Utterly Bitternly

We will create a reedbed complex supporting resident breeding bittern and other wildlife. New areas of reed with deeper pools and ditches and seasonal ponds will cover 23.4 hectares, increasing reedbed to 15ha with 3.7km of new feeding edge, which is key to success. Rich silt will be deposited in infertile pools; stocked with fish, these will provide Bitterns with food, increasing the likelihood of successful breeding. We will use spoil from the excavations to form new feeding areas in the reserve reservoir. We will transplant existing reed turves to new areas to fill any gaps. Land around the pools will be levelled and scrub will be managed. The existing access path will be moved to cut down on disturbance.