RSPB reserve · St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Fen Drayton Lakes birdwatching guide

Fen Drayton Lakes strings a dozen flooded gravel pits along the Great Ouse, unusually reachable by the guided busway that runs through the reserve itself. Winter brings bittern sightings and huge gull roosts; spring fills the scrub with nightingale song.

Key facts

Habitat: wetland
Size: 308 ha
Entry fee (adult): Free
Entry fee (child): Free
Membership required: No
Hides: 2
Wheelchair access: Limited / none
Car park: Yes
Car park to hides: 700m on flat gravel tracks
Toilets: No
Dogs: Allowed
Status: open
Best seasons: spring, winter

Species by season

Season	Species	Likelihood	Notes
autumn	Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)	frequent	—
winter	Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)	occasional	—
winter	Great White Egret (Ardea alba)	frequent	—

Getting there

St Ives, Cambridgeshire, CB24 4RB

View on OpenStreetMap · Official website

Facilities & opening

Open at all times

Nearby reserves (all organisations)

The Lodge

Sandy, Bedfordshire · RSPB · 26.1 km away

heathlandfee not published

Welney Wetland Centre

Welney, Norfolk · WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) · 30.8 km away

wetland7 hideswheelchair accessible£7.00 adult

Explore more

Information last updated 25 July 2026.