It has been a pleasure to be able to feature as a guest blogger on the Lakenheath Fen reserve page. I hope you have enjoyed reading them and learning something new about the unique Brecks landscape.
Sadly though my time in the Brecks is drawing to an end. At the end of September, I will be leaving my post and starting a new job with the RSPB in Devon at the Exe Estuary reserves: a very different habitat to the Brecks!
I now have less than a month until my move, but it will be a very busy one! At the moment, we have lots of events on as part of Thetford’s Great Festival, including joint events with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and our big Wild about the Brecks event in Thetford on Sunday 30 August. This looks set to be an activity filled day with bug hunting, bird ringing, pond dipping, guided walks and much more. The event is being held in the grounds of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) offices in Thetford. We are going to be joined by lots of our partners including the BTO, Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Bat Group.
Also coming around the corner is our stone-curlew roost events run in partnership with Natural England and will take place at Cavenham Heath National Nature reserve on the Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September. These events are always stunning evenings with views of these iconic and usually shy birds in large numbers, their haunting calls as the sun sets and the wealth of other wildlife to be seen. We have a few places left so if you’d like to come along get in touch on 01842 753732 or thebrecks@rspb.org.uk.
The Wings over the Brecks nest camera project is now winding down for the year, unfortunately we were unable to achieve some of the final footage for the year- the hobbys remained elusive! Despite this, the project has been successful in getting live footage of some of the most elusive and iconic species in the Brecks. This included the first ever live on the nest footage of stone-curlews at Weeting Heath NWT nature reserve, stunning close ups of nightjar on the nest and the capturing of the life of a goshawk chick in the Forest. It has also been a very busy one for events with the project launch event and lots of families events based at High Lodge inspiring families to explore the forest and discover the wildlife found within it. None of this would have been possible without the help of local volunteers involved in the project, whether they were scouring the forest for nests or inspiring others with the passion and enthusiasm at events.
Despite moving to the other side of the country, I will still be keeping in touch with the team. I am keen to see how the Brecks develops in the future: both through conservation and community work. The Brecks is still a very much an undiscovered landscape, despite its wealth of wildlife, diversity of habitats and fascinating heritage. There is still lots to do to get the Brecks on the map and raise awareness of its uniqueness and international importance- so watch this space!
I will leave you with some pictures of some of my adventures over the last couple of years:
Image credits: RSPB Brecks photographer Ian Smith