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17 September 2014
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Estates | Holkham

Wild Goose chase!

Geese in flight (Image c/o Holkham Estate)

Holkham is a fantastically rich nature reserve, largely due to its great variety of habitats.

In winter the estate is famous for one of the greatest bird spectacles in Europe - the arrival of the Pink Footed Goose. There's also a great Owl watching treat!


Geese in flight - an amazing spectacle. Photo: Holkham Estate


The Holkham Estate has been home to the Earls of Leicester for nearly 300 years.

Today a large part of its 24,000 acres is a national nature reserve managed by English Nature.

Dunes at Holkham (Image c/o Holkham Estate)Wildlife habitats

Holkham is special for wildlife because of the great mix of habitats from marshes, dunes and sand spits to wind exposed tide lines, creeks, and shaded pinewoods.

There's also green pastures, arable farms and parkland, providing further diversity.

Footpaths cross much of the estate, providing access to all the best wildlife spots.

It is possible to explore most of the area by following footpaths from the main settlements or from car parks.

The core section of the reserve, from Wells to Holkham Bay, is crisscrossed by paths allowing access to all the best wildlife habitats.

Owls

Owl in tree (Image c/o Holkham Estate)Owls are one of our most distinctive birds of prey with their round heads and large, forward facing eyes.

All five British species of owl can be seen on the Holkham estate.

Norfolk and Holkham estate, in particular, are great places for owls, because of their mixture of grazing land and arable crops.

The owls like the grassy areas during winter when they can spend time in underground tunnels keeping warm, even when there is heavy frost on top.

The arable land is a good source of food, supporting a large population of mice, the Owls' favourite meal.

In cold weather the owl feeds on grass shoots and seeds, as well as small mammals such as large voles, rats and mice.

The Barn Owl is resident at Holkham and there are more pairs on the estate than any other part of the country.

Recently the numbers have been very good because of mild winters with lots of mice and rats for the owls to eat.

Owls also lay more eggs if there are more mice around.

Short and long eared owls come to Holkham over the winter from southern Scandinavia and eastern Europe.

Tawny Owls live at Holkham year round, as does the Little Owl, originally brought in by the Romans as pest control against cockroaches.

Birds of prey

Another bird of prey found at Holkham is the Harrier, which is rather larger and bulkier than other harriers.

Harriers are long winged birds with sharp claws and a long reach, adapted for snatching prey while hunting at low level.

This is the largest and heaviest harrier, but it has the shortest tail.

It has a tendency to fly low, flapping gently between wavering on slightly raised wings.

This bird is also capable of high soaring flights and, as a result, is sometimes mistaken for a Buzzard.

The Harrier is often associated with marshland, but these birds of prey are also known to travel widely when hunting over adjoining farmland.

In winter many of the harriers head south but some stay on in eastern and south eastern England where we are most likely to see them.

Geese in flightNature's amazing spectacle

In winter Holkham plays host to one of nature's most remarkable spectacles.

Thousands of geese feast on the ploughed fields where they eat a variety of grasses, carrots, potatoes, waste sugar beet roots and leaves.

Look out for hundreds of Pink Footed Geese from Greenland circling over the fields, yelping and then dropping into the field to feed.

If you're lucky, you might also see White Fronted Geese from northern Siberia, and Brent Geese from Spitzenberg.

The hides on the estate are some of the best places to watch this spectacle.

Bird watchers can watch the action unfold looking over onto the sand dunes off the harbour near Wells next the Sea.

The sandbanks provide safe roosting area for the birds as they become isolated by tides.

Credits

All photographs courtesy of Holkham Estate.

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