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Nature
Trail
Following the
river Gadder from the Iceni village to the lake, the trail
through our Nature Reserve is a gentle walk of about two
kilometres.
A small
bird-watching hide on the side of the lake can used to
admire the lakes wildlife and the wildlife surroundings.
Access for disabled visitors has been improved by the
provision of a dedicated car park near the boardwalk.
During
spring and summer months the marshy areas near the stream
will offer a welcome splash of colour as flowers like the
Marsh Orchid come into bloom and the vivid yellow of the
Marsh Marigold will be found right on the water's edge.
The
grasslands either side of the nature trail are protected
under the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme.
These are the best areas to see the butterflies, including
the Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Peacock
and the beautiful Small Copper. The best time to see
butterflies is on a calm, balmy summer afternoon when the
air is high in pollen and bees and other insects are also
busy collecting nectar.
Common
woodland birds are found on the nature trail, such as the
tiny Gold Crest, and several of the Tit species. You may
even see the much less common Crossbill, the male being
reddish in colour, the female green.
A boardwalk
crosses a marshy area besides the lake which is a very good
spot to see the acrobatic Lapwing which nests on nearby
fields. This is also a good place to watch Damsel flies and
Dragon flies hawking over the small pools.
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