Good afternoon. Until this morning when it rained, the weather has been great for the last couple of days. Here are a few images that were taken on the reserve yesterday:
Two marsh harrier action shots:
A pair of great crested grebes exchanging a gift of weeds:
A greylag goose flapping its wings:
A roe deer at full pelt:
Image credits: Matt Walton
Thank you very much to Matt for sharing these images with us.
I will start where I left off on Thursday afternoon. I popped up to the washland and on the way up to the Washland viewpoint; a brimstone butterfly fluttered by and a stoat shot along the path in front of me.
It was a lovely morning yesterday and a great white egret was on the washland. A sedge warbler was singing near Joist Fen viewpoint and around 80 fieldfares flew over. There were also three roe deer grazing in Trial Wood.
I went for a walk with a small group of people mid-morning and we saw three marsh harriers over New Fen North. A swallow flew over Trial Wood and I spotted a kingfisher whizzing past New Fen viewpoint. There were also two common buzzards circling high over East Wood.
As the day went on, a blackcap was singing in Brandon Fen and our first grass snake of the year was seen swimming across the visitor centre pond. A red kite flew south over West Wood and a green sandpiper was on the washland north of the same wood.
It was a bit bleak this morning but there was a great white egret on the washland along with 13 little egrets. I also saw two bitterns in flight over New Fen North.
There were a couple of newly arrived summer migrants around including a willow warbler near the visitor centre and a couple of sedge warblers singing in the reedbeds. Despite the cold conditions, there was also a comma flying around which was surprising.
I took the Lakenheath Fen Kingfishers Wildlife Explorers club down to Mere Hide this morning and unfortunately, we got caught in an April shower! There were two swallows feeding low over New Fen North and a male marsh harrier was skydancing over the reedbed. A tree pipit also flew over the visitor centre shortly after we got back.
The weather forecast isn't looking too bad for the next couple of days so why not come and visit? We hope to see you soon!