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!
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| Foxes in Log pile |
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| Foxes in Log pile |
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| Fox in Log pile |
The White Water Lilies on the Wicken Lode were looking particularly splendid this morning and the water very inviting!
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| White Water Lily |
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| White Water Lilies, Wicken Lode |
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| 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.
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| Greenfinch (male) |
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| Greenfinch (male) |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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!
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| Bittern |
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| Bittern |
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| Bittern |
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.
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