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Description
RSPB Surlingham Church Marshes is a small reserve which offers birders a short 2km circular walk, with a mixture of habitats that supports a wide variety of species throguhout the year, and boasts some of the more highly sought after birds in the Yare Valley! This peaceful reserve has something to offer throughout the year, and is well worth a couple of hours of your time if you are in the area.
In all seasons, the reedbed at the centre of the reserve is home to iconic species of the area including kaňa močiarna and fúzatka trstinová, while the wet woodland is worth searching for sýkorka hôrna, kôrovník dlhoprstý and hýľ obyčajný. If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a rybárik riečny whizzing up and down the river. You will hear cetia západná on most visits too.
In winter, paths around the reserve are susceptible to flooding and may also become muddy and slippery. Sturdy, waterproof footwear is highly recommended. However, it is also a great time to visit the reserve as large flocks of škorec obyčajný will put on a fantasitc display at dusk as group together before they drop into the reedbed to roost. Colder weather will bring opprotunities to see elusive bučiak veľký. It is worth scanning Postwick Marshes with a scope at this time of year, as hus krátkozobá and the rarer hus bieločelá can sometimes be found. The marshes are also frequented by hunting sokol sťahovavý and plamienka driemavá. There are better reserves in the area to search for wildfowl, but kačica hvizdárka and kačica chrapka are both often found along the riverbank and in the wet woodland. For the keen eyed spotters, the marshes accomodate močiarnica mekotavá, močiarnička tichá and sluka hôrna.
Spring is a great time to visit Surlingham, as the sound of warbler song returns to the reedbed. You will be able to hear trsteniarik bahenný, trsteniarik malý and possibly even svrčiak zelenkavý. The resident potápka chochlatá will be displaying on the river. The wet woodland and scrub areas of the reserve will hold penica čiernohlavá, penica obyčajná and potentially kukučka obyčajná. Scanning over to Postwick Marshes, waders including cibík chochlatý and lastúrničiar strakatý may be seen, while kalužiačik malý can be spotted on the riverbank.
Summer is a great time to see and hear families of fúzatka trstinová roaming the reedbed, while looking up in the sky may reveal hawking sokol lastovičiar, dážďovník obyčajný and flocks of lastovička obyčajná, belorítka obyčajná and brehuľa hnedá. Postwick Marshes sometimes holds trasochvost žltý.
Autumn can be quiet at Surlingham, however, there is always a chance of finding returning drozd červenkavý and drozd čvíkota. It is always worth locating flocks of mlynárka dlhochvostá in the wet woodland, as there is chance of finding something rarer with them. Herons including the locally scarce beluša veľká may be seen from the hide. The marshland areas may hold families of pŕhľaviar čiernohlavý. Visitors to the reserve are encouraged to share their sightings on the board in the hide.
Details
Access
Park at Surlingham Church (postcode: NR14 7DF), and take the Wherryman's Way footpath past the cottage, which leads down a slight slope towards the river. This will put you on the circular path around the reserve.