Simon started by explaining how varied the Norfolk coastline is, from shingle and sandy spits such as Blakeney Point and Scolt Head Island to the soft, eroding cliffs at Runton and the expansive saltmarshes around The Wash. We have it all in Norfolk and our coastline is a ‘dynamic’ one meaning it’s subject to great change and coastal movement, where land and geographical features are not only created but also eroded on a regular basis. As the coastline is in a state of ‘flux’ it is also a very challenging habitat for plants and as such, they have adapted to this environment and are part of how
the coastal landscape is formed and continues to evolve.
Simon talked about the differing habitats found along our unique coast and the first one was the ‘Beach’, which is basically an area that is covered by the tide twice daily and where sand, shingle and sediments are constantly being shifted around and along the coast, known as ‘Longshore Drift’. In this environment there are few plants that can tolerate saline immersion - so the beach is essentially
barren until you get above the ‘High Water Mark’ where plants such as Sea Rocket (a cruciferous plant of the Cabbage family) can be found. It’s a tough fleshy plant found on sandy beaches above the strandline which has four lilac coloured petals and the foliage has a thick cuticle to enable it to store water. Another plant found in this habitat is Sea Sandwort, related to the garden weed Chickweed, which forms mats and is considered a pioneer species on the open shore.
Other plants Simon mentioned and illustrated with fantastic photographs were the ‘Oraches’ wind- pollinated plants with Spear-leaved Orache being the most abundant species. They benefit from the nutrients found in the rotting debris along the tidelines as can be seen below where the tides have washed up plenty of organic matter here in Wells; Oraches have also moved inland according to Simon and can be seen on muck heaps in Norfolk and along the Norwich to Holt road too!
Other plants found in this sort of habitat are Prickly Saltwort which, as the name suggests, is a plant not to accidentally sit on at the beach. Also Sea beet, which can grow up to three to four feet in height - a species cultivated in the Middle East as a spinach and which may have been a wild ancestor of Sugar beet, Beetroot and Chard.
The next zone he focused on was ‘Shingle’, and we have plenty of this in Norfolk especially around Blakeney Point, Cley and Salthouse where the Shingle Ridge is regularly knocked down each winter by high tides and storms. It’s a really harsh environment for plants as there is a lack of water and constant exposure to higher tides and strong winds. A species that is found in these exacting conditions is ‘Suaeda’ and familiar to many of us as Shrubby Sea-blite, as seen above in the foreground at Wells. In the shingle zones you can also find Sea Campion, a cushion-forming, insect-pollinated perennial plant which has pretty white flowers from May to October and is a regular sight on shingle from Snettisham to Sheringham. Sea milkwort, a small, low-growing mat-forming plant, is commonly found around the Wash and on the north-east coast of Norfolk. One of the most iconic plants of shingle ridges is the ‘Yellow Horned Poppy’, a tough plant that adds much colour from June to September. The ‘horn’ part refers to the distinct, very finely elongated seed-pod which is 15 to 30cm in length and said to be the longest of any British wildflower! It also features on the front cover of Simon’s book and is instantly recognisable with its bright yellow petals.
The third area touched on by Simon was ‘Sand Dunes’ and we certainly appreciate the ones found in Norfolk as they offer protection not only for us but for plants too. Dunes are formed by wind and sand and can be created and erased, and the plants are important for establishing the dunes with their fibrous root systems. Probably the most important plant responsible for this is Marram Grass. It was widely planted by Norfolk landowners to stabilise the dunes and is prevalent at Holkham and Holme. Younger dunes more recently established are known as Yellow Dunes. Plants typically found in this environment include; Sea Spurge - a Euphorbia and Sea Holly (right), loved by bees and butterflies which is moving west along the coast. This species has a large taproot which was, in the 19th century, dug up and boiled to make a candied sweetmeat!
Other species of the Yellow Dune zone include Sea Bindweed, Common Birdsfoot Trefoil (the seedpods look like a three-toed bird’s foot but the flowers are a vibrant yellow), and Ladies Bedstraw, a low-
growing perennial that was once used to deter fleas and other insects from straw mattresses and can be seen along road verges as well as at the coast. Other yellow flowers found on dunes include Biting
Stonecrop, a succulent which forms large mats, and Kidney Vetch which is a member of the pea family.
