An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 26, 2018

Another good night last night with 141 moths trapped and identified covering sixty species, seven of which were new for the year.

The following were recorded: Coleophora Species [1]. Large Fruit-tree Tortrix [1]; Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix [1]; Lozotaenia forsterana [1]; Clepsis consimilana [1]; Light Brown Apple Moth [2]; Green Oak Tortrix [2]; Aleimma loeflingiana [1]; Marbled Orchard Tortrix [2]; Celypha striana [1]; Celypha lacunana [2]; Ancylis achatana [3]; Eucosma cana [1]; Leopard Moth [2]; Bee Moth [1]; Phycitodes binaevella [1]; Anania coronate [1]; Small Magpie [5]; Udea olivalis [1]; Eudonia Lacustrata [6]; Eudonia mercurella [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [10]; Crambus pascuella [9]; Elephant Hawk-moth [7]; Single-dotted Wave [1]; Riband Wave [10]; Small Blood-vein [1]; Garden Carpet [1]; Silver-ground Carpet [1]; Barred Yellow [1]; Barred Straw [2]; Foxglove Pug [2]; Brimstone Moth [2]; Swallow-tailed Moth [1]; Willow Beauty [2]; Common Emerald [1]; The Snout [3]; Buff Ermine [1]; Common Footman [8]; The Fan-foot [1]; Beautiful Hook-tip [3]; Plain Golden Y [1]; The Coronet [1]; Mottled Rustic [2]; The Uncertain [5]; The Rustic [2]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [3]; Dark Arches [2]; Marbled Minor species [2]; Middle-barred Minor [2]; Bright-line Brown-eye [1]; Common Wainscot [1]; Smoky Wainscot [1]; The Clay [1]; Heart and Dart [6]; Turnip Moth [1]; The Flame [1]; Large Yellow Underwing [3]; Setaceous Hebrew Character [1] and Oak Nycteoline [1].

Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix

Lozotaenia forsterana

Silver-ground Carpet

Single-dotted Wave

Common Emerald

The Snout

Plain Golden Y

Beautiful Hook-tip

The Clay

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 25, 2018

There were 156 moths trapped and identified last night covering fifty-seven species, eighteen of which were new for the year and one of which, Oak Nycteoline, was a lifer.

The following were recorded: Caloptilia stigmatella [1]; Paraswammerdamia nebulella [1]; Coleophora Species [1]; Red-barred Tortrix [1]; Timothy Tortrix [1]; Clepsis consimilana [2]; Light Brown Apple Moth [4]; Aleimma loeflingiana [1]; Marbled Orchard Tortrix [1]; Ancylis achatana [3]; Epinotia bilunana [1]; Codling Moth [1]; Bee Moth [1]; Gold Triangle [2]; Anania coronate [1]; Small Magpie [7]; Udea olivalis [1]; Eudonia Lacustrata [5]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [7]; Crambus pascuella [20]; Poplar Hawk-moth [1]; Small Dusty Wave [1]; Single-dotted Wave [1]; Small Fan-footed Wave [1]; Riband Wave [8]; Small Blood Vein [2]; Garden carpet [1]; Barred Yellow [1]; Barred Straw [2]; Common Marble Carpet [1]; Green Pug [3]; Freyer’s Pug [2]; Common Pug [3]; Brimstone Moth [5]; Swallow-tailed Moth [4]; Willow Beauty [4]; The Snout [2]; White Satin Moth [1]; Buff Ermine [1]; Common Footman [8]; The Fan-foot [3]; Dagger species [1]; Marbled Beauty [3]; Mottled Rustic [3]; The Uncertain [4]; The Rustic [1]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [1]; Dark Arches [1]; Middle-barred Minor [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [1]; Smoky Wainscot [1]; Shoulder-striped Wainscot [1]; Heart and Dart [14]; The Flame [1]; Setaceous Hebrew Character [1]; Short-cloaked Moth [3] and Oak Nycteoline [1].

