A number of RSPB reserves not listed on the RSPB website. (1 Viewer)

[IAN JAMES THOMPSON]

There has always been a number of RSPB reserves not listed on the RSPB website, including some that you can visit, but very little information I've been unable to find on the internet. Reserves such as Fannyside in Scotland a bit inland in Southern Scotland, Bogside Flats on the South West coast of Scotland, Lyth Valley in Cumbria, Meikle Loch not far from the Loch of Strathbeg, Grange Heath in Dorset, Stoborough Heath in Dorset, Barfold Copse, with quite a lot more. Does anyone know anything about these RSPB reserves which aren't well known along with others, that I know you can visit but are not mentioned on the RSPB reserve list on the RSPB website.
Ian.

 

[Farnboro John]

Fannyside is not so much "not well known" as absolutely legendary, and so is Meikle Loch!

John

 

[Paul Chapman]

Ian

John is referring to the fact that many visit Fannyside for Taiga Bean Geese and many twitched Meikle Loch for Britain's second Barrow's Goldeneye. I've moth trapped Stoborough Heath.

All the best

 

[IAN JAMES THOMPSON]

Ian

John is referring to the fact that many visit Fannyside for Taiga Bean Geese and many twitched Meikle Loch for Britain's second Barrow's Goldeneye. I've moth trapped Stoborough Heath.

All the best

It's strange that the RSPB don't mention those reserves above in the list of reserve's on the RSPB website.
Ian.

 

[kb57]

Agree with Ian not all are obvious to find, however...

Meikle Loch:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/find-a-reserve/...a-z/.../meikleloch/

Fannyside, Lyth Valley etc:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/overview_tcm9-405357.pdf

 

[Nutcracker]

Maybe lack of parking facilities or whatever means they don't want to encourage too many people to turn up? Fine if a handful come, but can't cope with hundreds?

 

[MTem]

Also these are supposed to be reserves, not member viewing facilities. They are created and owned for the birds, not the members. I have little doubt the organisation would ideally like no members to visit most if not all of their reserves if they could continue to attract members and their financial assistance. As I have intimated in your other thread, Ian, I think you view your RSPB membership differently than most, and differently than they intend. You are primarily paying to create and maintain bird environments, not places for member visitation and entertainment. Member access requirements and wishes are correctly (in my view at least) secondary (or lower) to those of nature in general and birds in particular.

I fear you will always be able to find fault with the RSPB until you cross this particular mental hurdle.

Mick

 

[delia todd]

Meikle Loch isn't really suitable for a large number of visitors. There's a single land-rover track in, with no passing places and room for only about 3-4 cars at the end (if you're friendly.

Saw my first Lesser Yellowlegs there (well my only one actually)!

Perhaps best not advertised too widely through their website.

 

[Mono]

You mention the Lyth Valley, that is not an RSPB reserve, they own none of the land.

It is an area of wet farmland that exists solely due to Environment Agency pumping. The Environment Agency has made it clear that on-going drainage work is not financially viable. There has been a number of consultations in recent years as to what to do; stop pumping, get the local farmers to pay, get the local council to pay or force EA to carry on paying. The RSPB has made strong representations to the consultations, details here https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-casework/casework/cases/lyth-valley/

A small area of the Lyth Valley is owned by the National Trust, a few years ago they turned this farmland into a wetland reserve, in consultation with and practical assistance from the RSPB. This National Trust site has a hide and is open to the public, details here https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sizergh/features/new-life-at-park-end-moss

 

[IAN JAMES THOMPSON]

You mention the Lyth Valley, that is not an RSPB reserve, they own none of the land.

It is an area of wet farmland that exists solely due to Environment Agency pumping. The Environment Agency has made it clear that on-going drainage work is not financially viable. There has been a number of consultations in recent years as to what to do; stop pumping, get the local farmers to pay, get the local council to pay or force EA to carry on paying. The RSPB has made strong representations to the consultations, details here https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-casework/casework/cases/lyth-valley/

A small area of the Lyth Valley is owned by the National Trust, a few years ago they turned this farmland into a wetland reserve, in consultation with and practical assistance from the RSPB. This National Trust site has a hide and is open to the public, details here https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sizergh/features/new-life-at-park-end-moss

If you look at post 5 and in one of the two links there's a map showing all the named RSPB reserve's and the Lyth Valley is named as an RSPB reserve on that map.
Ian.

 

[Mono]

If you look at post 5 and in one of the two links there's a map showing all the named RSPB reserve's and the Lyth Valley is named as an RSPB reserve on that map.
Ian.

It does indeed! I am a loss to explain why, if you search for Lyth Valley on the RSPB website the only stuff you get is in relation to the drainage consultation and the Wetland restoration project with the NT et al I mentioned above.

 

[Steve Lister]

I sympathise somewhat with Ian in that I feel it would be good if the RSPB did produce a full list of all their reserves but making it clear which were less suitable for large scale visiting.

Really a full reserves guide should be part of the membership package.

Steve