Birding with Bill Oddie Locations Featured in The Programme Breckland Breckland constitutes a unique part of the English countryside. It consists of an area of Norfolk and Suffolk that has very light sandy soils and is made up of open heaths, farmland and forest plantations. Many of the locations where Stone Curlews breed are on private farmland in fairly inaccessible places. One reserve, however, does offer excellent opportunities to view not only Stone Curlews, but also other Breckland birds like Woodlark and Wheatear. The reserve lies on the edge of the minor road between the villages of Weeting and Hockwold cum Wilton.
Hides overlook the heath, often affording excellent views of the Stone Curlews.
The Reserve is open from April to August. The Fens constitute a rather featureless, open and incredibly flat region of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire that borders The Wash. Once, this whole area would have been a huge marsh consisting of swamp, reedbeds and areas of open water. Nowadays, the area has largely been drained to create the most extensive and fertile area of farmland in Britain. Essentially, the area is made up of large open fields, bordered by drainage dykes.