Berney Marshes & Breydon Water RSPB reserve facts for kids

Berney Marshes and Breydon Water
Berney Marshes Looking across the marsh below the Berney Arms towards Breydon Water.
Type	Nature reserve
Location	Norfolk, England
Operated by	RSPB

Welcome to the Berney Marshes and Breydon Water RSPB reserve! This special place is a nature reserve looked after by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). It's located in Norfolk, England.

Berney Marshes sits south of the River Bure. Breydon Water is where the River Waveney and River Yare rivers meet. This area is found inland from Great Yarmouth.

Discover Berney Marshes and Breydon Water

This amazing reserve is part of a bigger area called the Halvergate Marshes. The RSPB works hard to manage the habitats here. Their goal is to help all the local wildlife. They especially focus on birds that breed here or visit in winter.

The RSPB manages about 550 hectares (1,360 acres) of wet grasslands. In winter, a huge number of birds, around 85,000, can be found here. These include ducks, geese, and wading birds.

Home to Amazing Wildlife

This reserve is super important for many bird species. You might spot pink-footed geese flying overhead. Eurasian wigeon are common ducks that visit. And the elegant black-tailed godwit can also be seen.

The RSPB keeps the water levels high into spring. This makes the grasslands perfect for breeding birds. It helps birds like the common redshank and Northern lapwing find good nesting spots.

How RSPB Helps Wildlife Thrive

Cattle also help manage the land. Their grazing keeps the grass short, which is great for wading birds. The ditches are cleaned every 7-10 years. This helps many insects and water creatures live there. These small creatures are food for the birds.

The RSPB also looks after 375 hectares (927 acres) of muddy areas. These mud flats are a safe place for birds that spend the winter here. It's like a special sanctuary for them.

Visiting the Reserve

You cannot reach this reserve by car. But don't worry, there are other ways to get there! You can walk from Great Yarmouth. Or, you can take a train from Norwich or Great Yarmouth. Just ask the train to stop at Berney Arms Station. It's a unique way to arrive!