Stow Bedon 16 January 2025

At first light I drove to a friends farm at Stow Bedon, my plan was to leave the car at the farm, walk through some wonderful Breckland habitats at Breckles Heath and Cranberry Rough and walk back to the farm for a coffee and chat.  

The long off-road drive to the farm has seen significant changes to the landscape and habitat adjacent to the track, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has purchased a large parcel of land which is being restored to heathland habitat.  Restoring this land to heathland is being helped along by grazing British White cattle, a beautiful looking animal which is in fact a rare breed.  The presence of these grazing cattle will benefit ground nesting wading birds by clearing and controlling invasive species such as Birch and scrub habitats.

Heathland is a very rare habitat sadly.  In recent times this extremely valuable habitat has been ploughed or developed upon, it therefore very encouraging to see this new heathland habitat being created.  Heathland is rarer than rain forests and here in Britain we hold 20 per cent of the worlds heaths, it is therefore vital that we protect what we have and indeed increase this with further heath restoration.

British White at Stow Bedon 16 January 2025.  Doing its important bit for heathland.

 My visit saw a mix of important Breckland habitats from heathland, farmland, wet meadows, swamp and woodland Carr, compartments of Pine woodland, deciduous woodland, and a beautiful farmhouse garden.

The drive along the long track to the farm saw many Fieldfare in the hedgerow and weedy margins and two Buzzards low over farmland.

I arrived at the farm with lots of species coming and going, these included 30+ Collared Dove, Tit species, Nuthatch, Greenfinch, a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker and a singing Mistle Thrush.

Ever present was the distant calling of Cranes.

My walk began through mature mixed woodland where the dominant species was Great, Blue Tits, and Coal Tit.

As the woodland ended I entered fairly open country with scattered Hawthorn and Birch, here I located a single female Stonechat in Hawthorns, I suspect this bird will breed close to in the spring, also, a single Goldcrest silently foraging within Hawthorns.

Continuing along the path I then heard the squealing call of a Water Rail on the edge of Cranberry Rough within woodland swamp habitat.

Water Rail, a secretive bird which is heard more than seen (from my archives)

The going through Cranberry Rough was very wet and muddy, the thick woodland swamp habitat has a very primeval feel to it.  Tit species dominated which included Marsh Tit.  I stopped for a coffee break by the small footbridge, close to where I used to see and hear Willow Tit, in fact where I had my break is where I once watched A Willow Tit excavate its nest in a rotten Birch stump.  Willow Tits are now very rare in Norfolk, so I chose my coffee break deliberately in the hope that I just might once again hear the buzzing call of this beautiful Tit species.

Marsh Tit

Continuing my walk to my planned turning point, I heard further Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming bringing my total to 7 birds.  Treecreepers gave their piercing shrill call.

Walking back to the farm I encountered several Redwings on a meadow and in the Hawthorn scrub along the path a least 4 Bullfinches seen along with another Marsh Tit.

The Farm

The previous night when arranging to visit the farm, my friend invited me for coffee and chat when I ended my walk.  I spent a very pleasant hour or so enjoying my coffee in the kitchen, which looks out into a wonderful wildlife garden comprising shrubs, an Orchard, and a large pond.  Birds were constantly coming and going, these included 50+ House Sparrows, Great, Blue, Coal, and a couple of Marsh Tits.  One Nuthatch briefly visited.  Several Blackbirds were on the ground between shrubs, these were joined by Chaffinches and Dunnock.  A pair of Stock Doves visited often.   

I left the farm just after midday.  I stopped briefly by one of the heaths under restoration, here I saw two Meadow Pipits and a single Pied Wagtail.  Finally, a slow drive along the track produced the distinctive white rump of a Bullfinch moving between cover.