For the British birder July is not often a favourite month. The covering of leaves on the trees makes seeing the birds difficult and the fact that the birds are largely silent adds to the difficulties. Return migration is not yet in full swing and the skua and shearwater passage has barely begun. It was a trip to the RSPB Strumpshaw fen reserve which reminded me that high summer has other delights.

It was not that birds were absent. In fact, as many species have fledglings at this time of the year there were possibly more birds present than usual. We had wonderful views of Marsh Harrier and, for some, the sight of a Bittern taking a leisurely flight over the reeds. A Kingfisher posed for both photographs and filming whilst a Green Sandpiper was well camouflaged as it rested on the muddy margins of a scrape.

Strumpshaw though is famous for its butterflies and dragonflies. Though our visit was in between broods of the Swallowtail as least two specimens of this beautiful butterfly were seen, as well as numerous examples of Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Small Skipper and both Large and Small Whites. On this visit pride of place must go to the White Admirals seen and photographed by Dave Goodwin. The dragon and damsel flies were also much in evidence with the Norfolk Hawker, a local speciality, remaining still for long enough to have its portrait taken. I was lucky enough to get a shot of a Riband Wave moth to add to the number of flying species seen on the day.

I am not sufficiently expert to enumerate some of the many flowering plants which added colour to the scene though there were some fine examples of Marsh Orchid among the grasses.

Both warm and cold blooded creatures added to the variety. Some members saw a Grass Snake as it swam across one of the narrow channels whilst others had glimpses of Pygmy Shrew and a bounding Chinese Water Deer but the star of the show was an Otter which displayed in front of the reception centre hide to the delight of the group. For many this was a first sighting of this aquatic mammal and it was my first view of one in England.

This variety brought home to me the fact that species are inter dependent and that losses in one area have a detrimental effect on others. Birders have to realize that protecting habitats is as important as protecting species. The world wide web may well be a way to describe the internet but it is also a means of expressing that web of life on which the survival of the natural world depends. Strumpshaw may not have the variety of wildfowl and waders of Titchwell, the stunning woodland birds of Ynys Hir or the spectacular wild geese of Campfield Marsh but as an example of a reserve with something for everyone it can hardly be bettered.