New wetland sees rapid influx of wildlife in a year

Debbie Tubby - BBC News, Suffolk
·3 min read
Marsh Harrier in flight with outstretched wings and tail and looking towards the camera against a blue cloudless sky
Marsh harriers are among the species arriving at the expanded Lakenheath Fen reserve [Dave Rogers/RSPB]

An RSPB warden has admitted he is "startled" by how rapidly wildlife has started colonising a reserve's newest piece of wetland.

It is a year since the charity began work transforming arable fields into a watery habitat as part of an expansion of its Lakenheath Fen reserve on the Suffolk/Norfolk border.

Site manager Dave Rogers said: "We've seen some immediate reaction from some species - and marsh harriers in particular."

The birds, which are of conservation concern, are breeding elsewhere on the reserve and have found the new habitat a rich source of prey.

A male marsh harrier carrying prey towards his mate across a grey sky, Lakenheath Fen
Marsh harriers are known for spectacular "skydancing" courtship routines, in which the males need to show they are able and willing to pass food to the female [Dave Rogers/RSPB]
Dave Rogers with windswept hair against the green background of Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk
Dave Rogers says the site has a long way to go and as it develops into a sedge-dominated habitat, more species should arrive [Shaun Whitmore/BBC]

"Previously it was open, arable fields and now there's a lot more vegetation, there's a lot more prey items for the marsh harriers to go after, a lot more mammals like voles, water voles and young hares," said Mr Rogers.

"We've been startled to see some of the activity over here."

Marsh harriers numbers had reduced to just one breeding pair in the UK 50 years ago and numbers have steadily risen to about 400 pairs today, but that is still a relatively low figure.

The nature reserve is about 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of reedbeds, grazed fenland and wet grasslands.

An aerial shot of arable fields with greening crops, bounded by ditches and a few trees, Lakenheath Fen
The recently acquired land grew a typical range of arable crops [Jeff Kew]
An aerial shot of fields after drainage pipes were removed showing two water channels forming and scrubby plants, Lakenheath Fen
Drainage pipes were removed, sluices were added and the water level risen to make the site much more watery [Jeff Kew]

About 67 hectares (165 acres) of former arable land was taken over last year and the RSPB removed drainage pipes, added sluice dams and raised the water levels.

Eventually the charity wants to create a "sedge-dominated habitat", said Mr Rogers.

"We've been able to get it wet from March onwards because of all the rain we've had - there are waders out here, including lapwing and egrets feeding along the ditches, and we've had a lot of ducks," he added.

A landscape of scrubby plants on either side of a meandering waterway with a row of trees behind and cloud-studded blue sky above
The former fields already provides cover for the sort of prey marsh harriers like such as voles, water voles and baby hares [Shaun Whitmore/BBC]

Construction company Morgan Sindall Group has a long-term relationship with the RSPB and helped fund the acquisition.

Graham Edgell, group sustainability and procurement director, said the purchase "allowed the RSPB to join up an existing patchwork quilt of land into a more cohesive nature reserve".

Its teams have been volunteering on site.

The RSPB hopes to entice cranes, bitterns, lapwing, redshank and skylarks to feed or breed on the new habitat.

Mr Rogers said: "John Lawton did a report for government which said bigger nature reserves are always better than smaller ones [for wildlife] - and it is more efficient in terms of retaining water on site and attracting more wildlife."

Follow Suffolk news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830

More on this story

Related internet links

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • $39M shared by Alberta communities hit by job losses in transition from coal-fired power plants

    Weeks after Alberta's last coal-fired power plant went offline, the federal government has stepped up with more than $39 million in grants to help six communities that lost jobs in the transition to cleaner energy. The funding, announced Wednesday by Dan Vandal, the minister responsible for PrairiesCan, will support 10 projects ranging from training centres, industrial parks and new community amenities. "These investments will help create good-paying jobs, attract new investment opportunities an

  • Swarm of quakes strike off the B.C. coast; no tsunami threat

    Several earthquakes rattled the ocean floor off Vancouver Island on Thursday

  • Massive makos, Queen Bosses and a baby angel shark on Discovery 'Shark Week,' where women shine

    NEW YORK (AP) — Imagine stepping into a life-sized whale carcass decoy and steering it into deep water. You're looking — yes, looking — for a group of hungry sharks to spark a feeding frenzy. To attract them, you shoot out hundreds of gallons of synthetic blood and chum. Then watch them lose it.

  • Severe thunderstorms threaten southern Ontario into the weekend

    Stay alert for rapidly changing conditions through the day Friday if you’re out and about in southern Ontario

  • Edmonton newlyweds, wedding guests ride out hurricane after WestJet strike strands them in Jamaica

    As a hurricane barrelled down on the island of Jamaica Wednesday, newlyweds from Edmonton with their closest friends and family were huddled in a hotel, praying the country's airports would be still standing in the morning.The scene was a far cry from their arrival on the idyllic island on June 24. Their week was supposed to be filled with fun and relaxation.But when their flights were cancelled because of a surprise WestJet strike, they didn't spend an extra day sipping drinks by the water. Ins

  • Bylaw blocks B.C. family's bid to move older house onto property

    A young family in British Columbia's Comox Valley thought they found a creative solution to expand their home, but a recent city bylaw change has put a stop to their plans. Paul Myers and Jessica Evans live in a 1940s one-bedroom rancher house in Courtenay. When they welcomed their baby last year, it didn't take long for their home to start feeling cramped. "He's taking up a lot more space than he would seem to if you just look at him," Myers said, laughing. But when the couple looked at moving

  • Freya the rescued lion cub is safe in South Africa, but many other lions there are bred to be shot

    PAARL, South Africa (AP) — Freya, a 6-month-old lion cub rescued from the wildlife trade in Lebanon, poked a curious nose out of her transport crate and sniffed the air. Satisfied, she took her first cautious steps in her new forever home in a sanctuary in South Africa.

