Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust column: Idle Valley Nature Reserve, Retford, is perfect spot for seeing wildlife in the winter

The Idle Valley Nature Reserve, just outside Retford, provides a wealth of wildlife opportunities at any time of year but is particularly worth a visit in winter when interest is heightened by the arrival of huge flocks of ducks and other water birds, writes Erin McDaid, of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

While birdwatchers visit all year around due to the range of habitats and its sheer scale, it is actually one of the most important areas in the East Midlands for over-wintering wildfowl and well worth a visit during the colder months.

For a nature reserve covering 450 hectares, Idle Valley Nature Reserve remains something of an undiscovered gem.

The Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of which the nature reserve forms part, has long been popular with birdwatchers and those living close by but has only become more widely known in the last dozen or so years.

Its increased popularity followed the development of the carpark and visitor facilities off the A638 North Road at the southern end of the reserve, adjacent to Belmoor Lake.

The visitor reception, café and shop were established thanks to a partnership between Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and North Notts College in 2008, the same year that Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust secured funding via the National Lottery Heritage Fund to buy the nature reserve from Tarmac.

The vast size of reserve also makes it an ideal destination for those wishing to escape the crowds.

The centre, provides a great introduction to the reserve, with large floor to ceiling windows giving enticing views looking north across the reserve.

From here, visitors can take a gentle circular walk around Belmoor Lake on flat, mainly surfaced, footpaths with opport-unities to enjoy a views of the River Idle, birdlife on the lake or even a spot of den building along the way.

Those looking for a more energetic walk are also well catered for and the River Idle provides the perfect navigational aid as it flows north.

In a little over an hour visitors can reach what many consider the heart of the reserve ­— Chainbridge Lane which gives access to some of the reserve’s key birdwatching spots, such as the area known as Tiln north on the eastern bank of the river.

While not officially part of the reserve, it has been managed by the Wildlife Trust for many years and is a good place to look out for marsh harrier and to watch short-eared and barn owls hunting over the grassland.

A short walk west along the lane will take you past Chainbridge Wood and, after about 400 metres, a path rising from a break in the vegetation on the right hand side of the lane leads to a well-placed viewing screen giving wonderful vistas over Chainbridge Scrape.

This area, with its mix of open water and shallows, is home to large numbers of ducks, swans and geese in winter.

In addition to good numbers of wigeon, pochard and goldeneye, the reserve is a well-known refuge for significant numbers of gadwall.

The scrape is also a good location to see great egret, once a rare species in the county but now almost ever present at Idle Valley throughout the winter.

Beyond Chainbridge Lane, areas such as Cross Lane Marsh and Neatholme Fen, in the direction of Lound Village, provide more options for the dedicated wildlife watcher looking to enjoy a day in the field while those with only a morning or afternoon can retrace their steps back along the river or pick up the path heading south a little further along the lane.

Close and patient observation of across Chainbridge Pit may reveal a bittern. This superbly camouflaged member of the heron family has become a regular winter visitor to the reserve but spotting them can be a challenge, but all the more rewarding for that!