The 12-hectare nature reserve at Carr Vale, owned and managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, packs a lot in for its size. It is now a fantastic haven for wildlife, from birds to insects and mammals. Let Reserve Officer Sam Willis be your guide.
Carr Vale, or Carr Vale Flash as is was once known, is ranked among the best birdwatching sites in Derbyshire and a visit at this time of year will reward you with many breeding birds. In the reed bed, sedge and reed warblers and reed buntings will be seen darting about and heard singing or calling. The grasslands provide nesting ground for the nationally declining skylark, whilst on the gravel strips close to the ponds, lapwing, little ringed plover and oystercatchers may be nesting…