One of the jewels of the Broads National Park is the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's nature reserve at Ranworth Broad. Located just along the River Bure from the popular yachting village of Horning, it is part of the wonderful Bure Marshes National Nature Reserve.
The centre was opened by Prince Charles, who is well known for his interest in ecology and wildlife. If you arrive by road you reach the visitor centre by walking on the boardwalk trail, which is a series of duckboards which allow you to pass over the marsh ground that surrounds the broad.
This marshy area is an example of "succession". This is a natural process which happens over many years. It begins with plants growing at the water's edge trapping mud and dead material in their roots and stems. Slowly this detritus builds up in a ring around the broad and the level is raised above the surrounding water, causing further drying out.
So, as you stroll along the boardwalk to the visitor centre and see the various stages of this process, you will actually be making a trip through time.
When you arrive at the visitor centre, you might be surprised to find that it is actually floating on the water. Inside you can sit at the slit windows on the upper floor and get some amazing views of the birds that congregate here. You may also notice odd bits of what look like shipwrecks - which they are.
During the Second World War, many of the rapidly becoming redundant wherries were sunk in the broads. The object of this was to deny the enemy the ability to land seaplanes on the broads as a prelude to invasion. There are also rafts moored on the broads to allow birds, such as common terns, to nest.
The centre is only open from April to October, but, depending on the time of year, the range of birds you will see can vary widely. The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, due to their strategic location on the eastern side of England are an ideal over wintering location for migrating birds from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, seeking to survive the winter in the slightly less harsh environment of England, with its maritime climate.
So you might be lucky in early April to see overwintering birds and in October, if the weather is harsh in Russia and Scandinavia, the early return of the same birds.
During the summer months you are likely to see swallows and swifts with their characteristic swooping flight as they hunt for the many insects that rise from the water.
You may also see redpolls, siskins, cormorants and herons.
Star of the Ranworth spring and summer show has to be the great crested grebes, with their striking plumage, which flashes in the sun as they dive for fish. In the spring you are likely to see them transporting their chicks on their back, as they swim around the broad.
When you reluctantly depart back to dry land, spare a moment to notice some of the more unusual plants that grow on the marshland. Close to the waters edge are the marsh flowers of hemp agrimony and yellow loosestrife. You may also see meadowsweet, which is the flower from which aspirin is synthesized. Between May and July, you might be lucky to see the beautiful distinctive swallowtail butterflies, with their yellow and black markings, feeding on the milk parsley. Away from the water's edge, you'll see the tufts of sedge grass and alder trees, both of which signify permanently wet ground. Among the sedges, you might spot some wild hops or honeysuckle - or even the very rare royal fern.
As you get closer to dry land again, the wooded area, consists mainly of oak and is home to many "dry land" birds, such as robins, wrens, warblers and tawny owls.
Listen for the distinctive rapid tapping of the woodpecker, as it hunts for insects in the crevices of the tree bark. You might also be lucky enough to hear the repetitive song of the chiffchaff.
All in all an immensely enjoyable and satisfying afternoon on the Norfolk Broads.
Copyright 2006 NorfolkBroadsExplorer.com
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