I thought we better start a fresh sightings thread for the summer, now the original one has got rather long!
Please share your wildlife encounters at Fen Drayton Lakes, common or rare - not only is it nice to share, it helps fellow visitors know what to look out for and helps us keep a record of the wildlife here from month to month.
To start us off, here are some highlights from the weekend 1-2 June.
On the Moore Lake islands, which you can see from the hide, there are avocets, oystercatchers and redshanks with chicks. The avocets are up to at least 10 chicks - see the blog for a photo!
Other birds around the reserve: red kite, marsh harrier, hobby, buzzard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, kingfisher, swift, swallow, house martin, common tern, skylark, cuckoo, jay, lapwing, common sandpiper, blackcap, little egret, garden warbler, sedge warbler, reed warbler, willow warbler, Cetti's warbler, whitethroat...
Butterflies: orange tip, brimstone, small tortoiseshell, peacock, small white
Dragonflies and damselflies: common blue damselfly, variable damselfly, azure damselfly, hairy dragonfly, red-eyed damselfly, banded demoiselle
Mammals: hare, rabbit, grey squirrel and fox
Alison Nimmo
RSPB Community Engagement Officer, Orkney
24/10/2013
Stonechat (female)
40+ drake Shoveler
Snipe
12+ Little Egret
Redwing
Fieldfare
250+ Lapwing
Butterflies: Red Admiral, Brimstone, Comma
25/10/2013
Little Egret x 20+
Cettis Warbler x 4
Jay x 7
Sparrowhawk x 2
Juvenille Egyptian Goose
Various Butterflies and Dragonflies
Lots of different Fungi and Toadstools
'Thank you to the group of 20 or so visitors in the hide that put up with me pointing everything out to them', and thanks to the Snipe in front of the hide, he was the star.
29/10/2013
From NE corner Ferry Lagoon
Kingfisher x 2
Kestrel x 2
Redwings x 7
Egyptian Geese x 6
Yellowhammer x 3
Look out for Waxwings on the Rosehips around the site, when and if they turn up they should go to these first.
31/10/2013
Marsh Harrier
Ruddy Duck x 2
Kingfisher
Redwings x 30+
20/11/2013
Very large flock of Goldfinches 50+, Drayton Lagoon
Flock of Yellowhammers 30+, entrance road
Little Egrets 20+
Goosander
Linnets