Good morning. I will begin by sharing some images that local photographer Matt Walton took on the reserve last week.
Sunrise over the washland:
Common tern:
Bearded tit:
Grey heron & cormorant:
Kingfisher:
Great crested grebe:
Image credits: Matt Walton
Thank you very much to Matt for sharing these great images with us.
On Wednesday, I did some pond dipping with a family and while we were down at the pond dipping platform, a kingfisher whizzed over our heads.
Suzanne went for a walk around Brandon Fen at lunchtime and she saw a juvenile green woodpecker. She also saw a marsh tit.
As the day went on, there was some excitement when a juvenile cuckoo was seen near the visitor centre. Hopefully, some photographs of it will follow soon. Dave and I went down the reserve to have a meeting and while we were out, we saw a bittern in flight behind Mere Hide.
I went for a walk down to New Fen viewpoint yesterday morning before work and I saw two juvenile kestrels sparring over East Wood. A female marsh harrier was hunting in front of New Fen viewpoint and I saw a long flight from a bittern. It tried to land in New Fen North before being mobbed by a carrion crow.
As I walked back through the reserve, I spooked a roe deer alongside East Wood and a chiffchaff was singing in the big willow. While I was opening up the visitor centre, a kingfisher whizzed across the visitor centre pond.
As the day went on, a green sandpiper flew over Joist Fen viewpoint and a great spotted woodpecker was on the feeders behind the visitor centre. A brown hawker was patrolling over the visitor centre lawn and a red eyed damselfly was resting on the lily pads in the raised pond bed.
This morning, I saw one kingfisher over the washland and another perched up at the edge of the visitor centre pond. Two bearded tits were feeding on the grit tray in front of New Fen viewpoint and presumably the same two juvenile kestrels from yesterday were sparring over West Wood.
A painted lady was perched up by the Washland viewpoint and a red eyed damselfly was feeding near the pond dipping platform. A common carpet moth was also resting on the nearby vegetation.
If you are planning to visit the reserve this weekend, you may be interested to hear that there are still several places left on the Summer Long Walk which will take place on Saturday afternoon 2pm-7pm. Please follow this link for more information.
There is plenty to see at the moment so why not come and visit? We hope to see you soon!