{"id":15292,"date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=15292"},"modified":"2022-04-25T10:54:06","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T08:54:06","slug":"fauna-in-the-fen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2022\/04\/06\/fauna-in-the-fen\/","title":{"rendered":"Fauna in the fen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NATURE ESCAPES<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n

WALK: <\/strong>Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk<\/span><\/p>\n\n

FAUNA IN THE FEN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Join Anthony Toole on a glorious figure-of-eight walk through a Norfolk fen, keeping your senses alert for creeping water deer, slow-flying marsh harriers and butterflies on the wing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Y<\/strong><\/span>ou never quite know what to expect when you arrive at Strumpshaw Fen. On one occasion, I was greeted by a jack snipe not five metres from the visitor centre hide. On another day, it was a small flock of bearded tits flying back and forth between reedbeds that bordered the lake inlet in front of the same hide. Situated nine miles east of Norwich, this RSPB reserve is reached along a narrow road from Brundall.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
The RSPB manages Strumpshaw\u2019s pools, ponds and ditches for the benefit of aquatic flora, wildfowl, otters, water voles and bitterns <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\u201cLOOK FOR SMALL FLOCKS OF BEARDED TITS FLYING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE REEDBEDS\u201d<\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

THE ROUTE<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

3.5 MILES5.6KM 2.5 HOURS EASY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

1 <\/strong>BRILLIANT BLUEBELLS<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

From the car park, carefully cross the railway line (still in use) to the visitor centre, which is small but provides light refreshments, toilet facilities and binocular hire. Enjoy your co ee and cake from the raised platform, which doubles as a viewing hide from which you can do your first survey of the extensive wetland.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

A trail leads south from here through a bluebell wood busy with finches, tits, robins and noisy wrens, to where the path splits.<\/p>\n\n

2 <\/strong>BUTTERFLY DETOUR<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

For a diversion of a mile, you can continue on the woodland trail as far as the bank of the River Yare. Return through a flower-rich meadow, in which orchids and other blooms attract peacock and brimstone butterflies, with milk parsley providing food for the caterpillars of the rare swallowtail butterfly.<\/p>\n\n

3 <\/strong>FEN HIDE<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

Back on the longer Fen Trail (2.5 miles), head south-west, following the southern margin of the reedbeds. Another short detour from the trail brings you to Fen Hide, which again looks out across a pool. This is the best viewpoint from which to obtain a first sighting of marsh harriers circling over the reeds, and Chinese water deer tiptoeing along the pool\u2019s edge. These small deer were introduced into Britain in the 19th century and flourished to the extent that their Norfolk numbers now comprise around 10% of the world\u2019s total population.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

You might also hear the booming call of a bittern. These secretive birds nest here, so you could be lucky enough to glimpse one of their clutches in the undergrowth.<\/p>\n\n

4 <\/strong>WILDFOWL WADERS<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

The main track continues to the Yare and follows this to Tower Hide. The river is tidal, and the wakes of passing boats often splash water over the raised bank on to the track, making it quite muddy at times. Climbing the steps into the hide allows expansive views over a pool with paddling flocks of coots, mallards, shelducks and beautifully coloured shovellers, with probably a heron or a couple of egrets standing guard at the pool side.<\/p>\n\n

5 <\/strong>RAIL RETURN<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

Beyond the hide, the footpath continues along the riverbank, then turns right for a straight stretch along which you might again spot a water deer or a swallowtail butterfly.<\/p>\n\n

On reaching the railway track once more, cross it and follow the footpath back to the visitor centre and car park.<\/p>\n\n

  • \"\"
    Visit Strumpshaw in spring when marsh harriers perform their spectacular sky dance, bluebells fill the woods and swallowtails <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
  • \"\"
    flit from flower to flower<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
  • \"\"
    Britain’s largest resident butterfly (8-10cm) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n

    Photos: Alamy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    WALK: Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":15285,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"82","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"82","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_82-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_82-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"May-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"May-2022","purple_external_id":"May-2022-82-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"May-2022-82-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000084055||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000084055||","purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.189","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.189","purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.189","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.189","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"91da22fd-9e7f-40d1-a93f-fc46e9516d91","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-04-08T09:41:38Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"bc64210c-5f3a-4b68-a74e-6498ee1b83ae","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-04-25T08:54:14Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AvGQhDF86S2inTmSY7huDrg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[30],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c.jpg",2048,1492,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c-300x219.jpg",300,219,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c-768x560.jpg",768,560,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c-1024x746.jpg",800,583,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c-1536x1119.jpg",1536,1119,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2022\/04\/82a7b56f-ce85-4b0f-88ae-7a547d419c7c.jpg",2048,1492,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"WALK: Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15292"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15292"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15645,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15292\/revisions\/15645"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}