BIRDS

Enjoy walking across our marshes and watching wading birds, ducks and geese. The River Orwell is considered by some to be the most ornithologically diverse estuary in Suffolk. The mudflats are an important feeding area for estuary birds and eleven species of wild fowl and waders can reach numbers of national importance.

To see estuary birds the best time to visit is during the autumn and winter and in the case of waders the Orwell is of international importance for Redshank. As our marshes are situated in close proximity to both the Orwell and Stour and to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve on the Trimley marshes, they are of vital importance for breeding, passage migrant and wintering waders and wildfowl.

Field Scabious (Knautia Arvensis) found in Shotley Walk & Wades Lane

In the spring Nightingales can be heard in the woods near Hill House Farm and Red House Farm. To hear the dawn chorus visit in early April to mid May and take one of our delicious packed breakfasts on your early morning start.

During the spring and autumn migration periods, good numbers of Snipe, Jack Snipe, Ruff, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Little Stint and Green Sandpiper frequent the wet pools whilst summer breeding birds include Avocet, Redshank, Lapwing, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and the occasional Cetti’s Warbler. Winter, depending on water coverage, brings in large numbers of Widgeon, Teal, Snipe and Brent Geese, while Bewick Swans, Bean Geese and the odd Bittern have made an appearance.

Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris) also found in Shotley Walk & Wades Lane

There are 2 owl boxes at Hill House Farm. One is on the footpath to the seawall in line with the window of the double ensuite bedroom. It is located on the left of the path in an oak tree just before you get to the ‘Lower Yard’ – a derelict cattle yard of which all that remains is the perimeter wall. The second is in Hempsons Cliff (named after the farmer who once farmed at Hill House Farm) in an ash tree near Jill’s Hole. At the ‘Lower Yard’ look for the 1953 flood tide mark etched in the brickwork at about the 5 foot high mark.

BEST PLACES FOR BIRD WATCHING

Jill’s Hole (below Hill House Farm – see our walks leaflet for directions), the Alley Marsh (below the Church), Hare’s Creek (after Charity Farm take first right hand turn immediately after a row of cottages) Holbrook Creek (park in the car park in Lower Holbrook) there is also a pretty circular walk here, Trimley Nature Reserve, (viewed from the bedrooms on the other side of the river), Minsmere Bird Reserve (see the leaflets in the hall).

Borrow Dyke near Hempson’s Cliff is good potential for water vole habitat with abundant reed and undisturbed banks suitable for burrowing. We hope the water voles will return next year.

A Tawny Owl nested in the straw stack at our pig unit at Charity Farm. We had to find straw from another source in order not to disturb her and we were delighted when she hatched 5 young. Every year we had a blackbird who nested on a ledge at the back of one of the pig pens. She had grown acclimatised to us and the pigs.

It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 to take, damage, or destroy wild birds’ nests while they are in use, or their eggs.

DITCH PLANTS ON THE MARSHES are : sea club-rush (Scirpus maritima), brooklime (Veronica beccabunga), fool's water-cress (Apium nodosum) and water starwort (Callitriche spp.).