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Counties birdwatching · England

Birdwatching in Leicestershire and Rutland

By Does Your Duck Quack · Planning updated 27 October 2026

Rutland Water offers a substantial reservoir reserve visit, while Cossington Meadows provides a separate walk through the Soar Valley’s wetland habitats. Winter can bring around 25,000 wildfowl to Rutland Water. Spring and autumn add migrant waders and passerines; in summer, Manton Bay’s Osprey project is a particular focus. The wider bird selection includes Great White Egret, grebes, terns, divers and other raptors. Choose the Rutland arrival with the intended reserve area in mind. Egleton’s Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre serves the larger system of lagoons and hides, with woodland, hedgerows, meadows and reedbeds between the waters. Lyndon provides a separate entrance to another part of the reserve. At Cossington Meadows, public walks pass grazing meadows, lakes and shallow pools beside the Soar. The Trust recommends winter, when Teal and Wigeon use the water. Summer’s receding pools expose mud where birds such as Green Sandpiper can feed. The change in water levels gives Cossington a different watching pattern from a longer day moving through Rutland’s lagoon network.

Reed-fringed water and distant shore seen from Waderscrape Hide at Rutland Water
Photo: Nigel Stickells / Geograph; converted to WebP (resized and converted; social previews may crop) · CC BY-SA 2.0

Birding near a town or postcode →

What to see in October

Gadwall (1 sites)
Grey Heron (1 sites)
Mallard (1 sites)
Nuthatch (1 sites)
Pochard (1 sites)
Shoveler (1 sites)
Skylark (1 sites)
Tawny Owl (1 sites)
Teal (1 sites)
Treecreeper (1 sites)
Tufted Duck (1 sites)
Wigeon (1 sites)
Read the October birdwatching guide →

Map of Leicestershire and Rutland birdwatching sites

Dark green pins are full guides; orange pins are short entries. Numbers match the site lists below. The links show public destinations.

Rutland Water Nature Reserve1Prior’s Coppice2Charnwood Lodge National Nature Reserve3Kelham Bridge4Cossington Meadows5Wanlip Meadows6Charley Woods7Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes8Narborough Bog9
Map base: Spischot and Wikimedia Commons contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped to the sites. Pins locate destinations, not individual birds.

Full birdwatching guides in Leicestershire and Rutland

Full guides, numbered to match the map
SiteOur best monthsHabitat
1. Rutland Water Nature ReserveApril, August, JanuaryFreshwater pools and reedbeds

Good stop nearby

5 short entries · tiers are our editorial assessment; each entry gives its reason and source.

Braunston, near Oakham

  1. 2. Prior’s Coppice

    Look for Pied Flycatcher and Redstart.

    Best season: Spring; Pied Flycatcher and Redstart are rare visitors

    • Parking: The nature-reserve car park is reached from the Braunston–Leighfield road,…
    • Access: Wet rides and the kissing-gate entrance affect access; the operator…

Copt Oak, Charnwood Forest

  1. 3. Charnwood Lodge National Nature Reserve

    Listen for Tree Pipit and watch for scarce woodland visitors.

    Best season: Spring and summer; scarce visitors are not guaranteed

    • Parking: Reserve parking is for Trust members only. Check the Trust’s…
    • Access: No complete wheelchair route is established by the cited visitor…

Near Ravenstone and Ibstock

  1. 4. Kelham Bridge

    Look for Osprey, Merlin, Kingfisher.

    Best season: Late spring and summer for warblers

    • Hides: Bird hides overlook the reserve, but the Trust says they…
    • Parking: Use Sence Valley Forest Park about one kilometre south, or…
    • Access: The narrow entrance and inaccessible hides limit access; no fully…

Syston Road, Cossington

  1. 5. Cossington Meadows

    Compare winter ducks with summer birds around the pool margins.

    Best season: Winter; summer for muddy-margin watching

    • Parking: The Trust permits roadside parking outside the main entrance or…

Wanlip

  1. 6. Wanlip Meadows

    Watch winter Teal, Lapwing and Snipe around floodplain scrapes.

