Editing Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve

{{Short description|RSPB nature reserve in Norfolk, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox park
| name = RSPB Strumpshaw Fen
| photo = RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk Brick Hide view.jpg
| photo_width = 
| photo_caption = A view from the Reception Hide over water showing mostly [[greylag goose]] (''Anser anser'') coming into land for the evening.
| type = [[Nature reserve]]
| location = [[Norfolk]], [[England]]
| nearest_city = 
| coords = {{coord|52.6065|1.4558|type:landmark_region:GB-NFK|display=inline,title}}
| area = 
| created = 
| operator = [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds|RSPB]]
| visitation_num = 
| status = 
| publictransit = [[Brundall railway station]]
}}

'''Strumpshaw Fen''' is a [[nature reserve]] managed by the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] (RSPB). It is situated at [[Strumpshaw]] on the [[River Yare]] in the [[English county]] of [[Norfolk]] around {{convert|6|mi|km}} east of [[Norwich]]. The [[Buckenham Marshes RSPB reserve]] borders the reserve to the east.

The reserve is part of the [[Mid-Yare NNR|Mid-Yare National Nature Reserve]] established in 1997 by [[English Nature]] (though managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds).<ref name=nnr>[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/nnr/1006983.aspx Mid-Yare NNR], Natural England. Retrieved 2013-05-30.</ref> It was purchased by the RSPB in 1974. It forms part of the [[Yare Broads and Marshes]] [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] and lies within the area of [[The Broads]].<ref name=sssicite>[http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1001231.pdf Yare Broads and Marshes], SSSI citation, Natural England. Retrieved 2013-05-30.</ref>

{{TOClimit|2}}

==Wildlife==

===Birds===
;Residents 
*[[Eurasian bittern]]; in spring, the male's 'booming' song can be heard. Though they are hard to see as they are well camouflaged. 
*[[Common kingfisher]] present all year and carrying fish back to nests in spring and summer.
*[[Western marsh harrier]]; in spring, pairs perform 'sky-dancing' high in the sky. 
*[[Cetti's warbler]], the loudest British song bird with a distinctive (once learnt) 'explosive' song. 
*[[Bearded tit]], 
*[[Western barn owl|Barn owl]], they often nest in the woodlands and can be seen hunting at dawn and dusk
*[[Eurasian bullfinch]]es
;Waterfowl include 
*[[Gadwall]], 
*[[Great crested grebe]] and 
*[[Little grebe]]s. 
;Summer migrants 
*[[Hobby (bird)|Hobby]], 
*[[Eurasian reed warbler|Reed warbler]], 
*[[Blackcap]], 
*[[Common whitethroat]].

==== Winter residents ====
* [[Hen harrier|Hen Harrier]]
In autumn the reserve is visited by migrating birds both heading south and those seeking refuge from the  Arctic winter. These often form large flocks in the winter that gathering to feed or at dusk flying off together to form large roosts. [[Waxwing]]s sometimes visit in search of winter food from Scandinavia.

===Insects===
[[File:Swallowtail Butterfly RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk - geograph.org.uk - 599384.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Swallowtail ''Papilio machaon brittanicus'' photographed at Strumpshaw Fen.]]
Its Fen provides one of the few breeding sites in [[Great Britain]] for the [[Papilio machaon|swallowtail]]. The [[subspecies]] found at Strumpshaw, ''Papilio machaon brittanicus'', is endemic to the Fens of Norfolk and Suffolk in the UK.<ref>[http://www.lba.uk.com/BUTTERFLES_B21I3U.aspx Lepidoptera Breeders Association]</ref> It is slightly smaller and more heavily marked in black than subspecies ''machaon'' and ''gorganus'' which are widespread throughout mainland Europe. It nearly always lays its eggs on milk parsley (''[[Peucedanum palustre]]'') in contrast to its European cousin that will select most [[umbellifer]]s. Swallowtail can be seen from late May to mid-July and often again in mid-August to September. It is the largest resident British butterfly at 8 to 10&nbsp;cm wingspan.

In early spring and summer the reserve is the habitat of 23 species of dragonfly, including the rare [[Norfolk hawker]] which is protected under Schedule 5 of the [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981]], and listed in the British Red Data Books on Insects as Category 1 ([[Endangered species|endangered]]).

Another important dragon fly is the [[scarce chaser]] (''Libellula fulva'').{{clear}}

===Molluscs===
* [[Desmoulin's whorl snail]] (On the [[list of endangered species in the British Isles#Molluscs|list of endangered species in the British Isles]])

===Plants===
It is one of only a handful of waterbodies in the country to contain [[holly-leaved naiad]] (''Najas marina''), a species on the flowering plant section of the [[list of endangered species in the British Isles#Flowering plants|list of endangered species in the British Isles]] and is protected under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Other important plants are [[Peucedanum palustre|milk parsley]], [[Lathyrus palustris|marsh pea]], [[Cladium|saw sedge]], six varieties of orchids including the rare aquatic [[macrophytes]].

