Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve - Hampshire County Council

Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve - Hampshire County Council A nationally renowned nature reserve and celebrated refuge for wildfowl, wading birds and much more!
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Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve offers accessible footpaths and boardwalks for a view of the rare, unspoilt Hampshire landscape. Home to resident and migrating ducks, geese, wading birds and the rare Avocet, each of the seven hides provides a spectacular view of birds and other wildlife. There’s a charge to enter the reserve – please purchase your tickets from the ticketing point in reception.

We will be carrying out essential maintenance on the 11 Acre Mere during the month of September so please expect a bit o...
01/09/2026

We will be carrying out essential maintenance on the 11 Acre Mere during the month of September so please expect a bit of disturbance during this time. Thank you for your understanding.

❗️ Environmental Advisory at Titchfield Haven National Nature ReserveDue to recent periods of extreme weather, sections ...
12/08/2026

❗️ Environmental Advisory at Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve

Due to recent periods of extreme weather, sections of habitat at Titchfield's North Scrape has dried out significantly. As a result, we have identified signs of active Avian Botulism on the scrape, with a number of bird carcasses being found.

What is Avian Botulism?
Avian Botulism is a naturally occurring disease affecting wild waterbirds. It is caused by toxins produced by bacteria that thrive in warm, low-oxygen conditions, which can develop when shallow wetland habitats dry out during hot weather. It is a recurring issue in wetlands across the UK during periods of prolonged warmth and drought.

Please be reassured that Avian Botulism presents a very low risk to people and is not readily transmitted to humans. We are monitoring the situation closely and taking appropriate measures to minimise impacts on local wildlife.

As a precaution, we kindly ask visitors to:

📸 If you spot a bird carcass or wild bird that appears in distress, please do not touch it. Instead, send us a photograph and location details so our team can respond promptly: Email [email protected]

Your reports help us monitor the situation and remove affected birds quickly, reducing the risk of further spread among wildlife.

To learn more about Avian Botulism and how it affects wild birds, visit the GOV.UK guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-botulism-a-recurring-paralytic-disease-of-wild-uk-waterbirds

Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping protect the wildlife at Titchfield.

The Highland cattle have arrived back on the reserve this week! We currently have 8 cows, 4 calves and Prince the highla...
08/08/2026

The Highland cattle have arrived back on the reserve this week! We currently have 8 cows, 4 calves and Prince the highland bull.
They can be seen grazing on the East Meadows from the Meadow Hide and Knights Bank Hide. There were cooling off in the river today.
Children are free during the HCC school holidays when accompanied by a full paying adult. We have Mini Ranger backpacks for your budding conservationists available to hire for just £1. We are open daily 9am to 4pm, find our new ticket office just behind the Harbourside Cafe on Hill Head Harbour.

Common Terns are currently having a good nesting season on the reserve, with at least 23 chicks currently present on the...
07/08/2026

Common Terns are currently having a good nesting season on the reserve, with at least 23 chicks currently present on the islands in the South Scrape. Best of all, one pair has decided to nest right in front of the Meon Shore Hide and it's possible to watch the parents bringing fish to the chicks at close range. However, the water levels are dropping due to this seemingly endless sunshine and it's a race against time for the chicks to fledge! Common Terns are a species that surely need a name change as their populations have declined by around 40% in Britain. The last photo shows two ridge tiles which we put out on the islands to give the chicks some shade and protection from avian predators.

Thank you to Tony Farmer for sharing these fabulous photos!

🦋🌻🐝 Butterfly Week! 🦋🌻🐝Sunday 2nd August to Sunday 9th August Come and visit the reserve during this week to spot the bu...
29/07/2026

🦋🌻🐝 Butterfly Week! 🦋🌻🐝
Sunday 2nd August to Sunday 9th August

Come and visit the reserve during this week to spot the butterflies on the reserve. This warm dry weather is perfect for insects, we have a lot of butterflies on the reserve currently.
If you'd like to take part, we can give you a checklist to record what butterflies you have seen. Perfect for all age groups!
Butterflies that you may see include Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Comma.

