Fen Drayton Lakes Sightings - Please post your sightings here...

Please post your notable sightings on this thread. Notable means notable to you - no matter how common! Not only is it nice to share, but we can use the information in our casual sightings records to help maintain a picture of species and numbers on the reserve.

I'll set the ball rolling:-

Thursday 3rd Jan

Black tailed godwit x c200 in flight over Drayton Lagoon/Elney Lake

Goldeneye x 4 Drayton Lagoon South

1 Weasel

Tim Fisher

  • A couple of walks since my last post on the 21st April, again just bimbling around my local patch (Swavesey Lake and the "Ferry's").

    Thursday May 8th (15:30 - 18:30)

    Persistent light rain.

    The black-winged stilt seen by Patricia is still showing nicely in a  field immediately north east of the reserve road at the busway halt crossing.

    A nightingale sang briefly in scrub by the bridle path immediately S of the Fisherman's Car Park (between Swavesey Lake and Ferry lagoon).

    Nine bullfinch sightings between Constable Rood and the (above) Fisherman's Car Park; double counts possible but I think at least 3 pairs.

    Nine male and 3 female pochard on Ferry Mere and a pair of greylag's "towing" c.10 small goslings. No black terns seen.

    Both Egyptian goslings (reported earlier) are now about 2/3 grown - seen on the flushes at the NW end of Ferry Lagoon.

    Also on Ferry Lagoon, a water rail (heard briefly from the shelter on the first peninsula S of the Fisherman's Car Park).

    No hobbies seen.

    And finally...

    N of Ferry Mere, a heron cleared a flight path through a huge cloud of swifts (over a 1000, I should think), emerging safely on the other side. Brave....

    65 Species in total

    PS from about a week ago (same locale): a garden warbler (possible), my first cuckoos this season, a kingfisher perched above the main drain and a water rail nearby in cover on the river.

    Dr8ton

  • Hobbies are back!

    At least 4 over feeding over Elney Lake amongst hundreds of swifts.

    One (lone) male Garganey with Ringed Plover close to shelter overlooking Ferry Mere and another single avocet on Moore Lake.

  • Nightingale calling (9.45am) Sat morning from low trees/bushes at western end of Drayton Lagoon bridleway (from the "beach", walk up the grass slope and just before you reach first of 2 "bridges", Nightingale was calling from the left.

  • Red Kite hanging effortlessly on the wind above fields by St Andrews Church Swavesey at 5pm today. Watched it for about 5 mins. Local crow started mobbing it and it lazily drifted off towards Boxworth.

  • 17/05/2014 - Had a lovely trip to Fen Drayton Lakes today. Highlight being my first ever little egrets! There was a very knowledgeable and friendly gent in the hide who helped a group of us spot & identify the following species of interest: at least 2 x Redshank at least 2 x little ringed plover 3 x little egret He also had the most amazing photo on his camera of a reed warbler, hopefully he's reading this and will be kind enough to share it with us... I took some pleasure in spotting the following for myself: 2 x avocet with several chicks 1 x oystercatcher 4 x Egyptian goose (photo attached) 1 x buzzard (not 100% sure but identified by a process of elimination!) 1 x unidentified warbler, probably bog standard but might be of interest. Photo to follow if you can help me identify it? All in all a really good day out & I'll certainly be back soon!
  • Photo of aforementioned unidentified warbler if anybody can help?
  • Hi Dave,

    Looks like Reed Warbler.

    Steve.

  • Three black-winged stilts on Moore Lake today.  One with orange leg band on left leg.  Also pair of avocets with three young.