KEY POINTS

1 From the car-park, look along Counter Drain for Goosanders in winter, plus other possible rarer ducks and grebes.

2 The main path has been the haunt of the famed Bluethroat, but as you walk it scan the pools and meadows on either side for wildfowl and waders, plus Sky Larks singing overhead.

3 The visitor centre has good views over the meadows and some small pools – check for the likes of Snipe here, and it’s

worth climbing the bank to get views along the River Glen, too. This can be a good vantage point to look for raptors and Barn Owls.

4 The hides give you your best views of the pools – when scanning distant wildfowl, remember to look close in, too, for the likes of Water Rail and Kingfisher.

5 The railway bridge is another good vantage point – you get clearer views of some of the pools from here.