RSPB Strumpshaw Fen

RSPB Strumpshaw Fen
A view from the Reception Hide over water showing mostly greylag goose (Anser anser) coming into land for the evening.
Type	Nature reserve
Location	Norfolk, England
Coordinates	52°36′23″N 1°27′21″E / 52.6065°N 1.4558°E / 52.6065; 1.4558Coordinates: 52°36′23″N 1°27′21″E / 52.6065°N 1.4558°E / 52.6065; 1.4558
Operated by	RSPB
Public transit access	Brundall railway station

Strumpshaw Fen is a nature reserve managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). It is situated at Strumpshaw on the River Yare in the English county of Norfolk around 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Norwich. The Buckenham Marshes RSPB reserve borders the reserve to the east.

The reserve is part of the Mid-Yare National Nature Reserve established in 1997 by English Nature (though managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). It was purchased by the RSPB in 1974. It forms part of the Yare Broads and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and lies within the area of The Broads.

In autumn the reserve is visited by migrating birds both heading south and those seeking refuge from the Arctic winter. These often form large flocks in the winter that gathering to feed or at dusk flying off together to form large roosts. Waxwings sometimes visit in search of winter food from Scandinavia.

Its Fen provides one of the few breeding sites in Great Britain for the swallowtail. The subspecies found at Strumpshaw, Papilio machaon brittanicus, is isolated to the Fens of Norfolk and Suffolk in the UK, although widespread and often common throughout Europe. It is slightly smaller and slightly deeper yellow and more heavily marked in black than those subspecies found on mainland Europe. It nearly always lays its eggs on milk parsley (Peucedanum palustre) in contrast to its European cousin that will select most umbellifers. Swallowtail can be seen from late May to mid-July and often again in mid-August to September. It is the largest resident British butterfly at 8 to 10 cm wingspan.