The highlights this week have included the continuation of the starling roost, multiple marsh harriers and a hen harrier.

The starling roost was a feature throughout the week, numbers were quite variable each night, between 500 and 2000 have been roosting most nights this week, however on Friday evening there were none at all, so it may well have moved to an alternative location for now. The marsh harriers have also been…

This weeks stand out highlight is fairly hard to choose, but it is either the stunning male hen harrier that passed beside Reception Hide on Friday lunchtime or the female hen harrier passing close to Reception Hide on Thursday evening while chasing 1000+ starlings coming into roost just in front of the hide. A tough choice, I would have settled with seeing either of these, but luck was not on my side!

Also seen on Friday…

A relatively quiet week for highlights, but the resident birds continue to perform. Kingfishers have been seen throughout the week from various locations, a bittern was seen at the back of reception broad on Wednesday and Thursday. Bearded tits have been seen on a number of occasions from Fen Hide and along Sandy Wall, while the stone chats continue to show from various points around the reedbed, two water pipits were…

A cold week with frost, wind, rain and finally today, a beautiful sunny winters day.

The highlight bird of the week was a great white egret that was seen early on Thursday morning, it did a circuit of the fen and then went down near to reception, unfortunately it was not seen again.  The best bird experience however has to go to the starlings, it is too early to say whether it will turn into an impressive murmuration…

A week where you sense the battle between autumn and winter is starting to slip. A mixture of cold, clear conditions along with a very wintery cloudy and wet feel and it is set to get colder over the weekend.

A few classic migrants have been passing over the fen this week, with flocks of fieldfare, redwing, siskin, meadow pipit and goldfinch all passing through. A single waxwing flew over the office on Thursday lunchtime…

A week of mixed weather, mostly fine and sunny, but each morning has started grey and murky before clearing. Temperatures have been a little above average and no rain has fallen.

The highlight of the week came on Monday afternoon when two waxwings dropped out of the sky and into the office yard, where they proceeded to catch flies for about 20 minutes before departing south. Jack snipe have been showing well throughout…

I’m back from my break so hopefully regular updates will once again resume (usually on a Friday, but not always).

A quick update from the past month first; highlight birds have included a stunning yellow browed warbler, this Siberian rarity has turned up in large numbers to the UK this autumn so its great that we managed to get one here from 26 September to 1 October. The glossy ibis returned from 28 September…

Another very warm week for late September, although the autumn nights are beginning to take hold as the temperatures dropped to just six degrees on Wednesday night.

There was a late contender for bird of the week, with ‘the’ glossy ibis making a return after a two week absence (Photo on above by Brian Tubby). If it is the same bird, it has been hiding well for the past few weeks as there have been no reports…

A very hot sunny week, breaking the records for hottest September day since records began. Needless to say the insects enjoyed it, the birds were slightly more muted than usual, and the wardens continued to have fires in the reedbed, raising the temperature even more!

The glossy ibis has bid farewell to us; after its three week stay the ibis was seen gaining height on Monday morning and flew off to pastures new. The…

A pleasant week of weather with humid cloudy conditions to begin the week followed by bright hot weather to end the week.

The star bird this week has been the glossy ibis, who continues to enjoy the Tower Hide. This immature bird has now been with us for nearly three weeks and has barely moved from Tower Hide ‘scrape. The water levels are absolutely spot on for the ibis (as well as herons, egrets, water rails waders…

Glossy Ibis by Ron McIntyre

This week’s star bird was the fine looking glossy ibis. This rather lost bird has been finding the Tower Hide scrape much to its liking throughout the week. It has been feeding well on the muddy edges, usually on the opposite side of the broad, but occasionally comes and rests on the spit, it also flew onto Reception Hide island for a quick snooze on Monday afternoon.

An osprey

The second generation of swallowtails has begun, we have had at least 2-3 individuals emerge over the past week. From the look of the weather forecast it would appear that Tuesday may well be a good day to come and try to see them as it may be warm and sunny.

A glossy ibis has just been reported from Tower Hide, this is another of the species that is pushing north quite quickly. It would be great if this bird hangs around…

I will do a fuller update at the weekend, however I wanted to let you know that there have been two swallowtails in good condition seen in the past couple of days. The second generation is always very variable, so the two individuals may be it for the second generation... or we may get many more, we'll just have to wait and see.

