Secrets of the Reedbed 117/9 Vase

Britain's loudest bird, the Bittern, is reported to be having an incredible start to the season and is making a comeback at RSPB Leighton Moss in Silverdale, Lancashire. Leighton Moss is home to the largest reedbed in the north-west of England which provides the ideal habitat for the secretive bird. This year, the reserve celebrates its 60th anniversary and, to mark the special occasion, designer Vicky Lovatt has created a new limited-edition vase, Secrets of the Reedbed.

According to the RSPB, Bitterns vanished from Britain in the 1870s and, after making a comeback, almost went extinct again as a breeding species in the UK in the 1990s. By 1997 just eleven of the birds were recorded making their distinctive sound in the whole of the UK. Thankfully in recent years numbers have improved and last year was a bumper year for Bitterns at Leighton Moss, with nine males heard booming and four known nest sites. This April, the RSPB reported ten male bitterns from the reserve, the largest number in over 30 years, making their low pitch ‘booming’ noise to attract a mate.

In Vicky’s design a pair of elusive and secretive Bitterns can be discovered hidden amongst the reedbeds, silently moving through the reeds at the water's edge, searching out fish and invertebrates. Between February and May, the Bitterns ‘boom’ can be heard up to three miles away by a female Bittern but here in this design the only noise is made the Bearded Tits who flit from reed to reed balancing like comical acrobats. Bearded Tits are a long-tailed bird, sociable and noisy with their ‘ping’ call often being the first clue to their presence. They are often found flying rapidly across the top of the reedbeds but on this limited-edition vase they have joined the Bitterns to add to the secrets of the reedbed.

Ex Tax: £1,479.17

• Designer: Vicky Lovatt
• Dimensions: H 24.00 x W 15.00 x D 15.00 cm
• Availability: Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery