That aside, Virginia Water seems to be a safe haven for not only dogs but all manner of animals. I saw countless numbers of bees (and got some pretty nice shots of them, as you can see), swans, coots, moorhens, ducks and the waterfowl below which I had to look up; a great crested grebe. I'm pretty sure that if we ventured into the woods surrounding the lake, we'd discover foxes, badgers, rabbits and possibly even some deer.

The grounds are deceptively large and we walked for a lot longer than we expected (which was good considering we all had burgers the size of our faces). We passed the posh Guards Polo Club and several horse boxes before our walk took us through into a heather garden.

Some old dears we'd passed on the walk told us repeatedly that we couldn't miss the heather garden. They were lost but decidedly more concerned that our lives would lack the richness the heather garden offered if we didn't go. By the time we reached the garden (just a garden, no life changing experience), I was flagging. Having eaten half a cow earlier and decided to take every lens I own with me on this walk, my shoulders ached and I was sluggish. But then I saw my prize just under a coniferous shrub. A pheasant. 

...At least I think it's a pheasant. All male pheasants I've seen look like the one above but have a big red splodge around their eyes. Either way, it's a beautiful bird to match the beauty of Virginia Water. Take a trip out there if you get the chance!