Wildlife at Steart Marshes
The marshes lie between the mouth of the River Parrett and the Bristol Channel on the Somerset coast. This position attracts migrating birds and has some of the biggest tidal forces in the world, creating an ever changing experience.
Seasonal highlights
Steart Marshes is a working wetland, developed to tackle climate change by locking away carbon from the atmosphere. But it's also home to a vast array of wildlife that varies wildly throughout the year. Find out what you could see when you visit each season.
As the reserve awakens from winter, wildflowers start to blossom, a variety of spring migrants arrive from their wintering grounds and breeding season begins.
Marsh marigold, cuckoo flower and cowslip bring splashes of colour and flowering scurvy grass blankets the saltmarsh in white.
Boxing hares abound on Otterhampton Marshes and skylarks fill the air with song. Traditional livestock returns to graze on the reserve - helping manage the habitat.
As the season warms, webs of caterpillars appear in the hedgerows, followed by a profusion of butterflies.
Spring also sees the arrival of migrants, including hirundines, warblers, Mediterranean gulls, godwit and grey plover. Breeding avocets, oystercatcher, lapwing and little ringed plover defend their eggs and hatchlings.
Plan your visit
Now you know a bit more about what to expect, find your way here, along with other important information.
Plan your visit