Todays release of Corncrakes onto the Nene Washes brought this years total to 77, we are well on target to release over 100 this year.

2 juvenile Black Tailed Godwits. note the difference in neck tone (perhaps the male/female characteristics can show through even at this age?)
flock of 26 Little Egrets, the washes record was broken (a weekly occurence lately) on monday when I counted 35 together around one of the last remaining pools.

Wilsons phalarope, female on the Nene Washes, alongside a Dunlin first seen flying overhead at 15:00 then watched settle onto the pool opposite Holly tree farm. Surely the same bird that was present at Grafham Water until yesterday evening. Also present 1 Turnstone, 6 Dunlin and 1 greenshank.

First mute swans hatch out, this pair has 2 polish (white morph) amongst 7 cygnets. The polish bird is the washed out one, as opposed to the normal grey colour of the bird on left.

grey herons, feeding on trapped fish, thers no escaping these formidable predators
A record shot of a male Bar tailed godwit, one of 24 today.

This common crane arrived from the east. fed for 1/2hr on flooded pools and then I'm not sure where it went. my 3rd record in 11 years, always a special sight.

2 little egrets feeding on drying out pools

one of 3 black bellied plover - grey plover is the wrong name when in this amazing plumage

good numbers of Oystercatcher along the washes, enjoying the large flooded pools, today I saw one with a large worm - the first time i've seen one with a prey item.

passage fieldfares stop over to feed on the moist pasture.

male lapwing

from -10 windchill to +16 in one week, confusing for us sapiens, it has'nt slowed down nature. With the floods receeding fast revealing the jewel that is the Nene Washes - all waders are currently displaying vigorously. Migrant marsh harriers have arrived in numbers, first avocets have been seen, mallard are already sitting on eggs where only 2 weeks ago the land was under water.

Flooded washland at Lords Holt

following the rain on Friday and sunday and the full moon (creating high tides) the washlands are now operating in their role as flood release mechanism for the Lower river Nene, this protects areas of peterborough and surrounding farmland.

Mole escaping the flood
Gulls feasting on the mass movement of insects, worms and voles

male Shelduck

Lunar eclipse on Saturday night. I was alerted to this eclipse whilst watching Spanish football at 10:30pm, the camera showed it at half time so I quickly went outside to enjoy it myself. The extent of the eclipse reached approx 9/10'ths, progressively turning fiery orange on its underside.

Its that time of year again where Merlins can be seen frequently on the Nene Washes. They utilise the drove gateways as perches and can allow close approach when in a tractor or other vehicle. They appear to be hunting the spring arrival of Meadow pipits and Reed Buntings though I have seen them take Dunlin.

Weasal - taken from the truck was investigating rabbit burrows at Eldernell.

Group of 7 Roe deer, seemingly established on the Washes!
The number of wild swans has increased this week with around 260 Whoopers and 650 Bewick's. 2 of the bewicks had recently been fitted with yellow neck collars in Holland. One was on Texel until Jan 1st, it arrived in the UK on 2nd or 3rd, being seen at Catfield, Norfolk on 3rd and here at the Nene washes on 22nd. Many birds are now feeding on the washland grass particularly at Eldernell, others are feeding on waste potatoes, beet tops or winter wheat.

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.