Deeping Lakes
Site
This site is an old gravel pit used to extract gravel for the railways and is managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. It consists of a number of lakes of varying sizes, some reed beds, open meadow and woodland located at the side of the river bank.
Location and Map
Deeping Lakes is located south east of Deeping St James off the B1166 ( Market Deeping to Crowland Road) and can be seen on the map below. Click on map and enlarge.
Facilities
Car park, open shelter, a hide and a number of viewing screens. There is a circular walk around the reserve and one alongside the river Welland
Car park, open shelter, a hide and a number of viewing screens. There is a circular walk around the reserve and one alongside the river Welland
Access
Take the B1166 from Deeping St James. Approx 1km south of the level crossing where the road bears sharp left, take the unmade road on the right to the car park located 400m from the reserve entrance. Whilst visiting the reserve it is also worth checking the Welland Bank and adjoining fields. The site is now managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and consists of both mature and immature woodland, scrub and one large lake together with several smaller ones. One of the smaller lakes now has a number of scraps. The large lake was dug for ballast during the construction of the adjacent railway, the smaller ones more recently for gravel extraction.
Birds
Resident birds in the woodland and scrub areas include both Little and Barn Owls, Finches, Tits, Kingfishers, Treecreepers , Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. The lakes contain good numbers of Coot, Moorhen, Great Crested Grebes, Cormorants, Herons together with Mallards and Tufted Duck.
Spring/Summer
Summer visitors include Chiffchaff, Willow and Garden Warblers, Blackcaps also Cuckoos and Turtle Doves whilst the lakes hold Sedge and Reed Warblers, Common Terns, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers. Green and Common Sandpipers, Black Terns, Marsh Harrier and Osprey on occasions and in the recent past Great Reed Warbler and White-winged Black Tern.
Autumn/Winter
The lakes in winter hold large numbers of ducks, gulls and geese. These include Scaup, Goldeneye, Shelduck and Pochard. Yellow-legged Gull, Egyptian Goose and Ruddy Shelduck have also turned up. Snipe and Jack Snipe, Redwings and Fieldfare can also be found at this time of year.
by Mac Bell (Update April 2018)