News from this week- Friday 2 April 2021

Hello to all and welcome to our latest blog. The past few days have been packed with sightings, including our first willow warblers (31 March) and plenty of chiffchaffs adding spice to the dawn chorus, and a flock of 120+ sand martins overhead at the Visitor Centre yesterday (1 April); this follows on from a single bird spotted on 27 March and another fifty or so spending most of today hunting for insects over the Washland and river- the Washland Viewpoint has offered excellent views of these today. Yesterday they were joined by four swallow (the first of the year) and it shouldn't be long before house martins reach us too. The waterbirds haven't dissapointed either, with up to six garganey on the Washland (five drakes; one duck) and lots of shoveler, wigeon, teal, mallard and shelduck joining them. Wader-wise, we have had up to eight avocet, one ruff (both on 31 March), two black-tailed godwit (briefly, 31 March), a single golden plover (31 March), one green sandpiper flying east along the river (30 March) and a daily cast of oystercatcher, lapwing, redshank and curlew to delight visitors in-between these scarcer passage waders. 30 March also saw our volunteer Darren hear our first sedge warbler near Joist Fen on the early morning bittern survey, and occasional reports followed the next day- 1 March- which was another warm and sunny day. Another migrant that perhaps often goes under-recorded given the healthy numbers of similar (but much larger) black-headed gulls on the Washland is the little gull, of which we had three on 25 March, hawking for insects over the water at lunchtime. These are much more delicately-built than black-headed gulls, flying and looking almost like terns, with a buoyant, jerky flight and a good clue is the very dark, sooty-black undersides to the wings which are quite conspicuous when you watch them. A single caspian gull was also spotted on the Washland, mixed in with the other gull species, on 1 April too.

Things are a little quieter today as it isn't quite so warm, but the willow warbler north of East Wood (along the riverbank continues to sing and so do the chiffchaffs! We are now up to four butterfly species- as we were able to add orange-tip to the list on 31 March, which joins peacock, brimstone and comma. The next species to expect will probably be small tortoiseshell, green-veined white, small copper, speckled wood or red admiral, and the first large red damselflies of 2021 could be seen any day now.

Birds of prey have been obliging for our visitors this past week with the latest in a series of merlin sightings on 31 March, a barn owl over Cowles Drove on 30 March (though keep an eye out during dawn and dusk in Brandon Fen for these), plenty of buzzard sightings and the reedbeds are full of marsh harriers, including this stunningly pale male marsh harrier over New Fen on 30 March:

 Photo credit: Graham Taylor

Our cattle egret has turned up again- it seems as if it has latched on to cattle on Cowles Drove, as they do, so keep an eye out if you are on the riverbank footpath, looking north at the arable fields for the roaming cattle. Look out too for the white stork which has been seen regularly lately, also in the fields north of the river. This is a good spot to look for our cranes too, which have numbered up to six (as seen on 31 March) and these will be roving and bugling across the reserve on a daily basis over the coming weeks- they could pop up anywhere. Back at the Visitor Centre, our bird feeders are noticeably quieter now a lot of birds are concentrating more on courtship, nest-building and even raising chicks, but we still have regular visits from goldfinches, marsh tits, blue tits and great tits with reed buntings easily making up the majority of feeder-perch occupants! Behind the feeders, an eagle-eyed visitor spotted an otter on the Visitor Centre pond, which was a good record as come spring and summer we tend to see much less of them than in the colder months. Another scarcer sighting came in the form of a cluster of mating grass snakes near the side gate at about 17:30 on the evening of 30 March; this is something we haven't ever witnessed here before. We know we have good numbers of this beautiful reptile breeding on the reserve but seeing them is another matter and is quite unusual. It shouldn't be long before we notice the first common lizards warming themselves up on sheltered bits of wood- path edging, benches and posts- well away from busy paths- either. 

One of our wardens Katherine set a moth trap overnight here on 31 March and caught five dotted chestnut, an early tooth-striped, a red chestnut, an oak beauty and three different quaker species- small quaker, common quaker and the first twin-spotted quaker of 2021 too. The moth scene changes rapidly in the spring months as we say goodbye to winter specialists and welcome in new waves of species we haven't seen for sometimes a whole year! It is lovely to watch things change. No doubt the week ahead will bring more variety where the butterflies are concerned too, and we hope to run another moth trap next week. Here's Katherine's photos:

 

 From top to bottom: Dotted chestnut, early tooth-striped and red chestnut moths. Photo credit: All by Katherine Puttick

We haven't yet said goodbye to the winter visiting birds either, with redwing, fieldfare and the odd brambling seen in the past week, but it won't be long before we bid them farewell and it seems as if the siskins have left us now too; we can no longer hear their budgie-like calls at the top of the alder trees. We had what may end up being our last report of whooper swans, with 19 north of West Wood, near the riverbank footpath on 30 March. Various spring plants are really showing well at the moment, with lemon-yellow colt's-foot flowering along the riverbank footpath, red-dead nettle, lesser stitchwort, common field speedwell and ground ivy lining the paths throughout the reserve, especially in sunny sheltered spots. The goat willows, blackthorn and gorse are looking superb in their spring blossom and really add another dimension for visitors at the moment, and often draw in early bumblebees, drone flies, honeybees and peacock butterflies.

 Look out for colt's-foot flowering along the edges of the riverbank footpath. Photo credit: Heidi Jones

As a reminder of our facilities at the moment:

-   Outdoor Welcome Point and toilets (including an accessible one) open daily, 09:00 to 17:00 during the week and 09:00 to 16:00 at weekends
-   Takeaway refreshments available from the Welcome Point daily, 09:00 to 17:00 during the week and 09:00 to 16:00 at weekends
-   Most trails (aside from a temporary path closure), all viewpoints and the car park open daily from dawn until dusk
-   Mere Hide remains closed, for now.

If you haven't seen it already and are planning a visit this Easter weekend, our Easter spring-themed spotter sheet is available to download and print at home (using the link at the bottom of the map) or you can pick up a paper copy from the Welcome Point during the above opening hours.

With best wishes for the week ahead,

Heidi Jones (Visitor Experience Officer, RSPB Lakenheath Fen).