Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve
Encyclopedia
Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve is located on the Norfolk
/Suffolk
border between Lakenheath
and Hockwold cum Wilton
adjacent to Lakenheath railway station
.
Until 1995, when purchased by the RSPB
, the land now forming the reserve was heavily farmed arable land. Since then, the 740 acres (3 km²) site has been turned back into the reed bed
s and grazing marshes that would once have been common in the area. To achieve this, over 2 km of ditches were re-shaped with shallow sloping sides so as to encourage reed growth and to provide feeding areas, particularly suited to Great Bittern
s. A number of sluice
s were installed to enable water levels to be controlled. In addition to the existing ditches, over 4 km of water channels were dug to re-circulate water around the site.
Despite being created recently, Lakenheath Fen is a haven for wildlife, and the number of birds seen at the reserve has increased significantly. The number of Eurasian Reed Warblers rose from four pairs in 1995 to 355 pairs in 2002. Reed Bunting
s have increased from 6 to 87 pairs during the same period. Two pairs of Western Marsh Harrier
s nested for the first time in newly-created reed in 2002. Great Crested Grebe
s and Little Grebe
s are breeding on the meres
, and Water Rail
s have nested in the new reeds. Bearded Tit
s have stayed on the reserve throughout the winter, as have Bitterns. Common Crane
s have been found to be breeding at the Fen for what is believed to be the first time in 400 years. The reserve is also notable for its breeding Golden Oriole
s.
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
/Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
border between Lakenheath
Lakenheath
Lakenheath is a village in Suffolk, England. It has around 8,200 residents, and is situated in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk, close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and at the meeting point of the The Fens and the Breckland natural environments.Lakenheath is host...
and Hockwold cum Wilton
Hockwold cum Wilton
Hockwold cum Wilton is 10 miles west of Thetford, Norfolk, England and is in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. It is located near several USAF airbases, notably RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall...
adjacent to Lakenheath railway station
Lakenheath railway station
Lakenheath railway station serves the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England.The station lies some three miles north of the village of Lakenheath, and is not within convenient walking distance of any sizable population...
.
Until 1995, when purchased by the RSPB
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
, the land now forming the reserve was heavily farmed arable land. Since then, the 740 acres (3 km²) site has been turned back into the reed bed
Reed bed
Reed beds are natural habitats found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions andestuaries. Reed beds are part of a succession from young reed colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground...
s and grazing marshes that would once have been common in the area. To achieve this, over 2 km of ditches were re-shaped with shallow sloping sides so as to encourage reed growth and to provide feeding areas, particularly suited to Great Bittern
Great Bittern
The Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.-Etymology:...
s. A number of sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
s were installed to enable water levels to be controlled. In addition to the existing ditches, over 4 km of water channels were dug to re-circulate water around the site.
Despite being created recently, Lakenheath Fen is a haven for wildlife, and the number of birds seen at the reserve has increased significantly. The number of Eurasian Reed Warblers rose from four pairs in 1995 to 355 pairs in 2002. Reed Bunting
Reed Bunting
The Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
s have increased from 6 to 87 pairs during the same period. Two pairs of Western Marsh Harrier
Western Marsh Harrier
The Western Marsh-harrier is a mid-sized harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian Marsh-harrier....
s nested for the first time in newly-created reed in 2002. Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
The Great Crested Grebe is a member of the grebe family of water birds.- Description :The Great Crested Grebe is long with a wingspan. It is an excellent swimmer and diver, and pursues its fish prey underwater. The adults are unmistakable in summer with head and neck decorations...
s and Little Grebe
Little Grebe
The Little Grebe , also known as Dabchick, member of the grebe family of water birds. At 23 to 29 cm in length it is the smallest European member of its family. It is commonly found in open bodies of water across most of its range.-Description:The Little Grebe is a small water bird with a pointed...
s are breeding on the meres
Mere (lake)
Mere in English refers to a lake that is broad in relation to its depth, e.g. Martin Mere. A significant effect of its shallow depth is that for all or most of the time, it has no thermocline.- Etymology :...
, and Water Rail
Water Rail
The Water Rail is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the warmer parts of its breeding range...
s have nested in the new reeds. Bearded Tit
Bearded Tit
The Bearded Reedling is a peculiar small passerine bird. It is also frequently known as the Bearded Tit due to some similarities to Long-tailed Tits, or Bearded Parrotbill since it was later placed with these after it was removed from the true tits in the family Paridae...
s have stayed on the reserve throughout the winter, as have Bitterns. Common Crane
Common Crane
The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg...
s have been found to be breeding at the Fen for what is believed to be the first time in 400 years. The reserve is also notable for its breeding Golden Oriole
Golden Oriole
The Eurasian Golden Oriole or simply Golden Oriole is the only member of the oriole family of passerine birds breeding in northern hemisphere temperate regions...
s.
External links
- RSPB Lakenheath Fen page
- The Bittern project
- Lakenheath Fen on the VisitWoods website