Happy New Year to you all. I will start off where I left of with some sightings from New Years Eve onwards:
I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and a third winter Caspian gull was showing well in front of the viewpoint. Meanwhile, further down the reserve, two bearded tits were showing well from Mere Hide and two water rails were having a scrap in front of New Fen viewpoint. At least seven marsh harriers were hunting in front of Joist Fen viewpoint and at least four individual bitterns were seen from the viewpoint.
In the afternoon, my dad and I saw a water rail on the south west corner of New Fen North. We also saw a common buzzard and a peregrine in flight near the visitor centre.
When we shut up, I went for my last walk on the reserve in 2016. I saw two woodcocks in flight at the edge of East Wood and a tawny owl was singing in the wood as darkness fell.
I was wear long before first light yesterday morning and my first sighting of 2017 was of a roe deer that wandered across the entrance track in front of me as I drove in.
My father and I walked down to Joist Fen viewpoint for first light and we saw two different bitterns. We saw at least 150 whooper swans leaving their overnight roost at the far end of the reserve and we also saw a woodcock in flight.
Just before we got back to the visitor centre, we popped up to the Washland viewpoint and were rather surprised to see a juvenile yellow legged gull showing well in front of the viewpoint. A great white egret appeared in front of the viewpoint later on in the morning along with two shelducks.
As the day went on, a little grebe was feeding in the river near Wilton Bridge and two water pipits were feeding by the bend in the river. A water rail was also skulking at the edge of the visitor centre pond.
I got here shortly after first light this morning and saw a barn owl from the Washland viewpoint. Five Egyptian geese flew east along the river, closely followed by two great white egrets which eventually landed in front of the Washland viewpoint. Two roe deer were skulking at the edge of East Wood. As I walked from the riverbank to New Fen viewpoint, I took these pictures of the reedbed in the morning gloom:
...And here is the view from New Fen viewpoint itself:
I could hear some bearded tits calling in front of the viewpoint but unfortunately they wouldn't show themselves for me. A stock dove was singing in East Wood behind me and a great spotted woodpecker was also drumming nearby.
I stopped to take a photo of the visitor centre pond...:
Image credits: David White
...And while I was out there, I spotted a water rail skulking at the edge of the pond. A goldcrest was also feeding in the Scots pine near the visitor centre,
If you are planning to visit this week, the reserve is open at all times and the visitor centre is open today 9am-4pm. Normal visiting hours, with the visitor centre open daily 9am-5pm will resume from tomorrow (Tuesday 3 January). We hope to see you soon!