King's Mill Reservoir, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts.King's Mill Reservoir is home to many species of waterfowl, including some rare Australian Black Swans. In the Autumn of 2006 a pair of these swans produced a brood of cygnets. These were the first ones ever recorded in Nottinghamshire. The Reservoir has several breeding pairs of Great Crested Grebes, proudly exercising their courtship displays in Spring. King's Mill Reservoir is noted for rare visitors, including some Egyptian Geese and a Mandarin Duck who put in an appearance for a few days! Regulars include Grey Heron, Pochard and Tufted Ducks. Kingfishers can also be seen along the banks and Cormorants sit proudly on the landing stages. The Mansfield RSPB Local Group have donated a tern raft which has been used by Common Terns. On one occasion we were surprised to see a solitary Oyster Catcher sitting on the raft! A large group of Mute Swans live on the Reservoir, including a resident pair that produce broods of eight or nine cygnets each year. Large groups of Lapwing can be seen, and during Winter months, the large flocks of black-headed gulls flying into roost can be spectacular. In Summer months, migrant birds frequent the trees surrounding the lake, with a surprise appearance of a Nightingale in April 2004. This was the first Nightingale to be heard in the area for many years.
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