Restored wetlands bringing back rare breeding birds to England

News this week from RSPB reserves in England that their Otmoor Reserve, a restored wetland on formerly poor and drained farmland has seen the return of Bittern nesting successfully.

By https://www.flickr.com/photos/lincsbirder/ 

[CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

This rare and secretive breeding heron formerly widespread in Britain and Ireland is now a rarity and a high conservation priority. Its reedbed habitat had much declined due to wetland drainage but areas are being restored and a recovery is being seen.

The Otmoor site adds to the species range in Britain and is the result of wetland restoration efforts including reedbed re-establishment.

Bittern, once widespread in Ireland, could re-colonise and breed in Ireland with extensive reedbed development as a result of the Wetland Wilderness Park project. In turn they would form part of a wildlife spectacle which vistors and the local community could enjoy.

The species was made famous in Irish litertaure through the poem An Bunnán Buí