Lytchett Bay Nature Reserve is one of the few places where we can still experience the natural change from heathland to marshland habitats which could once be found all round Poole Harbour. The heathland habitat here supports rare reptiles as well as rare breeding birds. The reserve is part of the Lytchett Bay Nature Park, a key site for wading birds and wildfowl, which feed on the rich invertebrate life of the sheltered mudflats, including worms, crustaceans, molluscs and insect larvae.

Directions to Lytchett Bay Nature Reserve: Turn left out of the park, walk over the bridge. Turn right down Policemans Lane, follow road down to the bottom of the hill and then along the flat until the road sharply bends left. Here you will turn right onto Watery Lane. Follow the road with the new Frenches green car park area and green space on your left. This should take you round onto Slough Lane.

On your right is an access point for an RSPCA nature area. Keep following up Slough Lane until the road bends sharply left (there is a house set back on the left also) on your right is a gate, this takes you to the nature reserve on the edge of Lytchett Bay. To get back to the site turn left to stay on Slough Lane travelling uphill.

At the T junction, turn left and this will bring you to a sharp right hand turn which is the bottom of Policemans lane. Retrace your steps up Policemans lane and at the next T junction turn left over the bridge and the site is on the right.

Gates give access to the main paths at the entrances for both parts of the reserve. No paths link the two parts.

Please be aware of deep water, ditches and hidden ponds, intertidal mudflats and tidal changes. Parts of this site may change between visits, weather conditions and building work.

Adders and ticks are present as well as sand lizard, Dartford warbler, nightjar, little egret, reed bunting, reed warbler, bearded tit, marsh harrier, osprey, wading birds, gulls and wildfowl.