A more unusual plant is the Man Orchid whose flowers resemble tiny little men, a very strange looking plant, but then most orchids are very striking and several are found within dune systems. Holme Dunes are a great place for spotting orchids where Pyramidal and Bee Orchids can be found - the latter of course looks like a bee! At Holme another feature within the dune system are the ‘Dune Slacks’, these are the wetter bits between large dunes and they are a particularly important habitat as they create marshy areas and small pools where scarce species such as the Natterjack Toad can be found. The Early Marsh Orchid grows in dunes and Simon told us in 2013 around 100,000 Marsh Orchids were killed at Gun Hill on the Holkham Estate by a devastating sea surge where the dunes and even up to the main coast road were inundated for several days. ​Once a dune has reached maturity they are then often referred to as ‘Grey Dunes’ due to the fact that they are colonised by Lichens and appear more greyish and established with a wider variety of plants - Winterton has this type of dune system.
Saltmarshes and Overy Creek at Burnham Overy Staithe pictured right - Gun Hill is located to the north of here and is part of the Holkham Estate and National Nature Reserve.
 Saltmarsh is another coastal feature and a very widespread one in Norfolk as we have some of the largest Saltmarshes found in Europe. It is exceptionally important, not only for plants but for birds too. Saltmarsh is found within the lee of headlands, i.e. Blakeney Harbour, Holkham, Wells to Stiffkey, and Holme where the seawater is calm enough for particles of sediment to drop very fine mud. The North Sea is also a very shallow sea (sometimes only around three metres deep on banks, and up to sixty metres further out) and contains a lot of sediment. The four large rivers that drain into The Wash also contain a great deal of suspended, particulate material - hence a large amount of sediment is dropped along our coast and the saltmarshes were created. Pioneer plants are able to grow in this area and the more plants and root systems that proliferate, the more a saltmarsh can build and thrive. This may take thousands of years and deep ‘gutters’ or creeks are formed and it’s on these banks that certain plants thrive as they are not then covered daily by the tide.
If you had to name a typical well-known plant of the Saltmarsh, anyone from Norfolk would instantly say ‘Samfer’, but its true name is Glasswort or Samphire, as many years ago it was actually burnt to
create Soda ash which was used for making glass! There are seven species of Samphire in Norfolk but only two are edible so make sure you know what you are eating! Other plants found in saltmarsh include Sea Arrowgrass - a lily, annual Seablite - which turns a deep red in Autumn, Sea Purslane and English Scurvygrass, the leaves of which are rich in Vitamin C and it used to be taken on board ships to try to help prevent scurvy!
Other flowering plants found here are Thrift, Sea lavender, which forms a purple haze across the saltmarshes in June and July and is a sight to behold and Sea Aster. This has its own bee named after it, the Sea Aster Mining Bee. 
Many thanks to Simon for such an informative and brilliant talk about our fantastic Norfolk coastal flora.

The Norfolk branch of Butterfly Conservation was started in 1982 and it now has around 900 members throughout the county. If you join Butterfly Conservation, based in Dorset, it’s only £45.00 per year for a single membership, plus you’ll automatically become a member of your local county group and be able to attend meetings and events and receive a twice-yearly Norfolk newsletter. So worth considering and would make a nice gift for someone too.
There are around 58 species of butterfly in the UK and here in Norfolk we have 38 species, although Malcolm says we may have another species added to the list soon as the Marbled White may begin to breed here as it does already breed in Suffolk.
As we are all aware, butterflies, along with most species, are under threat and many are in decline. Malcom explained that 2024 had been a ‘Butterfly Emergency’ as the annual count was only 7 species, down from the usual average of 12. He listed some of the species that were seen to have declined and the figures are quite shocking:
Peacock down by 59% in 2024
Red Admiral down by 49%
Small Tortoiseshell down by 62%

I can concur with this as the maximum number of Red admirals I saw in my garden in 2024 was only 4 when in the previous year I’d counted 39 and in 2019 there were well over 100 of them flying around our large white Buddleia bush. This number was very unusual and I wonder if any of these were migrants? Looking at my records from BTO’s Garden Birdwatch scheme I only saw Small tortoiseshell three times in the whole of 2024, and only one at a time. Malcom said that this species, once common, is now very rare with a reduction of 82% since 2023. The cause of this is still unknown but could be due to a parasitic fly. This year I have already seen
a few in the garden, but it would be great to see a lot more Small Tortoiseshells this year.