Caloptilia stigmatella

Paraswammerdamia nebulella

Aleimma loeflingiana

Small Dusty Wave

Small Fan-footed Wave

White Satin Moth

Oak Nycteoline

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 24, 2018

I put the trap out last night and trapped and identified seventy-six moths covering thirty-two species, of which ten were new for the year.

The following were recorded: Brown House Moth [1]; Lozotaenia forsterana [1]; Clepsis consimilana[2]; Cnephasia sp. [1]; Celypha lacunana [1]; Ancylis achatana [1]; Anania coronate [1]; Small Magpie [5]; Udea olivalis [1]; Eudonia Lacustrata [3]; Eudonia mercurella [2]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [2]; Crambus pascuella [14]; Agriphila straminella [1]; Elephant Hawk-moth [1]; Riband wave [5]; Small Blood-vein [1]; Barred Straw [1]; Fryer’s Pug [1]; Common Pug [11]; Willow Beauty [1]; Light Emerald [1]; Straw Dot [1]; Buff Ermine [2]; Common Footman [7]; The Fan-foot [1]; Mottled Rustic [2]; The Uncertain [3]; Small Dotted Buff [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [1]; Heart and dart [10] and The Flame [1].

Barred Straw

Mottled Rustic

Small Blood-vein

Small Dotted Buff

A day in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire - June 23, 2018

I picked David up around 06:30 and we headed for the Egleton car park at Rutland Water, where we had agreed to meet Malcolm and Roger and then go to Frampton Marsh.

We didn’t see a lot on route to the car park and both Malcolm and Roger were waiting for us when we arrived.  Whilst they were getting their gear into my car we heard a Green Woodpecker, a Common Chiffchaff and a Blackcap before setting of for Frampton.

We had two Red Kites near West Deeping on route and arrived in the car park at Frampton Marsh at 08:15. There had been a female Red-necked Phalarope viewable from the 360 Hide yesterday and we were hoping it was still here today.  Whilst we were in the car park we heard a Cetti's Warbler and a Sedge Warbler, and we heard another Sedge Warbler and two Eurasian Reed Warbler before reaching the hide.

There were a few birders already in the hide and the news wasn’t good on the phalarope as it had not been seen but there was a nice flock of waders not too far away.  On closer inspection we found nineteen Bar-tailed Godwit and I counted112 Red Knot.  The Bar-tailed Godwits were all in non-breeding plumage but there were quite a few of the Red Knot still in their breeding plumage, although some were not.  As we continued scanning through the flock we found a nice summer plumaged Spotted Redshank and there were good numbers of both Pied Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits scattered around the lagoon and a single male Ruff was amongst a party of Black-tailed Godwit.  There were two Little Ringed Plovers displaying over the area and four noisy Eurasian Oystercatcher flew over.  A few Common Shelduck were present and I also found a few Eurasian Wigeon, a single Common Pochard and three broods of Northern Shoveler and then a second summer plumaged Spotted Redshank.

Group of waders, included Bar and Black-tailed Godiwts, Red Knot and a Spotted Redshank

Common Redshank

David had moved to the other side of the hide and found a loan Pink-footed Goose, which had a collar around its neck and there was also a single Common Ringed Plover.

We moved off towards the East Hide and had some rather nice views of a Sedge Warbler before we turned towards the seawall and I also saw a single Eurasian Reed Warbler and heard three more.  When we reached the turning to the East Hide we went up onto the seawall and scanned the North Scrape where Malcolm found a third Spotted Redshank and Roger found a female Common Pochard escorting a brood of six.  There were three Barnacle Geese on the fresh marsh, which flew and landed on the North Scrape and a Common Ringed Plover and a Little Grebe were observed before we started to walk along the seawall, seeing eight Common Terns.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Meadow Brown

As we walked around the seawall the fresh marsh was fairly quiet other than a few Pied Avocets, although we did see two Little Egrets, two Little Ringed Plovers and a female Mallard escorting a brood of six.  As we reached path down to the car park there was a Sedge Warbler singing and David found a first-summer Little Gull.

