Happy New Year to you all! Unfortunately, we have had a damp start to 2017 and is currently raining persistently outside.

If you read our blog posts regularly, you will know that we have an annual reserve year list challenge each year. The idea is simple: To see as many species on the reserve in a year. This includes species that are seen north of the river or south of the railway line (as long as they are seen from the…

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. 

Good morning. We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Here are some recent sightings from the festive period:

16 December:

A water rail and a kingfisher were seen from the visitor centre window. An otter was also seen from Mere Hide

18 December: 

I saw a water pipit on the washland and a flock of around eight bearded tits from New Fen viewpoint.

19 December: 

Volunteer Lee saw a great white egret from the Washland…

Well, it's that time of year again! As my last working day before Christmas is tomorrow, here is my last recent sightings blog post before the "big day."  Typically, shortly after I blogged on Sunday,  everything started to happen! Volunteer Paul went up to the Washland viewpoint and on his way to the viewpoint, he saw a chiffchaff. When he got to the viewpoint, he found a great white egret.

Meanwhile, further…

Good morning. I have a list of sightings in front of me so without any further ado, I will begin. A lesser redpoll was feeding behind the visitor centre on Friday morning and I went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime. I saw three redshanks and two water rails.

As the day went on, a merlin was seen from Joist Fen viewpoint and an otter was seen from Mere Hide. There was plenty to see from the visitor centre window…

Good afternoon. I find it hard to believe that New Fen North, the first large area of reedbed on the reserve, was planted 20 years ago in 1996. This means that it is now ready to be cut. Those of you who visit the reserve regularly will know that we cut the eastern end of New Fen North around this time last year. Well, now its the western end's turn! 

Therefore, we will be commencing reed cutting and burning next…

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…

I am very please to announce that local wildlife artist and reserve volunteer Rob Dyke's wildlife art exhibition is now up and running! To find out more about Rob and his work,  please read this blog post for more information. It will run in the visitor centre until Wednesday 21 December. 

Here is a picture of Rob (on the left) setting up with fellow reserve volunteer Roger Bacon:

...And here are some images of…

If you read Sunday's blog post, you may have thought that it was a bit off the wall. Well, hopefully, today's post will be a bit more serious! On Sunday, a great tit was singing in front of the visitor centre in the sunshine which was lovely to hear. Site Manager Dave also came in for a walk and he saw a bittern from New Fen viewpoint. He also photographed the water rail at the edge of the visitor centre pond…

Good morning. We have had an interesting couple of days here so here are some recent sightings. It was all a bit quiet on Friday but at least a water rail was wandering around at the edge of the visitor centre pond for most of the afternoon which brightened up things a little!

It was a mild and cloudy day yesterday and I went for my usual walk around the reserve before work. I saw a water pipit on the washland and several…

Good morning. Winter made an appearance at the beginning of the week with subzero temperatures plunging the reserve into a bit of an ice rink. It has warmed up considerably now so here are some more recent sightings:

I led a barn owl walk on Sunday afternoon and to be honest,  it wasn't the best barn owl walk I have ever led unfortunately. This was probably due to the recent mild weather and the chilly north easterly…

It's Thursday 1 December so that means that Christmas is now officially coming. In order to mark this occasion, I thought I would dedicate this blog post to some of the things that will be going on here on the lead up to the big day and also to tell you about our Christmas opening times.

Things will start in earnest on Saturday 3 December with the the RSPB Lakenheath Fen Kingfisher's December Wildlife Explorer's…

If you are in to wildlife art, then read on:

We will be holding an exhibition for local wildlife artist Rob Dyke in the visitor centre from the afternoon of Wednesday 7 December to Wednesday 21 December.

Rob is a member of the Iceni Botanical Artists Group and has also recently exhibited at the Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries in London.  