Other brief news for this week has included a little stint at Buckenham and an osprey…

This week had quite an autumnal feel, with low temperatures and a fresh northerly breeze, however by Friday it was back up to 25 degrees hot and sunny with blue skies.

The bird news this week is once again a little thin on the ground, however as always there is still plenty to see. Kingfishers have once again been seen frequently form Reception and Fen Hides as well as being seen all along the riverbank and in the…

Wildlife on the reserve:

Summer is well on its way, as we have all felt from the recent high temperatures, and the breeding season is drawing to a close. The spring symphony has passed and an aural tranquillity has settled over the reserve. However the quiet is not to be mistaken for inactivity, there is still plenty happening at Strumpshaw Fen!

Increasingly emboldened, families of birds are venturing further from nest…

A largely fine, warm week with warm nights, dry except Thursday afternoon when there were heavy showers.

This weeks star species has to be garganey, for the past week we have had up to 11 of these migrant ducks in front of Tower Hide. They are currently in eclipse plumage so not the dapper looking ducks that we had in April, however they are close enough to see very well and we have a range of males females and juveniles…

After a few weeks without an update (apologies!) the weather has finally broken and we are currently basking in 35 degree heat.

Since the last update there have been a number of notable species seen; firstly on my way into work on 29 June I heard a Savi’s warbler reeling, this stayed until 3 July. Half an hour after finding the Savi’s warbler a bee-eater flew over me, unfortunately this beautiful bird did…

We still have a few swallowtails on the wing with two seen today near the pond dipping platform, plenty of dragonflies as well as kingfishers and a few bittern sightings.

The heavy rain has made quite a few of our paths a bit soggy so if you are visiting please wear stout footwear.

The first field of the meadow trail is closed for this week as the highland cattle have been put in for conservation grazing. They will…

A warm week with a wet start and a humid end, very heavy rain on Thursday night left much surface water on the trails and roads.

A week with all the expected summer species seen including a late(ish) cuckoo on Tuesday, two bitterns in flight together on Friday, marsh harriers feeding young and at least two hobbies visible from Reception Hide. The reedbed warblers are still singing, but showing signs of slowing in their…

Generally a very nice week with warm sunny conditions interspersed with rain showers and the odd overcast day like today (Friday).

The highlight of the week will have to be the swallowtails once again. When the sun was shining we had plenty of sightings from all over the reserve, including; five at the nectar garden by reception, two at Fen Hide, one along Sandy Wall, two in the meadow, up to five along the riverbank…

Bright warm sunshine for the majority of the week, with several days above 20 degrees, the week ended on a cooler note with warm overcast conditions.

Swallowtails were very much in evidence for the whole week, they are showing well at the reception nectar garden, with at least three seen together on Wednesday. They have also been seen in the meadows, along the riverbank, Lackford Run and the fen boardwalk; one person…

A quick update to say that the swallowtail butterflies have well and truly emerged and are showing well from various places around the fen. The most reliable place is the nectar garden just by reception; a combination of dames violet full of nectar and full sun has almost guaranteed sightings. A swallowtail was present for at least five hours on the nectar garden on Saturday and Sunday. Other swallowtails have been seen…

A week to forget weather-wise. A cool bank holiday weekend followed by torrential rain and strong winds in the early part of the week making way for cool cloudy conditions at the weeks end…flaming June?

Despite the weather conditions there have been some good sightings throughout the week; an osprey has been present since Friday 27 May, it has been commuting between each body of water at the fen as well as Buckenham…

We had our first swallowtail butterfly emerge on Friday afternoon! What  fitting start to our 40th birthday celebration weekend.

They have emerged a little later than usual this year, as I pointed out in my last blog. However it looks as if the time is right for them now, we just need some sunny spells for more to emerge.

The best chance of seeing the swallowtails is on a hot calm day, preferably over 20 degrees and…

A cooler week with mostly cloudy conditions, a break in the weather on Thursday saw warm sunny spells, but a cool breeze kept temperatures down a little.

A great white egret was seen from reception on Monday and Tuesday, it was photographed well at Fen Hide and then seen flying around the reserve. A fine drake garganey was seen Wednesday and Thursday from Tower Hide, it was calling regularly, which is not always…