Week commencing 25th June

Monday 25th

Hot weather predicted for the whole week so up early and out to Baker's Fen for a slightly cooler walk! Needless to say nothing different around other than two young Great Crested Grebe with one adult bird.

Plenty of the usual Reed, Sedge, Blackcap and Whitethroat warblers around and a couple of Garden Warblers while coming down the side of the Burwell Lode.

Good to hear and see at least three male Cuckoo with one accompanying a female. In the old log piles on Sedge Fen, two, what looked like young, Foxes appeared out of the top of one of the piles and seemed to be taking in the sun!

Foxes in Log pile

Foxes in Log pile

Fox in Log pile

The White Water Lilies on the Wicken Lode were looking particularly splendid this morning and the water very inviting!

White Water Lily

White Water Lilies, Wicken Lode

Lily, feather and Red-eyed Damselfly

46 bird species and 1 mammal recorded.

Tuesday 26th

Another warm day predicted so up early again this morning and out with the dogs to cover my local patch. Good numbers of Blackcap singing along the sidings and one female in the bushes by the gate. A Barn Owl was again hunting over Angle Common but was to distant for a decent photo. A male Cuckoo was again joined by a female, both calling as they moved up and down the Lode.

Whitethroat very busy calling, as were Reed Bunting and Chiffchaff. The numbers of Greenfinch seemed to have increased recently with at least five present today.

Greenfinch (male)

Greenfinch (male)

Whitethroat

16 species recorded

Thursday 28th

Yet another hot day ahead! So up early and off to Burwell Fen. Parked at the Reach Bridge and decided to walk across to the old barn and back. The water level is rapidly dropping and it will not be long before large areas of the fen are exposed mud. With this hot weather it might be just a little too early to make it a potential hotspot of returning waders. Fingers crossed we might be lucky, what we need it a couple of heavy showers..... never thought I'd say that!

Plenty of Little Egret and really good numbers (up to 21) Grey Heron, many of them being young ones from this year's breeding.

Grey Heron and Little Egret

A Kingfisher was sitting on one of the lower branches of the 'Roost Tree' along with a number of Cormorant and Little Egret.

Little Egret and Cormorant in the 'Roost Tree'

Nice to see twenty or so Sand Martin over the fen along with good numbers of Swift. Spent sometime trying to capture a shot of a Sand Martin with ok results!

Sand Martin

While standing by the Old Barn, entering sightings into Bird Journal, I happened to glance up and see a Bittern flying towards Adventurers' Fen. Managed to get of three shots of the disappearing bird!

Bittern

Bittern

Bittern

A Barn Owl was hunting near the cycle path. It was good to see a couple of Green Sandpiper feeding on the far side of the main pool, hopefully the first of many with the season of returning waders soon to be upon us.

Friday 29th

A cool start to the morning, which made it nice when you know that it was going to get hot....again! Decided to repeat the walk from yesterday and it was pretty much the same species seen as yesterday! Just a single Green Sandpiper this morning but a juvenile Little Ringed Plover was a nice addition as was a female Garganey, skulking in the reeds in the area that I suspect they have breed.

The Bittern appeared again but further down towards Pout Hall and heading towards Adventurers'. Nice to watch a group of five young Swallow zipping in and around the bridge.

Week commencing 18th June 2018

Monday 18th

Thank god for the dogs otherwise walking across Burwell Fen would be a total waste of time! At least the dogs get a good walk, I get fresh air and we can go home satisfied that at least we haven't wasted that time just bird watching. Nothing to report. You know things are bad when you start taking photos of planes that have put their wings on the wrong way this morning!

Welney WWT

In an effort to say that I've at least seen something today, decided to head over to Welney. A few Black-tailed Godwit around the main pool along with Avocet and Oystercatcher and a short staying Greenshank. Spotted a Great White Egret moving up along the far Delph. Friend's Hide produced a female Garganey, Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern and a male Cuckoo. 

Dozing Redshank 

Juv or female Gargeney

Garganey and Black-headed Gull

42 species recorded

Tuesday 19th

Stayed to the local patch this morning and only took the P610 with me to concentrate on taking photos. A nice Whitethroat showing well and allowing for a few snaps.

Whitethroat

While in Close-Up mode alarm calls broke out all round and a Hobby cruised over so the photo is not the best but acts as a record shot!

Hobby

A nice Emperor Dragonfly resting on reeds along the river and a Speckled Wood Butterfly on the sidings.

Emperor Dragonfly

Speckled Wood Butterfly.

