Rodley Nature Reserve

Nice little nature reserve.
As soon as we walked down we saw a kite flying around, got talking to a guy who showed us kingfishers mating on his camera. A male was offering a female a fish. Awwww.
Walked further along onto the next hide and saw a heron, a swan scaring off another swan.
Came into the café for tea and cake, donations.

Great place to have a walk around so peaceful. Great for kids with the pond dipping. Amazing it is so quiet in the Rodley valley. Will be back in a few weeks to see frogs.

When cycling along the canal found this nature reserve. I didn’t realise what it was at first.
As I entered I could then hear some nutcase in the distance screaming and bellowing like a demented gibbon spoiling the sound of birdsong. I then realised he was directing his noise at myself as I was on a cycle, doing about 1mph if that. The said nutcase carried on screaming and shouting as he stomped over to my position itching his armpits.
He didn’t introduce himself or show any identification, but I presumed from the building he came from he was some sort of caretaker, escaped mental patient or both. Carrying on with his obnoxious power trip he proceeded to shout as though he was talking to a child telling me off for even daring to cycle around these parts.
I was going to explain to him that I had not seen any signs on the way in which said No Cycling. As I couldn’t get a word in edgeways I simply turned around and walked out with my cycle smiling to myself knowing that one day someone will lob this idiot in one of the ponds.

I live a few hundred yards away from here and I often visit on summer evenings after work for a pleasant walk and a little bird-​watching. The sense of calm and isolation is remarkable given how close to the main road it is located.
After a walk here it is nice to have a cuppa at the visitor centre or stoll a couple of minutes down the road and have a canal-​side pint at the Barge Pub, or the Owl Pub opposite.

Tucked away behind the canal at Rodley is the Rodley nature reserve. I wandered down there one day and a lovely lady popped out to welcome me an tell me all about the reserve and its origins (I think it used to be a sewage farm but don’t let that put you off). It great for bird watchers and there’s a few hides around the reserve.
It’s also just nice for a walk around and there’s a visitors centre where you can get a cup of tea.
You can become a friend of the nature reserve for about £7 for the year and then you are invited to special events just at bat walks.