Wild reserve
Wetlands can be found where land meets water and our wild reserve is home to a diverse mix of them – from reedbeds and lakes, to marshes and ponds.
Our spectacular saline lagoon is an example of one of the rarest and most unique habitats in the UK. Watch the tide breach from the adjacent River Wear and enjoy panoramic vistas from Lagoon View Hide, with seasonal wildlife to see including kingfisher, Eurasian teal and little egret.
Across at Wader Lake, it’s binoculars at the ready as you view a wide range of flora and fauna from a choice of four hides.
In spring and summer, breeding species including lapwing, avocet, a busy common tern colony and one of the UK’s best heronries mean there’s never a dull wildlife-watching moment!
Witness the unforgettable sights and sounds of nature on the move in autumn, with highlights including greenshank, black-tailed godwit, whimbrel and snipe, while in winter, 1,000+ curlew swoop down to roost at dusk with redshank and teal – one of the largest inland freshwater curlew roosts in the UK.
Wildlife of a smaller size also comes into its own further along the river path each summer, where the ponds thrum with dragonflies on sunny days and common frogs, toads and smooth and great-crested newts can be spotted. A brilliant seasonal spot for photographers.
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