Welcome to heron county - Somerset!
Somerset is home to lots of different herons, especially on RSPB reserves where we do our best to create and maintain the right homes or ‘habitat’ for these birds. In the last four years, as well as grey heron and little egret, the great white egret, bittern and little bittern are all herons that have made RSPB reserves their home. Cattle egret and purple heron have been spotted feeding on our reserves too.
Swell Wood, the largest heronry in the south west of England, is over 100 years old and has over 100 grey heron nests and over 10 little egret nests each spring in the tops of our oak trees.
Greylake has grey herons, great white egrets and little egrets feeding in the pools, fields, and ditches there. Watch them at our Lookout and new Treehouse hides, specially named by children from Westonzoyland Primary School.
Ham Wall is home to a stripy, brown heron, the bittern, where reedbeds are the perfect camouflage to build their nests. Visit this reserve in spring and hear the amazing ‘boom’ sounds of bitterns. You may be lucky enough to see or hear most of the herons mentioned at our RSPB reserves.
Forthcoming events
Herons Above!: 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 & 21 April 2014 Swell Wood, 10am-4pm, free.
No need to book
Mr Boombastic Walk: 13 April 2014, 6-9am Ham Wall, £7.50 per person, includes breakfast
Book on 01458 860449 Meare Manor Hotel
Dusk Adventures: 25 & 26 April 2014, 7-9pm Swell Wood £3 adults, £1.50 per child.
Book on 07774 620879 or e-mail swell.wood@rspb.org.uk
And look out for family events in our holiday clubs, Froglets and Tadpoles, later this spring!
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/swellwood/
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/g/greylake/
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/hamwall/
The big easter egg hunt!
Take part in our Big Easter Egg Hunts to discover the spring homes for nature at Swell Wood, Greylake and Ham Wall reserves. Herons, cranes and baby birds are stories for each Big Easter Egg Hunt. No need to book, follow the clues and pick up your egg:
20 April 2014, 2-4pm Swell Wood & Greylake reserves
21 April 2014, 2-4pm Ham Wall reserve
Staff and volunteers will be there on the day to welcome you during your big egg hunt!
Becky Thorpe, Assistant Warden, West Sedgemoor, Swell Wood and Greylake Reserves.