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