It just shows how important it is to keep track of our Butterflies and Birds and for everyone to care about the state of Britain’s nature as Malcolm so passionately put it - we must all care about our natural environment and encourage everyone to do the same. Malcolm advised that thankfully 2025
was a much better year for our declining butterflies with around 85,000 records he said and let’s hope that 2026 will be a good year too.
As regards the species we see here in Norfolk there are some butterflies that are true migrants and will arrive on our shores, sometimes in small or occasionally very large numbers. Some of the WVBS group reported seeing a huge influx of Painted Ladies which crossed Norfolk earlier this year. Another migrant species is the Clouded Yellow which was spotted at Warham Camp on the coast last year and also at Kelling, but some members have also recorded this species further inland too.
The Common Blue is another butterfly that is not so common anymore which is a shame as it’s such a beautifully marked little creature.
The Silver-studded Blue which can be found at Buxton Heath and Broadland Country Park and according to Malcolm the population in Norfolk is considered as stable with 25 females and 10 males being moved to BCP to help increase the population there.
The Small blue is moving northwards and has been seen in Scotland - in Norfolk it can be found at Cranwich heath, near Mundford. 65 were counted in 2025 and they’ve also been spotted at Blakeney - their food plant is Kidney vetch.
The only place in Norfolk to see the rarer Chalkhill Blue is Warham Camp, the Iron Age circular hillfort near Wells. It was introduced in 2009 thanks to habitat restoration and over 2000 of these little butterflies have been counted here.
Purple Hairstreak is the commonest of the hairstreaks, it’s a small butterfly that’s increasing in number and can be seen in Norfolk where it favours Oak trees. If you look up to the tops of an oak tree on a still, warm evening in late June and July you may see some small ‘silver-looking’ butterflies chasing each other. Malcom reckons this species has increased by 460% which is fantastic news and a good place to see them is Hickling tower or Sheringham Park, although they can be seen in unexpected spots - I watched some whilst having a drink in a pub garden! So always check your local oaks as you may spot some, especially if there are several large oaks as the butterflies will fly from one tree to another. 
One of the most iconic Norfolk butterflies must be the Swallowtail which is only found in the Norfolk Broads. It’s a large colourful butterfly and it’s restricted in area as the caterpillars will only feed on Milk-parsley (Peucedanum palustre). The population here is reported as stable but Malcolm hinted that there is more news to come out soon about this species - so watch this space! Other large butterflies include the White Admiral, Purple Emperor and the Silver-washed Fritillary which is
increasing in range in England and can be seen all over Norfolk but especially in Foxley Wood where the other two just mentioned can also be seen. The Purple Emperor lives at the top of oaks and is often difficult to spot, it disappeared from Norfolk for a long while but then reappeared in 1992. Foxley and Sheringham Park are the best places to spot this species and 2025 was the best ever year recorded.
Malcom noted it had also been seen at Sandringham.
The Grayling is a butterfly of the coastal zone as they prefer dry, stoney ground and can be seen at Blakeney and Cley marshes, the Wall butterfly too is now restricted to the coast and is regularly spotted at Cley on the reserve’s footpaths - this butterfly often has late broods which don’t always
survive winter so it’s a priority species for Norfolk and they’ll be monitoring it to check that it does not fall into decline. The Small Heath is a species which is in decline on the coast sadly - but can still be seen at Winterton Dunes and also in the Brecks where it is faring a bit better.
Other species mentioned by Malcolm were Dingy Skipper and Grizzled Skipper which are just about hanging on in Norfolk and can be seen at Foulden Common, Narborough Railway Line and the Stoke Ferry Cut-Off Channel. If you go to the Butterfly Conservation website and click on local groups map and bring up Norfolk - you can find out all details about the species found here.
​Malcolm also spoke about how we can all help Norfolk’s endangered butterflies. The simplest way is to be an ‘organic’ gardener and not to use insecticides in your garden, plant nectar-rich flowers such as Lavender, Marjoram and shrubs such as Buddleia. Leave a patch of grass and a wilder area, as many butterflies like to feed on wildflowers and grasses (No-Mow May etc), plus Ivy is great for Red Admirals in Autumn. Also please sign the open letter to the Govt about banning ‘Neonicotinoids’ which kill butterflies and bees – there is a link on the Butterfly Conservation website to do this.