  • Severe storms threaten Ontario's Friday plans

    Heat and humidity continues across southern Ontario prompting the threat for severe storms as a low pressure system tracks in. More details with Meteorologist Melinda Singh.

  • Zebras adjusting to life in Moncton zoo after being seized in Saskatchewan

    A pair of zebras have found a permanent home in New Brunswick after a wild year that saw them smuggled across the Canadian border, seized by officials in Saskatchewan and eventually transported across the country to Moncton.Koffee, a young male, and LeeLoo, a young female, were part of a group of five zebras illegally brought into Canada in June of 2023. All five were initially moved into a zoo in Saskatoon. But with two males in the herd, it wasn't an ideal situation.In the wild, herds of plain

  • Tropical Storm Aletta kicks off hurricane season in eastern Pacific basin

    The Eastern Pacific basin roared to life Thursday as the National Hurricane Center christened Tropical Storm Aletta just off the western coast of Mexico, though it didn't last long.

  • Environment Canada issues multiple warnings as B.C. braces for weekend heat

    VANCOUVER — Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for parts of Vancouver Island and inland sections of coastal British Columbia as the province braces for a heat wave.

  • Mapped: Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico as Category 2 storm

    Hurricane Beryl could make a ‘rare’ double strike in Mexico and potentially impact southeastern United States

  • Feds announce $11 million in funding for clean energy projects, mostly in Alberta

    CALGARY — Eleven clean energy projects, most of which are based in Alberta, have been selected to receive a total of $11 million in federal funding.

  • Hurricane Beryl aims at Mexico tourist hotspots

    STORY: Hurricane Beryl is rushing towards Mexico's tourist hotspots, after battering the Cayman Islands and Jamaica.Around 3,000 tourists had been evacuated from Isla Mujeres back to the mainland near Cancun, while at least 100 flights were cancelled at Cancun International Airport.Authorities closed beaches in the southern Mexico town of Tulum and urged people to remain indoors, though that hasn't stopped some tourists from hanging around.“I did not know a storm was coming. I don’t watch the news so I didn’t realize it. I was supposed to fly to Belize tomorrow but I cannot go until later.”Late on Thursday Beryl strengthened again into a category 3 storm, and is forecast to cross Cancun and Tulum.Earlier in the day, coastal businesses could be seen preparing for its arrival.And the director of the US National Hurricane Center, Michael Brennan has warned of serious flooding.“And Beryl is again quickly moving west northwest where you can see the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula here. We could get some heavy rainfall, but we're expecting isolated amounts as high as ten inches in portions of the Yucatan, basically just south of Cozumel and Cancun area. So the combination of that rainfall and the storm surge in coastal areas could create some very serious flooding."The storm left behind a deadly trail of destruction across several smaller Caribbean islands over the past few days.On the Cayman Islands, phone footage shows sea rocks scattered by high waves, which breached a sea wall.While on Union Island, locals sifted through debris and destroyed homes. At least three people have died.The tally of storm fatalities in Caribbean islands including Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in northern Venezuela, is expected to rise as communications are restored.Beryl's destructive power, coming so early in the hurricane season, shows the consequences of a warmer Atlantic Ocean. Scientists say human-caused climate change is fueling extreme weather.Weather forecasters say the storm is expected to move toward northeastern Mexico and southern Texas late in the weekend.

  • Dog rescue volunteers help runaway horse in Arizona

    Volunteers from a dog rescue in Arizona ended up helping out a four-legged animal quite a bit larger than their usual canines -- a runaway horse.

  • Powlowski touts idea of publicly owned Fort Frances border bridge

    THUNDER BAY – The International Bridge connecting Fort Frances to International Falls, Minn., needs to be replaced or repaired, Marcus Powlowski said Thursday. Either way, “the status quo is not good enough,” the Liberal MP for Thunder Bay–Rainy River said. “People should not have to pay to go back and forth over the bridge and for maintenance of that bridge,” he told Dougall Media. “I mean, I don’t think there’s any need to charge people for it.” Thunder Bay people don’t have to pay at the Pige

  • Yes, some animals can have babies without a mate. Here's how

    A boa constrictor in the U.K. gave birth to 14 babies — without a mate.

  • City warning beach crowds to keep distance from sea lions

    Thousands of people are expected to head to the coast this weekend to beat the heat. Some are already getting too close to the sea lions that call the shore line home.

  • Foes of California's electric car targets take their case to US Supreme Court

    Opponents of California's ambitious targets for electric car adoption to lower greenhouse gas emissions took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court this week, the latest salvo against the state's campaign to fight climate change. Energy companies, corn growers and industry associations have long opposed strong environmental rules in California, for decades the only state with power to request a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set its own vehicle emissions regulations that are more stringent than the federal standard.

  • Indoor water use remains below safety threshold as crews work to stabilize Calgary's system

    Residents of Calgary and the surrounding areas that use its water have eased back into regular water use since city officials announced Tuesday that indoor water use could return to normal.According to city officials, 478 million litres of treated water was used on Tuesday — which is below the city's 480-million-litre target safety threshold — and usage increased mostly in the evening.It comes after the city said indoor water use could return to normal, though Mayor Jyoti Gondek continued to urg