Print pageStar species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Hobbies are falcons which arrive at Surlingham in late April, leaving in September. They are very agile and fast - they hunt small birds like martins, and dragonflies, which they catch with their feet. Watch carefully and you'll see them passing their prey up to their beaks to eat in flight! |  |
Stay alert for the sight of an electric-blue bullet speeding past over the lakes and pools. Kingfishers are a year-round attraction at Surlingham Church Marsh. In spring and summer, watch out for adults carrying fish back to their nests in their beaks. |  |
Look for marsh harriers gliding over the reedbed with their wings held upwards in a shallow 'v'. In spring, pairs perform their breathtaking 'skydancing' displays high in the sky. |  |
Another warbler that returns from Africa in spring, the sedge warbler is easy to see because it 'pirhouettes' up into the air from the tops of the bushes, singing its scratchy song as it goes. |  |
Watch for water rails emerging to feed on the edge of the channels and pool within the reedbed. They may venture out onto exposed mud when the water drops in late summer and autumn or onto ice in winter. Also, listen for their call - it sounds like a squealing pig! |  |