Another easy thing we can all do is to record Butterflies and that can be through the BTO’s Garden Birdwatch or with the Norfolk group or on the Butterfly Conservation website. Malcolm reminded us that the annual Big Butterfly Count takes place from the 17th July to 9th August when we are asked if we can record all the butterflies we see within a 15 minute period. This can be in your garden or a park or anywhere really and last year 3,100 people in Norfolk took part. 55,000 butterflies were counted with an average number of species being 13, the average nationwide is only 11 species. He’d dearly like for Norfolk to be the first in terms of the number of Butterfly species seen - so perhaps our group can assist him in this as it’s a lovely thing to stand and watch these beautiful creatures.
Many thanks to Malcom for such an informative talk about what butterflies we’re able to see in Norfolk and where to see them - hopefully he’s encouraged us to look more closely at them all from now on.

Butterfly Conservation:
Head Office Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham,
Dorset, BH20 5QP
General Enquiries: T: 01929 400209 Email:
info@butterfly-conservation.org

Will and the Woods and Heath team are based at Foxley and the swathe of central Norfolk they manage reaches down from Holt and Buxton in the north and east to Wayland Wood just south of Watton. He said there were eight different reserve teams at the NWT including Coastal, three teams for the Broads, Urban (Sweetbriar and BCP), a Brecks team and a West Norfolk Team that covers Roydon Common and the Dersingham area.
Will’s team care for and manage four ancient woodland sites including Thursford Wood, a small wood containing old, pollarded oaks and a good variety of other species; Ashwelthorpe near Wymondham, a wood coppice with standards; Honeypot wood near Wendling which contains coppiced hazel and is good for spring flowers and the much larger Wayland wood. There are also four large heaths at Marsham and Cawston, plus Holt Lowes and Buxton, some of which have a unique mire system - a rich habitat for plants. Hoes and roughs also come under their jurisdiction with lots of smaller sites like Hoe Rough, Potters Fen, Booton Common and Rush Meadows, a small area near Dereham sewage works that is a great spot for flowers and birds.
The main wood Will looked at was the ancient Foxley Wood - the largest area of ancient woodland left in the county (around 123 ha) which has remained virtually the same size for centuries as recorded
on Faden’s map of Norfolk.
Foxley Wood was mapped by William Faden, geographer to King George III, in August 1797 - the shape of the wood is almost the same today - but sadly the contents are not. In the 1960’s era of mass
destruction they did not think twice about obliterating our countryside. Some bright spark in the Forestry Commission thought it was a good idea to rip out the ancient oaks in Foxley and then to add insult to injury decided to defoliate the wood with Agent Orange! This was a terrible chemical defoliant used in Vietnam during the unedifying, prolonged and pointless conflict that blighted the lives of a whole a generation.
