Fen Drayton Lakes

Hepatic morph Cuckoo at Elney Lake

It was an exciting month at the reserve with the finding of two rarities; a Red-footed Falcon which spent nearly a week around Elney Lake and a Black-winged Stilt briefly on Moore Lake. The falcon drew in quite large numbers of visitors to enjoy it. It favoured poplars around the Elney car park and would sit there in the wind and rain we've experienced this spring and sit it out until…

Wood Sandpiper on Ferry - Richard Thomas

April remained largely cold, windy and wet but that didn't stop the birds arriving or the birders going out to find them! With lots of effort 128 species were recorded on the reserve during the month with some really exciting discoveries of unusual species and of breeding birds. One of the highlights of the month was undoubtedly the return of a Nightingale, right at the month…

Grey Partridge along the entrance road by Simon Freedman

March has been an exciting month on the reserve with the habitats coming in to good condition for waterbirds and the bushes hosting the first returning migrants. This has led to lots of visitors making a visit to the reserve and the added benefit of the Easter break giving people time to visit. One of the main features of the month has been the emerging grasslands…

After periods of flooding in December and January, February got off to a relatively dry start. This didn't last long and despite some warm, sunny days that saw the year's first butterflies (Brimstones), the reserve was once again flooded for the majority of the month. Duck numbers remained high as they took advantage of all the newly created wetland habitat in fields along the river with large numbers of Wigeon, Teal…

Volunteers clearing an island to increase reedbed growth for Bittern - Henry Cook

Whilst out working around the reserve, it's quite common for curious visitors to approach us with questions about how we manage this expansive site and how many staff members are responsible for its upkeep. Their reactions are typically a mix of surprise and appreciation when we say that only two of us are entrusted with the on-site care…

Spotted Redshank on the river by Ferry - one of the more unusual sightings this month - Henry Cook

A new year, a new month, and for many birders and birdwatchers, a new year list. For much of the month large volumes of rain fell and flooded the reserve to the highest level since the RSPB has owned the site (2007 onwards), and according to locals who have lived in the area all their lives the water was at its highest ever…

As well as being a nature reserve, Fen Drayton Lakes is classified as a reservoir on the River Great Ouse floodplain and has a role in holding water during floods to protect the nearby villages and relieve some of the pressure further downstream.

As river levels rise, drainage ditches that run through the reserve bringing water from the surrounding area to the river can’t empty out so begin to overspill into the lakes…

With the year coming to a close, the run of unusual birds appearing on the reserve continued apace. On the first of the month Ferry Lagoon was graced by a Long-tailed Duck, a rare bird which last occurred here in 2015.

Long-tailed Duck on Ferry Lagoon - Simon Freedman

Those who went to see it straight away obtained nice views but the following day it had already left. Elsewhere flooding during the month led to a large…

Low Hill is an unassuming yet fascinating feature of Fen Drayton Lakes. It lies within Elney Lake (historically known as Low Fen), on a peninsula which protrudes in from the western side. For most people visiting, it merely looks like a raised mound with a margin of reeds and is covered in grass, but that belies the history that lies underneath.

Until recently we didn’t know much about it but learned more thanks to the…

November delivered a big arrival of winter thrushes to the berry-laden hedgerows around the reserve. It was a frequent sight to walk along a hedge or drive along a track and hundreds of birds take to the skies. The Waxwing influx going on nationwide resulted in a couple flying over, but none yet seen perched. A cold snap at the month's end also brought in better numbers and variety of wildfowl with a few unusual species…

October is one of the most exciting months in the birder's calendar. Features of this month included a Rock Pipit colour-ringed in Norway, 1250km away, the Osprey lingered well into the month, then Stonechats and Bearded Tits returned for the winter. It appeared to be a notable autumn for overhead passage of Redpolls and Siskins, although few actually touched down. 3 Scaup also appeared on Drayton, a scarce winter visitor…

September picked up where August left off in terms of birds being seen on the reserve. We still had the Glossy Ibis with us most days but migration really began to pick up with waders moving through of quite a few species. PIck of the bunch was a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper which only occurs every few years on average and a Wood Sandpiper which is less than annual.

White Stork seen on Ferry a couple of times during September…

We are excited to report an inconspicuous weevil has recently been found at Fen Drayton Lakes that has never been recorded on any other of the 225 RSPB reserves! This new species was found on nettles near its food plant, mayweed, which is very common on the reserve. The name of the species is Pseudostyphlus pillumus, it doesn't have a vernacular name as it is quite an obscure little thing.

