Cley Marshes is a nature reserve on the North Sea coast of England just outside the village of Cley next the Sea, Norfolk. A reserve since 1926, it is the oldest of the reserves belonging to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Cley Marshes protects an area of reed beds, freshwater marsh, pools and wet meadows, and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the large flocks of birds it attracts. The reserve is important for some scarce breeding species, such as pied avocets on the islands, and western marsh harriers, Eurasian bitterns and bearded reedlings in the reeds, and is a major migration stopoff and wintering site. There are also several nationally or locally scarce invertebrates and plants specialised for this coastal habitat. The reserve has an environmentally friendly visitor centre and five bird hides, and attracts large numbers of visitors, contributing significantly to the economy of Cley village. Despite centuries of embanking to reclaim land and protect the village, the marshes have been flooded many times; the southward march of the coastal shingle bank and encroachment by the sea make it inevitable that the reserve will eventually be lost.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cley_Marshes
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1656:
Led by King Charles X Gustav, the armies of Sweden and Brandenburg defeated the forces of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth near Warsaw. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Warsaw_(1656)
1865:
Off the coast of Crescent City, California, US, the steamship Brother Jonathan, carrying a large shipment of gold coins that would not be retrieved until 1996, struck an uncharted rock and sank, killing 225 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_Jonathan_(steamer)
1912:
Japan's Emperor Meiji died and was succeeded by his son Yoshihito, who is now known as the Emperor Taishō. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Taish%C5%8D
1975:
American labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa mysteriously disappeared after last being seen outside a restaurant near Detroit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Hoffa
2006:
Lebanon War: The Israeli Air Force attacked a three-story building near the South Lebanese village of Qana, killing at least 28 civilians, including 16 children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qana_airstrike
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
chiropterologist: Someone who studies bats (the flying mammal). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/chiropterologist
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
You were playing in the snow You were banging on the doors You climbed up on the roof Roof of the world … We found your footprints in the snow We brushed them all away… You're the wild man. --Kate Bush https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kate_Bush