Bowling Green Marsh Nature Reserve Topsham2 - geograph

Bowling Green Marsh is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

located on the confluence of the

River Exe The River Exe ( ) is a river in England that source (river), rises at Exe Head, near the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor in Somerset, from the Bristol Channel coast, but flows more or less directly due south, so that most of its length lie ...

(at the top end of its estuary) and the

River Clyst The River Clyst is a river of Devon, England. The name derives from Old English, and translates as ''Clean-stream'' (the Welsh name of Clydach, has similar origins). The river lends its name to several settlements on its route, Clyst Honiton, C ...

, near the town of Topsham in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. It is managed 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, ...

. Migratory birds including

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

brent geese The brant or brent goose (''Branta bernicla'') is a small goose of the genus ''Branta''. There are three subspecies, all of which winter along temperate-zone sea-coasts and breed on the high-Arctic tundra. The Brent oilfield was named after ...

, come to the marsh in the winter to feed. It is a major point of interest for birders across South West Britain, with many rare species present at any one time. Other visitors include

osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

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 ...

teal alt=American teal duck (male), Green-winged teal (male) Teal is a greenish-blue color. Its name comes from that of a bird—the Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca'')—which presents a similarly colored stripe on its head. The word is often used ...

avocet The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...

and

black-tailed godwit The black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, '' Limosa''. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and ches ...

, and many other waders. Several fish species inhabit the marsh's many pools. Otters have been sighted here, as well. There is a wheelchair-accessible

bird hide A bird hide (blind or bird blind in North America) is a shelter, often camouflaged, that is used to observe wildlife, especially birds, at close quarters. Although hides or hunting blinds were once built chiefly as hunting aids, they are now comm ...

on the marshes and a viewing platform, reached by steps, with views down the estuary. Occasionally, very rare vagrants, such as

Barrow's goldeneye Barrow's goldeneye (''Bucephala islandica'') is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus '' Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''boukephalos'', "bullheaded", from ''bo ...

king eider The king eider (pronounced ) (''Somateria spectabilis'') is a large Merginae, sea duck that breeds along Northern Hemisphere Arctic coasts of northeast Europe, North America and Palearctic, Asia. The birds spend most of the year in coastal marine ...

, stop at the marshes on their migration.Estuaries - River Exe

British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public broadcasting, public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved in ...

References

External links

RSPB pages

Bowling Green Marsh – visitexeter.com
Nature reserves in Devon Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in England {{Devon-geo-stub