Good morning. I haven’t been here much this week but a lot has happened so without further ado, I will begin. I will start of where I left off on Monday. Emma and I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime. We saw a common tern from the viewpoint itself and a common sandpiper was feeding with two redshanks just west of the viewpoint.
There was a large arrival of common whitethroats on Tuesday and the reserve was alive with their scratchy songs. A little grebe appeared on the visitor centre pond and a grasshopper warbler was reeling near Mere Hide.
The highlight of Wednesday came in the afternoon when a high flying spoonbill headed north over the reserve. Our first large red damselflies of the year were also seen alongside Trial Wood.
I returned to the office on Thursday afternoon and a brambling was calling in the staff car park. A large white butterfly was also on the wing in front of the visitor centre.
Suzanne and I went for a walk after work and we saw four common terns from the Washland viewpoint. As we walked along the riverbank, we could hear a cuckoo calling in East Wood. Just before we reached the stile, I spotted some lady’s smock in flower at the base of the riverbank. Another name for this pretty plant is “cuckoo flower", as it tends to come into flower at around the same time that cuckoos start calling. Talk about good timing!
We stopped at New Fen viewpoint for a while and heard a bittern booming in the reedbeds. Another cuckoo was also calling in Trial Wood, the middle poplar wood.
Emma saw seven roe deer alongside the entrance track yesterday morning. Our first swift of the year was seen from Joist Fen viewpoint along with several hobbys.
I came down for a walk in the evening and as I drove in, a muntjac deer wandered across the entrance track in front of me. I walked along the riverbank and got these pictures of the lady’s smock, I hope you like them:
Image credits: David White
I saw a single crane fly from Mere Hide to Joist Fen viewpoint and a bittern flew in the opposite direction. When I got to the viewpoint, a bittern was booming well behind the viewpoint and several bearded tits were showing well near Mere Hide. A male sparrowhawk also flew over and a green woodpecker was calling in West Wood.
It was pouring down with rain when I got here but by the time I got up to the Washland viewpoint, a grasshopper warbler was reeling out in the open. I saw several common whitethroats out in the open and a sedge warbler was showing in the same area.
Another grasshopper warbler was reeling just north of New Fen viewpoint and a brambling was singing in Trial Wood. A cuckoo was also calling in the same wood.
There is plenty to see at the moment so why not come and visit? We hope to see you soon!