Lackford Lakes - Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Kezia Tan
Simply C Photography
Mike Andrews
Arthur Rivett
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre
Location
OS Map Reference
TL 801706View on What3Words
Know before you go
Dogs
Dogs on a short lead are only permitted on the red Sayer's Breck path.
Please note only assistance dogs are permitted in the café. Lead hooks are available on the outside of the building.
When to visit
Opening times
Visitor Centre 10am - 4.30pm (café 10am - 4pm)Car park 9am - 5pm
Nature Reserve open dawn to dusk, access via Church walk
Best time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
Listen to the sound of singing birds in spring with the arrival of nightingales and warblers from Africa. The first bees and butterflies start to make appearances on bright spring days.
Later in summer, the reserve is alive with damselflies and dragonflies. Swallows and martins sweep over the water's surface feeding on small flies. The lakesides are busy with nesting great-crested grebe, kingfisher, tufted duck and water rail. Bright stems of purple-loosestrife, common fleabane and gipsywort create colour at the water's edge.
Gold and red colours mark the coming of autumn with the arrival of a wide range of wildfowl. Birds including shoveler, lapwing, goosander, bittern and goldeneye depend on the lakes during the winter months.
Open seven days a week, there is always someone in the Visitor Centre to help you plan your visit, identify anything you've spotted or chat to you about the work we do and how you can support us.
The café sells barista coffee and a range of snacks including toasties, soup, scones, local ice creams and delicious locally-made cakes. Vegan and Gluten-free options are available, chat to the team to find out more.
Species
Contact us
Environmental designation
This summer at Lackford Lakes:
Connect: For adults with a learning disability
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Bat walk at Lackford Lakes
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Wild Tots at Lackford Lakes
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Workshop: Hand sew a hedgehog
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Young Wardens at Lackford Lakes
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Binocular Demo Day
Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve & Visitor Centre,
Bury St Edmunds , Suffolk
Kezia Tan
Activities & binocular hire
Hire our discovery pack - £6
A kit with fun for all the family, including a spotter sheet, activities, special trails, binocular hire and a magnifying glass. Bring your completed activity pack back to the centre for a prize.
Binocular hire - £4
Get a closer look at Lackford's wildlife. Different sizes available for big or small hands.
Kezia Tan
Shop & cafe
The shop has a selection of handpicked stationery, wildlife gifts, books, art, cards, good range of binoculars and telescopes.
The cafe serves barista coffee, a range of toasted ciabattas, sausage rolls as well as delicious local cakes, scones, ice cream and ice lollies.
Kezia Tan
Group visits
We welcome groups of all sizes at Lackford Lakes and can provide guided walks, introductory walks and refreshments. If you are looking to arrange a group visit, please email us and we will help you get the most from your visit:
Kingfisher © Malcolm Brown
Become a member
The support of our members helps us care for wildlife-rich landscapes such as Lackford Lakes. Join today, or renew your membership, and help protect and restore Suffolk's wildlife and wild places.
Wildlife update - September and October
September and October is a time of change, where we gradually change see our summer visitors leave us and start to see the arrival of our winter visitors. There is still plenty of dragonflies and butterflies to be seen. At the same time, snipe return and we see a build up of ducks on our lakes.
Water Birds
- Great white egret, little egret and grey heron entertain us on the lakes
- Wader wise – snipe, lapwing and green sandpiper are regular on the slough.
- Duck wise – teal have returned and are now building up. Also look out for tufted duck, gadwall, wigeon and shoveler.
- A few great crested grebes can still be seen.
- Kingfishers seen daily.
Birds of prey
- Regular sparrowhawk, buzzard, red kite and kestrel
- The occasional marsh harrier passes through
- Hobby is still a possibility
Other birds
- Warblers are still passing through – look out for chiffchaff, willow warbler and reed warbler
- Mixed flocks of tits feeding – marsh, great, blue and long-tailed tits.
- Woodpeckers – green and great spotted woodpeckers are fairly active at this time of year.
Butterflies
- Good time of year for red admiral.
- Others to look out for include the whites, comma and speckled wood
Dragonflies
- Migrant hawker are very obvious at this time of year.
- Common darter like these months on the reserve – try the raised pond area.
- Look closely at branches and you just might find a willow emerald damselfly resting on it.
Our daily sightings book is in the centre. Please add your sightings before you leave so we know what is around and what is arriving.