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Wild flowers Birds Bike ride Walkers at Deep Dale Best places to find an WeatherleyI Wildlife spotting check list wildlife in Derbyshire The sites detailed in this leaflet provide a wealth of opportunities to see wildlife. The list below contains a few items that will help increase your chances of seeing ExploreDerbyshire’s wild side! and identifying the wildlife on your doorstep. Binoculars Take a trip to one of our nature reserves Wildlife identification guide – such as birds, trees and discover the wonderful wildlife on or wild flowers your doorstep. Pad and pencil – to make notes on what you see Camera or camera-phone to record what you see

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is the county’s largest environmental charity run by local people for the benefit of local wildlife and wildlife habitats. If you share our vision please support us by becoming a member.

@derbyswildlife Wild flowers at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Gang Mine Kieron Huston Derbyshire Wildlife Trust Small tortoishell Kieron Huston Sandy Hill on wild flowers Main Street Middleton Matlock A little bit of house keeping… Derbyshire, DE4 4LR Please remember that our reserves are home to lots of fantastic wildlife. Therefore, we ask that you don’t camp or Tel: 01773 881188 light any fires. Please also leave wild flowers, plants and Email: [email protected] fungi where they are for others to enjoy. www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Dogs should be kept on leads and litter taken home with you. We also ask that you stay on the paths to avoid disturbing wildlife.

With your help and understanding we can make sure our reserves remain wonderful places for people and wildlife Defending wildlife, restoring landscapes, inspiring people for years to come. Charity No: 222212 Company Limited by Guarantee No: 715675 www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk Bluebells are plentiful across many of our Experience woodland reserves in spring. Try Lea Wood, 8 5 11 Mapperley Wood and nature on Spring Wood. Keep an eye out for fungi at Lea Wood, The 8 11 24 your doorstep Avenue Washlands and Mapperley Wood. Look Each reserve provides a vital refuge for for puffball, colourful animals and plants that are disappearing orange peel and elegant Bluebells from our countryside. Whilst exploring, common bonnet. a u l S h a w P Jim Higham look for: Common bonnet

Visit at dusk, and if you are lucky, Water voles, which are you might spot suffering a devastating a barn owl at national decline, can 7 6 3 Woodside Farm still be seen regularly or The Avenue at The Avenue For meadows Washlands. bursting with wild Washlands and 10 5 Mapperley Wood. flowers each summer, head to Rose End 5 11 Meadows, Hartington Meadows or our Wye Margaret Holland Valley reserves. Ba rn owl Ian Wilson Bulbous buttercups Water vole ieron K Huston

A visit to Rose End The bittern, a rare Meadows, Gang member of the heron Mine and Hilton Look out for family, sometimes in the summer will jewel-like dragonflies visits Willington, reward you with and damselflies. Drakelow and Carr clouds of butterflies! Vale in winter. Hilton Gravel Pits and Willington 7 16 12 13 4 23 Gravel Pits are great places to try.

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Hathersage 15 A61 R Derwent M1 A623 Spring Wood 3 A619 bursting with bluebells 2 igel Law N Bakewell 4 Bolsover R Wye Chesterfield 5 A6 4 Carr Vale A515 S44 6GA for the Peter Fidler car park R Amber One of the best birdwatching sites in 1 Reserve 6 Matlock Derbyshire. There is plenty to see all year round, from wigeon, teal and other ducks Peak District in winter to breeding warblers, waders and 7 8 National Park 16 sand martins in the summer. An example of a 17 Alfreton healthy water habitat, it is also a great place to Reservoir/river see dragonflies, pond dip and walk through a Star reserves reedbed! 18 DWT Headquarters Ashbourne Belper A38 5 Cathedral The Avenue Washlands 19 9 Peregrine Watch S42 6NG for the Mill Lane entrance Points Reedbed, marsh, ponds and grassland, attract A52 11 Ilkeston birds such as tufted duck, wigeon, snipe and 10 little grebe as well as skylarks, yellowhammer and nesting warblers. Water voles, great Derby crested newts and dragonflies have also made their homes here. Great for a family walk and 20 pond dipping all year round. A50 12 22 A50 6 13 Hartington Meadows R Trent Hartington Station car park, SK17 0AZ Meadows bursting with wild flowers in early summer. From traditional haymeadow species such as yellow rattle to limestone specialists 21 24 such as fragrant orchid. This is the perfect 23 reserve to walk waist high in wild flowers and 0 5 swish for butterflies and moths. Also a great miles stop off on the Tissington Trail. The best places 7 Rose End Meadows SSSI to enjoy nature and DE4 3QD for the St Mark’s Close entrance (Limited – try Cromford for additional parking) wildlife on your doorstep: These special meadows are a vivid picture of how Derbyshire’s limestone farmland looked 1 Ladybower Wood SSSI 3 Wye Valley Reserves around a hundred years ago. Bursting with wild flowers through spring and summer, from Ladybower Inn, S33 0AX Miller’s Dale car park, SK17 8SN is a great buttercups and bluebells to orchids and great Upland oakwood and heather moorland – a place to start your adventure. burnet, the reserve also has several traditional great place to look for lichens, woodland birds The Wye Valley is home to a string of nature dew ponds. Perfect for a summer stroll. and mountain hares. Off the beaten track reserves. Discover limestone dales, quarries and around Ladybower Reservoir. ancient woodlands bursting with wild flowers and

