Birding sites in Charnwood

Dishley Pool

This small site is managed by Charnwood Borough Council and serves as a recreational area as well as a nature site and a fishing lake.

There is a small car park at SK 51889 21372 (nearest post code LE11 5TF), accessed through the Bishop Meadow industrial estate on the northern edge of Loughborough; the final approach is along a rough track alongside Derby Road playing fields, and this track is sometimes locked overnight. From the car park walk north past the pavilion and cross the Blackbrook by the footbridge.  A path extends all the way around the pool and there is also access along the brook to the River Soar. The site is very popular with walkers.

The surrounding scrub, bushes and reedbeds hold a good selection of the expected birds. The pool attracts modest numbers of a good variety of waterfowl in winter. Kingfishers are regular throughout the year. Both the pool and the nearby banks of the river and the canal are excellent for dragonflies.

Since its creation in the early 1990s the site has slowly built up a list of interesting species but it would probably benefit from more attention. The last few years have produced records of Long-eared Owl and Siberian Chiffchaff, and earlier highlights include Ferruginous Duck, Black Redstart and Wood Warbler.

Loughborough Big Meadow, managed by the Leics & Rutland Wildlife Trust, is the largest unimproved grassland in the East Midlands. See the LRWT website page for full details.