Great Egret breeds in Norfolk for the first time

Great Egrets have fledged three chicks at Holkham NNR, Norfolk, this summer, marking the county’s first successful breeding attempt. 

In the 50th year of Holkham being designated a National Nature Reserve, and following the recent announcement of the estate’s Approved Body Status, it is timely that the occasion is marked by a first for the reserve. Following the formation of a thriving colony of Norfolk’s first breeding Little Egrets in 2002 and the colonisation by Spoonbills in 2010, Holkham NNR has announced that another rare breeding bird, Great Egret, has joined its long list of nesting bird species.

Great Egret was persecuted by 'plume hunters' across much of Europe during the 1800s. It's brilliant white plumes – long feathers used in display – were highly sought after by milliners providing hats to fashionable ladies. For much of the 20th century it was restricted to the wetlands of eastern Europe. Since the 1990s, however, the species began to make a comeback, nesting in increasing numbers all across Europe. In 2012, it successfully nested in Britain for the first time on the Somerset Levels, where small but increasing numbers have continued to breed.

Since then Norfolk has also recorded more individuals each year, culminating in the county’s first successful breeding attempt this year, when three young fledged. The reserve’s mix of freshwater grazing marsh, with its extensive network of dykes, pools and scrapes, and importantly wet woodland provides an ideal habitat for this large stately fish-eating member of the heron family.

Holkham's trees and marshes back onto beaches very popular with the public. Photo: Perowne International.

Spanning the coast from Burnham Norton to Blakeney, privately owned Holkham NNR in north Norfolk covers an area of around 3,706 hectares. It is a unique and very special mix of habitats including freshwater grazing marshes, saltmarsh, mature pine woodland, sand dunes and also renowned for its golden sands. The area provides habitat for many migrant bird species, including thousands of Pink-footed Geese during winter, and is home to a rich flora and fauna.