Best Nature Reserves?

[kielder]

If anyone has a place that is special to them let us know why

[ChrisJB]

I have to say, given a choice, I prefer to stride out in wild places away from nature reserves, where it is usually a little quieter, but if I had to pick one, well, Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk I am very taken with. I've ony been the once, but it was great, with Swallowtails, hobbies, marsh harriers, cettis warblers, norfolk hawkers and marsh helleborines. Great place.
I shall give it some more thought to see if I can think of anywhere that rivals it in my affectons.

Regards, Chris

[rlchew]

Er .... can I have more than one please?

Essex .... Abberton Reservoir .... wildfowl and Nightingale
Essex .... Thrift Wood .... butterflies
Essex .... Stow Maries Halt .... butterflies
Kent .... Elmley .... wildfowl, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Short-eared Owl .... and wide open spaces
Kent .... Dungeness .... wildfowl, grebes, divers .... but not the scenery!
Suffolk .... Minsmere .... loads!
Suffolk .... Westleton Heath .... Dartford Warbler and Nightjar
Norfolk .... Titchwell .... loads!
Wales .... Skomer .... seabirds .... including close up Puffins!
Wales .... Ynys-hir .... woodland birds including Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler
Scotland .... Handa .... seabirds
Scotland .... Loch Ruthven .... Slavonian Grebe
Scotland .... Loch Garten .... Osprey, Crested Tit and Red Squirrel
Shetland .... Noss .... awesome seabird colonies
Derbyshire .... Cromford Canal .... Water Voles
Any wild place anywhere with wildlife

There are plenty more but I had better stop .... I have already taken liberties .

Richard

[kielder]

Thankyou very much for the comprehensive list there!

[ChrisJB]

Though not strictly a nature reserve, my favourite British landscape is/are the Pennines, especially Swaledale and the dales further north. The Highlands and Islands of the west coast of Scotland are a bit special too, as are the Northumberland and Cornish coasts. Silverdale, adjacent to Morecambe Bay is another favourite. All places of local distinctiveness and character and impressive wildlife too.

Regards, Chris

[djackso]

A visit to Church Wood in Buckinghamshire (RSPB) was an almost magical experience for me - the place was very atmospheric.

[tufftie]

I have a new one to add to my list - The Knapp; which was an old paper mill. Woods, wildflower meadows and a river - very beautiful, quiet and great for all sorts of wildlife

[tigger]

Corfe Mullen Meadows (Dorset Wildlife Trust), Corfe Mullen, Dorset

Just one meadow but a host of things to see in it. It is a SSSI site of lowland, unimproved neutral grassland (getting very rare nowadays). In the spring there are green winged orchids and common orchids, corky-fruited water-dropwort, meadowsweet, bird’s-foot trefoil, meadow buttercup and ox-eye daisy. Later in the summer black knapweed, meadow vetchling, yellow bartsia and quaking grass. So lots of butterflies and insects!

Nearby is a large Badger sett and you are pretty sure to see deer in the neighbouring meadow in the evenings. During the day you should see all sorts of birds, and during a small-mammal trapping day last year the DWT found loads of yellow-necked mice.

The great thing about this reserve is that it is one meadow in a very normal village. Not many people go there even though it is right on the edge of the Bournemouth/Poole conurbation. A little semi-urban oasis.

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

BBOWTs Chimney Meadows nature reserve for me. It's not my favorite for wildlife or the meadows as such, but it's were I did my first bit of volunteering. It's nice to be able to walk round and say I put up that fence, I built that hide, I dug those tables and benches in, and I helped with the board walk etc etc.

So Chimney for me.

BWD

[Ida]

If I had to choose only one, it would be Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, East Sussex - good variety of habitats, and a beautiful area for a walk.

[djackso]

Broxbourne Woods are lovely. I really enjoy walking round there, getting slightly lost, and spotting deer, a variety of birds, butterflies and dragonflies.

