My Top Five UK Nature Reserves

Greetings once again dear fellows and welcome to another instalment of 'The Musings of a Bored Birder'. Forget that the governments update was as clear as concrete, here's another blog for you to ponder.

What is everyone missing from when life was normal before? It could be family, it could be the pub or it could be that sweet anticipation of a long haul holiday to somewhere hot. I'm sure for many birders out there, it's nature reserves that we so dearly miss. At the most active time of the year, many of these sites are bubbling with life without beady binoculars browsing over them and although it's great for wildlife, it isn't great for those wanting to see it. Whether there's a reserve you had big plans to visit this year or just a local patch you love to pop round, these are now mostly off limits. In light of this, I thought I'd look back to the good old days when we could go outside for more than one walk a day and reminisce about my favourite nature reserves. To break it down, here are my top five:

5. SWT Framlingham Mere

Far from the glitz and glamour of other sites (if you'd define a hide and a visitor centre as glamorous), this Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve is one particularly close to my heart. Being overlooked by the imperious Framlingham Castle, the mere and the surrounding marshes were where I spent most of my more enjoyable afternoons enjoying nature. It helped that it was a stones throw from my school, so for about five years, it was a patch I knew well. Water voles, kingfishers and water rails were just some of the species I was lucky enough to witness there and whilst it was a tiny reserve in comparison to others, it was and still is rich with life. The mere flourishes with flag irises in the summer and fills with fog in the winter, so there's always something picturesque about the place. Despite lengthy rumours, I never saw the infamous otter that supposedly lived in and around the mere, not that I'm mad at all. In a town most famous for Ed Sheeran, this little slice of green is simply serene.

4. WWT Slimbridge

One of the most iconic venues for wildlife conservation in the UK and if not in the world. I'm not being hyperbolic here am I? Maybe, but the point still stands that Slimbridge is a colossus in comparison to all other nature reserves. This site is slap bang on the Severn estuary, comprising of thousands of acres just teaming with bird-life. The aviaries and captive collections may not be everyone's cup of tea but with so much history to the place, it's a must-visit for any budding birder. If you wanted to drag the less-than-ornithologically-inclined family round, there's plenty of pretty ducks and flamingos to keep them preoccupied.It's a reserve I've unfortunately only visited twice but somewhere that I will always want to go back to. Winter is when this place is in it's prime, with thousands of wildfowl all pitching up here for some arctic respite. It's a hotspot for Bewick's swans, white-fronted geese and even the common cranes that were reintroduced on the Somerset Levels. This being just one of many projects spawned from this incredible nature hub. It's continuous conservation initiatives, expansive estuaries and significant swans make Peter Scott's palace a real gem.

3. RSPB Rainham Marshes

The greatest RSPB reserve halfway in Greater London and that is a fact. For a Norfolk boy marooned in Essex for the foreseeable future, this wetland wonderland is like a throwback to my childhood exploring The Broads. The major difference being that this is very much a wild space on an urban backdrop. To many, this marsh might seem modest, but in the context of it's proximity and historical links, it's something special. A former rifle range, this is a nature reserve overlooked by the Eurostar, a landfill site and the Dartford crossing. Squished between two of the busy ports on the Thames, it still manages to draw migrants from across Europe, with internationally important breeding populations of lapwing and redshank. It's also within a 20 minute train ride from one of the largest metropolitan areas on the planet, so there's no excuse to pop by. I might be ever so slightly biased seeing as this is the nature reserve that I have volunteered at since 2016 but we'll gloss over that. I saw my first ever crane, heard by first ever quail and countless water pipits here, so it's not to be sniffed at. For a wetland overshadowed by pylons, high speed trains and cargo ships, it's not a bad little Essex oasis. 

2. Pensthorpe

Okay I like wetlands, you get it by now. The crown in the jewel of the Wensum valley, this is a nature reserve to truly catch the eye. Much like Slimbridge, there's more to the wild birds that flock here (of which there are plenty). If you don't believe me then I'm sure the Springwatch hosts can vouch for me on this one. It's lakes and scrapes play host to countless species such as avocets, lapwings and bitterns. Add to this their extensive ornamental wildfowl collections, aviaries and captive-bred cranes and you have yourself an attraction for all crowds. I can't tell you how excited 8 year old me was to walk into an aviary teaming with turtle doves and bearded tits, seeing these incredibly rare birds up close. Some may argue birds such as this in captivity is controversial but if it sparks an interest, then there's generations of future conservationists waiting to be inspired. With ongoing conservation projects for corncrakes and red squirrels, as well as habitat restoration initiatives, it is a nature reserve that is unique in so many ways.

1. RSPB Minsmere

It had to be. Whilst Slimbridge has swans and Rainham has redshanks, there's not much that Minsmere doesn't have. If you're being picky, there's no mountains, volcanoes or dragons. Aside from that, it's pretty awesome. Where can I even start this pantheon of nature reserves? The reemergence of avocets here inspired the RSPB logo, it's helped save bitterns from extinction, it was the home for Springwatch for three years and it was also the site that I based my dissertation on. Nothing like analysing shoreline management plans to assess the impacts on abundances of coastal and wetland birds. It's more fun than it sounds. Minsmere has woodland, heath, marsh and a coastal environment, all packed into one sensational site in Suffolk. There isn't a single visit to Minsmere where I have left disappointed, from seeing my first adders and hen harriers to scoping a stone curlew from the other side of a field, making it look like an insignificant brown blog. It was exciting, trust me. Minsmere is so amazing attractive to birds that it lured an albatross, a species that isn't even supposed to be in the northern hemisphere, let alone East Anglia! It's expansive, picturesque and quite simply the best.

So that's my list but what are your favourite nature reserves? Have you visited any of the above reserves and if so, what did you think of them?

Stay alert and peace out!