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Meadow trail is now open. All paths are in good condition, but the meadows can be quite soggy so wellies are recommended. There have been several sightings of a ringtail Montagu’s harrier at Buckenham and Strumpshaw, the most recent of which was on Monday the 13th. We have also continued to...

All paths are in good condition. The common terns are back- we’re getting regular sightings from all hides. Cuckoos have also been spotted, and have been heard every day. A male and female wheatear were seen on Lackford run on the 26 th , and tower hide had another red kite sighting on the 25...

This fluffy chap (you can tell he’s a chap because his eyes meet in the middle, as opposed to females whose eyes don’t meet) is a dark-edged bee-fly, Bombylius major . Although the UK has ten different species of bee-fly, this is the largest and most common; it can be recognised from others...

All paths are in good condition. A couple of unusual visitors this week; two common crane were seen at Buckenham on the 18 th , and a ring ouzel was seen on the riverbank on the 15 th . The swallows have been joined by house and sand martins - good numbers can be seen over the whole of the reserve...

All paths are in good condition. The first of the swallows have returned, and have been seen all over the reserve. Chiffchaffs can be regularly heard in the woodland, which is also currently awash with woodcock ; twelve individuals were recorded on the last point count. We’ve been getting...

Up until today most of my snipe encounters had been momentary blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flyovers, or a cluster of little dots at the end of my binoculars. Today however, one of these dinky little birds took up residence right outside reception hide, although its exquisite camouflage means it often...

Strumpshaw Fen Path conditions - all paths are now open but please be aware that Lackford Run is extremely muddy. It's been very quiet on the reserve recently (mostly due to this miserable weather), but here are some sightings from the last few weeks: Bullfinch have been seen in the woods...

Lackford Run is still closed however all other paths are open. The female otter and her cubs have been seen near Fen Hide a lot over the last couple of weeks and the young male has been seen about, particularly near the sluice by the river. Hen harriers are still around, as are our resident marsh...

Trail conditions - Due to flooding we have closed the River Path from the end of Sandy Wall all the way to the end of Tinkers Lane. The woodland trail is open as usual, as is Fen Hide, though the path leading to it may still be very wet. As always, please turn back immediately if you encounter flooding...

Please note that Strumpshaw Fen itself will be open this weekend, but the Reception Hide will be CLOSED. Visitors are welcome to visit the reserve as usual but there will be no staff or volunteers available to help with your queries. Please also be aware of the icy conditions in the car park and on the...

Path conditions update: the riverside path to the towerhide is extremely muddy so take care and wellingtons are strongly advised. Also be aware that due to current high river levelswe we may need to close the riverbank temporarily from time to time. The Lackford Run path has been closed for the past...

Lackford Run is under water at the moment and visitors are advised to avoid it until the conditions improve. River Path is extremely muddy so please wear wellingtons and take care on the path! If you encounter flooding on any of the paths please turn back immediately. Please check in with the volunteer...

Lackford Run and the River Path (up to the end of Sandy Wall) are currently closed due to flooding - please note this means there is no access to Tower Hide at this time. As soon as the river level starts to lower and we can let water off the fen we will open the paths. Unfortunately they are just too...

Trail conditions - all trails are open at the moment but with the usual cautions regarding mud and water on Lackford Run in place. However if we experience flooding we will close any trails affected. If you would like to check the trail conditions before you visit please call us on 01603 715 191. Please...

Lackford Run is flooded in parts due to the heavy rainfall we've had. Please avoid Lackford Run or if you do go down there please turn back immediately if you encounter flooding. Starlings - our autumn visitors have decided not to grace us with their presence much since I last saw them! Unfortunately...

Hello all, apologies for not blogging sooner! Here is a bumper recent sightings blog to make it up to you all. All trails are open now but the river path near Tower Hide is incredibly slippery and muddy, as is Lackford Run. Bitterns - we had 8 sightings today from Reception Hide alone which really...

Lackford Run is still temporarily closed unfortunately but we're working on getting this open as soon as possible. The River Path is extremely muddy and slippery in places so please be careful and if you encounter any flooding, please turn back. Starlings - still no sign that our beloved autumn...

Lackford Run will be closed for the next week or so. Following some ditch maintenance the path is incredibly muddy and isn't currently safe to use. Apologies for any inconvenience caused, hopefully it will be in better condition after a few days rest! Waxwings have been seen over the last few...

Please note that Lackford Run will be muddy throughout the winter and occasionally flooded, as will the river path. Please be exceptionally careful and if you encounter any flooding please do turn back, we don't want anyone to get stuck in the mud! Sightings from Strumpshaw Fen Reserve Osprey...

Osprey - believe it or not, the osprey is still about. Sightings are coming from across the reserve. Otter - again sightings have been fantastic of our otters, again all over the reserve. Kingfisher - and again, these little jewels are putting on performances in front of the hides each day. ...

Osprey - is still about! It's been seen daily all over the reserve, fishing in the broads and generally causing much excitement Otters - the otters are still being seen daily around the reserve, particularly from the hides. Last week one visitor reported an otter running right across the path...

The skies have been busy here recently! Here are some recent sightings for you all: Osprey - the osprey has been seen almost daily for the last couple of weeks. Some lucky people have even seen it fishing in the river and the broads. The most recent sighting was yesterday, Monday 01 October. Kingfisher...

Having spent most of this morning coaxing an escaped Highland bull back into the meadow (he's a gentle giant really), I returned to reception hide to find I'd missed out on a flurry of excitement. Not only had an otter and bittern made appearances in front of the hide, an osprey had been hunting...

The meadow trail is now closed for the winter. We have moved the cattle in and they are going to be busy grazing in there over the winter months! Here are some sightings from the weekend: Kingfishers - still being seen daily all over the reserve Otters - the mother is now letting her cubs roam...

Residential volunteer, Ciara Stafford, writes about a little-known marvel of migration: Autumn migration usually conjures up images of great skeins of geese returning from the Siberian tundra or of hundreds of swallows perching along telephone wires, but rarely of an unobtrusive grey moth hovering...