Figuring the whole world would be down at Attenborough looking for that bird we decided to scout out pastures new just down the A42. Middleton Lakes RSPB reserve.

One of the RSPBs newest reserves. By 2015 it’s hoped this will be one the the premier sites for wading birds in the midlands. A former gravel pits, the land is slowly being transformed with shallow pools, reedbeds, woodland, a canal and river running through and a nice rough pasture meadow meaning there is an abundance of habitats for a variety of birds. There are several waymarked trails and a walk along all of them is around 3.5miles of flat, if a bit muddy in places, walking. There are few facilities on site but on the same site is Middleton Hall craft centre which has toilets (better than the portable ones in the RSPB car park) and a very nice tea rooms.

Your journey starts with a walk past the Heronry.

25 pairs of Heron nest here through the spring and summer. It’s also a nice reed bed with Water Rail calling whilst we were here. There’s also a good feed station here with lots of passerines. You then head off into the rookery. This a patch of traditional woodland with a lovely little stream running through it.

On the opposite side of the rookery is the first of the many pools and reed beds you will come across. Nice viewing platform over it.

Out of the rookery and across the canal and you are now into the main body of the reserves, the wader pools.

There’s a real selection of birdlife on the lakes and it’s well worth lingering a while and getting the scope out and checking out what is around. There are lots of chairs scattered around and there will be a hide in place by Christmas with a 270 degree view over the scrapes. The river Tame runs through the site and this creates another habitat that’s worth checking out. It has tall sand banks and is good for Sand Martins in the summer. It is however prone to flooding and the nests are very easily submerged at such times.

The main pools are kept at different levels to create as diverse a habitat as possible. This pool is very shallow and looked excellent for snipe and suchlike.

The only “hide” as such on site at present is this small screen. Not sure it actually does anything but it’s a point of interest for the “tourists”!!

Unfortunately for these folks right behind them was a hunting Short Eared Owl. There have been up to ten recorded on the site in the past. It’s good to look for them around the land on the opposite side of the river just behind the screen. Just here in fact.

We also saw a pair of Kestrels hunting here too.

After the water trails you go onto the meadow trail. This is a big rough pasture which is very good habitat for hunting owls and other raptors.

After walking around the meadow you pick up the canal for a short while. This is a really pleasant part of the walk.

On reaching this bridge you then retrace your steps and head back to base via the rookery.

So, 45 minutes from Ilkeston and a really enjoyable day out. It’s definitely a place we could arrange a trip out to. The winter months see the numbers of birds swell on the lakes and there’s always the chance of a rarity turning up.

Here’s a list of what we saw.

Birds…coal, blue, great, long tail tits. Buzzard, magpie, gs woodpecker, nuthatch, blackbird, grey heron, dunnock, wren, bullfinch, linnet, wigeon, coot, tufted duck, canada goose, mute swan, little egret, teal, gadwall, moorhen, lapwing, greylag goose, mallard, gc grebe, cormorant, bh gull, goldfinch, kestrel, crow, short eared owl, jay. We also heard water rail calling but didn’t see one.

We also saw a hawker dragonfly, a red admiral butterfly, a grey squirrel and a toad.

All in all not a bad day.

You can find out more here…

http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/middletonlakes/

Cheers

Paul