The Lodge

Help the RSPB Give Nature a Home-apply for a Membership Development Officer role in the East..

Mark Brandon — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:30:14 GMT

As you read this blog, you are already passionate about wildlife and Giving Nature a Home. If you would like to work for the RSPB as a Membership Development Officer and help in our mission to Save Nature by inspiring people to join us as members,please take a look at the available roles you can apply for below.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/vacancies/details/344990-membership-development-officer-essex

http://www.rspb.org.uk/vacancies/details/344993-membership-development-officer-lincolnshire

http://www.rspb.org.uk/vacancies/details/344977-membership-development-officer-bedfordshire

Come along to The Lodge Spring Fair this weekend...

Mark Brandon — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:14:07 GMT

Spring enjoyment

Mark Brandon — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:19:00 GMT

After an incredible holiday in Arizona, adding plenty of colourful new birds to my life list, I'm fighting the jet lag and noticing through hazy eyes that spring has erupted while I've been away.
It seemed quite strange coming home to see our gloves and winter clothes laying around from the cold days before we set off. Now the trees are fresh and green, warblers are singing and the long staying winter finches have all departed. A lot can change in a fortnight!

This Saturday we have our Bluebells and Spring Birds walk.Starting at 11am, we have timed this just right as the bluebells are at their peak at the moment. Just give us a call on 01767 680541 if you'd like to join the walk as there are limited places.

Bluebells and parking bays

Peter Bradley — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:14:53 GMT

The daffs are done, the bluebells are blooming - lovely! - it's well worth a visit this weekend. It will be fantastic if the weather stays warm and sunny as forecast, and since trees are late coming into leaf it should be a great opportunity to actually see our woodland birds in full song.

We have just added a few extra car parking bays at the gatehouse, and levelled the disabled bay near the gazebo. However, we can be really busy over a bank holiday weekend, especially so between 10.30 - 2.30pm, so if you want peace and quiet (and a parking space) you may want to come early or late.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Peter

At last... some migrants!

Peter Bradley — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:25:37 GMT

I did some bird surveying in the good weather last week. It involved me standing at certain points, and noting what birds and how many I could hear. All to assess our woodland for birds. It's one of the nicest things I get to do, though it's not easy!

At last, there are some migrants! I heard whitethroat and chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap. There's also been a tree pipit around (sadly not on my survey, though...).

Today's birds included a firecrest singing in holly trees at the far end of the headquarters car park.

There's a buzzing in the woods...

Peter Bradley — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:16:17 GMT

Our chainsaw sculptor Patrick is busy creating an amazing sculpture in the bluebell wood. This will mark a small and beautiful corner of the reserve where people can remember their passed loved ones. If you pop down this week, you will see it all happening. Once it's all cleared up, it should look great, and be a quiet, natural area for us all to enjoy.

Slowly slowly- spring is coming

Mark Brandon — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:43:00 GMT

With the winds turning to the south and a warmer feel to proceedings, the first spring migrants have slowly been appearing. After last weeks chiffchaff, several swallows were over the reserve at the weekend and sand martins have been in the local area as well.We are just waiting for our first willow warblers and blackcaps to be reported now. Still a touch of winter in terms of the birds still here; a couple of bramblings, around a dozen redpolls and the odd siskin are still using the feeders before they decide to fly away and leave us and a large flock of fieldfares and redwings have been on Sandy Ridge. Red kites have been seen quite regularly, being mobbed aggressively by the ravens at the weekend. A single crossbill was reported from the hide pools on Sunday, but there has been no sign of the larger flock of 30 birds recently. The next few weeks should be exciting on the bird front!

nesting nuthatch

Mark Brandon — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:10:00 GMT

Photograher Alan Reynolds has just kindly sent me this splendid picture of a nuthatch, taken at the hide.The nuthatch was collecting moss and mud to line the nest it is building nearby.

First spring bird is here.

Mark Brandon — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:30:00 GMT

Hurray- at last- a chiffchaff has arrived and it greeted me with its welcome and constant 'chiffchaff' call from the New Heath when I arrived at The Lodge this morning.This is the first confirmed report as far as I'm aware and its at least three weeks later than the usual arrival dates! It's business as usual apart from this small glimmer of spring, with bramblings, redpolls and siskins around the feeders and fieldfares and redwings on Sandy Ridge. There is one other difference of note today, with the song of many birds filling the air and celebrating the arrival of warmth and sun! At lunchtime, the hooting of a tawny owl was heard near the hide to join in with this joyous chorus.

