A big thank you to all of the volunteers who help us to survey the wildlife at Stanwick Lakes!
Did you know that the nature reserve at Stanwick Lakes is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and also part of the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area? It is a special place for wildlife and it’s our job to take care of the plants and animals that can be found here…and we couldn’t do this without our amazing team of volunteers who help us to survey and monitor the site.
Birds are an important part of Stanwick Lakes.
Dedicated volunteers count the birds between September and March as part of the national Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). “This survey monitors the UK’s internationally important non-breeding waterbirds. Following a tradition begun in 1947, volunteers and surveyors count wetland sites once per month, providing data for population and trends in abundance and distribution. The network of sites legally protected for their importance to wintering waterbirds depends fundamentally on the WeBS Counts.” BTO (British Trust for Ornithology).
But it’s not just the wetland birds that are counted at Stanwick Lakes. The Wrisdale family monitor the birds of Stanwick Lakes and have done for nearly 20 years! Through the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme they look after over 40 nest boxes on the reserve, gathering vital information on the breeding success of Britain’s birds by following the progress of individual nests. They also ring birds as part of the BTO Bird Ringing Scheme. This generates information on the survival, productivity and movements of birds which helps scientists to understand why bird populations are changing.
These volunteers also help us with engaging visitors with nature, leading walks, talks and family events throughout the year.
To learn more about bird ringing, come along to this free event in January: https://stanwicklakes.org.uk/events/big-garden-birdwatch/ and a nest box talk in February 2026 as part of National Nest Box week – keep an eye on our website and social for more details.
You can also sponsor a nest box to follow the stories of the breeding birds on the reserve: https://stanwicklakes.org.uk/nest-box-sponsorship/
But it’s not just all about the birds!
Throughout 2025, the Wildlife Volunteer Team could be seen searching in the undergrowth for harvest mice nests, noses to the ground looking for orchid rosettes and even looking for the droppings of our recent reintroduction – water voles! They are a multi-talented bunch who give up their time once a month to help us to survey and monitor the plants and animals on the nature reserve. They don’t mind getting their hands dirty and in the last year have also planted up the butterfly banks and tidied up the minibeast garden. You might have also spotted some of the team engaging the public at community events – making pipe cleaner dragonflies and small mammal footprint tunnels! The team take a short break over the winter but will be back in 2026 for more mammal monitoring, a wasp spider survey and community events.
Our Butterfly Survey Team are a team of 9 people who take it in turns to walk a transect route around the Stanwick Lakes, counting the butterflies they see. The route was devised with help from the Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire branch of Butterfly Conservation, and is walked weekly between April and September. The results help us manage the reserve for butterflies, but are also recorded for the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, one of the longest running insect monitoring schemes in the world. In 2025, the team recorded over 1000 butterflies, including Orange-tip, Small Copper, Common Blue and Speckled Wood butterflies
So, a big thank you the fabulous volunteers who turn up in all weathers, to help us to look after the wonderful place that is Stanwick Lakes.
