First Visit To Fowlmere

Have driven along the A505 from home to the south and west over 40 years and never thought to stop at this reserve. Last Sat on our way back from Reading (more clearing of the parents house and Red Kite watching) we finally decided to stop off to visit, thanfully we had bins and camera's in the car.

Fowlmere is an oasis of woodland, reedbeds, meres & streams in the middle of the Cambridge agricultural flatlands, not far from IWM Duxford where you can hear the planes flying. Such a tranquil place and we will certainly visit again, not just in passing but a specific trip from home, about and hour on a good day.

Plenty of LBJ's singing in the woods and reedbeds, unfortunately mostly out of sight. But we managed to get some photo's of residents including this Greylag on her nest right next to a Kingfisher nest wall, no sight of any KF's though.

Although no kingfishers I did capture this GT using one of the nest holes.

A view of the whole nesting wall from a hide.

Other Greylag washing and bodyboarding!

A few Tuffties, Mr & Mrs

A huge family of Mallard chicks, must have been two familys but we only ever saw on female with them all, at least 20 chicks in total.

Great views of a Little Grebe from another hide.

Had a couple of pics of a Sparrowhawk but to far away and I realised I can't hold the camera as steady as I could  so will have to carry the tripod in future. Bins, scope & camera, somehow I can't see me carrying that lot in one go, need to get a packhorse.

What I really loved about this reserve is that there are plenty of benches around the site so you can sit and try to spot water voles along where the chalk stream runs, unfortunately we did not see any, hopefully next time.