Has spring finally sprung?

Mark Brandon — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:23:02 GMT

After a weekend of sun and with even a little warmth in the air , a few things 'spring like' finally appeared in the area. On a walk around the Cambridgeshire countryside yesterday, I heard 5 chiffchaffs proclaiming their late arrival and a sulphur yellow brimstone butterfly flitted across the path, making the most of the lovely sunshine and reminding me that spring is really just waiting in the wings for the land to finally warm up.

Outside the Gatehouse, it looks as though a good number of the long staying flock of siskins and redpolls may have moved on over the weekend.There are still a few of these birds on the feeders and a brambling or two foraging underneath, but the noisy, wheezing buzzing sound of hundreds of finches of recent weeks has subsided today. Crossbills are still being seen and enjoyed by many and patience at the hide may produce a picture such as this, taken by Geoff Harries during the weekend.

Signs of spring

Mark Brandon — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:06:00 GMT

Just a whisper....I think spring is in the air at last! We've had two days of almost unbroken sunshine and its arrived just in time for the children and youngsters to come up and enjoy being outdoors in their school holidays. After the success of the weekends Easter Trail, I decided to leave the trail up throughout the hols, although we've now run out of eggs as a reward!

Although the weather may be on the change,we are still waiting for the first spring migrants to arrive on the reserve. The bird flavour is still of winter, with siskins, redpoll's and bramblings still here in numbers. One addition over the last week is a nice flock of around 20 crossbills. Yesterday, they were seen drinking from the pools at the hide, a regular spot for them when they are around the reserve.

Enjoy your Easter- especially if you are on holiday!

April 01st

Mark Brandon — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:54:00 GMT

It may be a cold and dull Easter break, but here on the reserve we have been really busy. Plenty of families have come along to take part in the Easter trail and we've been dashing out searching the shops for the last few creme eggs in the county to give as rewards! We'll have had around 300 children doing the trail quiz by the end of the day, a great way for them to have fun and start to connect with nature.

Birders are going home happy as well, the siskin and repoll numbers seem to have built up if anything over the last few days, and several bramblings are feeding on the ground under the feeders. One chap had gone all the way to our reserve Titchwell in North Norfolk to see bramblings, and then found them here on his doorstep! Still, it's never a wasted trip to enjoy RSPB Titchwell. Other birds over the Easter include at least 3 ravens, 18+ crossbills, goldcrest, nuthatch and treecreeper- but no reports of any spring migrants yet. This will surely change soon, let us know if you visit The Lodge this week and hear the first chiff chaff or spot a wheatear on Sandy Ridge!

Birds and Easter news

Mark Brandon — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:53:32 GMT

It may be a cold and dull Easter break, but here on the the reserve we have been really busy. Plenty of families have come along to take part in the Easter trail and we've been dashing out searching the shops for the last few creme eggs in the county to give as rewards! We;ll have had around 300 children doing th equiz vby the end of the day, a great way for them to have fun and start to connect with nature.

Birders are going home happy as well, the siskin and repoll numbers eem to have built up if anything over the last few days, and several bramblings are feeding on the ground under the feeders. One chap had gone all the way to our reserve Titchwell in North Norfolk to see bramblings, and then found them here on his doorstep! Still, it's never a wasted trip to enjoy RSPB Titchwell. Other birds over the Easter include at least 3 ravens, 18+ crossbills, goldcrest, nuthatch and treecreeper- but no reports of any spring migrants yet. This will surely change soon, let us know if you visit The Lodge this week and hear the first chiff chaff or spot a wheatear on Sandy Ridge!

Easter-birds and trail.

Mark Brandon — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:53:01 GMT

Spring at last!!?

Mark Brandon — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 09:45:13 GMT

Easter is nearly here, the sun is shining at last and it looks like a decent weekend ahead! Our Easter Trail will be on from Good Friday to Easter Monday ( 10am-3pm- £2 per trail sheet) for the youngsters to take part in, with a little chocolate treat as a reward.
Come along to The Lodge and enjoy the start of spring!