Web image of Pseudostyphlus…

The height of summer brought some really exciting birds to Fen Drayton Lakes. Whether it was return passage of waders, congregations of passerines, uncommon breeding records or vagrants to the area, there was often a lot to see. The Glossy Ibis remained throughout, favouring Ferry Lagoon but occasionally also appearing on Moore and on one occasion two birds were confirmed. The highlight had to be the confirmed breeding…

During the summer months things slow down here at Fen Drayton Lakes. Our breeding bird surveys are completed by this point and although many of our migrant species have finished nesting and rearing young and have already departed back to their African wintering grounds, others are still busy so we cannot yet start our intrusive habitat management work. Reserve work at this time of year therefore tends to revolve around…

Usually July is considered one of the quieter months in the birdwatchers calendar. This appears misplaced however as lots of breeding activity is being recorded and migrant waders, terns and hirundines are already passing through. To back this up the reserve was graced by a couple of rarities including a WHITE-WINGED TERN and White Stork. The former is a rare vagrant from central Europe at its nearest but its range stretches…

Although June is typically thought of as a month where we progress in to summer and things can quieten down, the birds thought otherwise. There was a movement of ducks which delivered a smart drake BLUE-WINGED TEAL on 10th which stayed till 13th, the undoubted highlight of the month and perhaps year to date. It was found out on the scrapes on Ferry, seen from the viewing shelter where it was generally elusive, hiding…

Perhaps the most beautiful of our doves and pigeons, the Turtle Dove is a cherished sight in our landscape and one which has been celebrated in poetry and art since the time of Chaucer. With orange scalloped wings, rose-hued breast and black-and-white striped neck patch this is a distinctive bird. They have nothing to do with turtles themselves; the name comes from their repeated purring call which sounds like the French…

This month saw some good wader and tern migration through the reserve. You had to be lucky to see them as they could drop in out of the sky and be off again within minutes but some stuck around for a day or two. It was also a good spell for seeing Garganey with up to 4 being seen on Ferry at the peak but often a single drake present hiding in the vegetation as viewed from the shelter. Overall it proved to be an excellent…

The summer is a time of riotous profusions of wildflowers. Various hues ranging from delicate pastels to eye-catching vivid colours pepper the landscape. Here at Fen Drayton Lakes, there are lots of flourishing places to observe the spectacle of colour. This article will cover a few of the better places to go searching and what to look out for.

For a brief window of time, the wetland margins on Ferry Lagoon can be a vision…

April was a busy busy month on the reserve for bird sightings. The longer, warmer days and arrival of migrants in numbers encouraged lots of birders out to the reserve who collectively found a great selection of passage waders, warblers and some oddities too. The reserve was still under quite a lot of water which affected access to certain areas but made other areas more appealing to waterfowl and waders. Highlights included…

Things are picking up pace. With the flow of spring migrants arriving and winter migrants starting to head off, March was an exciting month on the reserve. Flooding was the main feature which forced parts of the reserve to be cut off. It also flooded out the washes forcing the large Black-tailed Godwit flock to move up to Fen Drayton Lakes, a traditional movement in high water times. The flock peaked at 3400 individuals…

Winter can feel like it is dragging it's feet by February but for those hardy enough to get out and search the lakes for birds some unusual species can be seen. By the middle of the month the first signs of Spring were making themselves known such as the first booming Bittern (19th) and Lesser Black-backed Gulls passing through. Along the river there are already swathes of Daffodils coming into flower and Snowdrops are…

With a new year comes a new chance to get out birding, start a year list or just to get some fresh air and exercise. At Fen Drayton Lakes it means getting stuck in to looking at all the wildfowl and gulls which congregate. Lots of people got out in the new year with some interesting sightings amongst the usual suspects. Highlights this month were as follows:

• Great Egret - 7 at Drayton on 2nd
• Woodcock - 5 flew out of…

Lapwings are wading birds that can be found in grasslands, farmland and wetlands. They are well known for their distinctive calls, giving them the alternative name 'peewit', their complex courtship displays and their striking plumage, in particular their head crests. Sadly, lapwing populations in the UK have declined significantly over the past few decades, predominantly due to changes in agricultural practices and the…