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Millstream Walk

A countryside walk is greatly enhanced if it takes place near a pond or stream. Taking that walk in the neighbourhood of a watermill can offer the promise of both still and moving water. Light reflected from beneath a lush and verdant growth of ferns, flowers and trees, dances over natural rock or man-made walls. The natural sounds of the birds and insects are heard against the rush and swirl of water and the rumble of wheels and gears in motion.

	Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Flashes of electric blue may be all that you see of this zippy bird. It needs soft earth banks to dig its nest burrow and an abundant supply of small fish. Many watermills have resident kingfishers.
	Dipper Cinclus cinclus Fast flowing streams below the mill race are the likely places to find Dippers. They use their wings underwater to swim in search of their food which is a range of invertebrates. Above water they can be seen standing on stones, making their characteristic bobbing movements.
	Liitle Grebe Tachybaptus ruficolis A compact bird which is frequently found close to watermills. It dives underwater when disturbed and can apparently disappear because it surfaces out of sight among bankside plants.
	Red Kite Milvus milvus No longer a common sight across Europe, but making a come back in the UK. The deeply cleft tail is easily seen and helps to separate it from its more widespread cousin, the Black Kite
	Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea An elegant wagtail that prefers swift moving water and will often choose a nest site along the walls of weirs and sluices. It can be seen running or fluttering after flying insects at the water's edge.
	Water Vole Arvicola terrestris A secretive animal that lives in tunnels under the bank: the tunnel entrance is often underwater. They eat the waterside plants, and can sometimes be seen sitting on a floating raft of vegetation, feasting while drifting downstream.
	Daubenton's Bat Myotis daubentoni European bats catch insects on the wing, and water is the breeding ground of a wide variety of insect species. Hunting low over the water surface is a particular speciality of Daubenton's Bat, skilfully flying beneath bridges and entering culverts.
	Otter Lutra lutra A magnificent predator which swims underwater with speed, precision and grace. 70-90% of its diet is fish, of which it prefers to take coarse fish rather than trout because they are easier to catch. The otter is a wary animal and you are more likely to find its territorial marks, a frothy pile of fish bones, than to see the animal itself.
	Brown Trout Salmo trutta trutta A well marked fish that holds station in the millstream by swimming just fast enough to match the speed of the current, perhaps rising occasionally to take a fly from the surface. If disturbed by your presence, it will dart away to shelter, returning later to continue feeding in its favourite spot.
	Dragonflies Odonata: Anisoptera - Damselflies Odonata: Zygoptera Dragonflies and damselflies are the most spectacular insects to be seen on a millstream walk. The iridescent colours, flash in the sunlight as the insects are carried through the air by their large membranous wings. The daintiness of the damselflies is a sharp contrast to the purposeful flight of a patrolling dragonfly.
	Mayflies Ephemeroptera - Caddis-flies Trichoptera During the short adult phase of their life cycle, mayflies and caddis-flies have only one objective: to produce the next generation of their kind. To do this, they have to avoid becoming food for the many insectivores that inhabit the waterways. Mayflies can be seen flying close to the water, dipping their egg-laden abdomens through the surface film. Caddis-flies often crawl below the water to lay their eggs.
	Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus This plant forms dense clumps in shallow water. During early summer the large yellow flowers make eye-catching reflections on the surface of the millpond.
	Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Early in the year banks and riverside meadows are coloured by the buttery gold of this low growing plant. The petals shine above the rounded dark-green leaves.
	Purple Loosestrife Lythrum salicaria The tall purple flower spikes are very attractive to nectar-seeking insects. It grows well in the damp soils of the water's edge, flowering throughout the summer months.
	Reedmace Typha latifolia A vigorous marginal plant that can choke streams and encroach on the open water of millponds. The flowers are the familiar velvety brown rods that persist into the winter months.
	Comfrey Symphytum officinale The nodding white or pink flowers of Comfrey sit amongst broad, hairy leaves. This is the main food plant for the hairy caterpillar of a spectacular moth, the Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula, which is on the wing in early summer.
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