A very wet wetland

A very wet week on the Fen with the Warden's often taking the opportunity to catch-up with paperwork rather than heading outdoors - still as I write the sun is shining so let's hope it stays that way for the weekend.

While the Warden's maybe heading for cover there's still plenty of wildlife action. Over on Burwell Fen we have reports of short eared owls (3) and a barn owl.  We also have regular sightings of cuckoos (2) with one bird often seen in the tall trees within 200 yards or so of the Visitor Centre. We also have reports of a booming bittern heard towards dusk from the Visitor Centre and roding woodcock (3).

In the rain many visitors have headed straight for the Roger Clark Hide over looking the Brick Pits with plenty of sightings of little grebe (2), moorhen, gold, green and chaffinch's, blue, great and long tailed tits, jay (2), cetti's warbler and reed bunting.

Finally, swallow's have been flying in and out of the Boat House at the end of Wicken Lode this morning - hopefully a sign of early nesting activity. 

Weekly Wildlife Roundup

There's warbler's a plenty on the reserve this week with sightings of sedge, willow, cetti's, blackcap, chiffchaff and grasshopper warbler.

Regular sightings of marsh harrier have been reported with up to five birds displaying over Verrall's Fen and Reedbed's on Adventurer's Fen. Red kite, buzzard and a hobby have also been recorded.

From the hides around the mere there have been sightings of shelduck, shoveler, teal, redshank, canada and greylag geese, coot, little grebe, garganey and reed buntings.

Following last weeks report of a calling cuckoo we now have confirmed sightings of a male cuckoo calling from Adventurer's Fen, together with booming bittern and drumming snipe.

A quick reminder that we are offering free admission to Wicken Fen this weekend (21-22 April)- all you need to do is download a voucher from the main National Trust website www.nationaltrust.org.uk . We also have a few spaces left for this Sunday's 'Spring Walk with the Warden' The walk starts at 2pm with tickets costing £6.75, which includes tea and cake at the end. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Visitor Centre on 01353 720274.

First Cuckoo has arrived

Just had reports from visitors who heard male cuckoo calling on Verall's Fen

First Swallow of Summer

The first swallow of summer was spotted from the Visitor Centre less than an hour ago - check out the amazing picture of swallows feeding their young taken by Richard Nicoll at Wicken Fen last summer - check out more of Richard's work at http://www.richardnicollphotography.co.uk/

We are now awaiting the first cuckoos to arrive - just been checking out the BTO website who are tracking three cuckoos returning from overwintering in Africa. The first two birds have crossed back into Southern Europe so hopefully it wont belong before we hear the first cuckoo formally announcing the arrival of spring - might even start a sweep stake - my money's on the 16 April.

One visitor reported seeing a basking shark!- well it was on April Fools Day. The latest WeBS count was undertaken on Easter Sunday (10 April) - the count included: little grebe (4), great crested grebe (2), cormorant (7), bittern (1), grey heron (5), mute swan (8), greylag goose (29), canada goose (16), wigeon (45), gadwall (13), teal (19), mallard (25), shoveler (65), moorhen (1), coot (36), lapwing (160, redshank (12) and black headed gull (1)

There have been regular sightings of barn and tawny owls and we are still getting sightings of short eared owls and hen harriers (mostly ringtails). There have been numerous reports of displaying marsh harriers, woodcock, snipe and booming bittern's so romance must be in the air.

Other sightings reported by visitors over last couple of days include fieldfare (120), cettis warbler (16), chiffchaff (36), reed bunting (21), chaffinch (14), skylark (28), buzzard (3), bearded tit (2) and willow tit (1).