Thursday 21st

A rather cool and breezy start to the morning but warming up. Walked the lower half of Burwell Fen from Upware Bridge to Cock-up Bridge and back along the centre path. good number of Meadow Pipit and Skylark. A juvenile  Great Black-backed Gull crossed the fen and headed towards Pout's Hall.

A juvenile Stonechat was by the observation point at Cock-up as were a couple of Whitethroat. 

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

A very showy Pied Wagtail was on the gate nearby.

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

High numbers of Little Egret (21) and Grey Heron (9) were on the pools

Little Egret

and both male and female Marsh Harrier were hunting over the reeds and the male was seen to carry of a young chick.

Male Marsh Harrier

36 species recorded

Friday 22nd

Covered my local patch this morning. Cuckoo calling and a fly-by of a female. Plenty of Whitethroat, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. By the old bakery a 'family group' of Wren were moving through the bushes and a female Reed Bunting in the trees.

Reed Bunting (female)

Plenty of House Sparrow activity along the Lode and good numbers of Reed Warblers.

Reed Warbler

Reed Warbler

Female House Sparrow

Greenfinch

Week commencing 11th June

Monday 11th

Local patch around the old railway sidings and along the Lode. Nothing to report. Same as always.

Tuesday 12th

Worked in the morning but finished by 1pm. Decided to 'take lunch' out at Burwell Fen and after a picnic crossed the middle of the fen from bridge to old barn. Mid way across spotted two Crane on the far bank. These quickly moved further into the fen and while watching them a third was seen to fly into Pout's Hall area. Shortly afterwards two further Crane briefly dropped in and then departed in the direction of the Cams Washes. A total of five Crane beats my previous record of three seen at once on Burwell Fen.

Two of the five Crane

Wednesday 13th

Teaching all day so pretty shattered by the end! Just covered the local patch am and pm. Other than a nice male Bullfinch, little else to report.

Thursday 14th

A very breezy morning sees us out at Baker's Fen and along Harrison's Drove. A Lesser Whitethroat singing near the paddock, with another further up the drove. A third (a male) was seen flitting from a bush near the end of the path across Baker's to Wicken Lode (Moore's Drove). As we were walking along the Lode towards Guinea Fen a Bittern flew over and landed a couple of hindered metres ahead in the field. However I was unable to relocate it.

Other than that little else to report!

Whitethroat, Guinea Fen

36 species seen.

Friday 15th

A warm morning, with a light breeze and only partial cloud cover. Decided to cover the lower part of Burwell Fen from Cock-up to the Reach Bridge. A Barn Owl was hunting over the fen near Cock Up and disappeared towards the farm.

Barn Owl

Barn Owl

A Green Woodpecker crossed the fen ahead of us and a male and female Marsh Harrier were quartering the area. 

A good number of Little Egret were present with three Grey Heron. The usual wildfowl were around and a number of Swift and Swallow drinking from the pools.

Grey Heron and Little Egret

Little Egret

A nice family group of Mute Swan by the path.

Mute Swans with cygnets

36 species recorded

Week commencing 4th June 2018

Monday 4th

Out to Burwell Fen on a rather grey day.....as was the bird watching. Little of interest around other than two Egyptian Goose and a male Marsh Harrier. A single male Pochard on show and a record number of five Great Crested Grebe resting on the main pool. Other than that a pretty dull day all round!

A quick evening walk along the sidings produced three Blackcap, two Chiffchaff and female Bullfinch.

33 species recorded

Tuesday 5th

Stayed to the local patch this am with a walk along the sidings and then down the river. While recording the call of the local Cuckoo a Hobby passed overhead and along the sidings. A good number of Blackcap singing but the ones that I could see were all male.

Cuckoo

Whitethroat and a couple of Reed Warbler along the river and a new species for this patch with two Stock Dove.

24 species recorded

Wednesday 6th

Up to Cock Up for a walk along Harrison's Drove. Just the usual stuff!

Binoculars gone off for a service and clean. Hope they return soon!

Thursday 7th

Local patch. nothing to report, just the usual.

19 species recorded

Friday 8th

Up and off to Santon Warren and a walk through the woods. Plenty of Chiffchaff and Blackcap around and good views and photo opportunity for Linnet. 

Female Linnet

Yellowhammer calling in a number of locations as were Woodlark. Lots of Blue Tit with young moving through trees as were Coal and Long tail Tit. 

Tree Pipit were showing well along the path to the Railway Cottage. At the Church both Pied and Grey Wagtail were showing well.

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

31 species recorded