Familiar from TV, an iconic wetland reserve
What an amazing reserve this is. In its previous life, the reeds were corn stalks, as the place was drained by a coalpowered pump, but the lack of coal in the war years meant the place flooded and the local estate saw a rise in wildfowl using the site and kept the area for shooting. The reedbed grew and the reserve was created to guard the Bittern population. I worked here for 18 months from 1976, under John Wilson, the first warden for the RSPB. I managed to catch a Bittern with my bare hands and rush it to John for his approval! Much has changed since then. Bearded Tits first nested in reeds owned by the railway, and Marsh Harriers have arrived and now even winter here. Mallard used to be the commonest breeding duck, but now it is Gadwall. It is a reserve for all seasons, with the arrival of many warbler species in spring, and lots of young birds to see in summer. Duck numbers increase in autumn and the Starling roost attracts predators come the winter. So good is the back end that the BBC’S Autumnwatch have been here with their cameras. Rarities have come in all shapes and sizes, from Savi’s Warbler to Purple Heron in 2017, present for several weeks and seen flying to roost with 100-plus Little Egrets and up to three Great White Egrets. Frosty mornings see Water Rails running across the paths, while the Bitterns often boom when the local train peeps its horn! The reserve also has extensions, including limestone woodland, estuary, saltmarsh and other hides.