Cossington Meadows lies next to the river Soar and is one of LRWT’s star reserves to enjoy a spot of birdwatching and a wander through this diverse wetland. The deep pools attract a whole range of wildfowl, such as gadwall, tufted duck and mallard, and parties of wigeon and teal join in throughout the winter months, as well as wintering geese and swans. This can be great site for spotting a rare bird or two, with rarities in recent years including velvet scoter, glossy ibis and American wigeon. As you wander along the paths, keep an eye out in the winter months for short-eared owls, which hunt over the meadows and perch on the fence posts. This is one of the best spots in the East Midlands to enjoy this amazing wildlife experience.

During heavy winter rains, the river floods. As the flood water recedes, shallow pools of water form on the reserve. The pools dry up in the summer creating muddy habitats for wading birds, like green sandpiper, greenshank, oystercatcher, redshank, lapwing and little ringed plover and the last three of these all nest on the reserve. Grey herons can always be spotted stalking along the water’s edge, and there’s always a chance of seeing kingfisher, grey wagtail and kestrel.

Grass-snakes, toads and frogs all make their home here, although you’ll need to be lucky to spot them. Spring and summer are best – check the pools and muddy edges. Migrant hawker and black-tailed skimmer dragonflies are seen in the summer, along with butterflies like small copper, common blue and brimstone.

We have worked hard to make this one of the best wetland sites along the River Soar, creating ‘scrapes’, re-profiling the steep banks of ditches, digging new ponds, putting out rafts for common terns and establishing reedbeds. We want to work with natural processes, such as flooding, to encourage new plants. This will be an ever-changing nature reserve, so visit at different times of year to see the difference the seasons make.

The Trust’s fish refuge at Cossington Meadows is an extensive pool connected by a channel to the adjacent River Soar. It is designed to boost coarse fish in the river, improving the river’. The enables fish to escape the main flow when the river is in flood then re-join the river when water levels drop. It also provides a haven fish to breed and spawn, too.