One of our Volunteer Wardens has reported back that the Woodland Trail and the Bridleway are under a considerable amount of water in places and impassable in other places. The rainy weather has taken it's toll on the reserve and reserve wildlife. There is a large tree blocking part of the bridleway but it can be by-passed with care.

There is a risk of serious flooding if the rain continues and we have already witnessed…

The month started cold and damp, then it went warmer with some drizzle, and later there were occasional snow showers. There was some sunshine at times before the mini-heat wave of the last two weeks. The last few days had showers and drizzle.

Heronry news:

Heronry activity continued. Despite the early chilly days.

There were more views of heron 'teenage' young stretching their wings moving around the branches – they…

This chap is well known at Middleton Lakes. Quite the charmer, and a bottomless pit for mealworms...

You can usually find him perched near the bridge as you head out the woodland towards the canal - say hello next time you're here.

Mealworms are a great way to help your own robins, as well as wrens, blackbirds, starlings, house sparrows, song thrushes, and other garden visitors. The RSPB shop offers an excellent 2.5…

We were recently contacted by local radio BBC CWR and asked if we would like their help with our campaign, Operation Turtle Dove. Each year the Vic Minett show highlights and champions a wildlife cause, last year it was hedgehogs, this year turtle doves.

The UK population of turtle doves have declined alarmingly over the past 15 years and we have lost something like 90% of the population. The RSPB launched 'Operation…

The extraordinarily warm weather at the moment has brought out a wealth of wildlife. Now is the perfect time to come along to the reserve and hone up on your photography skills!

Birds, bees, butterflies and flowers are all terrific subjects and they're out and about in abundance at present.

A recent picture of a reed bunting taken by our volunteer Adrian.

Occasionally I get the chance to take a walk around the reserve and yesterday was just one of those days.

The idea of meeting at 6.30am on a Sunday morning is not very appealing to most people but to a hardy few it was the best time of the day. We were taking part in the Central Rivers Initiative Festival of Birds and our visitors had come to experience the dawn chorus. Setting off from the car park we were treated to…

I've just been interrupted by two of our volunteers who excitedly burst in to my office to announce they'd seen an OSPREY with a fish taking off from Fishers Mill Pool!!!

Not a first osprey spot at Middleton Lakes but certainly the first that could possibly have been hunting on the reserve.

Couple this with a confirmed spotting of an osprey yesterday and you can understand the excitement here.

The morning was cool but dry, as I started my introduction dawn was breaking and within a couple of minutes a Cuckoo started calling, not too far distant, and went on non-stop for about 5 minutes. Whether it was questioning our sanity in rising so early, or commenting on my diatribe I am not sure!

From the feeders boardwalk  we heard the early risers, Robin, Song Thrush and Blackbird, almost drowning out everything else…

Here at Middleton lakes we are often asked if we would like extra muscle for work on the reserve and last week was no exception. I had been asked by a small group of employees of HSBC if they could have a day's hard labour at the RSPB. I had just the job in mind for them.

Spending all day out in the play meadow (a dry and sunny day believe it or not) they put in place two benches which were paid for and donated to…

April 2012 

The month started mild and then snow came for a day and it was cold and windy. Heavy showers followed with occasional hail and thunder. But there were some sunny moments, as well, before heavy rains and flooding came. The water levels soon lowered and so it was still worth coming to the reserve – but it was wellie weather.  It was the wettest recorded April, nationally. But April was back to form. April…

The usually smooth running of many peoples household will be disrupted next week when the local council elections are held on Thursday 3rd May. This results in the temporary closure of junior schools and lots of parents and children stuck for something to do.

Fear not - help is on hand - here at Middleton Lakes we recognise the need to entertain little ones and what better place could there be than to tire the youngsters…

The latest volunteer social evening took place recently in the Recreation Room in Middleton village. There were many sceptical comments beforehand regarding the validity of racing snails and were they English or French snails?

Rest assured, no snails were harmed during the entire evening.  It would have been impossible to hurt or harm the mighty gastropods because all the races were cartoons and the many volunteers who attended…

I had the great pleasure of accompanying a couple who had 'won' an auction at last years Birdfair at Rutland. My role was to give them a personal guided walk around the Wetlands Trail.

