The Ouse Washes nature reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is owned jointly by the RSPB and the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northamptonshire.

The reserve consists of a long, narrow strip of grass fields or washes‚ that flood every winter. Fields like this are important for birds and other wildlife, but have become rarer in recent decades. The Ouse Washes is now the biggest area of regularly flooding washland in Britain.

In Summer, upto 9 species of duck bread here with large numbers of snipe, lapwings and redshanks. In winter, the reserve is used by tens of thousands of ducks as wells as Bewick‚s and whooper swans, making it one of best places in Britain to watch ducks and swans.

The Reserve is good for insects and plants, as well as birds. Dragonflies and damselflies hunt over the rivers and ditches in summer, including rare species like the scarce-chaser.

*The reserve contains more than 1000 hectares of wet grassland and more than 75km of ditches.
*The car park, toilets and hides are open from 9am ˆ 5pm everyday except Christmas and Boxing Day.
*The Birdwatching hide at Welches Dam is accessible to wheelchairs.