on occasion. The elusive Kingfisher is also present all year, often heard calling before being seen.
Waders such as Lapwing and Snipe can be seen on the sand spit, with the latter often out of sight in the reeds. Jack Snipe may be present but are usually very hard to see. There is always the chance of a seeing a Water Rail along the edge of the reeds.
Apart from our resident species, birds that may be present around the trees and hedgerows in winter include Redwing and Fieldfare. The odd Chiffchaff or Goldcrest may also be seen or heard, quite often in the trees alongside the sewage treatment works.
By January, Grey Herons and Cormorants will have returned to their nests to start their breeding cycle all over again.
Spring
This is an interesting time of year when many breeding species return to pair up and raise their young. It is also the time of year some of the scarcer migrant birds may drop in to have a rest from their journeys and to feed.
Some of these species will have spent the winter in Africa while others may have over wintered nearby. Swallows, House Martins, Sand Martins and Swifts can pass through in large numbers and some will stay to breed in the area.
One wader that returns from Africa each year to breed in the area is Little Ringed Plover, which can often be seen on the sand spit from late March. Other common waders to be seen at this time of year include Common Sandpiper and Snipe. The sand spit offers the best place to see migrating waders, but it doesn’t tend to hold birds for very long. Species such as Oystercatcher, Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Ringed Plover, Whimbrel and Black-tailed Godwits appear most years but they don’t breed locally.
In April, Common Terns arrive back from Africa and soon take up nests on the floating rafts. Scarcer passage migrants that may be seen at this time of year include Arctic, Sandwich, Black, and Little Tern, and also Little Gull. Spring offers a good chance of seeing a Hobby hawking for insects and birds. Other birds of prey that can be seen throughout the year are Red Kites, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, and perhaps Peregrine.
At this time of year the vegetation and hedges surrounding the lake always hold common resident species such as Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, and Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits. Reed Warblers spend the winter in Africa but a good number return each year to breed in the reedbeds around the lake, while Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Garden Warblers and Whitethroats breed in the surrounding hedgerows. Cetti’s Warbler can now be heard all year round. On the lake the resident Great Crested Grebes, Coots, Moorhens, a few Tufted Ducks, and Kingfishers will be starting to breed.
Summer
Perhaps the quietest time of year for birding, but the breeding birds are busy raising their young. Look out for Reed Warblers in the reedbeds and Kingfishers, which are particularly active when they are feeding young in the nest. Easier to see are the noisy Common Terns that nest on the rafts, the Great-crested Grebes with young in tow, while Grey Herons and Cormorants that breed on the main island will have fledged young.
In more recent years Little Egrets have also bred on the main island - they usually start breeding after some of the herons have fledged. Many birds are very secretive when breeding and ducks such as Tufted Duck and Gadwall may only be seen to be breeding when the ducklings appear behind their mother. More obvious are the larger Canada, Greylag, and Egyptian Geese. Gulls are also present in the summer months but in reduced numbers. Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls breed in nearby towns, and Black-headed Gulls successfully bred at the site in 2025. As summer progresses there is a chance of Caspian and Yellow-legged Gull.
Late Summer/Autumn
The return wader passage starts remarkably early (from June), the species seen very much as those seen in the Spring. It’s the time of year when almost anything can turn up and local birders will be looking for species such as scarcer waders, Spotted Flycatchers, Yellow Wagtails and other passerines. The numbers of Swallows and martins will build up before they gradually move off. Ducks arrive from further north to their winter quarters. The Jackdaw roost on the main island will build up to over 1200 birds (and remain throughout the winter) but you must be there at dusk to see and hear this spectacle. Gulls and Cormorant numbers will also begin to build up and just before winter gets under way, Redwings and Fieldfare arrive from Scandinavia and Russia and start to appear in the hedgerows and fields.
In addition to the birds, the site supports a variety of other wildlife including Weasel, Stoat, and Fox. Roe Deer and Muntjac are often seen on the sand spit. A variety of bats appear at dusk and more recently Otter has been seen. The lake itself holds a variety of fish, including Bream, Tench, Pike and some very large Carp. There is a released and long-lived Red-eared Terrapin that can sometimes be seen on a fallen tree trunk. The only other reptile reported is Grass Snake. The variety of Odonata has also increased in recent years. Alongside more common dragonflies, Hairy and Downy Emerald are now regular and Club-tailed and Lesser Emperor have also been seen. Willow Emerald is now frequent and Small Red-eyed Damselfly and Beautiful Demoiselle can also be seen. The site also has a wide variety of plants, some of which are quite scarce. Around the perimeter of the lake plants such as Common Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal Orchid, Twayblade and Broad-leaved Helleborine.