Luckily for us, Foxley wood, which could be over 10,000 years old according to Will, survived man’s horrendous 1960’s assault and is now being carefully managed by the Trust to enhance, nurture and increase the current woodland, plants and wildlife found there. The wood is a rich mix of habitats and has some spectacular butterfly species living here, plus in spring the northern part of the wood is
covered in a carpet of bluebells. The soil structure in the wood is mixed with it predominantly being on Norfolk ‘claylands’, but the top of the wood is some 20 or so metres higher than the southern most part and is more sandy. The bottom wetter zone contains a lot of Sallow and Alder and as you progress north to the plateau area more oak and birch trees are apparent. Will also looked at the issues facing Foxley and the main one today is tree disease as Ash dieback has killed thousands of Ash trees in Norfolk and the wider UK, plus there is acute oak decline, but also the vast, unmanaged deer population - estimated to be at 1.5 to 2 million animals which is a serious risk to native woodland. Grey squirrels are also a big problem as we know. They have had to put in a lot of deer fencing at Foxley and this is very costly so the need for deer management in Norfolk is very apparent if we want to really protect our ancient woods. At Foxley the main woodland management is coppicing - an ancient woodland system that cuts back young tree stems or rods on a regular rotation of between 7 to 20 years depending on the species. Hazel is the main species managed in this manner at Foxley and is rotated around a 15-year cycle. They try to sell the coppiced material locally for hedge laying stakes and binders - plus coppiced wood can be made in charcoal or used for bean sticks and poles. Coppicing is a fantastic form of harvesting a natural regenerating material and has been carried out for thousands of years. Coppiced woodland is a rich habitat - full of flowers and wildlife. Species found at Foxley include Blackcap, Garden warbler, Butterfly orchids, Dog’s mercury, Herb Paris, Purple emperor and White admiral butterflies and other tree species include the rare Wild service- tree, Field maple, Small-leaved lime and Midland hawthorn. The Trust has also acquired Foxley North and Foxley Far North - two arable areas that will be planted with the 100 Oak trees grown by Patrick Barkham. The aim is to increase the size of the woodland area and the ‘missing patch’ of woodland at the southern end has also been taken into the Trust’s management too. Will also touched briefly on the new Manor Farm at Wood Norton - 336 acres of farmland that will be improved and rewilded to help increase biodiversity. The stream here known as Norton Beck will be returned to a more natural profile with bends and features to slow the water down. This will encourage more wildlife and plants. As this is a new acquisition there are not many details about public access to the site - so that is all for the future - but it was a very interesting talk from Will. Will showed us the map of Wood Norton farm site which is hopefully somewhere the group can visit in the future.

This area is the World’s largest wetland, said to be ten times larger than the Everglades in Florida, but also includes extensive grasslands and savannah and areas of tropical forest. It is home to around 500 species of bird, 135 species of mammal, 80 species of reptile, 50 species of amphibians, 325 species of fish and at least 1700 species of plants - although there could be double this figure. As for invertebrates - no one really knows according to James.
Although this area is technically a wetland it does still have drier seasons, July to September in the northern part and September to December in the south, and these are the best times to view the wildlife. Then the area is more accessible by truck, and the dwindling waters mean that all the wildlife, especially birds and fish, are concentrated in smaller areas. In the wet season the extensive river networks burst their banks and flood the region, creating massive swampy areas, and the forests become flooded. Many unique species are found here such as the South American Tapir and water-loving Capybaras - the largest rodent in the World. There are also two species of Caiman, Swamp turtles, thirteen species of Heron and Egret, and many hundreds of species of Butterfly - a wealth of biodiversity which can be viewed at close range if you visit on a guided tour such as run by our friends at Oriole Birding. It is possible to get really good views of the wildlife simply from your vehicle, although there are many high viewing platforms located across the region too. There are numerous lodges where you can stay and see Giant cow birds, Purplish jays, Hummingbirds and Cardinals without even leaving your hotel! There are also ‘floating’ hotels, and many parts of the Pantanal can be accessed by truck or boat with assistance from the local guides.
The species of bird found here are really amazing and James reeled off several names of birds I’ve never heard of before including, for example, Black-throated mango, Collared aracari and Red-legged Seriema! Other species James described were Jabiru stork, Snowy egret, Green ibis, Roseate spoonbill, Anhinga or Snake bird as it’s known, Social flycatcher, Black-crowned night heron, Wood stork, Limpkin - a large wading bird a bit like a heron. With regard to mammals and reptiles, there are several iconic species that inhabit the flooded zones including two-metre long Caiman, Tapirs, Rococo toads, Crab-eating foxes, Giant Anteaters, Marsh deer,
and Yellow anacondas. 
The second part of the talk focused on the drier grassland or savannah type areas within the Pantanal. Here it’s best to go on a vehicle safari which can take you around the area in relative comfort, and from which you can spot Maned wolves - a long-legged fox-type canid that is neither fox nor wolf but a species of its own! There are many termite mounds and these provide food for Giant anteater and Armadillos. Also found in the savannah is the Coati,  another unusual animal native to South America, plus there are lots of lizards and snakes. Several species of birds feed on reptiles including Red-legged and Black-legged Seriemas and Greater rheas - the largest bird in South America. The Southern Screamer is a strange bird which has very loud call that can travel for miles, and one of James’s favourite birds from the region is the Chaco chachalaca, a weird fruit and leaf eating bird. All these species were brilliantly illustrated by James as he is a fantastic photographer and has managed to capture these creatures on camera whilst visiting the region.
