This week has been mostly dry, mild and earlier in the week very windy.
The star bird this week was the Siberian chiffchaff, which returned briefly on Saturday and Sunday along the riverbank. The bird stayed long enough for a few people to see it and then it was gone, until I heard it again in the middle of the fen on Wednesday. This might explain why it has not been seen for a whole month, if you are keen to see it be sure to check to see what the call sounds like as this is by far the best way of identifying this species, it was with a common chiffchaff on Sunday morning.
Birds of prey have continued to feature across the reserve this week with a juvenile male hen harrier present on Tuesday lunch time in the meadows. Marsh harriers have been getting ready to display, although roosting in lesser numbers now. Kestrel, sparrowhawk and buzzard have been seen daily from reception. At Buckenham two red kites were seen flying over the wood on Thursday and the peregrines have still present on the gateposts.
Other noteworthy sightings this week have included regular bittern sightings from all over the fen, bearded tits have been heard and seen from Fen and Tower Hides as well as alongside the Lackford Run. A kingfisher was present on the river Friday morning and two water pipits were seen on Sunday. Otters have been seen throughout the week, one of the work party volunteers had an amazing close encounter as he was watching a young otter swimming about, including good underwater views, from the pond dipping platform on Thursday morning. The two young otters have been seen from many locations around the fen as well as an adult less frequently. Two stonechats have been present in the reedbed this week, they have been seen from Fen Hide, Reception hide and along the Lackford Run.
Buckenham and Cantley have had 66 white fronted geese, 1200 pink footed geese, 1600 lapwing, 2200 wigeon and a water pipit. The lapwing are now beginning to display and sort out their territories, some have also been nest scraping already. One song is ringing out very loudly at the moment is that of the skylark. Listening to skylarks singing, you cant help but feel that spring is in the air, even if it was cold and windy when I heard them singing!
The river has flooded a few times over the past week, not large scale flooding, but enough to make the paths a bit more muddy than they were last week. The wind had done a fantastic job of drying the path, however I would now highly recommend wellingtons if taking the riverbank path and Lackford Run. The riverbank between the pumphouse and sandy wall is still currently closed for Environment Agency works, so the diversion through the meadows is still active, again wellingtons are a must for this diversion. Fen Hide and the woodland trail (but not the circuit through the meadows) can be accessed with walking boots.
Edit: The flood along Low Road has now been drained and fixed, a digger has been working all week putting in a better drainage system which takes the water away from the puddle area and through a ditch system. Hopefully the problem has now been fixed for good and the flooded road is a thing of the past.
The snowdrops are out, daffodils beginning to peep through, cherry plum blossom in full flow so who knows what the next few weeks could bring. I suspect the male marsh harriers will continue to increase in number and start displaying more frequently in good weather. The wildfowl numbers, gadwall, tufted duck and pochard in particular, may increase at the fen as they too are returning to breed.