Pied Avocet

Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

As we walked back along the road to the centre another Little Ringed Plover was most obliging, and we saw a couple of Sedge Warbler and heard three more Eurasian Reed Warblers.

Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

We nipped into the centre, but we had seen most of what had been recorded on the marsh and so decided we would drive around to the reservoir to hopefully find a European Turtle Dove.  We stopped briefly to view the field where we had seen European Turtle Dove on two occasions this year but there was no sign and so we continued onto the reservoir but there was very little, another Eurasian Reed Warbler singing being the best.

Malcolm had walked back to the field and as we approached him in the car he was trying to call us as he had heard a Turtle Dove.  David and I got out of the car and saw the bird in flight but had forgotten that Roger was unable to get out of the car as the child lock was on.  He managed to get out the other door but unfortunately the bird had disappeared and didn’t comeback whilst we were there.

We discussed our options and decided to head for the Nene Washes, where there had been a Cattle and Great Egrets recently.  Malcolm had been yesterday and seen the Great Egret but hadn’t been able to find the Cattle Egret.  We saw a couple of Common Buzzard and a Common Kestrel before we reached March Farmer where we had lunch before going up onto the bank.

There was a Common Buzzard and a Common Kestrel perched on the power lines as we were having lunch.  Malcolm had gone up onto the bank and we all followed a few minutes later when he said he might have heard a Eurasian Bittern.  Roger then found a Whooper Swan and there were six Common Shelduck nearby.  Other than a Sedge Warbler singing on the far side there was little else and we decided to walk west along the bank.

We stopped to view an area where there were several Little Egrets and I eventually counted thirty.  Roger then thought he had found the Great Egret and whilst trying to find where he was looking I picked one up in flight, which landed next to the bird Roger was watching and we had two Great Egret.  David then said he thought he had a third in the same area, but it had disappeared into vegetation behind the other two.  It soon reappeared, and we could see the yellow bill and were able to confirm there were three.  As we walked back we heard another Cetti's Warbler and saw another distant Common Buzzard.

Malcolm and David had gone on ahead and had heard the Eurasian Bittern again and we walked down to the bridge hoping it would call again.  There was a chaser, which we initially thought might be a male Broad-bodied but on closer inspection we were able to confirm that it was a Scarce Chaser.  There were also several Redwing-eyed and Common Blue Damselflies just under the bridge.  An Emperor Dragonfly was then observed, and a second Scarce Chaser was found and I had brief views of a perched female Broad-bodied Chaser.  Whilst watching and photographing the Scarce Chasers we heard the Eurasian Bittern boom again.  David then found a second Whooper Swan and we heard a Common Cuckoo as we walked back to the car.

Scarce Chaser

Scarce Chaser

As we drove down the access road to the Eldernell car park a Green Woodpecker flew over and on reaching the car park we found we were the only occupants.  We walked to the bridge and I picked up two Common Cranes on the nearest wet area.  We spent quite some time on the bridge, seeing a male and two female Western Marsh Harriers but very little else.  As we were about to move off I saw a Common Kingfisher approaching the bridge, which turned and headed back downstream and appeared to perch in the hedge.  I had called the bird and Malcolm managed to see it before it disappeared and despite walking along the hedgerow it didn’t reappear and had probably flown through the hedge, rather than perching.

With Roger needing to be back home we left shortly afterwards and headed back to the Egleton car park at Rutland Water, seeing a Red Kite, Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel as we travelled along the A1.

Whilst not seeing our target bird, the phalarope, it had been a good day with seventy-nine species recorded in some rather pleasant weather.

A day in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire June 21, 2018

David picked me up at around 06:30 this morning and we then went and picked Roger up before heading north to Padley Gorge in Derbyshire.  We had a Eurasian Jay as we drove along the M1 towards the River Trent and both a Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel as we drove along the A617 towards Chesterfield.  We hadn’t seen a great deal as we pulled up and parked along the B6521 from where we had a short walk into Padley Gorge.

