Good morning! It’s a lovely sunny morning here so it’s time for some more recent sightings.
I went out pulling ragwort with the reserve work party behind Mere Hide on Thursday and despite being followed around by a male sheep (it’s a long story!) it was great to be out on the reserve. While I was hard at work, three common buzzards were circling high overhead and at least four yellow wagtails flew over. A hobby was also hunting in the same area.
When we returned to the visitor centre for some well earned lunch, a red underwing was showing its warning colours as it perched above the workshop door. There was also plenty to see from the visitor centre window. A kingfisher was fishing in the visitor centre pond and there was plenty of activity on the bird feeders. This included two marsh tits and at least four juvenile siskins.
It was a bit grey for most of the day yesterday but there were at least three kingfishers feeding in front of New Fen viewpoint. There were also plenty of migrant hawkers hunting near the visitor centre.
I went for a walk before work and it was lovely in the morning sunshine. Two kingfishers were fishing near the Washland viewpoint and a group of bearded tits were feeding near New Fen viewpoint. A kingfisher was calling near the viewpoint itself and jay was mimicking a common buzzard in Trial Wood.
There were plenty of dragonflies on the wing alongside Trial Wood. These were mainly common darters but there were also several migrant hawkers patrolling the skies at treetop height.
I decided to take a detour around the Fen pools and took a couple of pictures:
Probable rhombic leatherbug:
Two garden spiders:
When I got back to the visitor centre, I met two ladies who had seen a kingfisher fishing in the visitor centre pond and two siskins on the visitor feeders.
A red admiral was also posing outside the visitor centre door:
A red-banded sand wasp was hunting nearby although it didn’t let me get close enough to it to get a photograph.
As the morning has gone on, a family of stoats were seen in the staff car park and there were 90 mute swans in front of the Washland viewpoint.
I just enough space to tell you about a couple of additions to the visitor centre and its surrounds: Firstly, we have a new touch screen computer in the visitor centre, which visitors can use to access the RSPB website.. Secondly, we have some new benches both in front and behind the visitor centre:
Image credits: David White
There is plenty to see at the moment so why not come and visit? We hope to see you soon!