I was out in the fields of Middle Fen, this morning. Middle Fen is an interesting part of Fen Drayton Lakes as it still retains many of its old field boundaries and ancient grassland habitats. Shallow patches of water can make parts of Middle Fen very attractive to breeding waders such a lapwing, redshank and snipe, and this is something we shall be working on in the coming years as we enter the site into Countryside Stewardship - the governments flagship agri-environment scheme.
Middle Fen is a great place to get away from the crowds and as the visibility this morning was down to a handful of metres I seemed to have the place all to myself. Actually, that's not quite true as there were good numbers of redwings and fieldfares in the berry-laden hedgerows and I accidently flushed a barn owl from its roosting spot in a large willow tree.
At Swavesey Lake, the young male long-tailed duck was still present, but it took some finding! It was still misty when I arrived to check over the lake, but I did manage one quick view when it passed close to the shore. Fortunately, just after midday, the mist lifted and the sun came out. Fifteen minutes later, I re-located the duck as it started to show well out in the open.