[Cheryl]

I love Thursley Common - there's always something to see - even if it's only a Woodlark. Redstarts are nesting at the moment not to mention all the Dragonflies

I'm lucky enough to be able to go walking everyday and there's lots of lovely places close by to go.

Having been born and brought up in North Norfolk I really miss the coast

[blueboar]

Abernethy and Mar Lodge in Scotland

Eves Wood in South lake district

Orford Ness NNR in Suffolk

and generally the Lake District

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by rlchew

Er .... can I have more than one please?

Essex .... Abberton Reservoir .... wildfowl and Nightingale
Essex .... Thrift Wood .... butterflies
Essex .... Stow Maries Halt .... butterflies
Kent .... Elmley .... wildfowl, Hen Harrier, Marsh Harrier, Short-eared Owl .... and wide open spaces
Kent .... Dungeness .... wildfowl, grebes, divers .... but not the scenery!
Suffolk .... Minsmere .... loads!
Suffolk .... Westleton Heath .... Dartford Warbler and Nightjar
Norfolk .... Titchwell .... loads!
Wales .... Skomer .... seabirds .... including close up Puffins!
Wales .... Ynys-hir .... woodland birds including Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler
Scotland .... Handa .... seabirds
Scotland .... Loch Ruthven .... Slavonian Grebe
Scotland .... Loch Garten .... Osprey, Crested Tit and Red Squirrel
Shetland .... Noss .... awesome seabird colonies
Derbyshire .... Cromford Canal .... Water Voles
Any wild place anywhere with wildlife

There are plenty more but I had better stop .... I have already taken liberties .

Richard

thats a copy and paste to my 'to go to' list

[nightshade]

Slapton Ley

[Ukwildlifeo]

my favs - well Im limited to public transport and short gf friendly journey spots in Kent (she drives me! how great is she!) mainly but heres my list (im at the other end of essex to Richew)

Essex - Bedfords park: great for dragonflies and common woodland/meadow birds and insects

Essex - Rainham marshes: marshland/coastal (ie waders + waterfowl) birds, many good inverts too, which most the birders miss! Oh and on my last visit Water Voles everywhere!

Essex - Ingrebourne valley/hornchurch CP: banded demoiselles and Water Voles

Kent - Stodmarsh: Marsh harriers, terns, hobbies, warblers

Kent - Oare marshes: closest views of waders = waterfowl outside minsmere

Kent - Wildwood trust: ok more of a wildlife park, but best place to see those shy mammals, even if there captive. Plus the bird feeders are stuffed with woodland species in winter

London - Regents park: if you can find anywhere you can get closer to herons and a heronry Ill eat my camera. wildfowl

London - Richmond Park: close up red and Fallow Deer, ring necked parakeets, mandarin ducks

[kielder]

Ah yeah, went to Richmond Park once when visiting my aunt and uncle, great place, saw the deer!

[Goatboy]

Probably RSPB Marshside. The very busy roads around it are a bit of a pain but you never know what you're going to see next. Every season is a completely different experience.

Also if the weather gets too bad you can nip into Southport for fish and chips

[PeterD]

Langstone Harbour, Havant/Portsmouth - Specific sites around the harbour:-
Milton Common - Old rubbish tip which has been landscaped with lots of shrubbery and trees (some bearing apples). Located at the Porstmouth side of the harbour. Gets a bit busy with dog walkers but its a real pleasure to walk through. Contains 3 freshwater lakes with an abundance of Mallards/Swans/Little Grebe/Shoveller/Heron and other birds passing through on migration.
Farlington Marshes - Famous bird sanctuary at the north end to the harbour. Lots to see at various times of the year.
Southmoor - My favourite spot, located on the Havant side of the harbour with the peninsular leading to Hayling Island to the South and a Stone terminal to the North.Two streams mark the North & South boundaries. Plenty to see from the shore, particularly during the migration season. A large grassland inland with many nesting sites and acts as a refuge for waders when the tide is in. At this time of the year cattle are grazed in this area. One part of this land is fenced off completely with seed bearing plants growing. This attracts all sorts of finches, pippit, sparrow etc and is a happy hunting ground for a pair of Kestral. Green woodpeckers are also resident but I think they have some sort of radar as all you see is their rumps as they fly off in the distance. The same goes for kingfishers which fly up and down the streams when the tide is out and the water is shallow.

