Week commencing Monday 23rd August

 Monday 23rd

Out to Burwell Fen in the afternoon to check out the lower pools. No-one around so had the place, once again, to myself. 

The mud area was still attracting a range of waders including Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Common and Green Sandpiper. Plenty of Snipe also present.

Greenshank

Spotted Redshank and Greenshank

Spotted Redshank

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93641328

Tuesday 24th

Day at Welney doing various jobs including nest box checks and cattle moving! The Spoonbill family seem to have settled in moving between The Main Hide and Lyle Hide. While on the main hide the young spent a great deal of time chasing the adult and begging for food.

Adult (Left) and two of the three young plus Greenshank

Spoonbill and Greylag

Good numbers of Crane (23) on Lady Fen.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93684661

Thursday 26th

Autumn seems to have arrived early to The Fens. Cold, grey morning with a strong breeze and occasional showers was the order of the day at Burwell Fen this morning. 

The bottom muddy area held very little with just two Green Sandpiper and a  lot of ponies! I do wonder about the impact these horse have on an area. The NT tell us that numbers of species have increased but my records don't seem to hold out the same view! 

The pool next to the area was frequented by a good number of Pied Wagtail and Yellow Wagtail.

Yellow Wagtail (Juv)

Yellow Wagtail

Walked the bank to the top pool. A couple of Ruff and a single Greenshank were present. A Hobby shot through on its way to Tubney Fen.

Ruff

Greenshank

Greenshank

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93743660

Saturday 28th

A few hours to kill over Peterborough way so headed to The Nene Washes. First stop Stanground end of the washes. Two Common Crane on the far side and plenty of Grey Heron. A Peregrine crossed the Washes to the far bank.

A few Sand Martin were mixed in with the Swallows and there were five Yellow Wagtail feeding along the bank.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93826331

Moved along to the Coates and found a family group of four Crane.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93831459

A visit to Dogthorpe Star Pit produced very little!

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93836104

Week commencing 16th August

 Monday 16th

Reports of a Temminck's Stint in a muddy area near the cycle path  at Burwell saw Annie and I popping out in the late afternoon to see if it was still around. The area is certainly attractive to waders and is probably the best area on Burwell Fen at the moment. 

Carefully approaching allowed good views of at least three Ruff (Reeve), seven Green Sandpiper, two Wood Sandpiper, Redshank and plenty of Snipe. A Spotted Redshank in non-breeding plumage was also present. A large number of Mallard and Teal were loafing in the same area.

A single Greenshank dropped in from the main pool but soon departed. Sadly no Temminck's Stint.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93333452

Tuesday 17th

Day spent at Welney carrying out nest survey and site check. Covered the whole of the Washes side of the reserve but not Lady Fen due to the high number of Crane (32) on that side.

Five Spoonbill on the pool outside Lyle Hide, three juveniles and two adults. 

Also present were two Great White Egret, Ruff (13+), Wood (2) and Green (3) Sandpiper. Snipe (7) were showing well. No Avocet but still plenty of Black-tailed Godwit.

Came across three Willow Warbler and two Chiffchaff in a flock of Tits that also contained two Long-tailed Tit.

Most of the nest boxes have now gone dormant but Swallow and House Martin continue to raise young.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93448473

Wednesday 18th

A family walk around the Burwell Triangle gave me the chance to check out the muddy area along the cycleway. Nine Ruff were present along with one Wood Sandpiper, five Green Sandpiper, two Common Sandpiper and two Greenshank. On the pool next to this area was a cracking Spotted Redshank in non-breeding plumage, the same one as Monday?

Numbers of Little Egret have increased greatly.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93448462

Thursday 19th

Returned to the muddy area to see what might have dropped in recently. A single Little Ring Plover dropped in briefly before departing. Wood, Green and Common Sandpiper were present as was a single Dunlin. Plenty of Snipe were present but the highlight was a male Hobby harassing the Goldfinch flock.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93436027

Friday 20th

Back along the bank this morning. The whole area was very quiet with little noise from either bird or beast! It's like everything is waiting for the autumn!

Lots of Mallard and Little Egret on the lower pool. With two groups of Little Grebe and young (7).

Two Green Sandpiper were feeding on the top pool. Good number of Greylag, Canada and Mallard present.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S93477730

Week commencing Monday 9th August

Tuesday 10th

Spent the day at Welney WWT checking the nest boxes and the Swallows and House Martins nest sites. The survey for House Martins and Swallows will continue for another couple of weeks but the nest boxes are coming to an end with all of them now empty. However,  I will keep an eye on them for the next week or so just in case there are more broods.

Good to see, very close to the main hide, a Spoonbill that was feeding for a short while before taking off and heading down towards the Lyle Hide. 

Later on, while down that way I was able to get some good photos of the Spoonbill. Also present were three Great White Egret and two Wood Sandpiper. Back at the main hide later were four Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper. A group of fifteen Ruff were resting in front of the Main Hide and a few Avocet were still present along with their young. A juvenile Garganey was feeding in front of the North Hide. 

Spoonbill

Spoonbill and Black-tailed Godwit

Great White Egret

Wednesday 11th

Sunset at Burwell Fen

An evening visit to Burwell Fen with Annie, Max is now too old to cope, so just the two of us now. It was a beautiful evening, calm and still. The lower part of the fen around the tree is holding water well as is the upper part. 

Lots of Little Egret present and a good number of wildfowl and Coot mixed in with them.

Little Egret, one of many present

A Bittern flew past and I managed to get a quick snap, which was so poor it was only fit for the recycling bin. Two Green Sandpiper were flitting around.

A Water Rail was heard calling from somewhere in the middle of them the fen.

A large number of Swallow present over the reedbed between the middle path and the cycle track.

No Whitethroat were seen or heard at all today and only a couple of Reed Warbler and a single Sedge Warbler were seen

Thursday 12th August.

Back to Burwell fen  this afternoon (16:30).  Rather cloudy day but warm with the occasional shower.  A single Grey Heron and two Coot were on the Bridge Pool.

At the Tree Pool there are at least twelve Little Egret, five Little Grebe and a good number wildfowl including Mallard and Gadwall.  Coot numbers continue to be high.  Three Moorhen were also present including one of this year's juveniles.

At the Top Pool  were eight Mute Swan, three Little Grebe and a further nine Little Egret. At least 50 Greylag were present and half a dozen or so Canada Geese.

Five Swift were hunting high above the top pool. Also passing through were a large number of Sand Martin with House Martin mixed in.

Cormorant