This week is National Volunteers’ Week so we’re taking this opportunity to thank our amazing volunteers who do so much for us here at Lakenheath Fen. Our volunteers do many varied roles: manning the visitor centre; helping at events; being car park marshals; speaking to visitors out on the reserve; surveying; working in all weathers doing hard graft, and generally turning their hand to anything. We simply couldn’t operate as we do without our amazing team, who give up their time to ensure we provide an excellent service to our visitors and provide a top-class home for our wildlife.
We have an annual summer BBQ to thank our volunteers but to mark this particular week we’ve decided on baking themed appreciation. Each day we’ll be bringing in a different edible ‘thank you’ to ensure as many volunteers as possible get a treat. Dave kicked off the week with a very naughty chocolate cake and today Suzanne brought in some delicious peanut brownies made by her daughter Zoe. Katherine is in charge of baking scones and I’m going to attempt some lemon drizzle muffins. David has hinted at a potential wildlife inspired cake for Friday which I can’t wait to see. I think we’re all going to put on some weight this week but don’t worry volunteers, I’ll make sure we have some calorie burning tasks lined up for the following weeks! And thanks again for all your hard work - it’s a pleasure to work with you all.
Staff and volunteers alike have been doing a fair bit of surveying since last Wednesday. Katherine has been working extra hard trying to pinpoint marsh harrier nests with the help of a couple of our local bird-ringing team Simon and Lee. We had our usual bittern watch last Thursday and yesterday morning Dave, Katherine and I were strategically positioned around New Fen North reedbed, trying to get some more bittern information (whilst being rained on intermittently!)
Katherine is getting to grips with her marsh harriers and I’ll update you with some figures as soon as they are available but the bitterns are not playing ball! The flights seem quite random at the moment and even though on non-survey days we might spot a couple of ‘in and out’ flights from a location, when we come to watch that spot on another day we see absolutely nothing. It could be a favoured feeding spot for a bittern so we cannot just assume it's a nest site. The weather looks fairly ok for tomorrow morning so let’s hope that the bitterns are a bit kinder to us.
This morning two of the team could be heard live on local radio – Dave on BBC Radio Suffolk’s early breakfast show and David on Cambridge 105 mid morning. I tagged along with Dave and despite the rain, the reserve put on a good display – three cuckoos calling and chasing each other, two bitterns booming and one in flight, a marsh harrier stealing prey from the poor barn owl who had been busy hunting and our exhibitionist Joist Fen viewpoint Cetti’s warbler was extremely visible and vocal.
Photo credit: Ali Blaney – Dave being interviewed for BBC Radio Suffolk under gloomy skies
After the radio interviews Dave and I managed to get the rest of the fish refuges out into the reedbeds, so our newly introduced rudd now have a few more places to hide from cormorants and pike. I’m pleased to report the boat survived the outing, as did the shrew who hitched a ride with us! When we turned the boat over to get going we discovered that during the week since we moved it, an ants nest had developed in the boat and a shrew had also decided to make its home under the seat fixtures and fittings. We couldn’t get it out so it came round with us, occasionally poking its nose out and probably wondering what on earth was going on!
I’ll finish with some brilliant photos that Dave has taken over the past week. Last Thursday evening we had a team moth trapping evening down in Botany Bay and in one of our traps we found a huge female hornet, which caused quite a few of us to back off fairly quickly! We were also very excited to see a female large red damselfly ovipositing (laying her eggs) in our newly created pond in front of the visitor centre. It’s very pleasing to see how quickly nature makes use of a new home and ponds are so interesting to observe – have you ever thought about creating one in your garden at home?
Photo credit: Dave Rogers – female hornet
Photo credit: Dave Rogers – large red damselfly laying her eggs in our new pond!