His artwork includes not only plants, but a variety of wildlife…

Good morning. We have had a couple of nice days here so I will continue straight on with some more recent sightings. I popped up to Washland viewpoint at lunchtime on Friday and I saw the following:

Grey heron: 1

Redshank: 2

Black headed gull: 35

Meanwhile, further down the reserve, a stoat was seen alongside Trial Wood and a late peacock butterfly was seen alongside East Wood. A red kite flew east over the visitor…

Good morning. It's been a strange week in many ways with poor weather, staff being away and staff being ill (the latter two mainly apply to me to be honest!)

I will begin with a brief detour back to last Friday when incredibly, an otter and a kingfisher were feeding in the visitor centre pond at the same time during lunchtime! I went up to the Washland viewpoint shortly after witnessing this spectacle and saw three…

We have had some typical November weather this week with cold, wet and windy weather dominating proceedings. However, it's a lovely sunny morning this morning so it's time for some more recent sightings.

On Sunday morning, four cranes were seen from Joist Fen viewpoint. As the day went on, an otter was seen from New Fen viewpoint and a peregrine was seen from Joist Fen viewpoint. 

The weather wasn't too bad on…

Good morning. For some reason, we have been treated to a real mammal bonanza on the reserve over the last couple of days. Without any further ado then, I will pick of where I left off with some sightings from Friday.

Volunteer Roy went up to the Washland viewpoint at lunchtime and spotted a great white egret. Shortly after he returned, he spotted a water rail skulking at the edge of the visitor centre pond. There were…

Good morning. Remembrance Day has begun wit the reserve being cloaked under a think blanket of frozen fog. This has continued the theme of challenging wildlife watching weather that we have had to endure here over the last couple of days.

Site Manager Dave went out on the reserve on Tuesday afternoon and saw a male stonechat near Mere Hide. As the day went on, a bittern was seen from Joist Fen viewpoint along with at…

Good afternoon. The cold weather has inspired me to weave a couple of fantasy references into this blog post so without further ado, I shall begin!

I went for a walk at lunchtime on Friday and on my way up to the Washland viewpoint, I bumped into Emma and volunteer Janet who were busy revamping Frederick, the willow dragon whose lair is near the pond dipping platform. Here is his head:

Image credit: David White

Please note that the Barn Owl Walk on Sunday 27 November is now FULLY BOOKED. Unfortunately, we can only accommodate those who have booked places in advance. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. 

Good morning. After the last two mornings were frosty and rather beautiful, it was a bit of a shock to find that it was raining when I arrived bright and early this morning! I will begin with a couple of pictures that were taken on the reserve earlier on in the week:

Bittern in the fog:

Image credits: Martin Peake

Visitor centre pond on Wednesday morning:

Image credit: David White

On Wednesday morning, Suzanne…

Good morning. This morning is our first clear morning since the clocks went back over the weekend. First though, here are some pictures of some bearded tits showing in the fog on Monday:

Image credits: Martin Peake

Thank you very much to Martin for sharing these images with us. He also saw a bittern on his travels.

Site Manager Dave went down the reserve and saw two woodcocks at the far end of the reserve. I…

Good morning. It may well well be Hallowe'en today but it is also the reserve's twenty first birthday! On 31 October 1995, the first sod was dug to begin the creation of the reserve. Although I won't dwell too much on the history of the reserve today, I am sure you will all join me in wishing the reserve a very Happy Birthday!

The reserve team went out to the edge of Brandon Fen on Friday with some contractors…

I will get to the enigmatic title of this blog post  shortly but before I do that, here is a photo of two common snipe that was taken recently on the reserve by Matt Walton:

Image credit: Matt Walton

Yesterday turned out to be a good day. The visibility wasn't great first thing but as I drove down the entrance track, a woodcock flew up in front of me which was a good start to the day. 

I went for a walk along the…

I haven't been here for the best part of a week so it was nice to see how much has changed during that time.

Volunteer John and Emma had a shock on Sunday when the great white egret landed at the edge of the visitor centre pond! Sadly, it didn't hang around for long though before flying back towards the washland.

A kingfisher was feeding at the edge of the visitor centre pond yesterday morning and Site Manager…