birdsong in the summer and follow the meanders of the River Wye. 8 Lea Wood All along the Monsal Trail, these are perfect for a 2 Deep Dale and car park or DE4 5AE full day’s walk, a short stroll or a pit stop whilst on An ancient semi-natural woodland with a rich Topley Pike SSSI a bike ride. history. The woodland floor is carpeted with Wye Dale car park, SK17 9TE ~ Chee Dale SSSI bluebells and wild daffodils in spring and home A spectacular dale where you can admire the ~ Miller’s Dale Quarry SSSI to northern wood ants and 96 species of fungi. abundance of wild flowers. Look for the deep Combine with a walk along Cromford Canal pink blooms of bloody crane’s-bill and take a ~ Priestcliffe Lees SSSI and listen to our audio trail whilst looking for peek in the cave. ~ Cramside Wood SSSI dragonflies and grass snakes.

9 Erewash Meadows 15 Hillbridge and Park Woods Park at Boat Lane, NG16 5PR GRID REF SK01127869 This reserve is part of the largest area of Park on A5004 Long Hill and walk in floodplain grasslands and wetlands in the An upland oak woodland rich with the colour Erewash Valley. Best known for birds, the and scent of bluebells in spring. reserve is also home to grass snakes, Part of a much larger network of walks in amphibians, dragonflies and water voles. Walk the area. along the railway embankment for great views.

10 11 & Woodside Farm 16 Gang Mine SSSI and Mapperley Wood Off Porter Lane, DE4 4FT or Mapperley Reservoir car park, DE7 6BR or park at the National Stone Centre car park DE75 7JL for Pit Lane and cross over the road Bird’s - foot trefoil found The Trust’s farm is home to many farmland Explore this little reserve and look for specialist at Hartington Meadows birds, wild flowers including orchids, lead-tolerant flowers and glow worms! ilip PhPrecey invertebrates, brown hares and water voles. A great day out to see farming and conservation working hand-in-hand. Do a spot of pond dipping and follow an art trail. 17 Oakerthorpe LNR Permit only Combine your visit with a wander around Anchor Inn, DE55 7LP Some of our reserves require a permit Mapperley Wood and visit the living bird table. Great for a short walk. Look for frogs, toads, so we can ensure the precious wildlife is Don’t forget to buy a beef or lamb box to grass snakes as well as willow tits and orchids. protected. Give us a call to request one. support our work on the Farm - call us on 01773 881188. 22 Golden Brook Storage Lagoon 12 Limited parking on Harrimans Drive, Hilton Gravel Pits SSSI DE72 3AQ Willowpit Lane, DE65 5FW A small reserve with lots of wildlife including Great crested newts, black poplar trees, wetland birds, butterflies and wild flowers. wetland birds and bats. The reserve is also There is a beautiful boardwalk into the reedbed. a good place for dragonflies, with 14 species recorded here and a fantastic place to look for

orchids and fungi. Follow the trails, see who visits the feeding stations and be sure to pond 23 Drakelow dip. Park inside the grounds of the former power station, DE15 9TE

A haven for birdwatchers in the Trent Valley. 13 Willington Gravel Pits From tantalising glimpses of bitterns in winter to large numbers of cormorants, ducks, waders Nature Reserve and birds of prey. There are five hides, an DE65 6YB, park at the top of Meadow Lane education hide and pond dipping platforms as and walk in well as a nature trail! Visit early for the chance This former gravel quarry is teeming with bird Little grebe found at to see bird ringing. life all year round, from ducks in winter to Cromford Canal sand martins and common terns in summer. To m M a rs h a ll Dragonflies and damselflies are plentiful here too. Lots of viewing platforms and a feeding 24 Spring Wood SSSI station. You will need a permit for the bird hide. GRID REF SK37842196 18 Wyver Lane Parking at Car Park at the DE56 2EF – park in the layby southern end of the reservoir, LE65 1RU An important wetland reserve, home to otter Mixed woodland carpeted with bluebells and and great for bird watching. Permit needed for covered in fungi. Great for a family walk in Pocket nature hide. spring or autumn. Hides provide views over Staunton Harold Reservoir. reserves These reserves are small but important! 19 Holly Wood Park at DE6 2DQ and follow the road 14 Brockholes Wood SSSI towards Edlaston to reach reserve Perfect for a short walk to get away from it all. Car park off the A628, SK13 1HZ Visit in spring to see bluebells. One of a few remaining upland oak woodlands with moorland - a great place to look for mountain hares and woodland birds. 20 Barton Pool GRID REF SK504331, reserve to be viewed Please note: the map only provides from the multi-user trail approximate locations. Whilst visiting Attenborough Nature Reserve take a detour to include this small wetland Visit our website: which is important for its insects and old pollard For more information about these reserves willows. • For precise grid references, directions and parking information (Please note, postcodes are for the general area) 21 Carvers Rocks SSSI • For our full list of 43 nature reserves GRID REF SK33482226 • For mobility access information Limited parking in the layby on A514 Ticknall Road, DE73 7JP SSSI – Site of Special Scientific Interest One of the last lowland heath habitat with LNR – Local Nature Reserve marsh violets, bluebells, hazel coppice and plenty of birds. Star Reserves – These are wonderful places to see wildlife

Published March 2016 Nuthatch at P Mapperley Wood a u l S h a w