There are Black howler monkeys and the Hooded or Azara’s capuchin found in the forested regions, plus two species of wild boar-like Peccaries, which can be dangerous according to James. Other species noted and illustrated were the Tinamou bird, Great poto - a bit like a
nightjar, and Toco toucans which like to eat the eggs of the Hyacinth macaw - around 50% of their eggs are lost in this way said James! But there is a twist in this relationship as the macaws nest in holes in Manduvi trees which spread because the Toco’s eat the fruit and distribute the seeds. Another species endemic to the region is the Mato Grosso antbird - a small, insectivorous passerine.
We saw images of other birds including Savannah hawks, which feed on rodents and follow fires to pick off casualties, Scale doves and Crane hawks, plus many parrot species including the endangered Hyacinth macaw which is luckily now protected in the Pantanal. There are many incentives in place for the local people to want to protect and preserve this species. 
James showed plenty of images showing people exploring the region by boat and from this vantage point it’s pretty easy to see the wildlife around you - five species of Kingfisher can be ticked-off your list. Other birds found within the river systems include Sun bittern, Black
collared hawks, Great black hawks and many animals can also be seen.
The Giant otter is the World’s largest species, up to around two metres in length and is also pretty fierce according to James, they will tackle quite large prey including Anacondas! Talking of snakes, James did have an image of an Anaconda attacking a Caiman by trying to constrict it as this is the method they use to kill their prey. Other species seen on or around the numerous sandbars are Skimmers and Yellow-billed terns which look a bit like a large Little tern. But the main attraction for a lot of visitors to the region are, of course, the Jaguars that live here. This species and it’s prey species are now protected and can be seen regularly in  many areas, including along the river banks. This once shy creature is now easy to spot and James had some amazing images of this beautiful animal. It also features on the cover of his latest book, ‘Pantanal Wildlife’ - copies of which were available to buy on the night. 
It’s a real shame if you missed his presentation as the images were superb and we cannot fully explain in a brief meeting report just how great this talk was and how we were able to see the fantastic species of bird and mammals found in this amazing region. Many thanks to James for such an informative and engaging presentation.

Andy gave us the history of the species in England with references to Medieval writings detailing locations where the bird was believed to have been present and presumably breeding. These areas were located on the South Coast and in East Anglia, including Norfolk and Suffolk. He showed a slide of a carving of a Spoonbill on a misericord (below left -note the ‘bustle’) in St Peter’s and St Paul’s church in Lavenham in Suffolk and another of the Reedham village sign (below right) that depicts both Heron and Spoonbill. This is an interesting local link with a bird that last bred in England in around 1668 and was hunted into extinction for both it’s head plumes and because it was eaten at banquets (particularly in Hunstanton apparently by the Le Strange family!) Habitat loss in the Fens with wholescale land drainage also contributed to the demise of this species as a breeding bird here. But luckily for us after an absence of almost 400 years it’s here hopefully to stay this time.
The Spoonbill is a large bird up to three feet tall with a wingspan of around four feet and has a distinct bill that sets it apart from other species - as the name suggests it is ‘spoon-shaped’ and, Andy explained, around nine inches in length, although in the field it seems much longer! It feeds by immersing this bill into brackish pools, searching around for prey items including prawns, shrimps, shore crabs, eels and small fish such as sticklebacks and gobies. The bill is then tilted up (bit like a pelican) to catch and swallow them. The bill contains small spikes or sensory serrations along the length to assist with catching prey. It is also used to defend territory and for fighting and consequently can sometimes have chunks missing!
Holkham became a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1967 and the estate carried out extensive wetland management work to provide breeding and feeding grounds for waders and other wetland birds. This work ultimately led to recolonisation of Spoonbills here in 2004, with the first breeding noted in 2010. Andy explained how the topography of this site accommodates this enigmatic species. It includes an Iron Age hill fort and an old ‘duck decoy’- a wooded area containing poplars and willows which provide ideal nesting sites for the birds, surrounded with channels and ponds to deter predators. This secluded part of the estate provides a safe area and is like a ‘protective microclimate’ for the birds away from exposure to the very cold and windy North Sea. 
Grey herons were the first species to nest here and where there is a heronry other species follow.
