This autumn, a reedbed at Brandon Marsh will receive some much needed restoration. Reedbeds form on the edges of rivers or pools and can support a wide range of wildlife amongst their towering reeds, which grow up to 2m high. Otters, water voles, and bittern may all call reedbeds their homes.

Alban's reedbed sits at the south east corner of the reserve, bordered on one side by the River Avon. The reedbed was created over 25 years ago to introduce more habitat for birds such as the reed warblers, sedge warblers, and Cetti's warblers which now breed here.

Despite regular maintenance by staff and volunteers, this particular reedbed has become dry and shallow due to a build-up of debris and plant litter. Thanks to funding secured from Natural England’s ‘Species Recovery Programme’, restoration will take place in November and early December 2024 to deepen the pools and install sluices which will prevent the area from drying out again.

It is hoped that by making these improvements the rare bittern which are known to visit Brandon Marsh will be encouraged to breed here.

Booming bittern

The bittern is a member of the heron family and is found in wetlands across Europe and North Africa. Its brown streaked plumage is excellent camouflage for its preferred habitat of wet reedbeds where it hides away from disturbance. It also likes to feed within reeds and will stealthily hunt fish and amphibians as well as small birds, mammals and invertebrates.

The male bittern will claim a territory and attract a mate with a call known as 'booming'. This distinctive sound is made using powerful vocal muscles and can be heard up to two or three miles away if the air is still.

Females will nest within the reeds building a platform of vegetation suspended above the safety of the water. The female will fly sometimes for over a mile to catch food and these ‘feeding flights’ are a good sign that chicks have hatched.

Over the last few years bittern have been regularly attracted to the reedbeds at Brandon Marsh and in recent years a male was heard ‘booming’ on several occasions. Next spring, once the restoration work is completed, we hope the birds will return and breed.

What you may see

During November and December there will be some disturbance to Alban's reedbed and you may see contractors working, visible from the Kingfisher trail and observation platform. The area of disturbance is limited, and care has been taken to avoid affecting other wildlife on the reserve.