Good morning. There has been plenty to see here over the last couple of days so here are some more recent sightings:
On Friday afternoon, a drake garganey was spotted in New Fen North. A smart scorpion fly was also on the visitor centre window.
There was an intriguing report of a great reed warbler singing in New Fen North, the first area of reedbed early yesterday morning. Although it wasn’t heard subsequently, it may well still be in the area. We will let you know if it is relocated!
I walked around Brandon Fen before work yesterday morning and a coal tit was singing at the edge of the car park. A green woodpecker was calling nearby and a yellowhammer flew north, calling as it went.
When I stopped at the Washland viewpoint, I could hear an avocet calling. Two common terns were also feeding over the large pool.
As I walked along, a singing garden warbler was showing well near the photography station. A bittern also flew west along the river.
We had a successful moth morning with the reserve children’s club. The children’s highlight was seeing two impressive poplar hawkmoths. Here is one of them:
We had a look under the reptile tin near the bug hotel and we saw a smart female common lizard. We also saw some impressive common stretch spiders near the Washland viewpoint.
A hobby was circling over the visitor centre at lunchtime which was nice to see. Meanwhile, further down the reserve, four bitterns were chasing eachother around over New Fen North and a red kite flew over. The drake garganey was seen in the reedbed and a black tern was reported over the same area in the evening.
I had a nice walk around the reserve before work this morning. The drake garganey was showing well in New Fen North from the riverbank along with three common terns. A male pochard was also present in the same area.
I stopped briefly at Joist Fen viewpoint and a bittern flew west along the river. I also took this photograph:
As I walked along the grassy path through New Fen North, two male bitterns flew up in front of me and chased eachother around for a while. A kingfisher flew low over the reedbed and I spotted a garden tiger moth caterpillar near New Fen viewpoint.
This was the view from the viewpoint itself:
Image credits: David White
We hope to see you soon!