Start time 19:00

Old gravel pits with scrub and meadows. Herons, cormorants and various breeding birds can be seen. Plants include Great burnet and Meadowsweet. Otters are often spotted. This level walk is about 3km.

We will meet outside the Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre NN10 6FA SP 936676 at 7 p.m.  This is just beyond the House of Fraser store in the large new out of town shopping centre.   The car park is very large and should not be busy at that time of day.  If anyone arrives early  the Bewitch’d café that the Wildlife Trust centre shares the building with is open till 7 p.m. and the toilets behind this building should also be open till 7 p.m.

There are no road closures on the A45 from Wellingborough to Rushden at present but there may be lane closures on Tuesday due to strengthening of a bridge over the railway line to St Pancras.

On arrival we will be met by  Toni Castello, the Senior Ranger for the reserve for the Wildlife Trust who will give us information on the formation of the very large Rushden Lakes nature reserve which now joins up with the Stanwick Lakes nature reserve owned by the Rockingham Forest Trust.  Our walk will concentrate on the Ditchford Lakes section of the reserve which includes sections by the side of two lakes, a section by the River Nene and short sections through woodland and a meadow.  There is a wide variety of bird life and meadow and woodland plants as well as the chance of spotting an otter.

Sturdy footwear should be worn due to a short section of uneven, sloping ground with some mud possible.  There may be mosquito clouds on the route and also stinging nettles. We will be accompanied on the walk by Toni and a volunteer ranger.

Leader Peter Meadows