Hello to one and all and welcome to the last blog of 2020- today is the last day the Visitor Centre will be open for a while, but every day over the Christmas and New Year period the visitor car park, all of the trails and Mere Hide will remain open for your enjoyment. Below is a list of what will be open and when between now and the New Year:

21-23 December: Visitor Centre CLOSED, Accessible Toilet OPEN

24 December - 1 January: Visitor Centre and Accessible Toilet CLOSED. Mere Hide locked from 26 December onwards to comply with Tier 4 restrictions.

2-3 January: Outdoor Welcome Point and Accessible Toilet OPEN 

4-5 January: Outdoor Welcome Point and Accessible Toilet CLOSED

6 January onwards: Outdoor Welcome Point and Accessible Toilet OPEN.

Looking ahead at the weather over Christmas, we should get a real mixture of conditions but the wetter days forecast for tomorrow (21 December), 23 December and the morning of 27 December would be a good time to come looking for otters if you have been itching to see one- yet again the last sighting of otters came yesterday, when it was raining, on the pool at New Fen (which the viewpoint overlooks); nearly every otter sighting we have comes out of wetter weather. In the spirit of the Twelve Days of Christmas, here are twelve highlights or species to look out for over the festive period if you make it down here for a walk:

1. Siskins

These are easy to see with a bit of patience; try looking on the feeders at the Visitor Centre, or look out for small flocks of 5-25 birds feeding on the cones in the tops of the alder trees that flank the Visitor Centre pond. They are often mixed with goldfinches, greenfinches and occasionally the odd redpoll too.

2. Marsh harriers

There's a good chance of seeing one or two on a walk through the reserve (or along the riverbank) soaring and gliding over the reedbeds, though if you visit later in the afternoon as the light begins to fade, you may spot several more flying in to roost. They can be quite acrobatic and playful with each other in the lead up to settling down, and so you may see a bit of aerial fun and games between birds which is always a fantastic sight. Scarcer birds of prey that sometimes make an appearance at the roost include merlin, short-eared owl and hen harrier, especially around Joist Fen and Botany Bay- but your chances of seeing these are much slimmer. It's always good to keep an eye out though! These species won't necessarily roost here but are attracted to the roost of smaller birds- such as blue tits, great tits and reed buntings and the feeding opportunity this offers.

3. Barn owl

Always popular and becoming more frequent again around Brandon Fen and the Washland. Good places to be as we approach dusk would be the riverbank footpath (between the Washland Viewpoint and the Wilton Bridge) or on The Mound- a raised grassy hump with benches atop, situated on a 'siding' between the Visitor Centre and the visitor car park.

4. Whooper swan

Staying at this later time of day will also offer the chance of watching a large group (1,776 birds is our record for 2020 so far) fly into roost on the Washland. This figure of 1,776 was reached in October when the birds first arrived here following migration and it's unlikely we'll get that high again, but 700-800 birds is a more common figure. It is around Christmas time each year that we get our first Bewick's swans so listen out for these too- their calls are quite different and in the half-light of dusk, sound is usually the best way to tell them apart. If you do see them in good light, such as very early in the morning (before about 06:30), they are a bit smaller than whoopers and their bill pattern slightly different, and they generally keep apart from the whoopers too. Please let us know if you are confident you have seen any Bewick's swans this winter!

5. Stonechat

A delight of the riverbank, look out for these beautiful members of the chat family decorating the tops of bushes along the riverbank footpath. They are usually found in pairs and although they breed here, we see extra birds in the autumn and winter. You may also see reed buntings and Cetti's warblers in the same habitat too.

  Photo credit: A lovely female stonechat, looks alert as usual, photographed by Kim Jones on 4 December.

6. Great white egret

These graceful pure-white birds, along with grey heron and little egret, can often be seen dotted around the river and pools on the reserve, hunting for a wide variety of food- fish, invertebrates and amphibians. At the moment we seem to have between four and six using the reserve, though it is hard to keep a head-count when they all look the same, apart from Elena, a Lithuanian bird who is sporting silver leg rings with 'GA34' on her right leg, if indeed she is still here!

