Seaside Lodge is close to many nature reserves, with vibrant bird life. The private, lakeside garden at Seaside Lodge has an uninterupted view over the quiet fishing lake, so you won’t even have to travel to enjoy a spot of birding! There are even binoculars and bird watching guides in the lodge for guests. Twitcher, birdwatcher or birder – whichever you prefer, Seaside Lodge is the perfect, scenic and cosy base from which to explore Lincolnshire’s renowned birdwatching spots.
Seaside Lodge is in the quiet village of Anderby Creek, in Lincolnshire’s coastal grazing marsh area. The self catering lodge is beautifully furnished with luxury bedding, a log stove, 2 bathrooms, and a large open plan living area with french windows over the garden and lake. The cedar lodge sleeps 4, plus 1 dog by arrangement. Just 100m from unspoilt Anderby Creek beach and the Round and Round House bird hide. There are 3 nature reserves within 1 mile walk, and national nature reserves just a short drive away.
Clay pit with large open water area and extensive reedbeds. The largest of the Sea Bank Clay Pits, with moorhen, water rail, reed bunting, reed and sedge warblers all nesting here and 15 duck species recorded. In winter, look out for Short-eared owls and in spring, marsh harriers breed here. A regular wintering species is the Bittern.
In winter, snipe are frequent visitors and bearded tit are visit occasionally too. Many rare migrants have also been seen at Wolla Bank Pit. The area is flooded clay pits with extensive reed beds and sea club-rush, with great reedmace, fennel pondweed, wild celery, sea arrowgrass, water-crowfoot, also colonies of common spotted-orchid.
Extensive reed bed, partially scraped for clay for sea defence repair after the 1953 east-coast floods. Reed warbler, sedge warbler, reed bunting and whitethroat all nest in the area. In winter, bearded tits are occasional visitors. With marsh harriers in spring and short-eared owls in winter. Small pools and grassy areas with sea club-rush and sea couch, along with small stands of sea-buckthorn.
Flooded pit with marginal reed beds and aquatic plants, such as water-crowfoot and great reed mace. Fifteen species of ducks recorded, mainly in winter. Winter also brings grebes, divers and wild swans. Summer breeding species include reed and sedge warblers, lesser whitethroat, great crested and little grebes. August-September see thousands of migrating swallows and house martins roost in the reedbeds. Willow screens round the banks of the pits are planted to reduce disturbance to birds.
Due to be transformed into a wildlife haven of reedbed and traditional coastal grazing marsh, this new nature reserve will help support a range of conservation priority birds including lapwing, curlew, redshank, snipe, barn owl, starling and reed bunting. It is also hoped that marsh harrier and bittern may be attracted and otters, which formerly visited the adjacent Wolla Bank Pit, may also re-colonise the area.
Under 40 minutes away by car from Seaside Lodge, Donna Nook NNR consists of dunes, slacks and inter-tidal areas. Coastal processes, particularly sand and mud accretion, alter the natural features year to year, sand from the beach and offshore sandbanks is blown inland by easterly winds to form dune ridges. Deposition of material from the River Humber has resulted in mudflats and saltings. The advancing dunes have trapped areas of saltmarsh behind them, and these areas have gradually become less saline, allowing an interesting plant community to develop. The landward side of the reserve is bounded by a sea bank. The reserve is rich in bird life: 47 species of bird breed regularly and the area is famous for more uncommon passage migrants and rarities; over 250 species have been recorded.
For much of the year, grey seals at Donna Nook National Nature Reserve are at sea or on distant sandbanks. In November and December, the seals give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, a wildlife spectacle drawing visitors from across the UK.
Just 30 minutes away by car from Seaside Lodge, this is an important nature reserve with tidal sand and mudflats, salt and freshwater marshes and sand dunes. Spring and early summer see species such as mouse-eared hawkweed, cranes-bill, storks bill and cowslips supporting a range of butterflies, including the recently re-established brown argus appear on the dunes. Much of the fore-dune is dense scrub, covered in sea buckthorn, hawthorn and elder, providing breeding habitats for a variety of birds, including whitethroat, dunnock, linnet, willow warbler and chaffinch. Throughout winter, the fruits are food for many birds, especially fieldfare and blackbirds. These birds are hunted by resident sparrowhawks and owls, with hen-harriers also on the prowl.
The freshwater marsh area supports many insects and plants: water plantain, water parsnip, yellow flag and marsh orchids. There are 11 species of dragonfly and damselfly, various water beetles and a water spider. The marsh area is also home to horse leeches, water voles, water shrews and the rare natterjack toad.
On the saltmarsh and foreshore specialised plants provide food, shelter and nesting cover for a range of birds- meadow pipit, skylark, redshank, oystercatcher, ringed plover and little tern. In winter flocks of Brent geese, shelduck, teal, wigeon and many waders feed. Occasionally grey and common seals haul out on low tides in this area.
