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