Thursday 22 May 2014

Burwell Bonanza


The early part of the week saw Burwell Fen spring up as the site to be.  On Sunday afternoon Neil Gates found 3 Black-winged Stilts there which have fed into a complexity of Stilt sightings.  A Little Tern and Sanderling were also excellent Ely10 finds for Richard Johnson and just less than annual species in the area.

Paul Mason posted on Cambirds about a lovely morning he had out on the fen...........

A great morning just standing on Aldreth High Bridge over the Old West River this morning. Letting the birds come to us

Watched Swallows collecting mud to build nest under the bridge. Listening to Sedge Warblers singing and Reed Warblers rattling away in the reeds along the rivers edge and then hearing a Cuckoo get nearer and nearer.

A female Marsh Harrier flew round us and carried on quartering the wheat and rape fields followed quickly by a Hobby hunting. Then another male Cuckoo approached and the two of them flew round with each other cuckooing away all the time from tops of tall trees. One (or two, we don't really know) Kingfishers streaked blue along the water while Scarce Chaser dragonflies chased off 4 spot Chasers and the other way round. Red-eyed Damselflies settled on the lily pads.  Blackcap fluted from a tall willow and Green Woodpeckers found ants on the levies.To cap it all out came a Barn Owl and sat on a series of posts along the river bank.

Peace perfect peace.

PM&ID