Its flower hay meadow is an ecological relict with a high plant diversity due to the continuing  centuries old practice of receiving only a cut in late season for a hay crop. In June it is coloured by [[Iris pseudacorus|yellow flag]], [[Comarum palustre|marsh cinquefoil]], [[bog bean]], and [[ragged robin]] (a source of nectar for the adult swallowtails). In early July, there are common [[sorrel]], the purple glass [[Yorkshire fog]], [[southern marsh orchid]]s, [[yellow rattle]] and [[Valerian (herb)|valerian]]. These are followed by [[purple loosestrife]] and [[Filipendula ulmaria|meadowsweet]].

===Mammals===
* [[Eurasian otter]]s
* [[European water vole|Water vole]]s
* [[Chinese water deer]]

==Seasonal changes==

===Winter===
* Hundreds of ducks, including [[teal]]s, [[gadwall]]s and [[shoveler]]s gather to feed in the reedbed pools. 
* Near dusk, marsh and hen harriers gather to roost. 
* On occasional winters, thousands of [[common starling|starling]]s roost in the reeds attracting [[Eurasian sparrowhawk|sparrowhawk]]s, [[peregrine falcon|peregrines]] and [[Merlin (bird)|merlin]]s.

===Spring===
* Courting pairs of marsh harriers  perform  'sky-dancing' displays. 
* Songs of spring migrant birds including reed and [[sedge warbler]]s, [[common cuckoo|cuckoo]]s, [[common grasshopper warbler|grasshopper warbler]]s and white throats. 
* [[Barn swallow|Swallow]]s and [[common swift|swift]]s dart across the pools
* Great crested grebes and other waterfowl prepare their nests. 
* [[Lesser spotted woodpecker|Lesser spotted]] and [[great spotted woodpecker]]s easily heard drumming in the woodland.
* Booming [[great bittern|bitterns]] can be heard from across the reserve, in 2017, there were up to 3 booming male bitterns on the reserve

===Summer===
* The UK's largest and one of its rarest butterflies, the [[Old World swallowtail|swallowtail]] emerges at this time, remaining on the wing through to July 
* Fen meadow rich with flowers including six species of orchids. 
* Many butterflies, dragonflies and [[damselflies]] including swallowtail butterfly (late May to early July and again in mid-August).
* Hobbies  hunt dragonflies.

===Autumn===
* [[Osprey]]s on their southward migration fish. 
* Marsh harriers gather in groups to roost. 
* Bearded tits form flocks in the reedbeds.

==Management==
[[image:RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk Fen Hide view.jpg|thumb|250px|A view from the Fen hide showing  the [[common reed]] ''Phragmites australis''. The green reed was cut in winter and the taller reed was not. ]]
The reserve contains several types of habitats including reed beds, grazing marshes, wet woodland, fen orchid-rich meadows, and the River Yare.  These are managed through traditional techniques, including reed-cutting, mowing, cattle grazing and scrub removal.

When purchased in 1976, it was in a state of being heavily overgrown. Since then considerable effects have been made to restoring it to the open fen landscape of the 19th Century. Initially, this involved breaking up vegetation with high pressure jets and pumping out mud to recreate the broad. Ongoing restoration work presently includes scrub and invasive plants removal and repair of disused ditches.

Reed bed and fen meadow management includes summer mowing and grazing, seasonal flooding, maintaining water levels, clearing rushes, grazing and mowing, and trampling with livestock to create boggy ground. Wet woodland management includes protecting standing dead wood and keep water levels high from April to July.

The reserve contains the largest area of hay meadow in [[East Anglia]] that has remained untouched except for a late hay crop - a practice crucial to the maintenance of its plant diversity.

==Facilities==
There are several hides and a number of trails.

The reserve is open from dawn until dusk every day (except Christmas Day). There are entrance charges (except for RSPB members). Some parts of trails after rain or river flooding can be muddy or wet so may require wearing walking boots.

== Pumping house ==

[[File:RSPB Strumpshaw Fen - former steam pumphouse 06.JPG|thumb|Former steam pumphouse and chimney]]

The fens at Strumpshaw were originally drained by a 1700s wind pump.<ref name="steam">RSPB information panel next to pump house</ref>  In the late 1800s, this was replaced by a steam powered pump, whose brick-built engine house and free-standing brick chimney, alongside the river, remain.<ref name="steam" /> Nowadays, electric pumps are used.<ref name="steam" /><ref>{{Coord|52.59888|1.45491|type:landmark_region:GB|name="pumphouse"}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[The Broads]]
* [[Buckenham railway station]]
* [[Mid-Yare NNR|Mid-Yare National Nature Reserve]]
* [[Strumpshaw]]
* [[Strumpshaw Hall Steam Museum]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/strumpshawfen/sightings.asp RSPB Strumpshaw Fen sightings blog]
*[http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/strumpshawfen/index.asp RSPB Strumpshaw Fen website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090621125532/http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/strumpshawfen/map.asp Strumpshaw Fen map]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110605233723/http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/midyarescrubmap_tcm9-203883.pdf Map showing the Mid-Yare National Nature Reserve area]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strumpshaw Fen}}
[[Category:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in England]]
[[Category:Nature reserves in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1974]]
[[Category:Fens of England]]