Water Fern azolla filliculoides. This invasive alien plant species usually sinks to the bottom of the water to over-winter or is killed off by hard frosts. This patch seemed very happy and going by how green it is - actively growing. I wonder if this patch managed to survive the freeze up in December or has it floated to the surface during the recent mild spell and already started reproducing.

adult peregrine utilising an electricity pylon. If you want altitude in cambridgshire surely the top of a large electricity pylon is the place to be. On a clear day I can easily see 15 miles in the fens so I wonder how far a peregine can see, I guess the nearest meal is far enough!
fieldfare at Eldernel car park

The number of Stonechat on the Nene Washes has reached a minimum of 38, the highest since the major population increase of winter 2001/02 when 47 were counted

This rather ill looking Barn owl was seen on a fence line at March Farmers mid-morning, it did eventually fly a short distance, though i guess its not long for this world. This Kestrel was hunting from horse-back, a new behavioural sighting for me. It returned to the same horse several times, the horse seemed oblivious.
Another sunset west from the south barrier bank at Eldernell

Bewick's swan - a group flying within 100mtrs of the March Prison wind turbine!?

Bewicks feeding on suger beet tops. This flock of 369 contained 64 juveniles.

One of the swans in the flock has a blue neck collar and was first sighted on the Nene Washes in January 1997, again in January 1998 and January 2000, having been caught in Russia and ringed as a juvenile in 1993 and subsequently caught in 1996 when its neck collar was fitted. Most winters it is sighted on the Ouse Washes but sometimes it spends the whole winter on the continent mainly in Holland.
Whooper swan one main flock of 179 present near march Farmers - again on beet tops.

This weeks full moon rising over the B1040 pools (known as the town fifties). The high tides that are associated with the twice monthly cycle can cause the Nene to flood providing heavy rain has fallen in the catchment. In spite of the storms in recent weeks we are yet to see such an event.
Icelandic Black-tailed godwits have arrived on the reserve's artificial floods near Eldernell, some 760 are currently present having been displaced, by deep flooding, from the nearby Ouse Washes.

Creating Artificial Floods on Nene Washes

We have started creating our annual artificial floods at the eastern end of the Low Wash, viewable from the South Barrier bank west of Eldernell. Good numbers of wigeon are already using them when disturbance is low and 28 whooper swans and 20 Bewicks so far.

This shag arrived at the Dog in-a Doublet sluice today, it was colour ringed. Thanks to the internet I was quickly able to find the scheme and the man that was studying them. It was ringed on the Isle of May in the firth of Forth Scotland on July 11th 2006.

stonechat paradise

Good numbers of stonechat are back on the Nene washes for the winter. No full co-ordinated count made yet but 20+ certainly present. What they find so attractive in the washland habitat are the numerous ditches that are edged with rank vegetation at the interface with short grazed pastures. Most birds are paired up, an essential part of their winter survival, in my opinion, as one bird is always on the look out (a sentinel) whilst its partner seeks out insects and larvae from the decaying ditch-side plants. Their main predators out here are Merlin and Sparrowhawk.

Roe deer in Eldernell Decoy wood

A brief walk into the wood at lunch time to escape the biting wind and out popped this Roe deer. With the sun directly behind me I was able to digiscope it before it finally realised I was there, 30 mtrs away. Not a standard wash-land mammal, though it's over 3 years since we flooded and they seem quite at home.

Little owl - stretch and wink

Whooper swans arriving

Following 13 flying east on tuesday, a group of 3 spent the afternoon resting on our only pool, always a fine site, knowing they've just flown in from Iceland (probably).

Comparison of Common Seal and recent Grey Seal

This Common Seal from February 2005 shows the distinctive squashed convex nose as opposed to last months Grey seal with its concave "roman" nose. This animal was tagged and was probably the individual rescued 2 years earlier as a pup at the Dog in a Doublet sluice having mis -adventured up the Nene.

last months vagrant Grey Seal - how many other cambs records are there I wonder.

These welsh mountain ponies are a feature of March Farmers, very hardy with distinctly small heads they are really good at eating coarser grass and nibbling at stuff other horses cringe at. Here on the cradge bank they are doing a good job getting it ready for the Wigeon. *(cradge or scradge is an old name for the inner wash bank that is maintained at a lower height than the outer bank to allow for a river in spate to overflow onto the washes.

Whinchat

This bird is posted to show the white tail base, made visible when the tail is spread for balancing in the windy conditions, digiscoped from tractor.

small copper on central drove, the only flutterby I saw today!

Short-winged conehead

Photographed in August from damp grass fields on the Nene Washes, I'm a complete novice with this kind of thing - but I think these are s.w coneheads, formerly a coastal species.
The short wings are obvious and the ovipositor is more curved than in long winged conehead.

Whinchats from Eldernell Wash

A group of 5 feeding around sheep grazed field, these two look like autumn adults as opposed to juveniles with orange, unstreaked breasts.

Green woodpecker on fence stake along central drove, nice to see the transitional plumage from juvenile to adult.