RSPB - giving nature a home
Search
Close
Skip to content
Shop | Community
Log in
  • About the RSPB
      About us
    • Our history
    • Our mission
    • How the RSPB is run
    • RSPB Media Centre
    • RSPB job vacancies
    • Get in touch
    • Contact us
    • RSPB offices
    • At home & abroad
    • International
    • England
    • Northern Ireland
    • Scotland
    • Wales
    • Latest press releases
    • Stress-busting forest bathing at Sandwell Valley

      Stress-busting forest bathing at Sandwell Valley

      Take a relaxing dip in Sandwell Valley with stress-busting forest bathing.

    • Mountain hare culls continue despite “voluntary restraint"

      Mountain hare culls continue despite “voluntary restraint"

      Coalition calls to introduce urgent safeguards for mountain hare populations.

    • Sunset Safari at RSPB Saltholme.

      Sunset Safari at RSPB Saltholme.

      Witness some fantastic wildlife spectacles, at their sunset safari.

  • Our work
      Conservation
    • Conservation and sustainability
    • Projects
    • Landscape scale conservation
    • Centre for Conservation Science
    • Satellite tracking birds
    • Our positions and casework
    • Our positions
    • Casework
    • RSPB News
    • RSPB News
    • 'Our work' blog
    • Latest news
    • 5 bizarre and beautiful bird courtship displays

      5 bizarre and beautiful bird courtship displays

      Bird courtship rituals can vary from the spectacular to the bizarre

    • 5 RSPB wetland reserves working wonders for people and wildlife

      5 RSPB wetland reserves working wonders for people and wildlife

      Wetland reserves are doing great things for people and wildlife

    • 11 Big Garden Birdwatch fascinating facts

      11 Big Garden Birdwatch fascinating facts

      We’ve pulled together some of the best facts about Big Garden Birdwatch!

  • Birds & wildlife
      Wildlife guides
    • Identify a bird
    • Bird A-Z
    • Other garden wildlife
    • Guide to birdwatching
    • UK conservation status explained
    • Advice
    • How you can help birds
    • Gardening for wildlife
    • Ask an expert
    • Wildlife and the law
    • How to report crimes against wild birds
    • Nature's Home magazine
    • About Nature's Home magazine
    • Birds and wildlife articles
    • RSPB Podcasts
    • Nature's Home blog
    • Most popular bird guides this month
    • Brent Goose

      Brent Goose

      A small, dark goose - the same size as a mallard. It has a black head and neck and grey-brown back.

    • Nightjar

      Nightjar

      A nocturnal bird that can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn.

    • Ring Ouzel

      Ring Ouzel

      male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band.

  • Get involved
      Activities
    • Big Garden Birdwatch
    • Give nature a home in your garden
    • RSPB Competitions
    • Community & advice
    • RSPB local groups
    • Green living
    • RSPB Community
    • Get involved blog
    • Volunteering & fundraising
    • Volunteer
    • Fundraise
    • Campaigning
    • Climate change effects on nature and wildlife
    • Protecting wildlife sites
    • Become a Campaign Champion
    • Defend nature
    • #LeafNatureBetter
    • The 25 Year Environment Plan
    • Top activities to do
    • Food, farming and nature

      Food, farming and nature

      Have your say on the future of our countryside

    • Volunteer

      Volunteer

      Explore these pages to find an opportunity that suits you.

    • Waterwise gardening

      Waterwise gardening

      Use less water in the garden by installing a waterbutt.

  • Reserves & events
      Reserves A-Z Events, dates & inspiration
    • Events
    • Dates with nature
    • Places to visit blog
    • Find a reserve
      Top reserve this month
    • Minsmere

      Minsmere

      There's so much to see and hear at Minsmere, from rare birds and otters to stunning woodland and coastal scenery.

    • Coombes Valley

      Coombes Valley

      This is a delightful oak woodland to walk through – especially in spring and early summer.

