Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve is a 77-hectare (190-acre) nature reserve located south-west of

Thorpe in Balne Thorpe in Balne is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 176 at the 2001 census, increasing to 203 at the 2011 Census. A moated site with a chapel and a fishpo ...

, north of

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. In N ...

. The reserve is managed and maintained by a team of volunteers under the

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a charitable non-governmental organisation, one of the UK's 46 county-based Wildlife Trusts. It's focus is nature conservation and it works to achieve a nature-rich Yorkshire with healthy and resilient ecosystems ...

as well as

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council is the local authority of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, based at the Doncaster Civic Office in Waterdale, central Doncaster. It is one of four local authories in South Y ...

. The reserve shares its name with the

coal-fired power station A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide, there are about 8,500 coal-fired power stations totaling over 2,000 gigawatts Nameplate capacity, capacity. They ...

which occupied the adjacent land prior to its closure in 1994 and the demolition of its remaining

cooling towers A cooling tower is a device that rejects waste heat to the atmosphere through the cooling of a coolant stream, usually a water stream to a lower temperature. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and ...

in 2012. The site is on an area of

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of ...

susceptible to flooding (

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

) by the River Don, thus creating an area of

marshland A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

on which the reserve sits (hence the appended "marsh").

History

Before the power station (pre–1959)

Prior to the enclosure (pre–1766)

= Middle Ages (pre–14th century)

= During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, Thorpe Marsh was an agricultural site on which farmers used the

open field system The open-field system was the prevalent agricultural system in much of Europe during the Middle Ages and lasted into the 20th century in Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Each manor or village had two or three large fields, usually several hundred acre ...

, creating a ridge and furrow pattern via the use of

ploughs A plough or plow ( US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden, iron or ...

. This pattern is still visible today, particularly in Reedholme and Applehurst fields.

= Early landowners (late 14th century)

= Prior to 1385, lands in the present Thorpe Marsh area were owned by one Roger del Grene, of Owston, a landowner in the parishes of Owston,

Burghwallis Burghwallis is a small village and civil parish in rural South Yorkshire, England. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census was 300. The village is situated amongst mixed farmland and woodland on a slight rise roughly six miles ...

Campsall Campsall is a village in South Yorkshire, England. It lies to the north-west of Doncaster, at an elevation of around 50 feet above sea level. The village contains Campsall Country Park. The village falls within the civil parish of Norton, th ...

and

Barnby Dun Barnby Dun is a village in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Together with Kirk Sandall it forms the civil parish of Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall. It lies between Arksey and Stainforth. The parish church of St Peter & St Paul is Grade I ...

, the last of which the reserve lies within. On 8 September 1385, del Grene granted all of his lands in the above parishes to John Isbell (

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

to Agnes, Roger's wife), Edward del Holme, John Leche and Elias Ode.

= Henryson Family (early 15th century–1489)

= By the early 15th century, land in Thorpe Marsh was owned by chaplain John Shirley, likely purchased from one or multiple of the aforementioned landowners. On 2 November 1440, Shirley granted his lands in the parishes of Owston, Skellow, Carcroft and the Thorpe in Balne area of Barnby Dun parish to his brother-in-law, Robert Henryson, who had married the chaplain's sister. Henryson later granted a

messuage In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of real property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien. A typical conveyancing transaction has two major phases: the exchange of contracts ...

including a garden and three closes in Balne to his son, also named Robert Henryson, and all other lands in the parishes of Owston and Barnby Dun to his other son, John Henryson. Robert returned his land to his father on 18 January 1482, whilst John gave the remainder of his lands to his brother by

quitclaim Generally, a quitclaim is a formal renunciation of a legal claim against some other person, or of a right to land. A person who quitclaims renounces or relinquishes a claim to some legal right, or transfers a legal interest in land. Originally a c ...

on 28 May 1489.

