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This May we have seen and taken photos of a wonderful selection of wildlife on the reserve. Based upon todays sightings, here is a selection of my photos. Lets start with those water voles , throughout this last week they have been entertaining visitors from the reception hut. Here is a photo of one...

Certainly summer is struggling again and so are the poor old breeding birds . Only a week and a half ago things were looking fine with all the insects emerging ready to feed the hungry mouths that were all set to hatch from their safe little closeted eggshell worlds. But now duck broods are beginning...

This weekend has seen plenty of close action from those aerial masters, the swifts . These amazing birds can be seen at close views whizzing about over the reeds at Blacktoft right now - one almost visited us in marshland hide earlier today! That is how close you get to the action. Other aerial...

If it was easy to record the sound of vegetation growth, I would be spoilt for choice for this weeks audible bite from Blacktoft Sands, the flood banks and hedges seem to be greening up in leaps and bounds, butterflies and damselflies are on the wing and the birds continue to give a rousing chorus. ...

It's been another stupendous day on the reserve, with several feathered bambinos having already emerged in previous weeks such as the greylag, canada and coot chicks, it's time to announce the emergence of our first mammalian offspring (to our knowledge anyway). There were fantastic views from...

The last few days have seen a bit of wader passage through the Sands with recent records of up to 58 black tailed godwits, 2 common sandpipers , 6 turnstone , 40 dunlin , a lone golden plover and then snipe , oystercatcher, lapwing , and curlew and not forgetting our resident avocets . Other 'typical'...

Last week was the grasshopper warblers, this week the sedge warblers steal the show. Here are a few photos that I managed to take today. These give you an idea of the good views of sedge warbler seen throughout the reserve this week - some of the best views just by the main track to reception. ...

It seems like this year there has been a good return of Grasshopper warblers in from Africa, and the good news is that with all this nice weather they have been putting on a great show along the paths in the morning and evening. Below is a picture taken a couple of years ago when we had record numbers...

At last this morning the cold wind had died down and the sun was warming the fenland and allowing the recently arrived warblers to feast on the millions of newly emerged insects . This allowed some great views of sedge and reed warblers , whitethroats , blackcaps and willow warblers while the Grasshopper...

A quick update this evening from the sands. Todays highlights include: Grasshopper warbler - two particular vocal individuals on the reserve today. Best being near the reception and he was vocal on and off for much of the day. You could even get a view of him every now and again. The other was...

Today was an excellent example of the action from the wildlife at Blacktoft Sands during spring. Lets start with the magnificent male marsh harriers. They seemed to be in the mood for a bit of nest building this morning. I watched just one of the male marsh harriers down at townend hide today flying...

Plenty of bearded tits around today with several showing well from the hides including Marshland, First, Townend and Singleton - almost unheard of! I took these photos while doing some survey work this morning as they show quite well how the adults carry back beak fulls of chironomids (see last blog...

Despite there being hardly more than an emerging reed spike on the reserve those hardy little birds our bearded tits are already raising their first broods of youngsters! I recorded their first feeding flight on Sunday 21st April which means that it is about an average year for the first chicks to hatch...

The toads have been simply superb this year so just for you here are a few pictures of some of the best British wildlife you could want to watch. There are still plenty about the reserve too so why not come and have a look for yourself. And spawn but look closely! But can you...

What a fantastic last few days we've had on the reserve with some impressive spring birding indeed . Waders seem to be on the move especially the stunning 180 or so black tailed godwits that dropped straight in front of Xerox this morning, many of which were sporting their magical summer colours...

At last, welcome winds blowing straight from the south have arrived on the reserve and so has a mass of hungry migrants and newly emerged sun worshippers. In fact the Sands seems to have suddenly awoken from its long winter slumber within the space of just four days and now every little bit of the fen...

This week has started to see the arrival back of the wonderful songsters the warblers. They are just arriving back from Africa where they spend the winter. New in today was whitethroat . Other warblers now on site are: sedge warbler, blackcap, willow warbler, chiffchaff and a few of those that sound...

At last the toads have returned - a full month late. They can be found all over the place - in the pools, in the ditch in front of reception and along the path to ousefleet (they seem to like walking in the grass). Not sure what the water vole makes of these invaders in its ditch. Anyhow, the water...

Funny what you can stumble across while out working on site, this morning I happened across a stunning little water rail that I had to free from the vegetation. After a brief photo shoot it went on its way none the worse for its little adventure! There seems to be lots of these little quisselings about...

I don't know about you but I had a very nice weekends birding and gardening which was made all the better by having some lovely warm rays of sunshine on my back, almost tee shirt weather! Anyway spuds, shallots and broad beans all in the ground at last and with the longer days now plenty of time...

Highlights today include those amazing snipe, singing birds, displaying harriers and our water vole. Starting with the snipe . These are showing extremely well on most of the lagoons with marshland hide being the place to get extremely close to this wonderful birds. Here is a photo I managed to get...

Get down you dirty rascal! Or in the case this morning on Marshland this lone Black headed gull surrounded by an impressive group of 40 Avocets! While on Xerox in among the BHG's there was also an amazing six adult Kittiwakes . They looked pretty knackered no doubt due to this constant East...

I always reckon that one of the sure signs that summer is around the corner is when I see the first flowering coltsfoot. With its big yellow smile shinning above the vegetation it seems to bring a warmth where often the March sun does not. Off course the coltsfoot leaves follow later which I always think...

This is a typical view of a bittern at Blacktoft during the past couple of days. Despite the wind, the bitterns continue to be very active and are able to fly high over the reserve as it flies past reception as it did both today and yesterday during the afternoon. Much like in this photo taken...

I just thought I would bring a quick update from Blacktoft. After a week away from the reserve, I expected to return to a few of our spring arrivals back at the sands but I was wrong - we are still waiting. Do you have any predictions for when they will arrive? - add your predictions as a comment...