Good morning. For some reason, we have been treated to a real mammal bonanza on the reserve over the last couple of days. Without any further ado then, I will pick of where I left off with some sightings from Friday.
Volunteer Roy went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and spotted a great white egret. Shortly after he returned, he spotted a water rail skulking at the edge of the visitor centre pond. There were also two ruddy darters oviposting in the visitor centre pond and a peacock butterfly was also on the wing in the winter sunshine.
I went down the reserve to see a steam train going past but unfortunately, it had a diesel on the front so I will spare you my pictures of it! While I was waiting, I saw another peacock butterfly and a female common darter.
As the day went on, all three great white egrets were seen on the reserve and an otter was seen from New Fen viewpoint. The leucistic wren was seen near New Fen viewpoint and a stoat was seen on the hard track near the viewpoint.
As both the light and the temperature dropped, I took this picture of night falling over the visitor centre pond:
Image credit: David White
It was really rather miserable for my walk around Brandon Fen yesterday morning and the only highlight was finding a female great spotted woodpecker feeding on the peanut feeder in front of the visitor centre when I came back.
...And then, at around 9.30am, something happened which brightened up everyone's day: an otter appeared in the visitor centre pond! To our amazement, it spent the next hour and a half fishing in the pond. It was there long enough for the members of Woodbridge RSPB local group and the reserve's children club to see. Volunteer John took lot's of photos of it so here are four of my favourites:
Having a shake:
Entering the water:
Eating a fish:
Wondering what all the fuss is about:
Image credits: John Wightman
Thank you very much to John for sharing these great images with us.
I went willow bashing with the reserve children's club and while we were out, I could hear at least one redshank on the washland. Meanwhile, further down the reserve, a kingfisher was seen from New Fen viewpoint along with at least 20 bearded tits. There was also an intriguing report of a Chinese water deer with a fawn from Joist Fen viewpoint. This is the first evidence that this species has bred on the reserve which is rather significant.
As the afternoon went on, the water rail appeared at the edge of the visitor centre pond once again. When the gloom set in, a ghostly apparition in the form of a roe deer appeared at the edge of the pond.
I went for a walk around the reserve this morning and there were two great white egrets feeding near the Washland viewpoint. A stonechat was feeding north of the river and a water pipit was in a similar area. As I walked back through the reserve, I spotted two roe deer skulking in East Wood.
Shortly after I opened the visitor centre, a green woodpecker and a jay were feeding on the visitor centre lawn which were both lovely to see. Paul and Katherine are doing the WeBs count at the moment and they have just reported a black tailed godwit and three redshanks feeding in front of the Washland viewpoint.
If you are planning to visit the reserve this week, please note that the visitor centre decking is due to be replaced. This may affect access from the visitor centre to the trails so please ask when you arrive and we will advise you of alternative routes out onto the reserve.
We hope to see you soon!