    • Arne

      Arne

      Heathland home to more than 2565 species.

  • Fun & Learning
      For teachers
    • Supporting resources
    • Wild Challenge
    • Free school outreach visits
    • School trip ideas
    • Big Schools Birdwatch
    • Sign up for the newsletter
    • For families
    • Big Wild Sleepout
    • Wild Challenge
    • Nature reserves for families
    • For kids
    • Facts about nature
    • Games and activities
    • Kids stories
    • RSPB kids competitions
    • Latest kids' activities
    • Fabulous fungi

      Fabulous fungi

      Go on the hunt for fabulous fungi! How many different shapes, colours and sizes can you spot?

    • Wild Weather

      Wild Weather

      Rain or shine - can you help us measure the weather?

    • Nature WOW!

      Nature WOW!

      Take a Wild Challenge and look out for something with the WOW factor!

  • Join & Donate
      Become a member
    • Individual membership
    • Joint membership
    • Family membership
    • Youth membership
    • Gift membership for nature lovers
    • RSPB Life Fellow Membership
    • Renew your membership
    • Corporate supporters
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Donate
    • Our appeals
    • Make a one-off donation
    • Make a regular donation
    • Memorial donations
    • Plant a memorial tree
    • Leave a gift in your Will
    • Other people's gifts
    • Legacy donation FAQs
    • Legacy administration
    • Other ways to help
    • Gift Aid
    • Support us when you shop
    • RSPB Images
    • RSPB second-hand binocular scheme
    • Win with the RSPB
    • Payroll Giving
    • Save your stamps
    • Sign up to Gift Aid Form
  • Login to your account
  • Shop
  • Community
  • Home
  • Reserves & events
  • Reserves A-Z
  • Ouse Washes

Ouse Washes

gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
gallery image
Address
RSPB Ouse Washes, Manea, Welches Dam, March PE15 0NF
Grid ref
TL471860

The Ouse Washes forms the largest area of washland (grazing pasture that floods in the winter) in the UK. In winter it attracts thousands of ducks and whooper swans returning from Iceland, while the warmer spring months bring hundreds of snipe, lapwings and redshanks to breed.

Plan your visit

Opening times

Open at all times.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free
Children
Free
Car park cost

Free for members.

Non-members are requested to pay £3 to help keep the reserve a special place for wildlife.

Facilities

  • Visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Refreshments
  • Picnic area
  • Binocular hire
  • Guided walks
  • Viewing point
  • Shop off-site

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

Manea Station is 5km from the reserve. Head into the village then turn left opposite the pub. Turn left at the next T-junction towards Welches Dam.

By bus

There are buses to Manea (At 9.58am, 11.58am, 1.58pm and 3.58pm.) The reserve is 2.5 miles (4 km) from the village.

By bike

The nearest bus route is March to Wisbech.

By road

Follow directions to Manea. Entering the village, turn right at the RSPB sign towards Welches Dam, continuing to the signposted car park.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Other ways to get there

Walk 4 km from Manea village, taking the road opposite the Rose and Crown pub, following signs to Welches Dam. Turn left at the next T-junction towards Welches Dam.

Get directions from Google Maps
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group booking information

Group bookings are accepted.

What will the weather be like?

15 degrees, Cloudy

Downloads

Helping you find your way around. PDF, 177Kb

Ouse Washes trail guide

Contact Ouse Washes

  • RSPB Ouse Washes, Manea, Welches Dam, March PE15 0NF
  • ouse.washes@rspb.org.uk
  • 01354 680212
  • @RSPBFens
  • Find us on facebook

What will you see?

Our star species

    Black-tailed godwit in breeding plumage

    Black-tailed godwit

    Flocks of black-tailed godwits can be seen on the floods in spring and autumn.

    Garganey male

    Garganey

    Garganeys are unusual ducks which migrate to Africa for winter.

    Snipe

    Snipe

    These cryptically-coloured waders can be seen here throughout the year.