7. Great spotted woodpecker

Over the festive period we will aim to keep the bird feeders topped up, and it is here that you can often get closed views of these smart resident woodpeckers. The feeders at the Visitor Centre seem to be attracting a female at the moment, while at the Photography Station a male bird is sometimes there. They seem to like the peanuts and suet balls best but are very shy, sp patience and quiet will be needed if you want to wait to see if he or she stops by. It won't be long before the males begin to drum and we may hear this in February!

  Photo credit: Chris Robinson's lovely portrait of the male Great spotted woody at the Photography Station on 8 December.

8. Bearded tits

While there is always a chance of seeing these, cold, clear mornings offer you the best chance, as the birds are more noticeable in calmer weather and colder conditions encourage them to feed more often. Look out for them in reedbed areas, especially at open areas where the reeds meet the waters' edge at the pools at New Fen, Joist Fen and Mere Hide, which the birds will use for drinking and bathing by lowering themselves down the reed stems. Flying across the path in small family groups is a popular way to see them too, or passing over the tops of the reeds, feeding on seeds and making contact calls with each other as they go, much like long-tailed tits do.

9. Water rail

A skulking denizen of the ditches and channels across the reserve, you will likely hear them before you see them. Their squeals and whines sound more mammalian, and have been likened to a stuck pig, and don't seem to 'fit' with the appearance of this beautiful bird (see below). A slim profile helps with slipping in between vegetation, similar to a muntjac deer, and large feet help with moving over it's squelchy habitat. If you stop at the Photography Station feeders, look for one here too foraging for spilt seed underneath. He or she may take a little while to come out of hiding when you first arrive; like the great spotted woodpeckers, they are quite shy.

  Photo credit: The slowly-getting-famous Water rail at the Photography Station on 4 December, by Kim Jones.

10. Water vole

Seen recently at the dipping pond, opposite Frederick the Willow Dragon, a 'plop' and a ripple is sometimes all you hear and see when you disturb one by walking past, but do linger and see if it emerges again further away- they are beautiful mammals and seem to do well here at the reserve. The ditch along the northern edge of East Wood (south of the riverbank) is a good place to look too.

11. Sunset!

With the reserve facing west from the Visitor Centre, we are in a good spot to catch the best of a good sunset, and the balcony in front of the Centre or the viewpoint at New Fen are good places to observe it from, along with anywhere on the riverbank footpath because of the high vantage point and 360 degree views it affords you. A light bit of cloud, or high clouds, in an otherwise clear sky will produce fiery hues of orange and pink against the blue sky, which will deepen to lilac and violet as the sun drops lower. A lovely end to the day that brings with it the chance of seeing or hearing dusk wildlife such as barn owl, whooper swan, woodcock, roe deer or muntjac deer.

12. Bittern

Bitterns are resident year-round, although you wouldn't always know it with their superb reed-themed camouflage. Look out for short, gliding flights with legs a-dangling over reedbeds and channels, or for them skulking along the edges of vegetation at the pools around the reserve. They don't seem to like heights much so keep an eye out lower than you think!

I hope this has given you an appetite for a visit here over the festive period and an idea of what you might see when you do come over. As usual, we really appreciate your sightings; you can tell us these in person, if you see us out and about in a blue shirt, by e-mail (lakenheath@rspb.org.uk) or via social media. Look us up on Facebook- 'RSPB Lakenheath Fen' or on Twitter- '@RSPBLakenheath'. As mentioned earlier, our car park, trails and Mere Hide will remain open from dawn until dusk daily, it is just the opening of the Visitor Centre and the toilet which varies.

With best wishes for a happy Christmas break, and good health and happiness in 2021 to all of our visitors and supporters,

from the team at RSPB Lakenheath Fen. See you next year!