Spring
Birds - Little tern, ring ouzel, ringed plover, redshank, lapwing, marsh harrier, shoveler
Reptiles and amphibians - Natterjack toad
Summer
Birds - Avocet, little tern, black-tailed godwit, ringed plover, redshank, lapwing, bittern, marsh harrier, shoveler
Reptiles and amphibians - Natterjack toad
Plants - Southern marsh orchid, sea lavender
Autumn
Birds - Black-tailed godwit, wigeon, pink footed goose, brent goose, Slavonian grebe, twite, spotted redshank, pied flycatcher, curlew, bar-tailed godwit, knot, ringed plover, redshank, lapwing
Winter
Birds - Wigeon, pink footed goose, brent goose, snow bunting, long tailed duck, Slavonian grebe, twite, spotted redshank, curlew, bar-tailed godwit, knot, ringed plover, redshank, lapwing
Sea Buckthorn
Probably planted to help stabilise the dunes, this spiky silvery shrub is prevalent here. In autumn, its bright orange berries are a godsend to the thousands of migrating birds, such as wintering thrushes, that stop off at Holme.
Barn Owl
There are few sights in Norfolk more evocative than the ghostly form of a barn owl carefully quartering the fields and dykes. NWT Holme Dunes is one of the best places to catch up with the ethereal birds as they hunt silently over the grazing marshes in the late afternoon. Calm days are the best time to observe them.
Avocet
This unmistakeable black-and-white wader, with its characteristic upturned bill, breeds in small numbers on the reserve, and can often be watched feeding in front of the hides during the summer.
Migrating and vagrant birds
The unique location of NWT Holme Dunes means it attracts large numbers of migrating birds. In spring, wheatears and warblers are common, with large numbers of finches and thrushes in the autumn. Scarce migrants such as wryneck, yellow-browed warbler and barred warbler are almost annual. When the conditions are just right, thousands of tired migrants take shelter among the scrub and dunes in what is known as a ‘fall’.
Seabirds
Holme is a good place to seawatch: with the correct winds gannets, skuas, terns and divers can be watched passing by the coastline in their hundreds.