The killing fields.
Arial view of the Ouse Washes from my glider on Saturday. Used as part of the flood relief system for the River Great Ouse, was hit by flooding after the Environment Agency was forced to open sluices on to the washes to prevent floods elsewhere on the 150-mile river catchment.
The wildlife charity said several of its 206 nature reserves had been flooded, including the Ouse Washes in East Anglia, which is under 6 feet of water after the wettest April on record.
The nests of an estimated 600 wading birds on the reserve have been destroyed or washed away by the deluge.
The reserve is home to almost two-fifths of the country's lowland snipe, a threatened species that has suffered large declines in the past 25 years.
Redshank, lapwing and rare black-tailed godwits are also among the species to be affected.
The RSPB said it could take three to six weeks before the water recedes to normal levels if it stops raining and this could be too late for the birds to attempt breeding again.
