Reserve Closure

This reserve will close on Thursday 14 November for an all-staff meeting. Please check locally for site specific closure times and details.

About

The Nene Washes is a huge washland for the River Nene, in Cambridgeshire. We look after 800 hectares of the 1,522 hectare site, and it's one of the few remaining areas of washland in the UK. In the summer, the area is mostly grassland with wildflowers, while come winter, much of the area is flooded, providing safe haven and foraging for thousands of birds.

Snipe can be seen at Nene Washes all year-round, but are easiest to see in spring. It's also an excellent spot to watch birds of prey, with Marsh Harriers and Hobbies in summer, and Hen Harriers and Peregrines in winter. Short-eared Owls are a joy to watch hunting over the grasslands here in winter.

Cranes have been nesting on the Washes since 2010 and form flocks outside the breeding season. It's also the most important site in the UK for breeding Black-tailed Godwits.

At a glance

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