Eyebrook Reservoir facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Ice on the water in winter
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| Area of Search | Leicestershire Rutland |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 201.3 hectares |
| Notification | 201.3 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Eyebrook Reservoir is a large lake that was made by people. It covers about 201 hectares (that's like 500 football fields!). This special place is found right on the border between two English counties: Leicestershire and Rutland. It's known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its amazing wildlife. The towns closest to it are Corby and Uppingham.
Contents
Building Eyebrook Reservoir
Eyebrook Reservoir was created by building a dam across a small river called the Eye Brook. It was built a long time ago, between 1937 and 1940. A company called Stewarts & Lloyds needed a lot of water for their steel factory in Corby. Geoffrey Binnie, an engineer, helped make sure the reservoir was built correctly.
A Practice Spot for Dambusters
During the Second World War, Eyebrook Reservoir played a secret role. In May 1943, it was used as a practice site for the famous "Dambuster" raids. These raids were a very important mission where pilots practiced bombing dams. Eyebrook looked a bit like the Möhne Reservoir in Germany, which was the real target. There's a special sign there today to remember this important history.
Wildlife at Eyebrook Reservoir
Eyebrook Reservoir is a fantastic home for many different animals, especially birds. It's a very important spot for birds that spend the winter here.
Amazing Birds and Other Animals
Many kinds of ducks and other water birds love Eyebrook. You can often see birds like wigeon, teal, mallard, and pochard swimming on the water. The area around the reservoir has different types of habitats. These include marshy areas, muddy flats, grassy fields, and even forests.
Other special birds have been seen here too. These include the osprey, a large bird of prey that catches fish. You might also spot a smew, which is a small, striking duck. Smaller wading birds like dunlin and European golden plover also visit.
Rare Visitors
Sometimes, even rarer birds stop by Eyebrook Reservoir during their long journeys. These "passage" birds might include the curlew sandpiper, ruff, and spotted redshank. These are all types of wading birds that look for food in the mud.
Very rarely, some birds that are usually found far away get lost and end up at Eyebrook. These "vagrants" can be quite a surprise! Some seabirds, like the Leach's storm petrel and Northern gannet, have been seen here. Other unusual visitors include the squacco heron, black-crowned night heron, American wigeon, black-winged pratincole, and killdeer. Most of these rare birds are connected to wetlands, just like the reservoir.
Visiting and Fishing
While you can't walk all the way around Eyebrook Reservoir, you can still enjoy views of it. There's a public path along part of the eastern side where you can look out over the water.
Fishing at the Reservoir
Eyebrook Reservoir is a very popular place for fishing. Many people come here to catch trout. The reservoir is regularly stocked with special rainbow trout. It also has its own population of native brown trout. If you like a bigger challenge, you can also try fly fishing for pike here.
