Female marsh harrier, by Francis Pendle

Whether a seasoned twitcher, enthusiastic amateur or someone who just wants to feel the elements and see the beautiful hues of a fading evening sky, the raptor roost watchpoint at Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Hickling Broad is a wonderful place to visit this winter, says Reserves Officer Robert Morgan. 

A bracing mid-winter’s walk from Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s visitor centre at Hickling Broad National Nature Reserve to the Stubb Mill raptor roost is highly recommended (as are warm clothes and stout boots). 

Raptor – for those not acquainted – refers to birds of prey such as hawks, falcons and harriers. The marsh harrier, in particular, is the bird for which the site is best known. In recent winters up to a hundred have been counted drifting in to spend the night in the scrubby hawthorns that are nestled between the grazing marshes. 

Marsh harriers were driven to extinction in the UK by the end of the 19th century but managed to recolonise the Norfolk Broads in the 1920s. In the 1970s a chemical called DDT put pay to their recovery and the population plummeted to just one pair. The species has bounced back, and Norfolk alone holds on average 80 or so pairs, and although the population is boosted in winter by continental birds, marsh harriers remain less numerous than golden eagles. 

Barn owl, by Geoffrey Tibbenham

If the sight of scores of marsh harriers is not enough, then perhaps some of the many other birds might be. The resident barn owl will often quarter the fields close to the watch-point and with some luck you may see merlin – our smallest falcon – sitting on a nearby fence post. 

The raptor that is most anticipated and sends a murmur along the watchers is the hen harrier. The male hen harrier is stunning in powder grey plumage with jet black wing tips. Females are feathered in shades of brown with a white rump. 

A bird that has grown in number is the common crane. In Britain the crane was far from common, having been absent as a breeding bird for more than 400 years. In the early 1980s a pair settled to breed on marshland not far from Hickling and since then numbers have increased with up to 25 pairs breeding in East Anglia alone. Crane will roost in varying numbers at Stubb Mill, but it is not unusual to have twenty or so birds drop in: their arrival is often preceded by their strange primeval bugling call. 

Although birds can be seen from the watchpoint throughout the day, late afternoon leading into dusk is the best time. To get really good views of the birds, bring binoculars or a telescope too, however, there is sometimes a Norfolk Wildlife Trust member of staff or volunteer on-hand to help. 


The NWT Stubb Mill Raptor roost watchpoint is about a mile and half walk from the Hickling Broad and Marshes Visitor Centre. The track can be muddy and depending on livestock there may be stiles to negotiate. The Visitor Centre is open on Saturdays and Sundays 10am - 4pm. Please check for any updates on additional opening.

Unfortunately due to covid-19 restrictions, we are unable to hire binoculars at the moment. There is limited disabled parking at the watchpoint, all other visitors are required to use the carpark at the Visitor Centre.  

Header image: Cranes at Hickling by Henry Page
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