Week commencing 26th April

Monday 26th

Trip out to Barway to  check out the various pools along the bank. Little on the pools themselves but lots of Greylag on the fields. Good numbers of  Swallow over the pools and passing through. Three Common Tern were squabbling over a fish and good numbers of  Whitethroat, Chiffchaff and Blackcap.

Number of species recorded: 40

https://ebird.org/checklist/S86399368

Week commencing Monday 19th April

Monday 19th

Burwell Fen, Fog, nothing new around!

Number of species recorded: 28

Tuesday 20th

Day at Welney. Added Hobby and Ruff to this year's list. 

Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin

Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and Dunlin

Plenty of Sedge Warbler and Blackcap around and a couple of Willow Warbler singing at the North End. A single Whitethroat at the southern end of the reserve.

Four Great White Egret seen across the reserve and Crane calling as was the Bittern down at the Friend's Hide.

Tree Sparrow have begun to occupy the nest boxes and located one nesting behind the timber cladding on the south end of the main building.

Tree Sparrow at Number 26.

Number of species recorded: 65

Wednesday 21st

Morning walk around Soham Lode. Great changes along the old sidings with work on an access road for the railway line and the building of the new station. So no longer able to monitor that part of my old patch.

Along the Lode there has been a fair amount of clearance and the construction of two pools. At the moment these look rather grim but time will tell.

Plenty of Chiffchaff calling and two Whitethroat present in their usual location. As yet no Reed or Sedge Warbler.

Number of species recorded: 17

Annie and I went for an evening walk up Harrison's Drove. Single Little Owl was on the log pile and a Barn Owl was hunting up and down the fields alongside the Drove. Three Reed Warbler were present along with Grasshopper Warbler calling from at least three locations. Good number of Chiffchaff and Sedge Warbler were very vocal.

As we bimbled our way up the Drove a single Water Rail was grunting from nearby and two Marsh Harrier were drifting over the reedbeds.

Not a lot on the pool but a male Gadwall presented well.

Number of species recorded: 29

Brown Hare on Adventurer's Fen

Thursday 22nd

Quick walk with the dogs along the Soham-Wicken Bridleway. Whitethroat and Chiffchaff present along with a couple of Blackcap

Number of species recorded: 16

Dropped the dogs back and headed out for a few hours of solo birding. Much as I love being out with the dogs Max is now too old and blind so cannot go far without being exhausted or gets himself lost if he wanders away from under your feet. Annie's desire to run and explore does rather tend to limit what you see and there is always the possibility of her disappearing off to chase deer, hare or pheasants. So from time to time its good to leave them at home.

Headed out to the other side of Santon Downham (St Helen's car park usually gets busy when the weather warms up) and did a circular walk around Blood Hill Tumulus. Coal Tit calling from numerous locations as were Chiffchaff. Willow Warbler were singing but not yet in great numbers. Linnet and Yellowhammer were showing well.

A Mistle Thrush was singing well and I was able to record its song. In doing so I realised that I have never knowingly heard the song of this bird before! Shortly afterwards I came across a very obliging Song Thrush rooting around in the leaf pile.

 Also recorded the chatter of a group of Linnet in the gorse by the tumulus.

Linnet

Number of species recorded: 21

Moved on to the area around the Scout and Guide camp which includes part of the river and a really inviting damp wood area crossed by a broadwalk. Again Chiffchaff were calling from a number of different locations, as were Blackcap.

Chiffchaff

A pair of  Great Spotted Woodpecker were mating in a nearby tree, leaving the female to recover while the male disappeared off.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Female)

Number of species recorded: 19

Final stop was at Thetford Heath. The heath itself is closed for the breeding season but you can get good views across it from the public footpath that runs along side it. Highlight of the visit was a high flying Raven that thankfully was calling as it flew over so attracted my attention.

Number of Species recorded: 18

Friday 23rd

A glorious morning saw us back at Burwell Fen to walk along the Reach Lode. On the way past the horse fields near Upware a very pale form Buzzard was sitting one of the fences.

Looking at this bird carefully I'm pretty sure that I've photographed this before.

In the car park were a couple of Whitethroat and Corn Bunting could be heard down the track to the ponds. 

Very little on the lower water but a couple of Egyptian Goose were loafing under the tree. An influx of Sedge Warbler was obvious with at least eleven calling from along the lode. Only a single Reed Warbler was to be heard.

On the top pool there were three Garganey, two male and a female.

Another returning summer visitor was also present in the form of a single Common Tern.

Number of species recorded: 36

 

Week commencing 12th April

 Monday 12th 

Snow! Woke up to a covering this morning, although cold it was gloriously clear and bright. We headed out to Burwell Fen to walk the lower part and back along the central path. Plenty of Reed Bunting calling and Skylark singing. 

A few Wigeon still on the pools and lots of Shoveler and Teal. A Common Crane was calling from Adventurer's Fen but was not visible. A Kingfisher was by the Cock Up Bridge and I was able to get a couple of nice shots of it.

At the Old Barn location was a male Wheatear, possibly the same one from last week. 

Crossing the central path proved fruitful with a male and female Garganey present.

Number of species recorded: 41

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85411828

Tuesday 13th

At Welney all day. The site is now open to the public except the hides remain closed due to inadequate ventilation! Obviously whoever thought that one up has never sat in a Welney hide with the wind whistling around you. Anyway as I was out on Bank Farm and Lady Fen for most of the early morning it made little difference!