= Mellish letters & the Foljambe Family (1489–1731)

= In 1731, following the River Run Navigation Acts of 1725 and 1726, three letters mentioning Thorpe Marsh were addressed to a Joseph Mellish of Doncaster, the likely father of MPs Joseph Mellish and William Mellish, regarding the Navigation Bill. The first letter was dated February 1731 and was written by William Mellish, assumedly addressing the letter to his father. The second letter was dated March 1731 and was written by a T. Yarborough, whilst the third letter was dated April 1731 and written by Edward Simpson, later MP for

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

. The letters pertain to a cut being made on Thorpe Marsh for the construction of the River Dun Navigation which would conclusively go ahead the following year. The letter composed by Mr Yarborough commented that the cut may be injurious to the estate of one Mr Foljambe, potentially Francis Foljambe of

Aldwarke Aldwarke is an industrial area in South Yorkshire, England. It is in the Eastern suburbs of Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then m ...

, the

maternal ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestat ...

Grandparent, grandfather of Francis Ferrand Foljambe MP and

patrilineal Patrilineality, also known as the male line, the spear side or agnatic kinship, is a common kinship system in which an individual's family membership derives from and is recorded through their father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritanc ...

7th great-grandson of Sir Godfrey de Foljambe. This letter in conjunction with records held by Foljambe of Osberton implies that the Foljambe family acquired ownership of the Thorpe Marsh area, possibly between 1489 and 1506.

= Ancient origins of place names (1339–1849)

= The 1731 letters to Joseph Mellish represent the earliest known use of the name Thorpe Marsh, whilst the names of other areas within the reserve have also been in use for centuries; the names Reedholme, Cockshaw, Smallholme and

Tilts Tilts is a hamlet in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Aside from some farms, there is a moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, ...

were all present by 1849. The name Thorpe Marsh is most likely derived from its neighbour village of Thorpe in Balne, whose name emerged as early as 1339 of Norse origin. The use of the names Applehurst, Reedholme, Sicklecroft and Smallholme can be traced to circa 1841, 1771, 1848 and 1620 respectively. The origin of the name Cockshaw is uncertain however must precede 1849, and was mentioned in

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

and land drainage archives of January 1864 when the deviation of Cockshaw Drain was proposed to accommodate a railway.

Pre-Industrial (1766–1916)

In 1766 a

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

was passed for the

enclosure Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...

of Thorpe Marsh and Grumblehirst (later known as Grumble Hurst); the enclosing freeholder remains unknown, and the present site likely changed hands between 1731 and 1766 as Francis Ferrand Foljambe only inherited estates in Aldwarke,

Wadworth Wadworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 1,229, reducing to 1,137 at the 2011 Census. Notable buildings in the village include Wadworth Hall Wadworth ...

, Steeton and

Westow Westow is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of the county of North Yorkshire, England. The village lies in the historic boundaries of the East Riding of Yorkshire. Westow is situated in the lee of Spy Hill, bordering the Howa ...

. On 16 September 1768, Thorpe Marsh and Grumble Hirst were enclosed and early landowners on the enclosed site include William Fretwell and Thomas Coward, of Barnby Dun and Burghwallis respectively. By the late 1770s, primary landowners included

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

William Brook – who granted a £240

mortgage A mortgage loan or simply mortgage (), in civil law jurisdicions known also as a hypothec loan, is a loan used either by purchasers of real property to raise funds to buy real estate, or by existing property owners to raise funds for any pu ...

on the site to his sisters-in-law, Sarah and Mary Townrow (

spinsters ''Spinster'' is a term referring to an unmarried woman who is older than what is perceived as the prime age range during which women usually marry. It can also indicate that a woman is considered unlikely to ever marry. The term originally den ...

from

Conisbrough Conisbrough () is a town within the City of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is roughly midway between Doncaster and Rotherham, and is built alongside the River Don at . It has a ward population (Conisbrough and Denaby) of 14,333. ...

) in 1778 – Joshua Hepworth, William Fores, and Henry Walker Sr. By 1804, drainage plans were being produced across the area. The Thorpe Marsh area was drained in 1835 under the first iteration of the Dun Drainage Act, enforced by William Pilkington, whilst other areas of the River Don were drained between 1873 and 1879 under the Dun Drainage Amendment Act.

