Page 57 - BBC Wildlife - August 2017 UK

RUTLAND SPECIAL

RESERVE

HIGHLIGHTS

FROM WATER VOLES TO BARN OWLS, THERE’S SO
MUCH MORE TO THIS FABULOUS RESERVE THAN JUST
ITS FAMOUS OSPREYS, AS BECKY CORBY REVEALS.

1. Lyndon Visitor Centre 6. Heron and Wigeon hides
You’re guaranteed a warm welcome These give lovely views over Heron and
here from Rutland Project staff and Manton bays, where male Osprey 33(11)
volunteers. Enjoy live big-screen can frequently be seen fishing. In the
footage of Manton Bay’s osprey nest, deeper water you’ll see great crested
as well as close views of tree sparrows grebes, tufted duck and other wildfowl.
and yellowhammers on bird-feeders.
You might see a stoat trotting over the 7. Lagoon 2
meadow. The pond by the entrance Walk north from the Birdwatching
has smooth and great-crested newts, Centre, through the meadows that
dragonflies and damselflies. host Birdfair, where there is a badger-
watching hide (booking needed).
2. Manton Bay Continue to the Redshank Hide, which
Best viewed from the reservoir’s south has great views of one of two artificial
shore from the Waderscrape Hide, a sand martin banks on the reserve. There
15-minute stroll from Lyndon Visitor is also a new swift tower, and kingfishers
Centre through meadows and woodland. dart along the lagoon edge. Leaving the
You can watch the local pair of ospreys hide, head right through woodland for
and their young, and have great views butterflies and (in the evening) bats.
of water voles swimming between the
sedge beds. Also look out for reed and 8. Lagoon 3
sedge warblers and reed buntings. Shoveler Hide has a vista of reedbeds,
open water and mudflats. Look for reed,
3. Lagoon 1 sedge and Cetti’s warblers in the reeds,
This island-dotted lagoon creates a common terns nesting on the rafts,
beautiful backdrop to the Anglian Water ducks such as gadwall and shoveler,
Birdwatching Centre. It is surrounded passage waders such as green sandpiper,
by grassland to the west and wet and many dragonflies and damselflies.
meadow to the south, creating a varied Daubenton’s bats and hobbies hunt at
mosaic of habitat. Scan for grey heron, dusk. Otters are often spotted here, too.
little egret and cormorant; little grebes
splash and trill near the shoreline. 9. Lagoon 4
Dunlin and Sandpiper hides have
4. Wet meadow superb views of this big lagoon, whose
Best viewed from Snipe Hide, this shallow water and mudflats attract
meadow attracts waders, especially passage waders. Species include grey,
redshank. The hide is good for water ringed and little-ringed plovers, avocet,
voles, and the rodent-rich grassland dunlin, oystercatcher, black-tailed
lures kestrels, barn owls and sometimes godwit, common and green sandpipers,
marsh harriers. Grass snakes can be redshank, greenshank and lapwing.
seen swimming in the area. Yellow
wagtails often follow the Dexter cattle. 10. Lagoons 5–8
The newest lagoons are, like Lagoon 4,
5. Lax Hill designed to attract passage waders, as
Make the short climb up Lax Hill well as provide sanctuary for wildfowl
for panoramic views of the reserve. when the reservoir is low. Lagoon 5
Topped by ancient oak, beech and horse hosts the reserve’s second sand martin
l
chestnut with a hazel understorey, it is bank, best seen from the 360 Hide.
home to willow tits and other woodland
birds. White-letter hairstreak butterflies BECKY CORBY is community
flutter along the woodland edge. Hares engagement officer at Rutland
can be found on the hill’s south side. Water nature reserve.
August 2017 BBC Wildlife 57