Print pageStar species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
A summer visitor, this large wading bird can be very secretive at its breeding grounds. During summer, it has an orange/red neck, extending half way down its chest. It has a very long straight bill and long legs. In flight, it shows a white wing-stripe and a black and white tail. |  |
Watch the nesting lapwings here chasing predators that may come too close to their nests or show too much of an interest in their chicks. The protective parents regularly give chase to crows and do not stop their 'mobbing' attacks until the danger has passed. |  |
Look out for the elegant male pintails and their amazing long tails. The reserve holds around 12 per cent of the national breeding population. |  |
Keep an eye out for the redshanks' towering display flights over the meadows in spring. They are sometimes known as 'the sentinel of the marshes' for their noisy habit of drawing attention to predators. |  |
Our white-fronted geese come all the way from Greenland each autumn! |  |