One of the advantages of an early start is the opportunity to spot wildlife before it retreats away from large numbers of visitors. It was because of this we watched in awe as the lesser spotted woodpecker availed himself of the…

March 2012

Spring started  with a brief mild spell, followed by a cold, wet spell, in the second week, and then early summer came with some very warm days which brought the visitors in shorts and t-shirts.

Heronry news:

Heronry activity continued.

There were only a few herons at home during the cold wet mornings, early in the month.

During the second week, a few birds brought nesting building material in , no signs…

February 2012

Winter continued with cold mornings and blue skies with some ice. The mud turned crunchy and rigid and so walking was more fun, until the snow came and melted. Oh the glorious squelching underfoot. Visitors were saying that progress improved with "small steps". The mood of the weather reflected the state of the ground – muddy (mild), crunchy (frosty), icy and hard (freezing). Temperatures of 11C did dry…

The weather forecast promised a day indoors watching rugby and football on the TV - heavy rain, possible snow, cold wind! Yep, definitely a day to keep warm indoors.

But a phone call from a mother organising her son's birthday party changed my plans. We had already spoken about using our den building area as a way of getting a group of 9 year olds to burn up excess energy and we would also throw in the use of our large…

Stuck for something to do with the family this week?

Why not get along to Middleton Lakes and make your very own next box to take away?

As part of National Nest Box week we're helping families make their own box by providing the materials, the know-how and advice on where to site your new next box.

Now is the perfect time to put a box up in your garden so you could be watching your very own family of birds grow…

Winter continued with a dash of spring. It was mild and blustery at times with some days having temperatures reaching up to 13C. Then cold weather came, with frosty mornings, coatings of white everywhere and icy lakes, which later thawed.

The mild weather and plenty of rain brought the muddy conditions - definitely walking or wellington boot conditions. One young visitor called us "Muddieton", which he meant kindly because…

Despite frozen toes, feedback from our ‘Date with the Stars’ event on Saturday evening has been glowing. I know it left me on a stargazing high for the rest of the weekend and I reckon many of those who came would agree.

Arranged to coincide with BBC Stargazing LIVE, this was first event of its type that we’ve run on the reserve. It’s certainly not going to be the last.

Amateur astronomer and…

It's not just birds that visitors will be looking upwards to see this weekend. Thanks to the popularity of the current series of Star Gazing Live on BBC television we have had unprecedented demand for places on our own star gazing event at Middleton Lakes.

This coming Saturday evening we are hosting a Night with the Stars where visitors will be shown around the night time sky, spotting constellations, learning how…

Date:- Tuesday 10th January 2012

Time:- 1pm

Event:- Red Admiral butterfly fluttering around

Where:- Main RSPB car park

What's that all about?

Yesterday I led what was supposed to be a Winter Warmer Walk complete with festive punch and the left over mince pies. Normally we would expect temperatures close to freezing and firmness under foot. Nature had other ides.

Setting off in basking sunshine our first stop was our heronry where right on cue a heron flew in to sight and perched gracefully on the top of the nearest tree. Perfect timing I thought. My audience…

Winter began quietly with frosty mornings and then mild days – it was winter with a touch of spring. The lakes were upto 90% frozen in places by the third week. They thawed out later when the temperature rose to 13C.

We watched a solitary robin gripping the top of a frozen reed and  looking over the iced heronry silt pool, as large groups of blue and great tit milled around the feeders, in the background.

We noticed…

Today I got the opportunity to lead one of our regular guided walks - this is a treat for us staff members! The usual leaders, John and Sue were indisposed today so I stepped in to very big shoes.

Now I don't profess to being an expert birdwatcher by any stretch of the imagination but I have been working at wetlands reserves for nearly 3 years so I think I've picked up a thing or two. My boss Nick doubted my ability…

Sunday 18th December, this coming Sunday.

This will be the first of our annual Winter Warmer Walks and we're combining it with the regular Bird Watching for Beginners walk. Meet in our car park at 10 am and set off around the reserve for an instructional stroll or just take some exercise, it doesn't matter. What does matter though is the refreshments afterwards in the POD. Warm festive punch, mince pies and more seasonal…