We walked down the path and over the bridge, seeing a Common Kestrel, to reach the gorge and heard and then saw a Grey Wagtail as we reached the woodland.  We walked down the path, until we reached the area where Roger and I had seen European Pied Flycatcher earlier in the year.  I went off the path and into the woodland to get a better view and found two Eurasian Nuthatch and at least one Spotted Flycatcher.  David had also come up into the woodland and we then had two juvenile Common Redstarts, which Roger unfortunately missed but with no sign of a Pied Flycatcher we went back to the path and walked further down.

From the path we saw quite a few juvenile Eurasian Blue Tits and a single Coal Tit and heard a Eurasian Treecreeper before we reached an area where we had seen both European Pied Flycatcher and Common Redstart earlier in the year.  Again, we walked up the slope into the woodland, seeing another Spotted Flycatcher.  Another birder came down the path and after a brief chat David said he thought he might have heard a Wood Warbler.  We walked a few more meters up the path and it sang again, and I also heard it and as we went higher up the path we had brief views through a bush it was singing in.  It then came out of the bush and went into a tree alongside when we had some rather nice views of this attractive phylloscopus.  A local birder then joined us, and we spent time trying to re-find it but only had brief views before it stopped singing and we lost it.  We did have another Nuthatch before we reached the top of the path, with intention of going out onto the more open moor.  However, we heard something calling, which we suspected was another Wood Warbler, although it was only doing the piping part of the song.  As we walked down the path it did give a couple of brief busts of the trill and we eventually managed to find it, having brief views before we lost it.  Roger then found a Eurasian Treecreeper and as we were leaving he noticed movement in the top of one of the trees above the path.  I also saw the bird and we thought there was more than one but then one dropped lower onto a branch over the path and we a good, but a brief view of a female/juvenile European Pied Flycatcher and a Siskin then flew over calling but we didn’t manage to see it.

We had done rather well in the woodland and I was hoping to catch up with a Tree Pipit as I hadn’t seen one this year, but the local birder had indicated that they were quite scarce this year, although he had heard one earlier.  It was quiet as we walked along the path through the birches where the Tree Pipit had been heard but with some patience we heard one and then saw it perched at the top of one of the birches where it was being buffeted by the wind.  Having scored with the pipit we continued along the path back to the car.

Our nest target was Ring Ouzel at Upper Burbage but on reaching the site the parking areas were quite full and it looked as though there were several school parties there.  We did manage to get a parking spot but as we walked down the path to the area we normally see Ring Ouzel there were quite a few climbers and I wasn’t very optimistic.  However just after a had seen a Common Blackbird fly into the area, Roger found a male Ring Ouzel on the top of the rocks and we had decent views before it dropped into the rocks and vegetation.  As we walked a little further two flew out and went further into the valley and we then had a third amongst the rocks briefly.  Pleased with our success we went back to the car for lunch.

David had seen a White-throated Dipper at Padley Gorge but Roger and I had missed it and so we decided to go to Hathersage to hopefully catch up with one.  It wasn’t easy parking at Hathersage and when we reached the bridge there was no sign of any dippers, but we hadn’t been there many minutes when I picked two up flying towards the bridge, which perched briefly before going under the bridge.

White-throated Dipper

We had thought about going a walk alongside the river but eventually decided to head for the Manifold Valley, where we were hoping that we might find a Common Redstart, which Roger had missed earlier.

Our plan was to drive north and then drop south towards Warslow and the Manifold Valley.  We had turned south on the B6049 and shortly after crossing the A623 and approaching Tideswell, there was a warning light regarding the car’s airbags came on.  David stopped on the far side of Tideswell and reviewed the car manual, which gave several possible causes, none of which were desirable.  He then rang his garage and they advised that he shouldn't go any further until the system had been checked and he therefore called his breakdown recovery service.  He was given and ETA within ninety minutes and it was just before the ETA that the technician arrived.  The technician checked the vehicle out with an electronic device, which indicated all was well and after calling his boss and a local expert advised us we were safe to continue and to get the fault rectified locally.