Early 20th Century (1916–1959)

In 1916 the

LNER LNER may refer to: * London and North Eastern Railway, a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1923 until 1947 * London North Eastern Railway, a train operating company in the United Kingdom since 2018 * Liquid neutral earthing resistor, a typ ...

Gowdall and Braithwell Railway was constructed and opened,The Hull and Barnsley Railway, G.D. Parkes, The Oakwood Press, pp. 11–12. and this line intersected the modern day area of the reserve, separating Reedholme and Cockshaw. The line was closed in September 1970, leaving a raised bank running through the reserve which is now known as the Main Embankment and presently serves as a primary artery for nature transects and hide placement. Widespread flooding across

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

in May 1932, which adversely affected the

Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

and

Arksey Arksey is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. It had an estimated population of 1,303 as of 2010. It was the birthplace of the children's writer Barbara Euphan Todd on 9 January 1890. Arksey has four ...

region, elicited planning at Thorpe Marsh for the construction of a barrier bank on the present-day reserve, now known as Norwood Barrier Bank. These plans came to fruition by 1933, alongside earlier bank raising along the Ea Beck in 1929. The

triangulation station A triangulation station, also known as a trigonometrical point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity. The nomenclature varies regionally: they a ...

at Cockshaw Dyke in the west of the reserve was computed on 1 June 1949 and underwent maintenance in 1961 however has since been lost, potentially due to dyke works.

Thorpe Marsh Power Station (1959–1994)

The land to construct a power station on the Thorpe Marsh site was acquired in 1957 and construction began in 1959. Thorpe Marsh Power Station was opened on 2 June 1967 by Ernest G. Boissier. For most of its history, the present Thorpe Marsh site was most easily accessed from the village of

to the east via Royalty Bridge from Royalty Lane. In 1959, during the construction of Thorpe Marsh Power Station, Fordstead Lane was extended to connect with the villages of

Almholme Almholme is a hamlet in South Yorkshire, England. It was in the parish of Arksey, and is now in Bentley with Arksey unparished area. The term 'holme' relates to the hamlet being located in a low and level pasture near water; the River Don is t ...

and

. This provided access to Norwood

Sluice Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...

which had existed since before 1849 as Norwood

Foot Bridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

and

Floodgate Floodgates, also called stop gates, are adjustable gates used to control water flow in flood barriers, reservoir, river, stream, or levee systems. They may be designed to set spillway crest heights in dams, to adjust flow rates in sluices and c ...

and had previously connected to Almholme via footpath. Norwood Gate is now one of four remaining entrances to the nature reserve and is listed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust as the reserve's primary entrance. In the 1960s, land in the present Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve was purchased by the

Central Electricity Generating Board The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales from 1958 until privatisation of the electricity industry in the 1990s. It was established on 1 Januar ...

where large volumes of

fly ash Fly ash, flue ash, coal ash, or pulverised fuel ash (in the UK) plurale tantum: coal combustion residuals (CCRs)is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired ...

were tipped. This not only raised the embankment at Thorpe Mere View, but also contributed to the proliferation of a wide range of plant species across the reserve. Following the closure of Thorpe Marsh Power Station in 1994, the CEBG remained as the

freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple *Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England *Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice p ...

owner of the Power Station and Nature Reserve sites.

Nature reserve (1980–present)

Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve was opened on 16 May 1980 by countryman, author and television presenter

Phil Drabble Philip Percy Cooper Drabble (13 May 1914 – 29 July 2007) was an English countryman, author and television presenter. Brought up in the Black Country, he later lived in – and wrote mostly about – the countryside of north Worceste ...

