In 2018 the Charity opened a bird hide at the bottom of Bennett’s Drift (off Leverett’s Lane) overlooking the town grazing marshes, with a view towards Southwold. 
The hide is dedicated to the memory of Tony Lancaster, a local resident and true birder whose family and friends contributed a large part of its cost. The hide is accessed on foot and the nearest car park is at Ferry Road. The Grid Reference is: TM49667502
It is monitored regularly to ensure it remains in a good condition and any minor repairs attended to.

Initial spottings included a Glossy Ibis. Another Glossy Ibis was present from February to April that year, exploring the fields near the Baily Bridge. Later there were sightings of 3 Red Rumped Swallows – rare vagrants – and these were still present the following day. 
There have been over 125 bird species noted plus Badger, Water Vole, Chinese Water Deer and Muntjac. Notable birds include Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Great White Egret, Spoonbill, Water Rail, Black Redstart, Mandarin Duck (both male and female), Glossy Ibis and Red Rumped Swallow.
 

Sparrowhawk    View of the Bird Hide     Marsh Harrier

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2025

There has been a total of 133 bird sightings from The Hide which includes a Hooded Crow in March 2025.   

The presence (and eventual breeding) of the Zitting Cisticola on Walberswick beach has brought a large number of Birders to the village since Thursday 31st July 2025 so footfall has been substantially increased. Here is a summary of the report by Matthew Denny who first saw and identified the bird and the full report of which was published in the Rare Bird Alert:

On Thursday 31 July, we took our first walk across the marshes of Walberswick National Nature Reserve. Approximately 500m south of the caravan site, I heard an unexpected bird song from the direction of the beach. It sounded like a zitting cisticola with the tone and quality of a repetitive, short and insistent yellow wagtail call. We had a busy family day planned, so I made the survey short, and then proceeded to walk our dog south along the beach. I crept closer to the bird and managed to lock on to it song-flighting. A small bird, with rounded body and distinctive tail twitching downwards with each ‘zit’, resulting in a shallow undulating flight through a high arcing flightpath. There was no doubt this was a zitting cisticola.

Tony Lancaster’s wife has sponsored a local football team - WAVENEY LIONS U15S - and their kit bears the logo - Tony’s Bird Hide, Walberswick.

A pair of binoculars were left in The Hide in May and have not been claimed. If they belong to you, please contact Mrs Lancaster by email – patlancaster@btinternet.com

The Hide is open to all.  There is a visitor's book for comments and a diary to record what has been seen.