As much of the Holkham reserve is on private land it offered a secluded site where there was no disturbance from the public and Little egrets also started to breed here in 2002. Cattle egrets and Cormorants also nest in this area too - but according to Andy, the Cormorants are causing a bit of an issue as they produce copious amounts of guano, which is acidic, and many of the trees here are now dying or already dead and as such are of no use for nesting Spoonbills, Egrets or Herons. ​Although Spoonbills arrived at Holkham in 2004 and started nest building, no young were produced
until 2010 when six pairs managed to produce ten young. Andy monitors the site from his truck so as not to disturb the birds and they also use a drone to look into the densely wooded area to see into the nests. Spoonbills don’t mate for life; they have a very complex courting and mating ritual whereby the male stakes a claim on a particular patch of a tree or shrub and carries out an ‘advertising display’ to find a mate. It will deter other males who may want to encroach on the patch and also, at first,
aggressively chase off the females. They perform a display flight and raise their crests to make them look larger; fighting similar to fencing can occur between rival males which can lead to damaged bills or other injuries, especially as the birds whack each other across the head with their large bills.
Once all this aggressive activity has ceased the males accept the females and nest building commences; they will build a nest and add vegetation to it throughout the breeding season, sometimes stealing nest material from other nests, particularly from Cormorants. Both male & female
birds incubate the eggs, two being the usual number laid although Andy has seen up to four, which are laid over a few days so the eggs hatch at different times. This takes between 22 and 31 days with an average of around 27.3 days and the newly hatched young make a trilling sound.
The young birds are fed a regurgitated soup by the parents and at around 43 days they are fully fledged but they are dependent on the adults for another two months or so after that. Large crèches can form
whereby 3 or 4 adult birds will look after a large group of juvenile birds. Stiffkey Fen is a good place to spot a gathering of young birds. Young Spoonbills have an orangey bill after hatching which then turns darker - but this then changes to a pinkish colour at the tip which can be noted in the field. Other places along the coast to see Spoonbills are at RSPB Titchwell, RSPB Snettisham pits and the NWT Cley reserve. They do not carry out any ringing at Holkham to avoid disturbance, but they have seen plenty of Dutch ringed birds here. One particular bird with yellow and green rings, known as ‘Canary One’ for obvious reasons, was born in Holland and seen in various places for around ten years or so including it was spotted in Suffolk and Poole Harbour in winter.
We are often asked at Cley reserve ‘Where do Spoonbills go in winter?’ and luckily Andy covered this in the talk by explaining what is known, although much more research is needed into this aspect of the bird’s life. They do know that some birds spend the winter on the south coast around Poole
Harbour, while other birds will head off from Dorset to France, then fly down to Spain and even migrate as far as Morocco and West Africa. Hopefully more research work on their migration routes is possible, perhaps they can satellite tag them as with Cuckoos?
According to Andy there are now at least 15 nesting sites in the UK and they can be seen much further north at reserves such as Fairburn Ings in Yorkshire and The Ribble Estuary in Lancashire. He reckons that this year there could be up to 100 pairs nesting in the UK and producing around 200 or so young. 
Andy summed up by saying that from the initial 6 pairs in 2010 at Holkham they have now increased to 46 pairs in 2023 and from the first colonisation and successful breeding they think around 748 birds have fledged here. This is an impressive number especially considering the species was extinct in the UK for over 300 years.
As to whether Holkham has reached its peak for this bird only time will tell as there are many factors that will determine whether or not more are able to breed and find adequate nest sites and feeding areas here. They are actively looking at ways to create more wooded zones on the grazing marshes that will, hopefully, be suitable as additional nest sites.
One innovative development at Holkham this year is the introduction of remote controlled cameras that have been positioned in the decoy wood during winter. The cameras will provide a live- feed on YouTube so that the public can see, for the first time, Spoonbill nests and young. The channel goes live on the 1st April and Andy is hoping that the public will engage with it and report back to Holkham anything of interest they see. [Now live on YouTube & Instagram].
In all it was a really fascinating talk from an experienced and hugely knowledgeable warden and I think that we all learnt a great deal about this wonderful bird. Plus It’ll be good to see if any are spotted here during the WVBS field trip to Holkham which took place on 28th March.