    Tree sparrow

    Tree sparrow

    Subtly different from the more familiar house sparrow, tree sparrows are much less common.

    Male wigeon

    Wigeon

    During winter, flocks of wigeons are a daily sight, with several thousand often on the reserve.

Seasonal highlights

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter

Spring sees the return of breeding waders and wildfowl and the passage of migrants. Lapwings, snipe and redshanks breed, along with avocet, garganey, mallards, gadwalls, shovelers, tufted ducks, shelducks and swans.

 

The summer is a difficult time to view birds due to the long grass. Yellow wagtails can be seen on the banks and you could catch a glimpse of a kingfisher. Marsh harriers sail past the hides and little egrets, hobbies and barn owls are a regular sight. Dragonflies are also present.

The beginning of the autumn is the beginning of the transitional period for migrating birds. The real action starts at the end of October with the return of migrating wildfowl, and the first of the Bewick's swans returning. Cranes are now a regular feature, most easily spotted late in the afternoon. Hobby can be seen taking dragonflies over the meadows

The winter months can host some of the most spectacular birding opportunities available in the eastern region. The reserve maintains 100,000 wildfowl and waders. You can see whooper and Bewick's swans from Iceland and northern Europe. Hen harriers, short-eared owls, peregrines and merlins hunt.

About Ouse Washes

Habitat

Ouse Washes consist mainly of wetland and washland.

Conservation

Conservation work is currently focused on habitat restoration and management of this internationally important wetland.

  • More than 2,000 grazing cattle will help manage the grass sward, while thinning and coppicing will improve willow and osier beds. Most of the reserve's grasslands have never been ploughed, so we are retaining traditional cattle grazing and hay mowing as the best form of conservation management. We also protect use regular patrols and predator control.
  • We are maintaining the wet grassland for birds all year round. In summer, the Ouse Washes attract huge numbers of nationally important wading birds, such as lapwing and black-tailed godwit.
  • We are maintaining the ditches and open watercourses for their plant life, and managing the osier beds, mature willows and hawthorn hedgerows for their invertebrate communities.
  • A tranquil amenity for local people and visitors, facilities such as information displays, hides and paths are also being refurbished and updated. 
  • We regularly monitor wintering waterfowl and breeding birds, as well as vegetation structure, water quality, aquatic plants, invertebrates and other key biodiversity components.
  • This nature reserve is part of the Wildlife Guardians Scheme, which is supported by the SITA Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme), and Scottish and Southern Energy plc.

Site information

The Ouse Washes forms the largest area of washland (grazing pasture that floods in the winter) in the UK. It is an area which holds SSSI, Ramsar and Natura 2000 status. 

Our bird watching hides are open at all times, but are best for birdwatching from December to March.

Share this

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google+

You might also be interested in

RSPB Giving Nature a Home Campaign

Join us

Become an RSPB member by signing up here.
Reedbeds and pools at RSPB Lakenheath Fen nature reserve

The Fens

Formerly a vast, impenetrable marshland, the Fens now help feed the country.
Oxholme Lake, at Fen Drayton RSPB reserve, Cambridgeshire, England. Silhouetted reeds and trees at sunset. February 2007.

Fen Drayton Lakes

A huge variety of wildlife is drawn to Fen Drayton Lakes, there is something to see (and hear) all year round.

We spend 90% of net income on conservation, public education and advocacy

Quick links

  • Contact us
  • Online Community
  • Vacancies
  • Media centre

Information for

  • Teachers
  • Policy makers
  • Farmers & landowners
  • Scientists

Our work in

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Wales
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Partnering with

Bird life logo

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International. Find out more about the partnership

Fundraising Regulator logo OSCR logo

© The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

  • Terms & conditions
  • Cookie and privacy policy
  • Charter and statutes
  • About our site

We use cookies on our website to help give you the best online experience. Tell me more

Ok, got it