NATURE lovers can discover a wildlife hotbed with a guided tour of Coney Meadow reed bed in Droitwich on Wednesday, July 16.

Hundreds of species from birds like reed warblers, reed buntings and cuckoos to herons, frogs and otters has have made the reed bed on the Droitwich Canals their home.

Dr Mark Robinson, ecologist at the Trust, will lead a two kilometre walk giving expert insight into the wildlife that make the reed bed their home.

He said: “The walk is a great chance to find out all about the huge variety of species that make their home here in Droitwich.

"We’ll be pointing out their habitats and some of the key things to look for when you’re out nature watching.

"If we’re lucky we might even see some of the rarer species that live in the area, like water rail or kingfishers.

"There are few better locations to be on a summer’s day, it should be great fun and I’d encourage anyone looking to learn more about our local wildlife to come along.”

Coney Meadow is the nature hub of the Droitwich Canals, a navigable 27-mile ring passing through Worcester and Droitwich.

The canals were used throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth century to facilitate the salt trade before becoming abandoned in the 1930s.

Volunteers and organisations raised millions of pounds of funding over the last four decades to restore the canals for wetland habitat and boats and reopened the full navigation in 2011.

The walk is free and will run from 10am to 11.30am starting at Salwarpe Church Bridge, on Copcut Lane.

It is suitable for everyone with the terrain being rural path and roughish grassland.

Anyone wishing to attend should book by emailing mark.robinson@canalrivertrust.org.uk.

For more information about the Droitwich Canals visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/droitwich-canals.