Well, we have reached the end of another year so here is the last recent sightings blog post of 2016:
We had to endure some patchy fog on Wednesday afternoon. I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and could see two shelducks. I could also just about make out an interesting looking gull which looked most like a third winter Caspian gull. However, the light wasn't good enough to positively identify it.
Once the sun came out again, I photographed this interesting species of fungi that had recently sprouted up on the visitor centre lawn:
It was really rather chilly first thing on Thursday morning for my walk around the reserve. A great white egret was feeding along the river east of the Washland viewpoint and a collared dove flew south over Brandon Fen. A common buzzard was also perched up nearby.
Volunteer Paul Holness had a very successful walk around the reserve in the morning. He saw two stonechats and two bearded tits near Joist Fen viewpoint. He also saw a bittern and a kingfisher from Joist Fen viewpoint itself.
As the day went on, a stoat was seen skidding along the ice in front of New Fen viewpoint and the leucistic wren was seen in the reeds near the viewpoint. Meanwhile, Malcolm, one of our local birders saw the following north of the river near Joist Fen viewpoint:
Green sandpiper: 2+
Redshank: 1
Common snipe: 1
Moorhen: 10
Golden plover: 100+
Little egret: 4
Barn owl: 1
Sparrowhawk: 1
Kestrel: 1
Common buzzard: 1
Local bird ringer Simon Evans was ringing in Brandon Fen yesterday and while he was ringing, he saw:
Great white egret: 1 west along the river
Stonechat: 2 (Brandon Fen)
Water pipit: 2 (Washland)
Wigeon: 11 (River Little Ouse)
Whooper swan: 3 (Washland)
Lesser redpoll: 2 west over Brandon Fen
Redwing: 30+ (Brandon Fen)
Chiffchaff: (Car park)
A water rail was feeding at the edge of the visitor centre pond and a barn owl was showing well from Joist Fen viewpoint. Good numbers of bearded tits were also showing from the dragonfly platform north of New Fen viewpoint.
It was really rather foggy for my walk around Brandon Fen this morning, as you can see from these images:
Image credits: David White
At least eight corn buntings left their overnight roost at the eastern edge of Brandon Fen and I could hear some bearded tits calling in the reedbed nearby. A water pipit was also calling on the washland.
It will post the results of the staff and volunteer reserve year list challenge tomorrow. Please note that the roadside barrier will be closing at dusk tonight and it will reopen before first light tomorrow morning. The visitor centre will be open 9am-4pm tomorrow and on Monday 2 January.
That just leaves me to wish you all a very Happy New Year from all of the staff and volunteers here at RSPB Lakenheath Fen. We hope to see you soon!