Baker's Fen: Wednesday 14th June

Set off for an audio bird watch due to forgetting my binoculars!. I blame old age. Never mind as it was good practice for identifying birds by call only. Cuckoo calling constantly as were Chiffchaff. Plenty of Cetti's Warbler and Blackcaps singing along with a couple of Garden Warblers. Nice to see a small flock of Linnets.

Did have my camera with me so stopped to capture a snap some of the many butterflies. A lot easier than photographing birds.

Small Tortoiseshell

Meadow Brown

Small Tortoiseshell

Underside wing of a Gatekeeper

Tuesday 13th June: Welney and Ouse Washes

A little bit of work took me towards Welney this morning so popped in for a couple of hours to see what was about. As with all places at this time of the year, things were fairly quiet but there is always the hope something will turn up.

Plenty of Avocet around with young and a very nice flotilla of young Shelduck with two attentive adults. A number of Black-tailed Godwit in partial breeding plumage were present and amongst them was one in full breeding plumage with unusual rings. Took a while to get an image of this bird and the rings as it was at the back of the scrape. Unlike the usual ringed birds this only had single rings on each leg. Will send observation off and see if its origins can be found.

Black tailed Godwit: Single orange ring on left leg and single dark green on right. Both above knee.

A pair of Little Ringed Plover on the pool at Friend's Hide added to the single one seen from the Main Hide. This pair had with them two young so a good season for them.

Litte Ringed Plover

Common Tern were also in and around the Friend's pool.

Resting Common Tern

Ouse Washes

News of the successful hatching of two Black-Winged Stilt was put out yesterday. Parents had nested opposite Stockdale and their presence was kept quiet until the announcement. Given the predation of the chicks at Welney it was great to see successful hatching at the Washes. Hopefully they will survive. The parents were certainly being attentive, driving off Avocets and Lapwings that got too close.

Male Black winged Stilt

Proud mum and dad

Female on left, male right

Male on left.

Burwell Fen Triangle: Monday 12th June

Blustery morning, warm but with a strong wind. Parked at Cock-Up Bridge and walked along bank to Pouts Hall and then down to the Upware Bridge.

Red Kite attracted the attention of the Common Terns, which quickly rose into the sky to chase the Kite off.

Common Tern

Two juvenile Stonechat  showing well and five Linnet seen. Small number of Swift and Swallow through. Single Redshank at top end and Little Egret in various locations. 1 male Marsh Harrier and a single Buzzard present.

Species Seen (45)
Blackcap	Sylvia atricapilla
Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Buzzard	Buteo buteo
Canada Goose	Branta canadensis
Carrion Crow	Corvus corone
Cetti's Warbler	Cettia cetti
Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita
Common Tern	Sterna hirundo
Coot	Fulica atra
Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus
Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiaca
Gadwall	Anas strepera
Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
Greylag Goose	Anser anser
Jackdaw	Corvus monedula
Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus
Linnet	Carduelis cannabina
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
Magpie	Pica pica
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus
Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
Mute Swan	Cygnus olor
Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus
Pied Wagtail	Motacilla alba
Red Kite	Milvus milvus
Redshank	Tringa totanus
Reed Bunting	Emberiza schoeniclus
Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Rook	Corvus frugilegus
Sedge Warbler	Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna
Shoveler	Anas clypeata
Skylark	Alauda arvensis
Stonechat	Saxicola torquatus
Swallow	Hirundo rustica
Swift	Apus apus
Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula
Whitethroat	Sylvia communis
Woodpigeon	Columba palumbus
Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes

Spring Sightings

A warm spell brought in some of the summer migrants. Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler showing well but as yet no Reed Warbler. Very few swallows as yet and no House Martin. With so much water still present there has been little wader activity. A few Ruff and a couple of Greenshank.

First Cuckoo heard and seen on the 25th April.

Finishing Off February

Back to the cold of the Fens and on the 21st the dogs and I set off for a short walk along the Washes at Earith. Six hours later we finally returned home!

Just west of Chain Corner, on the far side I located two Great White Egret feeding along one of the ditches.

Beyond Chain Corner, mixed in with a good size flock of Tufted Duck, were a mixed flock of seven Scaup.

At Sutton Gault was able to record the rings of a Black-tailed Godwit (W, YW//W) and submitted the sightings to  Jenny Gill at UEA. Turned out that Jenny ringed it when it was an adult on the 30th August..... 1996!

Birding in Rome

Celebrating a significant birthday took us to Rome for a few days and as always mixed in with the fantastic buildings, wonderful food and warm weather, there was time to do a little bird watching.

14th February: The Vatican: Yellow Legged Gull, common throughout Rome, took little notice of the crowds to pick up tit bits.

15th February: The Colosseum and Forum: Hooded Crow and Yellow Legged Gull spotted along with a female Redstart.

16th February: Villa Borghese Park produced excellent views of Ring-Necked Parakeet.

Yet another catch up!

So, here we are in March and no postings since the 1st January! A need for another summary. January saw the dogs and I out and about around Burwell, Wicken and the Ouse Washes, with the occasional trip to Welney. The usual species were present and the most outstanding was finding Coal Tit along the old railway line at Soham.

February produce a single Egyptian Goose at Burwell Fen on the 6th and 37 White-Fronted Goose at Pouts Hall

Over on Baker's Fen on the same date Cetti's Warbler were calling from a number of different locations and a very obliging Short-Eared Owl posed for photos.

A trip to Santon Downham on the 9th February produced good number of Brambling and excellent views of Siskin. Sadly no Lesser Spotted Woodpecker!

10th February: Further reports of 1 possibly 2 Great Grey Shrike saw us out in search for them and finally locating one by West Mere Hide, just beyond the old Tower Hide. It was a very obliging, flitting around the trees of the newly cleared area for a good twenty minutes or so before disappearing.

End of year breakdown

2016 over and done with on with 2017. But before all that let's see how the year went. So during 2016 I recorded 107 species of birds seen at Burwell Fen. This was down on 2015 by 4, those missing from the list were: Bitten, Grey Phalarope. Avocet and Black Winged Stilt. Strangely I was only thinking about Bittens today as I was walking along Harrison's Drove. Often heard during the spring but I've rarely seen them! Maybe more time needs to be spent around Adventures Fen rather than Burwell! Let's see what the new year brings.!

Yet another catch up!!

So September and October have disappeared and here we are half way through November and not an entry! I promise I have been out and about over the fens in search of birds but little to report other than the usual!

However Tuesday 11th November saw the dogs and I wandering down the bank at Burwell. There had been reports of a Great Grey Shrike in the area while we had been away in Spain so we had tried a few days earlier with no luck. So it was a pleasant surprise when it suddenly appeared on the wires.

Sadly as I manoeuvred closer it took flight and disappeared behind a tree. 20 minutes of searching proved fruitless and so we moved on!

The fen has been partly flooded. Not, it would seem, to the depth of previous years so we wait and see what is drawn in over the winter. 

July passes and now in August!

Well June and July has passed by with out much comment! Birding slowed  and nothing really of interest around. Instead took to planning and walking a variety of circular walks around Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

It's only now that things are beginning to hot up bird wise. Burwell Fen becoming more inviting as migrant waders being to come in. Today saw good numbers of Green Sandpiper (7) and  Greenshank (3), along with Redshank (2), Ruff (2) and Black tailed Godwit (2). The odd Common Sandpiper putting in the occasional appearance as well. Swift still present with Sand Martin mixed in.

Little Egret numbers increasing it seems daily with 39 present the other day. Water Rail showing well with a number of juvenile showing well.