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Lakenheath Fen RSPB

This new, one square-mile, wetland reserve lies on the eastern edge of the Fens. When the land was purchased in 1995, it was mainly farmland and poplar woods. Lakenheath Fen is virtually the baby of one man, Norman Sills, a 36 year RSPB veteran. Norman Sills, an ex chartered surveyor, virtually designed and built the reserve himself (with a little help from a few JCBs) and still manages the reserve. The RSPB’s work to create large areas of reedbed and damp pasture is now mostly finished though further improvement work goes on and a new visitor centre is in the process of being built. There has already seen a considerable increase in wetland birds – especially reed warblers, marsh harriers and hobbies. Highlights: Every year, one or two pairs of golden orioles nest in the poplar plantations. In 2006 7 pairs of Marsh harriers nested here, and 150 pairs of Bearded tits and 130 pairs of Reed buntings were recorded. A booming bittern was heard for the first time this year and a pair Cettis warblers have nested. It is also a nesting site for the very rare Marsh Carpet moth.