Good morning. There has been plenty going on here over the last couple of days but I will begin with some images that have been taken here over the last week or so:
Male orange tip:
Two cranes in flight:
Image credits: Dave Rogers
Male marsh harrier:
Hobby:
Swift:
Image credits: Matt Walton
Thank you very much to Dave and Matt for sharing these great images with us.
I will start of where I left off on Wednesday. It was a bit crazy in the office in the morning so Katherine took me out on the reserve for 10 minutes to show me a couple of things. She showed me a water vole feeding horde near the visitor centre and the sad sight of a dead coot. The coot was absolutely crawling with burying beetles, which are known as the undertakers of the insect world.
I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and saw at least 75 swifts feeding over the large pool. I also saw a smart rhombic leatherbug near the viewpoint.
Suzanne and I did our Common Bird Census (CBC) in Brandon Fen yesterday morning. We heard a nightingale singing by Wilton Bridge and a smart buck roe deer on the riverbank. We also saw two collared doves, which are a tricky species to see here.
I led a guided walk around the reserve later on in the morning and we saw two cuckoos from New Fen viewpoint. We found a large drinker moth caterpillar alongside West Wood and at least three bearded tits were showing well just east of Joist Fen viewpoint.
At the viewpoint, at least 12 hobbys were feeding overhead along with a couple of marsh harriers. We could also hear at least three different bitterns booming.
As we walked back through the reserve, I spotted a smart female hairy dragonfly perched up near the track to Mere Hide. When we got to the eastern edge of Trial Wood, we were treated to the unprecedented sight of a grasshopper warbler reeling right out in the open which was a real treat. Just before we got back to the visitor centre, some visitors pointed out four common lizards that were basking at the edge of the fen pools.
I walked around the reserve this morning and there were cuckoos everywhere! I saw and heard at least five individuals. A turtle dove also flew south over the visitor centre.
There were plenty of invertebrates around alongside Trial Wood including a nursery web spider, a blue tailed damselfly and an azure damselfly. I also saw a freshly emerged damselfly, which was most likely to be a variable damselfly.
Katherine did her Common Bird Census (CBC) in East Wood and she was lucky enough to see a tawny owl. She also saw cercopis vulnerata (the froghopper that produces cuckoo spit) and a green carpet.
There is plenty to see at the moment so why not come and visit? We hope to see you soon!