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Norfolk
The county of Norfolk, and in particular the north Norfolk coast, has long been a favourite destination for birdwatchers. The wide range of habitats, coupled with the numerous wildlife reserves throughout the county, provides an opportunity to encounter an amazing wealth and variety of birds, which in combination are not to be found elsewhere in Britain. The numerous resident species are joined by a large number of both breeding and wintering birds, and with good numbers of passage migrants occurring in both spring and autumn, Norfolk is an ideal and rewarding area to visit at any time of the year.
The whole of the north coast from The Wash in the west round to Mundesley in the north-east, is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and many parts of that coastline, plus others around the Norfolk Broads, east Norfolk and Breckland, are also designated nature conservation areas of both national and international importance, due in part to the many rare and scarce bird species that occur, including significant numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders that the county is blessed with. Indeed the significance of the birdlife that is present within the county has been recognized for many years, with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust being the oldest wildlife trust in the UK formed with the establishment of Cley Marshes Nature Reserve in 1926, and the now sadly lost Cley Bird Observatory which was operated from 1949 by the late Richard Richardson, undoubtedly the most important figure in the ornithological history of the County.
With sand and shingle beaches, cliffs, saltmarsh, freshwater marshes and reedbeds along the coastal strip, and water meadows, heathland, parks, ponds, lakes, woodland, agricultural land, and the Norfolk Broads inland, there is a diverse range of habitats each supporting a haven of wildlife. In addition to the landscape, flint-faced cottages, thatched roofs, spectacular churches and a scattering of windmills all add to the beautiful scenery and the appeal of the area.
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Wiveton Church with Barn Owl hunting over the riverside marshes in front | |
