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Wildlife along the Oulton Broad
The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads is a unique area of water, grazing marshes, fen and woodland, and home to some of the rarest plants and creatures in the UK. It is Britain's largest protected wetland, having similar status to a national park.
The Broads is more than a collection of important sites and species. The different landscapes, land-use, habitats, and the wildlife they support make up an internationally renowned wetland ecosystem.
Carlton Marshes, not far from Oulton Broad, is a great place for walking and wildlife, with the Suffolk Broads Wildlife Centre to tell you all about it. Snipe, redshank and lapwing all nest here.
It is a haven for wildlife, some of which no longer exists anywhere else in the UK, as in the example of the swallowtail butterfly and the norfolk hawker dragonfly.
In terms of flora there are a whole host of species, including hemp agrimony, rare varieties of orchids and the more common yellow flag.
On the water glide the commonly seen coots, moorhens and mallards, sometimes alongside elegant mute swans, or great crested grebes. And in the reeds and trees witness small bearded tits, bigger booming bitterns and herons.
Aquatic plants play a vital role in this freshwater system. Water soldier, holly-leaved naiad, waterlilies, hornwort and bladderwort are just a few species that flourish in the open water of the broads. The open water of the larger broads provides a winter home for teal and wigeon.
However of major concern are the murky waters which have led to the extinction of many plants and animals in this area and which is now a focal point for local and national conservation groups.
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Carlton Marshes - Suffolk Broads Wildlife Centre »
Address: Burnt Hill Lane, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 8HU
Tel: 01502 564250
Services: Nature reserve
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