It has certainly been a lot milder over the last couple of days so here are some more recent sightings. It was a reasonable start to the day on Wednesday and a mistle thrush was singing its wild song in the staff car park when I arrived. I went up to the Washland viewpoint and counted 18 whooper swans in front of the viewpoint (14 adults and four cygnets). A great white egret also flew in to join them in the large pool.
As I walked along the riverbank, another 15 whooper swans flew out of the pool north of East Wood (Nine adults and six cygnets). A water pipit also flew up nearby and a corn bunting flew north over East Wood.
I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and two bearded tits were showing well in front of the viewpoint. Meanwhile, further down the reserve, volunteer Tony counted 11 marsh harriers hunting in front of Joist Fen viewpoint.
It was a pretty bleak first thing yesterday morning and I walked around Brandon Fen first thing. I saw a water pipit and a little egret on the washland. Meanwhile, further down the reserve, volunteer Roger H saw the leucistic wren along the interior track in New Fen North. He also filmed this short video of thousands of carrion crows, rooks and jackdaws leaving their overnight roost in the poplar woods.
Back at the visitor centre, Warden Katherine also saw a pair of bullfinches in the alders near the visitor centre which is a good record for the reserve.
I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and saw the following:
Herring gull: 3 adults, 1 juvenile
Lesser black backed gull: 3 adults
Common gull: 1
A Cetti's warbler was also singing near the viewpoint. As the day went on, Roger H saw 10 shovelers in the south west corner of New Fen North and Site Manager Dave saw 15 marsh harriers over Joist Fen viewpoint.
I saw a female merlin flying over the visitor centre and I took these photos of the afternoon light over the visitor centre pond:
This morning, there were two whooper swans in front of the Washland viewpoint at first light and I spooked two roe deer on the riverbank. I took these two pictures in the morning murk of the western corner of New Fen North, where reed cutting will commence next week:
This will mean that there will be some disturbance in this part of the reedbed and things may get a bit smoky at times once we start reed burning next week. Please keep an eye on the blog for more information about this.
As I walked towards New Fen viewpoint, a group of seven bearded tits were feeding alongside the path and I took this photo from the viewpoint itself:
Image credits: David White
Shortly before I got back to the visitor centre, I spotted two chiffchaffs feeding near the Fen pools.
If you are planing to visit the reserve this weekend, wildlife artist Rob Dyke's art exhibition is now up and running in the visitor centre. Please read this blog post for more information. There are also still several places left on the corvid roost guided walk on Sunday afternoon. Please follow this link to find out how to book your place.
We hope to see you soon!