Don't forget - children can visit for free in the School Holidays with a full paying adult 😊🦆

🦋🐝🦅🦢🦆***FREE CHILD ENTRY*** 🦋🐝🦅🦢🦆Looking for kids activities this school holiday? Love nature? Why not come for a visit ...
20/07/2026

🦋🐝🦅🦢🦆***FREE CHILD ENTRY*** 🦋🐝🦅🦢🦆
Looking for kids activities this school holiday? Love nature? Why not come for a visit to the reserve with your family. We have Mini Ranger backpacks for your budding nature enthusiasts (£1 to hire), hides to look out of and lots of birds to see!
We look forward to welcoming you. We have a brand new ticket office which is located next to Harbourside Cafe. From Thursday 23rd July to Sunday 31st August.
Free child entrance during HCC school holidays.
In line with the government VAT reductions, adult prices are reduced over the summer too!
Children must be accompanied by a full paying adult.
The ever popular duck food 🦆 is available to buy along with ice creams 🍨
No booking required, just turn up on the day and get your adult tickets from the Ticket Office.
We also have a pond dipping activity which is a bookable event on Wednesday 5th August with sessions available between 9.30am and 1.30pm

We installed a Barn Owl box in September 2021, made by our volunteer, Paul. We are incredibly excited to report that a p...
20/07/2026

We installed a Barn Owl box in September 2021, made by our volunteer, Paul. We are incredibly excited to report that a pair of Barn Owls have successfully raised at least three Barn Owl chicks in the box this year! Thanks to the ever vigilant Mark for his observations of them during the evenings. As Barn Owls are crepuscular (mainly active during twilight hours), they are not active during the normal opening times of the reserve.
The distant photo here is taken through a telescope so not the greatest quality but it shows one of the juveniles and an adult on the ledge of the box. The box has a special design for using on a pole - there is an exercise platform for the chicks all around the box to prevent them fledging too early. The box is also of a particular depth so they don't emerge before they are strong enough.
We hope this will be the first of may broods from this box, we look forward to seeing what happens next year!

Well done to the sharp eyes of Ian Smith and Chris Rose for spotting, and then managing to take photos of Small Red-eyed...
12/07/2026

Well done to the sharp eyes of Ian Smith and Chris Rose for spotting, and then managing to take photos of Small Red-eyed Damselflies! These damselflies are rare visitors to the reserve and four have been seen in the last few days. They are similar to the Red-eyed Damselfly, but have a few differences including: a small black dot on the thorax, stripey shoulders, and they are smaller in size, as the name suggests. These photos are of the male, with the reddish brown eyes. The females have green eyes. They have gradually spread from the south east of England since the first confirmed sightings in 2000, so we’re hoping they become regulars.

You know it's a good photo when you can see the hairs on the underside of the thorax! Thank you to heroic photographer J...
09/07/2026

You know it's a good photo when you can see the hairs on the underside of the thorax!

Thank you to heroic photographer Jon Mitchell for sharing these great shots of a Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly. As the name suggests this species was formerly confined to Norfolk but has spread south through Suffolk and along the south coast in recent years. This summer plenty are being seen on the western side of the reserve.

Our new Ticket office is open! We are open daily from 9am to 4pm.Come and see what's on the reserve - the newly fledged...
26/06/2026

Our new Ticket office is open! We are open daily from 9am to 4pm.
Come and see what's on the reserve - the newly fledged Marsh Harriers can be seen now along with countless dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies.

We have spaces on our 'What's in the Moth Trap' event next Tuesday 9.30, £10 per person. A unique opportunity to see what has been caught in the trap overnight before they are released back onto the reserve. To book, please come into the Ticket Office or phone us on 01329 662145.

Address

Titchfield Haven Visitor Centre, Cliff Road, Hill Head
Fareham
PO143JT

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

01329 662145

Website

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