OUSE FEN RSPB
Explore what will soon be the UK’S largest reedbed
When it’s complete, this site alongside the River Great Ouse will boast the largest reedbed in the UK. Small wonder, then, that species such as Bearded Tit, Bittern and Marsh Harrier are already among its main attractions. The Hanson-rspb wetland project began in 2001, and aims, over 30 years, to turn the Needingworth Quarry site into a huge wildlife habitat. The reserve is already the size of 200-plus football pitches, but there’s more to come, and new accesses and facilities will also be added over the
years, as the site is managed and developed to link up with the RSPB’S neighbouring reserves at Fen Drayton and the Ouse Washes, creating a near-continuous wetland of 2,500 hectares. There are plenty of wellmarked footpaths, but you will need to be careful of quarry vehicles in some places, as it is still a working site. Nevertheless, whether it’s on a warm day in spring, or a cold, clear winter afternoon, it’s easy to feel you’re miles away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and to enjoy the birds in peace. As well as some of the ‘headline’ species already mentioned, these can include Barn Owls hunting in daylight, especially in winter or the day after a rainy night in spring and summer. There’s a good selection of warblers along the hedgerows and in the copses, too, so take the time to enjoy their songs on a May visit (you should get plenty of chances to finally nail down the difference between Blackcap and Garden Warbler, as well as Reed and Sedge Warblers). Other wildlife is abundant, too, from Otters and Hares to Muntjac Deer, plus plenty of dragonflies and damselflies in summer. The latter, along with plentiful hirundines, attract the attention of Hobbies.