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Recent sightings

• 15 July 2011

  Barn owls on view

  Our barn owl chicks have stepped out of the security of their nest box at last. We have been watching them peering out of the entrance for a while, and on Sunday 10^th July they ventured out for the first time.

  

  The photo was taken from the nature trail at 6.30pm. The chicks went back into the box shortly afterwards, but we can expect them to be seen more frequently as they get older.

  The nest box was put up in 2006, and tawny owls reared a family in it the following year. A single barn owl took over the box in summer 2008, and was joined in the autumn by a second bird. Three young were fledged in 2009, and two in 2010.

  Posted by Doug Radford

• 1 July 2011

  Water rail chicks

  Yesterday we mowed the area to the west of Reedbed Hide, to enable people to see some of our reedbed birds better. During our well-earned lunch in the hide, we were able to enjoy the fruits of our labours - a pair of water rails with a small chick feeding in the shallow water that we had just exposed. There were also lots of reed warblers feeding in the same area.

  Today one of our regular visitors reported seeing three water rail chicks there. He also saw a juvenile cuckoo and a kingfisher (not often seen lately), and a female marsh harrier flew over. Later this morning I saw an adult cuckoo, and heard a Cetti's warbler singing by the plastic boardwalk.

   

  Posted by Doug Radford

• 7 December 2010

  Bittern!

  Last Saturday (4th Dec) I was coppicing with some vols when I received a phone call from Eric, one of our regular visitors - he was watching a bittern from Reedbed Hide! We couldn't go immediately, but an hour later we crept into the hide and it was still there, on the bank about 20m away. We watched it for ages and I took a few photos, before it walked into the reeds by the mere.

  I haven't worked out how to post photos in this message, but here's a link to the photos page of the Cambridgeshire Bird Club website (scroll down to 4th Dec): http://cambsbirdclub.blogspot.com/

  Bitterns are an occasional visitor to Fowlmere NR, but this is the third winter running when one has been present for some of the time.

  Doug

   

  Posted by Doug Radford