Bordering the River Yare, Thorpe Marshes is one of Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s newest nature reserves. It is also the Trust’s first truly urban site, located on the eastern fringe of Norwich.
The site is a wonderful mosaic of habitats: flower-rich marshes intertwined with dykes that are home to many butterfly and dragonfly species, including the Norfolk hawker and the emperor dragonfly. The large body of open water, formerly a gravel working, hosts a variety of waterbirds such as great crested grebe, cormorant and grey heron. The reserve is also home to a number of mammals; Chinese water deer and muntjacs are often sighted, as well as the more common foxes and hedgehogs. Most excitingly, the rare water vole occurs in small numbers on the reserve.
Images © Nick Appleton, Liz Dack, Jackie Dent, Richard Osbourne and Julian Thomas.
