Rare heron species breed successfully at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve.
For the first time in over a decade, two rare species of birds have been recorded as breeding in Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Besthorpe Nature Reserve, located in the Trent Valley, has become the first recorded breeding site in the county for the Great White Egret and the Cattle Egret since 2013.
Earlier this summer, a pair of Great White Egrets raised up to five chicks and a second pair are thought to have fledge chicks, in addition to four juvenile Cattle Egrets being spotted and two pairs thought to have nested successfully.
The birds, which are all members of the heron family, have nested in trees on an island in nature reserve, located just north of Newark between the villages of Collingham and Besthorpe.
The wetland nature reserve, which was previously a commercial sand and gravel quarry, covers 68 hectares of diverse habitat ranging from open water and reedbeds to shingle islands and wildflower meadows.
In 2012 the reserve underwent a major transformation to provide the diversity required for a host of species to thrive, by re-establish a once-thriving reedbed and reprofiling the area where the two new heron species have now bred.
The reserve is situated close to the RSPB’s Langford Lowfields Nature Reserve, and significant investment in both sites in recent decades has seen the area develop into an attractive wildlife destination.
Wayne Ball, head of nature recovery for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted that both Great White and Cattle Egrets have bred successfully.
“Keen locals, including birdwatchers, and members of staff, have been keeping an eye on them and we didn’t want to release any details until we knew they’d fledged safely — but it’s great to now be able to share the news.”
Speaking on behalf of RSPB, Langford Lowfield's manager, Joe Harris, said: “The Cattle Egrets that were nesting at Besthorpe Nature Reserve have been visiting Langford Lowfield’s every day to feed and since the chicks hatched, they have joined the adults on their visits: the Great Whites Egrets have also visited.
“The breeding success underlines the importance of having big, connected, complementary habitats close by — with Besthorpe offering nesting opportunities and Langford giving additional feeding opportunities to the birds.”
With these heron species now being spotted at several of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s other sites, wildlife experts believe it is likely that these rare birds will find more breeding sites in the near future.
The breeding success is in stark contrast to concern in the mid-1990s when young heron chicks were routinely dying as a result of suspected industrial pollution. Thanks to the work of volunteers and and the Environment Agency, new measures were put in place to prevent future impact on the birds.
