Rodley Nature Reserve

My Workshops are ideally suited for beginners or enthusiasts, they are an excellent gift for a family member/friend who would enjoy learning photography on location
You can book a place on a Workshop that is specifically set out to your requirements
You can click the link under "Out Of Stock" to be notified when the next Workshop is scheduled or book a specific date via my website

Created on a floodplain in Kirkstall Valley, a recognised flyway for wildfowl and waders on migration, the wetland habitats constructed here complement the nearby River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The lagoon is home to Little Grebe and Tufted Duck throughout the year. Oyster catchers, Lapwings and Common Terns have bred on the islands. In winter Wigeon, Pochard, Teal and Goosander may be present. The duck marsh is a shallow body of water favoured by dabbling ducks such as a Gadwall and Shoveler. Waders occur here on passage and snipe can be found in the winter months. Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers breed in the reed bed in spring and summer. Kingfishers can be seen throughout the year and water rails are present in the winter months. The ditches on the wet grassland are popular with dragonflies and amphibians in the spring and summer. In the autumn the whole area is flooded, bringing in various water birds. In early summer, at the dragonfly ponds, look for Large Red, Azure and Blue-tailed Damselflies along with Banded Demoiselles, Broad-bodied and Four-spotted Chasers, Black-tailed Skimmers, Emperor Dragonflies and Southern Hawkers. Later in the summer there are Brown and Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters to see, also the occasional Common Hawker. Various species of birds breed in the willow coppice including Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Bullfinch, Common White Throat and Song Thrush Bird friendly seed crops are grown on Tims Field bringing in flocks of Linnet, Reed Bunting and Greenfinch. Enjoy a walk through the hay meadows on well cut paths in the summer months to see wildflowers and butterflies. Watch typical garden birds at the feeders in the Managers Garden from the hide. Reed Buntings visit the feeders in the winter months. The Fish Pass, constructed at the weir, provides fish with access to the upstream sections of the River Aire. This has become a popular area for Dipper, Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. Accompanied visits to the Pass are arranged for the last Sunday afternoon each month