Taking photographs at Fleet Pond is a very popular activity for a wide range of people. Doing a search in Google yields numerous sites and images that feature the pond. These cover photos of the pond itself, it’s wildlife (especially birds) as well as people just relaxing and enjoying themselves.
The quality of the photos on the web can be very impressive and atmospheric – see for example the photos above and below.
Probably the photo-sharing site Flickr has the most extensive set of photos. In particular it has a user-group dedicated to Fleet Pond Nature Reserve (see screenshot below). This group currently has 27 members and already features 550 photos.
This group is referenced in our blog in a box entitled Flickr Photos at the bottom of the rhs column and the box specifies the titles of the most recent 3 photos.
There are also a number of dedicated photographic discussion forums that mention the pond (mostly in connection with specialist bird photography).
In parallel with these public sites, Fleet Pond Society also encourages photography at the pond through competitions – see here and here. Of course this blog itself has many photos taken at the pond, mainly covering volunteer events (of which there are many) and wildlife. Here is a good example:
Preserving and maintaining the pond is an activity that benefits many people, including a wide range of photographers!
Photo credit (top two): Alexey Danilchenko (and with kind permission)
Photo credit (bottom): Michelle Salter
It is myself who has set up the group on Flickr,for photographs taken around the pond.I have a huge passion for photographing birds. Alot of the bird photographs have been posted by myself ,username hurricaneharold on Flickr,if you take the time to look through my photostream,you will find over 350 photo`s of the birds and some of the deer at the Fleet Pond, I only live a 5 minute drive away and the variety of wildlife there is amazing.
There are plenty of photo`s of birds including some very recent photo`s I have taken of Bitterns.
Dave when was the last sighting of a Bittern at the Pond, I understand it was 3-4 years ago ?
Thanks for the information – Michelle had mentioned to me that you were very active on Flickr!
Regarding bitterns, I’ve emailed Colin Gray on this topic and here is his reply (I also asked whether the deterioration of the pond could be a contributing factor to their absence):
“It was indeed some 4 years ago when bittern were last sighted. I think there are other problems associated with the absence since as bittern feed within the reedbeds where life still thrives. They favour reeds standing in water and take small fish and invertebrates from among the reed stems. The bitterns last recorded were thought to be European migrants rather than British born. RSPB reserves along the Norfolk & Suffolk coast still have good numbers but they do not tend to move far from their territories. There are a number of possible reasons for lack of bittern at Fleet Pond. Some intensive work in the eastern reedbeds in the year following the 4 visitors might have discouraged them. It is more likely that milder winters have meant European bittern have stayed in their home territory as the winters have not reduced food supplies there.
The Clearwater Campaign would include creation of more reedbeds and this would provide good winter feeding habitat for bittern but unlikely enough reed cover for them to stay to breed.”
Thanks for your reply,we seem to be getting more Bitterns in the UK in recent years. There are three at White Swan Lake,which is part of Dinton Pastures at the moment, I saw three at the London Wetlands Centre two weeks ago,but five were spotted by someone with a scope.I know that there is one at Blashford Lakes,near Ringwood.
It does sound like the intensive work that was carried out at the pond might have discouraged them.
I would have thought that the pond would be an ideal habitat for them to stay over the winter months.
One of my contacts on Flickr tells me that the Bitterns stay all year round at Blacktoff Sands RSPB reserve in Yorkshire.
Here is a link to a group I have set up on Flickr for photo`s of Bitterns taken in the UK,you will fins some of my photo`s in the group.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1296135@N24/
I have met Michelle on a couple of occasions when walking round the pond.