. The site was initially limited to Thorpe Mere, however was later expanded to include the surrounding coal storage and fly ash deposit areas. From 1990 onwards, the Central Electricity Generating Board underwent rapid

privatisation Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...

and broke up into four separate companies. In 1995, following the closure of the power station, Able UK acquired 45 hectares (111 acres) of the power station site. The CEGB conclusively dissolved in 2001 and thus relinquished its remaining ownership of Thorpe Marsh Power Station and Nature Reserve to National Grid, its successor in the energy transmission sector. In 2022, The Banks Group acquired freehold ownership of the nature reserve land, and presently

leases A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

the land to farmers. The

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and enha ...

manages the embankments surrounding the reserve. In October 2011, permission was acquired by Thorpe Marsh Power Limited to construct the Thorpe Marsh Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Station, and further permission to construct the Thorpe Marsh

Gas Pipeline Pipeline transport is the long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas through a system of pipes—a pipeline—typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countr ...

between the station and the

National Transmission System The United Kingdom's National Transmission System (NTS) is the network of gas pipelines that supply gas to about forty power stations and large industrial users from natural gas terminals situated on the coast, and to gas distribution companies th ...

for gas near

Camblesforth Camblesforth is a village and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England. According to the 2001 Census the civil parish had a population of 1,526, increasing to 1,568 at the 2011 Census. The village is south of Selby and w ...

Selby Selby is a market town and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse, with a population at the 2011 census of 14,731. The town was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

was acquired in March 2016. Construction is expected to begin in 2022, and the CCGT plant to enter commercial operation in 2023. Between 2021 and 2022, drilling - conducted by Acorn Power Development Limited with equipment from

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

- was ongoing around the site. In October 2022, Banks Renewables announced the planning of Thorpe Marsh Green Energy Hub, to be constructed adjacent to the nature reserve, its site boundaries encompassing external nature observation areas. The project is estimated to involve the recovery of up to 2.25 million tonnes of

pulverised fuel ash Fly ash, flue ash, coal ash, or pulverised fuel ash (in the UK) plurale tantum: coal combustion residuals (CCRs)is a coal combustion product that is composed of the particulates (fine particles of burned fuel) that are driven out of coal-fired b ...

tipped by the CEBG, as well as the saving of over 265,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide via the construction of a 2.8 GWh battery hub in the north of the development area, projected to be the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom and the 3rd largest in the world. The project is also expected to involve the preservation of wildlife surrounding the reserve, creating new woodland, wetland and grassland area in the south of the development area. The energy hub is projected to be completed and operational by 2027. The nature reserve presently contains seven hides for use in

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

. These hides are: * West Mere Hide (overlooking Thorpe Mere) at * North Mere Hide (overlooking Thorpe Mere) at * Stephen's Hide (overlooking Thorpe Mere) at * Applehurst Pond Hide (overlooking Applehurst Pond) at * South Mere Hide (overlooking Thorpe Mere) at * Sicklecroft Hide (overlooking Sicklecroft) at * The Barry Foster Memorial Hide (overlooking bird feeders in a corner of Reedholme) at

Flora

Thorpe Marsh is home to a variety of plant species. Woodland tree species surrounding the mere include: Other, smaller plant species may be found on the reserve's

middle-age In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

ridge-and-furrow corrugations, including but not limited to:

Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species counts are frequently recorded at Thorpe Marsh by volunteer wardens in

transects A transect is a path along which one counts and records occurrences of the objects of study (e.g. plants). There are several types of transect. Some are more effective than others. It requires an observer to move along a fixed path and to count ...

. The reserve is home to 21 species of butterfly, with

meadow brown The meadow brown (''Maniola jurtina'') is a butterfly found in the Palearctic realm. Its range includes Europe south of 62°N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The larvae feed on grasse ...

being the most frequently-recorded, and

small heath Small Heath is an area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman times, sits on top of a small hill. ...

being the least frequently-recorded. The most successful species between 2016 and 2021 at the reserve were

small tortoiseshell The small tortoiseshell (''Aglais urticae'') is a colourful Eurasian butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Adults feed on nectar and may hibernate over winter; in warmer climates they may have two broods in a season. While the dorsal surface of th ...

