Birdwatching / Wildlife

This area of the Wensum valley is outstanding and home to an abundance of Bird and Wildlife. With a rich diverse range of habitat from mature woodland to open wetland spaces the fishery attracts a wealth of wildlife into this green corridor and provides excellent nesting sites for a range of species. The river wensum and its banks are designated a SSSI and also a Special Area of Conservation, these are legal designations. As such, under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is an offence to undertake certain operations without prior permission from Natural England, the Government's agency for protecting nature. Find out more about the River Wensum and its SSSI status here.

Our members may visit this outstanding site and stroll through the woodland or by the river to enjoy all that the Wensum Valley has to offer. Catch a glimpse of the deer as they drift ghost like through the trees in the early morning mist or follow the tracks left by the nocturnal otter as it follows the river down to Costessey mill. The silence of the early morning broken by the hammering of the woodpecker as it searches the mature woodland for grubs in the decaying bark. We hope to be working with several groups over the next few years to improve the habitat in the area to attract further species to the site. The site is a wonderful area for photographers and presents a wide range of fauna and fungi to photograph along with many species of dragonfly and butterflies and the sunsets over the fishery never fail to impress. 

Please note it is important to stay on the maintained tracks while at the fishery as some areas can be extremely boggy in wet conditions.