Last night, I popped up to the lake I mentioned in the previous post in the hope of spotting and photographing the Barn Owl again. The owl was there, but I only got a brief view and no pictures. It’s a great place, though. There was a Green Woodpecker, a flock of geese on the stubble in the field, and a number of Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer around the field edges. I should definitely come here more often.
At the lake I came across evidence of a new species for the area – new to me, anyway. Other people have probably known about it for ages. On the grass by the bank of the lake was the shell of a crustacean of some sort. It had obviously been there a while, presumably caught and eaten by a heron or other predator. I’m not an expert, not a crustaceanist, but I assume it is a Signal Crayfish. Either that or someone’s been dropping scampi. We’re far too far away from the sea for any marine species, and from what I know of our native crayfish they like to live in clear running streams, not muddy old estate lakes.
The Signal Crayfish are spreading quickly across the UK, but it’s still a bit of a mystery how it got here. This lake is pretty isolated. It isn’t connected to any significant watercourses other than a very small stream, too small to have much an ecosystem. No-one even goes fishing here (which is a shame). Perhaps the crayfish arrived as eggs on the legs of waterfowl (the often-used explanation for fish spreading to new lakes)? Perhaps someone with a taste for crayfish tail and rocket sandwiches put them in? Who knows?
If anyone is a crayfish expert, feel free to shed some light. Otherwise I’ll just file this away as one more species for the area.
Tales from the Wood - The Diary of a Badger Watching Man 
I am definitely no expert on crayfish, but a vaguely similar diversity here locally in the Pennines, clams in man-made reservoirs – enough to support a healthy population of oystercatchers – sorry thats not a badger!
Hi Spiney – good to hear from you.
Clams in reservoirs does sound odd, but nothing would surprise me these days. If I can get crayfish in an obscure lake in Bedfordshire then I’m sure the clams are possible.
By the way, I couldn’t open the pictures on your last e-mail. I’m sure they were better pictures than mine though!
All the best
BWM
Hello BWM,
The lake sounds like an idyllic spot for wildlife watching, I do envy you ever so slightly. As for the remains they do seem to resemble signal crayfish, perhaps a place to drop a baiting trap (similar to a lobster pot, but smaller) just to see what turns up? They are supposed to be nice eating as well, although I’ve never tried them myself. Looking forward to more of your posts and hoping that you achieve that Barn Owl photo.
Regards,
John
Hi John
It is a nice spot. You don’t see many people there, but it is a known spot for birdwatchers. I think the mix of habitats – the lake, woods, hedgerows and old pasture – is what makes it a good spot for the wildlife.
It’s tempting to try a crayfish trap, but I’d need to find out who owns it, plus I think you need a licence to remove crayfish. Actually it would be good to find the owner and ask about fishing. I’ve absolutely no idea what fish it holds, but it would be fun to find out. Unfished and unknown lakes are quite rare, so it would be an adventure. Like I don’t have enough things to occupy my time at the moment!