(+200%),

peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

(+13%) and

(+6%), whilst the least successful were brimstone (−86%),

small skipper The small skipper (''Thymelicus sylvestris'') is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. Appearance It has a rusty orange colour to the wings, upper body and the tips of the antennae. The body is silvery white below and it has a wingspan of 25� ...

(−71%) and

common blue The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively c ...

(−57%). The most successful year for lepidoptera since 2016 was 2019 with a total of 2,870 individuals recorded, whilst the least successful year was 2018 with a total of 1,790 individuals recorded. Lepidoptera recorded at the reserve include: The first species of the lepidoptera order to be officially recorded at Thorpe Marsh was a Scorched Wing Moth on 1 January 1973.

Odonata

Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve is home to 19 species of

odonata Odonata is an order of flying insects that includes the dragonflies and damselflies. Members of the group first appeared during the Triassic, though members of their total group, Odonatoptera, first appeared in Late Carboniferous. The two comm ...

, composed of 7

damselfly Damselflies are flying insects of the suborder Zygoptera in the order Odonata. They are similar to dragonflies, which constitute the other odonatan suborder, Anisoptera, but are smaller and have slimmer bodies. Most species fold the wings along ...

species and 12

dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...

species, the latter of which include 6

hawker Hawker or Hawkers may refer to: Places * Hawker, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Hawker, South Australia, a town * Division of Hawker, an Electoral Division in South Australia * Hawker Island, Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarct ...

species, 3 chaser species, 1 skimmer species and 3 darter species. Damselfly species include: Dragonfly species include: The first species of the odonata order to be officially recorded at Thorpe Marsh was a

Blue-tailed Damselfly The blue-tailed damselfly or common bluetail (''Ischnura elegans'') is a damselfly, belonging to the family Coenagrionidae. Subspecies and varieties Subspecies and varieties include: *''Ischnura elegans ebneri'' Schmidt, 1938 *''Ischnura eleg ...

on 21 June 1970.

Birds

At Thorpe Marsh Nature Reserve, more than 113 species of bird have been recorded since 1980, including 27 birds listed as Red

Conservation Status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservation ...

by the

RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...

and 41 listed as Amber. A list of birds spotted at the reserve which are denoted as Red Conservation Status are as follows: Other birds which have been recorded at Thorpe Marsh include but are not limited to

Common Tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory ...

Great White Egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...

Grey Wagtail The grey wagtail (''Motacilla cinerea'') is a member of the wagtail family, Motacillidae, measuring around 18–19 cm overall length. The species looks somewhat similar to the yellow wagtail but has the yellow on its underside restricted t ...

Hobby A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing Sport, sports, or pursu ...

Kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour ...

Kingfisher Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, ...

, Little Egret,

Marsh Harrier The marsh harriers are birds of prey of the harrier subfamily. They are medium-sized raptors and the largest and broadest-winged harriers. Most of them are associated with marshland and dense reedbeds. They are found almost worldwide, excluding ...

Peregrine Falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...

Ruddy Duck The ruddy duck (''Oxyura jamaicensis'') is a duck from North America and one of the stiff-tailed ducks. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''oxus'', "sharp", and ''oura'', "tail", and ''jamaicensis'' is "from Jamaica". Taxonomy The ru ...

Spotted Redshank The spotted redshank (''Tringa erythropus'') is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'', a ...

Water Rail The water rail (''Rallus aquaticus'') is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this species is a permanent resident in the war ...

and

Wigeon The wigeons or widgeons are a group of birds, dabbling ducks currently classified in the genus ''Mareca'' along with two other species. There are three extant species of wigeon, in addition to one recently extinct species. Biology There are t ...

. The first bird species to be officially recorded at Thorpe Marsh was a

Little Stint The little stint (''Calidris minuta'' or ''Erolia minuta''), is a very small wader. It breeds in arctic Europe and Asia, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to Africa and south Asia. It occasionally is a vagrant to North America a ...

on 1 September 1892.

References

{{reflist, 30em