Visitors to Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve at Cley Marshes have been treated to a spectacular sight today: 30 spoonbills, a new record for the site.
The increase in numbers of spoonbills is probably due to another successful breeding season at Holkham, located a little further along the coast. Indications are that these birds are evidence of post breeding dispersal: when birds leave the breeding area in family groups searching for a sufficient source of fresh food and therefore improve the chances of the juveniles being in good condition to moult into adults.
The birds may also be faithful to a good feeding site, and previous year’s breeding adults and juveniles appear to have headed back to the perfect habitat conditions at NWT Cley Marshes.
The complicated water controls on the reserve are managed to provide good quality water to attract small fish, freshwater shrimps, and other invertebrates into the larger pools from the network of smaller dykes and streams. This ready and plentiful supply of food is a likely contributor to the record count of spoonbills for Cley Marshes.
Chief Executive of Norfolk Wildlife Trust Brendan Joyce said: “What a remarkable sight! We have never seen anything like it and our visitors are certainly enjoying the spectacle. The fact the spoonbills are here in record numbers at the nature reserve shows that the habitat management carried out by Norfolk Wildlife Trust is working.”
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Cley Marshes Visitor Centre is open every day from 10am for further details contact the centre on 01263 740008.