Still places left on the coach! Join us for a trip to Staveley Nature Reserve.
Departure 9.00am from Morrisons Supermarket car park in Heywood, return journey leaving Staveley at 5.00 pm. This Yorkshire Wildlife Trust wetland site lying close to the River Tutt holds year-round interest for visitors with regular sightings of Otters and several orchid species among the highlights. this large, accessible site has been sculpted through quarrying activities followed by decades of work by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and dedicated volunteers. The site is in two parts; the East Lagoon edged with natural vegetation that was allowed to develop freely comprising of fen, reed swamp and flower-rich calcareous grassland, and the West Lagoons, landscaped with a limited number of trees planted and the rest sown down to pasture, which has since been intensively grazed. The nature reserve is bordered by the River Tutt on its northern boundary and there are footpaths and hides from which to observe the varied wildlife. Small areas of fen are home to several relic species which were once widespread before the carrs were drained and transformed into farmland. Locally scarce species such as Water Violet, Marsh Helleborine and Meadow Rue can be found. Overlooking the East Lagoon, look for bubbles on the water surface along the edge of the reedbeds, or sudden panic among the resting ducks as signs of an Otter’s presence. Common breeding birds include summer visitors such as Sand Martin and several species of warbler, with Common Tern breeding on the rafts put out for them. There have been 22 species of damselflies and dragonflies recorded in the main lagoons or the small ponds and ditches. Mammals are well represented with roe deer and fox amongst the larger species and Water Shrew and Harvest Mouse amongst the smaller species. Otter are seen regularly, quite often in the middle of the day, particularly in the East Lagoon. Management of the nature reserve is designed to maintain the site’s important habitats of fen, flower-rich grassland, open water, wet pasture and ponds by clearing encroaching scrub, mowing and grazing.
The paths on the reserve are a mixture of surfaced and grassland paths, and the terrain is flat. A walk of just over 3 miles would cover most of the reserve but the network of paths means that shorter routes are available. There are several hides and plenty of seats around the reserve but no other facilities, however there is a pub in the village for refreshment before the journey home.
The trip is open to friends and family. But please remind your friends that :
Our trips are run by our Members for Members. Everyone joins our excursions at their own risk. The full statement on our liability may be read on our website Disclaimer – Rochdale Field Naturalists’ Society and was published in the January 2025 Newsletter.
The coach will leave promptly at 9.00am from MORRISON’S CAR PARK Dawson Street, Heywood, OL10 4PN. Park near the petrol station. If anyone is going there by bus the 471 between Rochdale, Bury and Bolton runs about every 10 minutes. The stop is only a couple of minutes away from the supermarket and you can catch it outside Rochdale Train Station. We will set off on the return journey at 5.00pm. The cost is £20. Contact rfnspublicity@gmail.com with any queries. Please pay your £20 beforehand by bank transfer : Sort code 05-07-67 Account number 60931963 and use your name as reference. Then email rfnspublicity@gmail.com to book your place. Please note your place is not reserved until you receive a reply to that email. Cheques should be made payable to “Rochdale Field Naturalists’ Society.”