    Best season: Winter for the named birds; July–August for passage waders

    • Parking: The Trust says cars may be parked at the bottom…
    • Access: The operator does not describe a fully accessible surfaced reserve…

Reserve operators and local visitor information

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust: Rutland WaterLRWT Cossington MeadowsLeicestershire County Council: Watermead Country Park

Getting to the birdwatching sites

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Oakham is the practical railway base for Egleton. Read the complete transport and return plan.

Cossington Meadows: Follow Syston Road west from Cossington towards Rothley; the reserve is on the right, north of the road. Use the Trust’s identified entrance or church parking and keep road access clear. Read the visitor access notes.

Where to stay in Leicestershire and Rutland

Some links earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Bases are geographical suggestions, with no claim of property inspection or availability.

Egleton

Our base suggestion for comparing Rutland Water Nature Reserve with Cossington Meadows.

  • Rutland Water Nature Reserve: approximately 2 minutes / 0.2 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions

    Road estimate to the guide’s documented arrival point; parking and walking are separate.

  • Cossington Meadows: approximately 37 minutes / 23.0 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions

    Road estimate to the mapped site approach; use the entry’s public-access directions for the final walk.

Find stays in Egleton on Booking.com

Lyndon

Our base suggestion for comparing Rutland Water Nature Reserve with Cossington Meadows.

  • Rutland Water Nature Reserve: approximately 10 minutes / 4.7 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions

    Road estimate to the guide’s documented arrival point; parking and walking are separate.

  • Cossington Meadows: approximately 44 minutes / 29.1 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions

    Road estimate to the mapped site approach; use the entry’s public-access directions for the final walk.

Find stays in Lyndon on Booking.com

Cossington

Our base suggestion for comparing Rutland Water Nature Reserve with Cossington Meadows.

  • Rutland Water Nature Reserve: approximately 37 minutes / 22.6 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions

    Road estimate to the guide’s documented arrival point; parking and walking are separate.

  • Cossington Meadows: approximately 3 minutes / 1.1 miles by road. Measured 2026-10-26; excludes traffic, parking and walking. Open road directions

    Road estimate to the mapped site approach; use the entry’s public-access directions for the final walk.

Find stays in Cossington on Booking.com

Questions visitors ask

Is birdwatching in Leicestershire and Rutland free?

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Day permit adult £8.50, concession £7.50, family £20; includes parking and both reserve centres.

Can I take a dog to bird reserves in Leicestershire and Rutland?

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: The main reserve and Egleton pages permit assistance dogs only.

When is the best time for birdwatching in Leicestershire and Rutland?

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Spring migration · Ospreys March–September · autumn waders · winter wildfowl.

Which bird reserves in Leicestershire and Rutland suit wheelchair users?

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: The Trust identifies many Egleton trails and hides as wheelchair- and pushchair-friendly.

Can I go birdwatching in Leicestershire and Rutland without a car?

Rutland Water Nature Reserve: Oakham is the practical railway base for Egleton.

Social preview photograph: Reed-fringed water and distant shore seen from Waderscrape Hide at Rutland Water. Nigel Stickells / Geograph; converted to WebP · CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized and converted for the preview.

Sources for planning a Leicestershire and Rutland visit

Plan the next part of your visit

Local green spaces near towns

Show 3 local green spaces

Copt Oak

  1. 7. Charley Woods

    Explore ancient woodland for Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Tawny Owl.

    Best season: All year for woodland birds; spring for the wider woodland display

    • Parking: Park in the roadside lay-by and walk about 750 metres.…
    • Access: The Trust does not establish a fully accessible route; the…

Mountsorrel

  1. 8. Mountsorrel and Rothley Marshes

    Watch floodplain birds from a dedicated platform overlooking scrapes and meadow.

    Best season: Winter, the Trust’s suggested visiting period

    • Hides: A viewing platform overlooks the meadows and scrapes.
    • Parking: The Trust directs considerate parking on Rowe Leyes Furlong, a…
    • Access: The operator does not establish an accessible surfaced route from…

Narborough

  1. 9. Narborough Bog

    Explore open fen paths for Kingfisher, Tawny Owl and Sparrowhawk.

    Best season: Summer, the Trust’s suggested visiting period

    • Parking: The Trust directs visitors to park near the sports-club clubhouse…
    • Access: Stiles, the kissing gate and restricted woodland routes affect access;…