Places · 27 species

Norfolk Broads wildlife: what to see, and when

Reedbeds, windpumps and grazing marsh around Hickling and Horsey. Bitterns boom in spring, marsh harriers quarter the reeds, swallowtails fly in early summer and grey seals pup on Horsey beach in winter.

Best known for

Season by season

What’s worth looking for, quickest to see first, with the best time of day.

Spring March to May

Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Great crested grebe dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Swallow dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Marsh harrier dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Barn owl dawn and dusk · keep still
Brown hare dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Cuckoo dawn and day · keep still
Common crane dawn and dusk · keep still
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Cetti's warbler dawn, day and dusk
Water vole dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Otter dawn and dusk · keep still

Summer June to August

Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Great crested grebe dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Swallow dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Marsh harrier dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Barn owl dawn and dusk · keep still
Cuckoo dawn and day · keep still
Swallowtail day
Norfolk hawker day
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Hobby day and dusk · keep still
Cetti's warbler dawn, day and dusk
Water vole dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Otter dawn and dusk · keep still
Bittern dawn, day and dusk · from a hide

Autumn September to November

Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Great crested grebe dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Grey seal dawn and day · keep still
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Swallow dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Pink-footed goose dawn and dusk · keep still
Marsh harrier dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Chinese water deer dawn and dusk · keep still
Barn owl dawn and dusk · keep still
Brown hare dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Common crane dawn and dusk · keep still
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Hobby day and dusk · keep still
Bearded tit dawn and day · keep still
Cetti's warbler dawn, day and dusk
Otter dawn and dusk · keep still

Winter December to February

Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Great crested grebe dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Grey seal dawn and day · keep still
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Pink-footed goose dawn and dusk · keep still
Chinese water deer dawn and dusk · keep still
Barn owl dawn and dusk · keep still
Brown hare dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Common crane dawn and dusk · keep still
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Cetti's warbler dawn, day and dusk
Otter dawn and dusk · keep still

The hard ones

Rare and secretive: patience and the right place and hour. The waits are game time: sitting still, a game hour passes in four real seconds.

Bittern about 15 hours of game-time watching at its best (about a minute of real waiting)