PeterD

[ChasCreek]

For me it has to be my local reserve 'Upton Warren'.

Not because it is or has anything out of the ordinary but rather because it is only 5 minutes from my house which means that I can be there at anytime. Often I am there at half five in the morning and often I am there at ten at night which means that I can really get to know the place at different times and more importantly what is around at those times. It also means that I can and do often go there for a while before heading off to work for the day which somehow makes the work day feel different as work isn't the first thing on the days schedule.

[wilddawn]

The place I see most wildlife is the walk between my house and my daughters nursery. When it's not too wet I walk down a dirt path along side some trees that passes a small marsh area where a factory burnt down and a small stream. I see plenty of birds, butterflies, moths and little bugs on a daily basis, sometimes I see mayflies and dragon flies. Once I saw a bird of prey but didn't get a good enough look to see what it was. A couple of months ago a heron flew over my head and last year I saw a Kingfisher, still kicking myself that I didn't have a camera with me!

The area is really built up so it's lovely to see so much so close to home.

[Durrell's Roadrunner]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

I have to say, given a choice, I prefer to stride out in wild places away from nature reserves, where it is usually a little quieter, but if I had to pick one, well, Strumpshaw Fen in Norfolk I am very taken with. I've ony been the once, but it was great, with Swallowtails, hobbies, marsh harriers, cettis warblers, norfolk hawkers and marsh helleborines. Great place.
I shall give it some more thought to see if I can think of anywhere that rivals it in my affectons.

Regards, Chris

i agree, places away from people are briliant - i love to walk the Coast Path here in Dorset - there is nothing better for me than walking alone away from everyone, i have had some of my best wildlife watching experiences - just me and nature - bliss.
in terms of my fav nature reserve - i would probably choose Arne in Dorset.
its brimming with wildlife everywhere you look and i have had many many moments when its been me on my own or just me and my children and we have walked with no one else to be seen and stood watching a stag staring at us, had a huge hive of bees fly over our heads or layed in the heather watching Sand Lizards, or sat in the hide watching the amazing birds, or studied the sundews! i could go on and on!
the views of poole harbour are second to none - i love sitting alone on the beach looking out over to poole and thinking how mad over there in the town with everyone rushing around spending money - i dont need to spend any to have the time of my life!

[Cheryl]

I don't go to many nature reserves as such but I do lots of circular walks and am spoilt for choice locally.

I don't like places with lots of people and tend to go out early in the morning or later in the early evening.

I love Thursley and you don't have to stick to the marked walk - it's easy to find your way around

You don't have to go to specified places to see something wonderful and new - it's all around and the most annoying thing is that it's generally when I've not got my binnoculars let alone the camera "LOL"

[kielder]

Originally Posted by Cheryl

I don't go to many nature reserves as such but I do lots of circular walks and am spoilt for choice locally.

I don't like places with lots of people and tend to go out early in the morning or later in the early evening.

I love Thursley and you don't have to stick to the marked walk - it's easy to find your way around

You don't have to go to specified places to see something wonderful and new - it's all around and the most annoying thing is that it's generally when I've not got my binnoculars let alone the camera "LOL"

Sounds good to me Cheryl! so many places I can visit :-)

[ChrisJB]

Another one has come to my mind that is rather good and it is Shapwick Heath NNR on the Somerset Levels. As well as the great wildlife (hobbies, Otters, starling flocks), the landscape has a real feel of ages past, unsullied by the modern world. It was oh so easy to imagine seeing a Neolithic hunter stalking through the reeds and with Glastonbury Tor visible, rising through the morning mist, I found the whole experience very atmospheric.

Regards, Chris