This bittern was standing tall at Carlton Marshes despite the early gusts of Storm Eunice! A rare and shy heron, the bittern spends almost all its time hidden away in large reedbeds, where it feeds on eels and other fish. It has wonderfully camouflaged plumage, helping it to blend into the reeds. It can also stand motionless for long periods to avoid detection. 

Storms Eunice and Franklin gave our 50 nature reserves a battering this week. The reserve teams have been hard at work checking trails are safe and completing tree safety work. The woodland reserves were our main concern, with many fallen trees and branches to deal with. Most reserves have now been made safe, although there are path closures at Reydon Wood, Knettishall Heath, and Lackford Lakes. Where it’s safe to do so we will leave fallen trees and branches as the resulting rotting wood will provide essential habitat for invertebrates, fungi and other wildlife. 

The Carlton Marshes team were thrilled with results of a recent Wetland Bird Survey: lapwing 410, coot 96, teal 200, wigeon 736, shovelor 55, snipe 70, pochard 5 and the long staying glossy ibis. Many thanks to the survey helpers who were lucky enough to also see three spoonbills flying over.  

A really wet section of public footpath that dissected the botanically rich fen at Lound Lakes had resulted in problems, as walkers were diverting around the mud or bridging it with old fence posts, and risking contamination and damage to the sensitive habitat. We teamed up with Essex and Suffolk Water to create a new fen friendly path, scraping through the mud, laying geotextile matting topped with clean stone which will enable safer and dryer passage and prevent walkers from diverting onto the fen. This type of path will not alter the natural ground water flow or balance in the species rich fen. 

Green Teams are business team building days hosted on our beautiful reserves. Toolbox Marketing had a rewarding day’s work and really got stuck in with heath restoration at Knettishall Heath. The team did a fantastic job, cutting back gorse from the rides, promoting variety of structure of gorse and reducing shade cover, which will allow heather and other plants to thrive. 

Green teams are a proven way to learn more about your team, boost morale and make a positive contribution to the environment. We’ve got plenty of tasks available and are always keen to hear from you. All levels of experience welcome! Contact Michael Strand if you would like to get involved.