General Information
Birdwatching:
For latest sightings see: Diaries in Sheepwash and Paul Stanley Hides, Wildlife log book in Wildlife Centre, information board outside Visitor Centre, last month's Bird Notes posted in all hides and notice boards, the bird club web site and see the comprehensive annual bird report produced by the club.
Species: 70 daily, 100 monthly, 170 annually and 212 species recorded since 1992.
Breeding Birds: 65 species annually, 77 proven plus 15 possible species since 1992, and, 1313 pairs of birds were recorded as probably breeding in 2002 which included 120 pairs of Willow Warbler.
Wintering Wildfowl: 2000+ Ducks, 1000+ Coot, 500 Canadas and 50 feral Barnacle Geese.
Waders: up to 1000 Lapwing in winter, spring passage variable up to 20 species but only a few per day, autumn passage poor. Oyster Catcher, Lapwing, Redshank and Little Ringed Plover breed.
Gull Roost: up to 10,000 birds, 13 species recorded. View usually distant from Stones Island at dusk.
Please leave records of birds, mammals, butterflies and dragonflies in diaries provided, with details and contact names, essential for any significant sightings.
There are 3 bird hides plus a Wildlife Centre hide all with disabled access, three large car parks, Visitor Centre, restaurant, café and shops. Foot and cycle access is via any part of the eight mile circular route. There is limited access to the shore and no public access to adjacent fields or to the seven islands but most shorelines and islands can be viewed with little disturbance to wildlife.
Visitor Centre Car Park: Pay and Display £2 minimum, £4-all day, approx. £30 season ticket.
Open summer 7am till dusk. Winter 8am till dusk.
Wildlife Centre, north end of car park, open 9am- 6pm [or dusk if earlier], heated hide containing displays, wildlife information, wildlife records book, cameras and monitors on birdlife, overlooking an island for breeding birds and a feeding station for tree sparrows. Stones Island provides good views over much of the water and the gull roost can usually be observed at dusk. Outside busy visitor times it attracts common passage birds.
The Visitor Centre, restaurant, café, shops, toilets, cycle hire, watersports, fishing and children's playground are also located here.
Millfields Car Park: Pay and Display £2-all day, swipe card with season ticket. 8am till as shown on entry post [usually dusk]. Toilet facilities. Access to the dam wall and walks below. Some of the water and dam wall can be viewed from cars, useful in poor weather.
Sheepwash Car Park: Free but no facilities.8am till as shown on entry gate post [usually dusk]. Access eastwards to Sheepwash and Paul Stanley Hides. These hides have site diaries for checking on/recording sightings. Site maps, STWA information, last month’s bird notes and Bird Club details are posted in these hides.
Access westwards to the small brick observation tower, Lane End Hide and then a Tree Sparrow feeding station.
Other Users:
Fishing season mid-March to mid-October. Includes Fishing from dedicated banks, and from motorised boats which are slow and quiet and restricted from the white, buoyed-off, wildlife sanctuaries, thus keeping wildlife disturbance to a minimum.
Watersports are open all year, they require a large operational area to be effective but are limited to within the large orange buoys and have access to Watersports Island for some pursuits.
Sailing Club have access to the same water area and have a landing pier and observation tower on Sailing Club Island. All these users have fast motorised safety and rescue boats which have to be operational whenever facilities are in use.
