Fowlmere

Following the latest clear instructions from the Government for us all to remain at home apart from a limited number of allowed activities, we are closing our reserves to visitors until further notice.

This means we will close our car parks, toilets, hides and playgrounds to the public. These measures are on top of the existing closure of our visitor centres, cafes and shops.  It is with great sadness that we ask people…

Following the latest government advice we have made the difficult decision to close our visitor centres effective immediately and The Lodge shop from Friday 20 March to visitors. This is to prioritise the health and welfare of our staff, volunteers and visitors.

These are difficult and unsettling times for all of us but we hope that nature can provide a welcome respite in whichever form and wherever you may encounter…

https://youtu.be/h-TiuzPIquY

Graham Barker has posted this video taken on the reserve recently, and it's certainly a very well spent 5 mins watching it!

Thanks Graham!

Mark

Photographer Alan Reynolds captured this dramatic dual between a hen harrier and a marsh harrier at Fowlmere yesterday. The ringtail has been around over the last few months, and was obviously not pleased at the arrival of the marsh harrier on its patch!

EVENT CANCELLED

We are very sorry to inform you that due to a forecast of strong winds and heavy rain, we are cancelling the Discovery Day event that was planned for this Sunday.

This is vey disappointing for everyone involved as we were looking forward to the event and welcoming all of our visitors.

Thank you for your understanding and apologies that we are unable to run the event.

Mark, Beth and all  our volunteers…

This summer the British Dragonfly Society launched the White-legged Damselfly Investigation. The White-legged Damselfly is an elegant little insect that can be found breeding at lushly vegetated wetland sites (including ponds, pools and lakes, along with slow flowing rivers, streams and canals) in south-central England and south Wales, between May and August.

Concerns have been raised by our County Dragonfly Recorders…

An event full of nature discovery, activities, art and countryside crafts and a bird ringing demonstration.

Pond dipping           Owl pellet dissection
Nature walks           Small mammals trapping
Bird ringing              Guide in a hide
Willow weaving        Children's activities

Steve Kershaw Wildlife Artist giving art demonstations and selling his paintings and gift cards.

Costs; non-members, Adults £4, children £2
Costs; RSPB members Adults…

RSPB Fowlmere nature reserve

Pond dipping

Saturday June 16    2pm - 4pm

Sunday   June 17  11am -  4pm     

Come and join our friendly and knowledgeable volunteers to pond dip and discover some of the amazing creatures that live under the water’s surface.

Donations gratefully accepted. A £2 car park charge applies to non - RSPB members.

Please note, This event will not run in bad weather.

 Craig Hartley (rspb-images…

Our nature reserves are special places that support a host of wildlife. We’re only able to carry out our valuable work through the generous support of people like you. To help us continue our vital conservation work, we will be introducing new charges for visitors to Fowlmere, starting from June 2018.

A car park machine has been installed and a £2 charge will apply to non-RSPB members. This charge includes…

We are nearly there.... tomorrow is our Fowlmere Discovery Day!

Pop along anytime between 10am and 3pm to join in. We have the bird ringing team demonstrating the importance of bird ringing and showing the birds they ring, lots of activities for the young ones, moths, small mammals, owl pellet dissection, Fowlmere Bullfinches with activities, pond dipping, and Steve Kershaw the wildlife artist will be painting the wildlife…

 The Fowlmere Discovery Day event will be held on Sunday 17 September.

This year the bird ringing group will be coming to do a ringing session for the first time, and other activities include small mammal trapping, bird ringing, badge making and children’s hands- on activities, owl pellet dissection, moth trapping and wildlife walks, so a day full of great things to take part in and enjoy.

The event runs from 10 am…

 If you're still struggling to find an appropriate Christmas present or simply want a bargain, there is a sale at the shop at The Lodge, Sandy.

Are you hoping Santa will bring you some new binoculars or even a telescope? The next optics open days at The Lodge shop (Sandy) are Thursday 3rd, Saturday 5th, and Sunday 6th November from 10am to 3pm, when there will be opportunities to receive specialist advice and test the items by viewing the birds on the feeders by the shop.

Many of you will already know that hundreds of yellow-browed warblers have been flooding in to Britain in recent days, although naturally enough most of the records have come from coastal sites. However, some have already started moving inland, and we were thrilled to have one of them at Fowlmere last weekend.

I had just started walking along the path to Reedbed Hide at 6pm on Friday evening when I heard a soft call…

It seems to be a bumper year for barn owls! After the two nests on the reserve fledged at least 7 young between them (3+4) earlier this year, the pair in the large triangular box has nested again. At least, I assume it is the same pair; we can't really be sure. Anyway, a couple of days ago one of the regular birders alerted me to the fact that he had seen two chicks, and he was right. What I assume is the oldest, large…

I have been off this forum far too long! This is the first of a series of short single-species updates.

Regular visitors to the reserve with be aware that a pair of marsh harriers have nested again. However, we think they are different birds from those that reared four young last year. The male appears to be a year older than last year's male would be this year, and the female is behaving very differently.

The male…

In recent years we have developed a good relationship with a local scout troop who have done a lot for the reserve. They have worked on several projects - making and putting up bat boxes, coppicing, and reed raking and burning. This last task was a new activity for them last winter, and if the weather is dry enough they will do the same again on Saturday. Unfortunately this will influence the ducks on the mere, but very…

We were concerned that clearing the reeds in the ditches at the weekend might have upset 'our' bittern, but we needn't have worried. As the boats chugged around the reedbed we thought it might be flushed out, but there was no sign of it. Indeed, I thought it might have gone elsewhere during the few days last week when ice covered almost all the open water, but true to form it flew past Reedbed Hide well after…

We have to cut the reeds in our ditches periodically to stop them getting clogged up, and several species of water birds benefit as a consequence. The number of pairs of little grebes always increases after the cutting has been done, and there are often more coots. I think tufted ducks would also benefit, although they are not regular breeders here (yet), and it gives bitterns more fishing opportunities.

We use a specialist…

There is a notice on the single track road between Fowlmere and Melbourn announcing its closure for surfacing for 3 days from 11th to 13th January. I may have access to the reserve, but I suggest it is not worth trying to visit during those 3 days.

We have had some more good sightings since the fun of New Year's Day. On the 2nd a raven flew over the car park; this is a species we wouldn't expect to see.

A bittern flew past Reedbed Hide at 16.34 on the 5th, presumably the same bird that was present earlier in the winter. Also a woodcock was seen at dusk that day.

It has been a good spell for otter sightings. Following two appearances on New Year's Day, one…

With the exception of a singing Cetti's warbler and a pinging bearded tit, the reserve seems to have been rather quiet over Christmas, so it is nice to report some good sightings to start off the New Year.

An otter was seen twice in the mere from Reedbed Hide, once mid morning and again mid afternoon. On the second occasion it caught a reasonably sized fish, probably a pike, which it carried into the willows on the west…

Just a quick summary of what has been seen today:-

Several lucky people saw a bittern fly across the mere and drop into the reeds next to the meadow by Reedbed Hide at 4pm.

A merlin has been seen outside the reserve recently, and was hunting over the reserve briefly this afternoon. A juvenile peregrine has also been seen this week.

I saw a grey wagtail flying over, and c20 pied wagtails roosted in reeds by the mere…

About 2500 starlings put on a magnificent display for half an hour this evening. This is not a large number in comparison with the better known roost sites, but we get them passing a few meters from Reedbed Hide before they swarm down into the reeds by the mere about 30m from the hide. Only one sparrowhawk was seen, but if the starlings settle in we should see more.

One of the regular birders heard a bearded tit pinging…