Good to see a solitary Sedge Warbler as I approached the centre after doing the water levels check. Shortly afterwards a single Swallow passed over, another one was seen later on in the day. A third summer visitor was a couple of Reed Warbler down by Lyle.

The Crane continue to be present and were thermalling over the reserve. 

Plenty of Black-tailed Godwit moving around the reserve.

A Whooper Swan flew over the bank that had the strangest neck shape. Normally they hold their heads straight out but this one was held high giving the neck an S shape. Could this be a victim of lead poisoning? 

Number of Species recorded: 51

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85471964

Corn Bunting: Bank Farm: Welney

Wednesday 14th

Highlight of today's visit to Burwell Fen was a singing Whitethroat, the first for this year. It was calling from the big tree by the gate at the start of the bank walk but proved very difficult to actually spot being very skulking.

Still a few Wigeon about and good to watch three Marsh Harrier thermalling. Other than that fairly quiet!

Number of species recorded: 44

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85605917

Thursday 15th

Up early and out to Cock-Up bridge with Annie to walk the Adventurers/Baker's Fen circular. Too far for Max so he was left at home!

A pair of Little Owl were on the log pile in the field by the car park, but trying to get a face on shot again proved difficult!

A single Barn Owl was also out hunting.

Lots of Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Cetti's calling from various locations and at least three Willow Warbler at the top of Harrison's Drove, a first for this year.

A Bittern took of from the side of the top reed bed, too quick for a photo sadly, and flew over towards Baker's Fen. Another was booming close by. Bearded Tit could be heard moving around the reedbed but did not show themselves.

A single Crane flew in from the Sedge Fen direction and landed in the top field where it spent time feeding. No sign of the second bird anywhere.

Swallow are now arriving with three along the drove road. 

Number of species recorded: 52

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85605915

Moorhen: Burwell Lode

Friday 16th

Took the morning off dog walking (well truthfully I took the dogs out for a shorter walk locally) so that I could head out alone for a bit of intensive birdwatching. 

However, the fog was still quite dense when  I arrived out Iseham Washes, so viewing the far side was a challenge. A single Barnacle Goose was present along with six Mute Swan and a number of Greylag.

At least twelve Snipe and fourteen Avocet were present along with two Little Ringed Plover as well two Oystercatcher. No sign of the Little Gull that was there yesterday. 

Number of species recorded: 25

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85634897

From Isleham, headed over to Cavenham Heath to find it empty of walkers and other birdwatchers! Had the place to myself for at least and hour and a half!

Lots of Great and Blue Tit moving around, many carrying food for young. Four Jay were moving through the canopy like a gang of noisy teenagers!

Came across two Cuckoo in a distant tree and managed to get a couple of descent shots. When looking through these on the computer I noticed the one of them had a very large, juicy looking black caterpillar in its beak.

Cuckoo with caterpillar

The Stone-curlew were calling throughout but were not showing. Large numbers of Sand Martin were over the quarry along with a number of Swallow.

Number of species recorded: 46

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85637369

Week commencing 4th April

 Catch up from last week.

A pleasant period of weather being very spring like. The water levels on The Washes have dropped rapidly and are looking good for the rest of the spring. Seven Cattle Egret and a Great White were present.

Fairly quiet at Burwell with diminishing numbers of wildfowl. Bittern were booming the other evening and Marsh Harrier were displaying.

On Saturday a male Black Redstart was on the muck pile on Tubney Fen and a male Wheatear was at the cattle pen on Burwell Fen.

Black Redstart: Tubney Fen

Monday 5th

Snow flurries this morning so bitterly cold out at Burwell. Walked the centre path to where the old barn once stood. Very little on the lower pool or the flooded areas. Hoped for a return of the Wheatear at the cattle pens but no luck. A rather disappointing walk!

Number of species recorded: 28

https://ebird.org/checklist/S84854465

Tuesday 6th

Welney all day. Busy cleaning hides and getting ready for reopening. Nest box check showing very little activity. Only one box with a partial built nest. 

Two more to add to this year's tick list with four Yellow Wagtail and two Yellow-legged Gull.

Number of species recorded: 50

https://ebird.org/checklist/S84969338

Wednesday 7th

Back to Burwell to walk the bank. All very quiet with the exception of four Whooper Swan that flew in from the fields. This might be the last view of them here until next winter.

An interesting group of Cormorant were loafing on the posts of the research pen.

Number of species recorded: 26

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85012465

Thursday 8th

Down to London to meet with Lizzie at Richmond Park for a walk and a general catch up. A really nice afternoon wandering through the park and able to get a bit of birdwatching in at the same time. Highlight was a very obliging Treecreeper collecting spider webs. Sadly  had given my camera to Debbie who had gone off to photograph the deer!

The Fallow Deer that cost me a classic photo of a Treecreeper

Other highlights was a male Mandarin Duck that flew in and an amazing amount of Jackdaw!

Number of species recorded: 34

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85089840

Friday 9th

Visit to Cavenham Heath, initially to see if there were more Stone-Curlew and to see if the Willow Warblers had yet arrived. Only heard the Stone-Curlew and no sign of Willow Warblers, HOWEVER a Cuckoo was present, calling and showing well! This was my earliest UK recording, six days earlier than my previous early record of 2015 at ...... Cavenheath!

Good number of Skylark across the area and a Woodlark was singing as were Chiffchaff and Blackcap. A party of Siskin were feeding in the tree tops.

Number of species recorded: 48

https://ebird.org/checklist/S85155882