There’s a field trip to Chew Valley Lake, S of Bristol, next weekend on Sunday 5th Feb. In order to be able to visit the hides rather than just the public areas by the roadside at Herriot’s Bridge and Heron’s Green, we have to get Bristol Water day permits. Last year we were lucky to bump into a ranger by the laybys who could issue them. I thought we could get permits at Woodford Lodge but it’s not open on winter weekends. I will try & get a group one by phone tomorrow [Thurs 2nd] but if not we rely on bumping into a ranger. The main birds will be wildfowl – there is a female Smew there at the moment.

Heads up – some info just received – there’s now a clean air zone in Bristol with traffic charges [this started in Nov 2022 apparently]. Hence if you come all the way down the Avon Gorge [A4] road the bottom end of this enters the charging zone. There is a route well out of the zone if you come off the M5 at Gordano although it’s a bit more complicated.
On a Sunday it shd take about 1 hr 30 mins so I suggest meeting at the Herriot’s Bridge layby on the A368 at the SE corner of the lake, at 09:30. The permits are £6. See map below.
We can probably arrange car share if there are enough people willing to do so, in which case the meet point is at the bottom end of St Margarets Rd in Whitchurch, Cardiff [see the fielld trips page on the website]. We shd depart there at 8 a.m.
I can’t guarantee enough seats for car share so I really need to know who wishes to have a lift in advance, and also who woiuld be williing to share their car, and I also need to know who intends coming anyway  – so let me know whether you are going straight there or not.

That’s about it – some of the hide access paths can be muddy so wear suitable footwear.