We have a new footpath on the reserve! The warden team have just installed a kissing gate to lead onto the new footpath linking the Riverbank Trail to the Lin Dike trail. This is really exciting as now you’re able to walk to Lin Dike from the main part of the reserve without having to drive down to the Lin Dike car park.


Some of us on the reserve team went to explore it on Wednesday, and had a great time looking at what trees, wild flowers, butterflies and birds we could see en route. We spotted a cuckoo, sky larks, a marsh harrier, and a kestrel and heard loads of different warblers such as blackcaps, sedge and willow warblers and whitethroats. We also saw holly blue and small copper butterflies. 

 
The path runs along the River Aire and at the end, you can either turn left onto the Lin Dike trail or continue to join the canal, which is beyond the boundary of the reserve.


Underfoot it's still very bumpy and rough due to the wet then very dry weather, which means we’ve ended up with nice big mud ruts for you to navigate. But that shouldn’t put the more adventurous of you off giving it a bash!


To get to the path from the reserve, you’ll need to walk past the kingfisher screen up Red Shale Road and go through the kissing gate at the top of the hill instead of curving to the left.
Why not go for a wander and let us know what you think and what you see!

Other sightings around the reserve include some redpolls, whitethroat, avocets, a marsh harrier over the stacks, a little ringed plover and pied wagtail at Lin Dike. We’ve had more sightings of kingfishers at the screen, the most being two seen together in the last couple of days. People have said they’ve seen tufted duck, pochard, lapwing, a jay, and another pied wagtail at Pick Up Hide. The sightings book has been looking a little empty in the last couple of days so please remember to come and tell us what you’ve seen at the end of your visit!