8 May 2006

Ten years after the first reeds were planted at RSPB Lakenheath Fen, a bittern has given the new nature reserve in the Fens its seal of approval by starting to boom.

The bittern’s distinctive ‘booming’ song was first heard on Saturday morning (6 May) and several times since then.

Bitterns have been increasingly regular visitors as the reserve on the Suffolk/Norfolk border has developed [note 1] but this is the first clear sign of a bird setting up territory. The area where the bittern is booming was planted with reeds in 1999.

The odds are against bitterns breeding this year at Lakenheath Fen reserve, says the RSPB; the best guess is that this is a male without a mate. But it’s a great step towards having all the specialist reedbed birds on site: marsh harriers and bearded tits are already nesting, and the hope is that bitterns will nest before too long.

This news coincides with new opportunities to enjoy the wildlife of Lakenheath Fen as the RSPB’s first events programme for the new nature reserve is launched.

Three events in May and June start the ball rolling as the RSPB develops its plans to show people this fascinating corner of the Fens. The creation of the wetland reserve started 10 years ago and it already makes an amazing place to visit, says the RSPB.

Guided walks are free of charge and include:

Sunday 14 May: ‘Dramatic acrobatics!’ A search for hobbies, as these small falcons display their rapid bursts of speed and breathtaking turns as they hunt for food.
Monday 29 May: ‘An elusive golden rarity’ - search for the rare and elusive golden oriole
Sunday 25 June: ‘Heavyweight of the Harrier World’ - watch marsh harriers hunting over the reedbed.

For a copy of the events programme contact the RSPB’s Jane Newton on 01842 862036 or go to www.rspb.org.uk and look for Lakenheath Fen on the reserves A-Z.

Further information
Norman Sills, warden at RSPB Lakenheath Fen, 01842 828662 mobile 07766 441873 (but Norman is often on the reserve and can be tricky to find)

Jane Newton, RSPB Lakenheath Fen 01842 862036 jane.newton@rspb.org.uk about the events programme
Chris Durdin, public affairs officer 01603 660066

Images: a digital image of a bittern can be emailed: please contact Pat Knibb or Chris Durdin pat.knibb@rspb.org.uk or chris.durdin@rspb.org.uk or tel 01603 660066

Additional notes:

Bitterns at RSPB Lakenheath Fen
1996 – 2001 – no records
2002 – two sightings
2003 – two sightings
2004 – nine sightings
2005 – 15 sightings

Lakenheath Fen
At Lakenheath Fen, the RSPB has acquired 267 ha of arable land – formerly carrot fields – in 1995 with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, plus the 31 ha Botany Bay SSSI.
completed engineering to divide the site into management units and create 140 ha of wetland
planted 106,800 reed cuttings and 142,000 reed seedlings
a car park and the first 3.5 km of visitor trail were opened in spring 2004, and a visitor centre should be open by 2007

Generous funding towards management work at Lakenheath Fen has been received from Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN), which distributes landfill tax credits for Waste Recycling Group Ltd (WRG).

2 The RSPB in the Fens: the RSPB intends to create 5,000 hectares of new wetlands in the Fens in the next 20 years, and is part of the Wet Fens Partnership that is promoting wetland creation. New wetlands will prove a lifeline for birds and other wildlife, and provide local communities and visitors a chance to discover the unique fenland environment. The RSPB manages wet grazing marshes at the Ouse and Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire and is creating new freshwater wetlands at Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk, at the Hanson-RSPB wetland project at Needingworth in Cambridgeshire and adjacent to the Wash at Freiston Shore and Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire.

www.rspb.org.uk/fens

Chris Durdin
Public Affairs Officer
RSPB Eastern England Office
www.rspb.org.uk
e-mail: chris.durdin@rspb.org.uk
tel 01603 660066 direct line 01603 697521

The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife, helping to create a better world for us all.