“Surrounded by a haunting, evocative landscape – the place that time forgot”

Hazelwood Marshes are one of the last undrained grazing marshes on the Suffolk coast and among the most important for breeding wading birds including redshank, snipe and lapwing and wintering wildfowl such as white-fronted geese. Marsh harrier, barn owl and avocet also nest here.

Looking out over the Alde estuary from the Eric Hosking hide (built in memory of the late photographer) gives great views of birds taking advantage of the flooding tide. Keep your eyes peeled for pintail, wigeon, black-tailed godwit and avocet. Cattle graze the marshes to maintain the tussocky grass favoured by breeding waders. In other areas grass is grazed shorter to provide winter grazing for wildfowl.

A network of fresh and brackish water dykes dissects the grazing marsh. These act like wet fences to control the cattle and provide a valuable wildlife habitat. In some stretches of fresh water the flowerless stems of stonewort are just visible below the surface. This is not a true plant, but an algae which flourishes in clean, still water. In the brackish areas, look out for soft hornwort and horned pondweed.Reed fringes are home to breeding birds such as sedge and reed warbler and bearded tit, as well as dragonflies like the black-tailed skimmer and scarce chaser.

Other Trust reserves nearby: Sizewell Belts

Black tailed godwit

STAR SPECIES
Redshank
Snipe
Black-tailed godwit