We had some discussion as to the best way to get home as it was too late to continue with our original plan.  David wanted to avoid the motorway and Burton upon Trent but to do that we either needed to go through Derby or travel considerably further and we eventually agreed the most direct route was to go through Burton.  We headed for Ashbourne and then travelled south to the A50, coming off a couple of junctions later for Burton.  As we got closer to Burton I noticed that there was a bridge closed and that diversions were in place and when we got into Burton we saw the diversion sign, which wasn’t that clear and found ourselves at the close bridge.  We retraced our steps and then followed the diversion signs and initially all was well, and we moved through the centre quite smoothly but shortly after turning onto the A5189 we ground to a halt.  Ahead lay two roundabouts, a set of traffic lights and two sets of pedestrian lights and finally two lanes merging into one, and with the traffic gridlocked it took over an hour to travel not much more than half a mile.  Once we were past the two lanes merging into one we flowed quite freely again and had no further problems.

So, what had started as a good day’s birding finished as being just a half-day’s birding and lots of frustration.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 20, 2018

There were 114 moths trapped and identified covering forty-four species, three of which were new for the year.

The following were recorded: Hawthorn Moth [1]; Amblyptilia acanthadactyla [1; Timothy Tortrix [2]; Light Brown Apple Moth [5]; Green Oak Tortrix [2]; Pseudargrotoza conwagana [1]; Marbled Orchard Tortrix [1]; Celypha striana [3]; Celypha lacunana [1]; Ancylis achatana [2]; Codling Moth [1]; Bee Moth [2]; Thistle Ermine [1]; Small Magpie [5]; Udea olivalis [1]; Eudonia Lacustrata [1]; Eudonia mercurella [2]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [9]; Crambus pascuella [4]; Agriphila straminella [3]; Elephant hawk-moth [5]; Riband Wave [7]; Blood-vein [1]; Garden Carpet [1]; Barred Yellow [1]; Foxglove Pug [1]; Freyer’s Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [5]; Willow Beauty [4]; Clouded Silver [2]; Buff-tip [1]; Straw Dot [5]; Buff Ermine [3]; Common Footman [4]; Silver Y [1]; The Uncertain [1]; Dark Arches [2]; Middle-barred Minor [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [2]; Shoulder-striped Wainscot [1]; Heart and Dart [10]; Shuttle-shaped Dart [1]; The Flame [4]; and Large Yellow Underwing [2].

Barred Yellow

Shoulder-striped Wainscot

A day in Leicestershire & Rutland - June 19, 2018

It was a late start today following the good moth catch and I didn’t leave home until 07:55.  I headed for Eyebrook Reservoir seeing a Little Egret flying along the River Sence near Wistow but little else before arriving at the reservoir.

A stop at the inlet bridge just produced a singing Blackcap and so I soon moved on to view the inlet.  There was a Green Sandpiper feeding in the shallows and a party of Northern Lapwing dropped in but didn’t stay long and moved off to the north.  There was a pair of Greylag Geese escorting a brood of three and I saw a female Mallard with a brood of ten a little further down the reservoir.  There were good numbers of both Gadwall and Mallard and a single Eurasian Teal around the inlet area and I counted eighteen Common Tern over the reservoir.  A Red Kite and a Common Buzzard were observed over the Leicestershire fields and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over before I moved off to the Egleton reserve at Rutland Water.

As I left Uppingham there was a Common Kestrel over the A47 roundabout and I arrived at Rutland Water around 09:30.  I decided I would go to Snipe Hide on the Wet Meadow first and heard a Common Chiffchaff and four Blackcap before I reached the hide and saw my first Ruddy Darter of the year.

Ruddy Darter

There was a pair of Pied Avocet on the flash near the hide, with one appearing to be sitting on a nest and there was a single Common Shelduck on the water.  A Eurasian Oystercatcher and a Little Egret were visible on Lagoon One but after a while with little else I moved to the 360 Hide.

Pied Avocet on the Wet Meadow

There was a Little Egret and four Eurasian Oystercatcher on Lagoon Five and a Red Kite drifted over causing some disturbance and as I left the hide I found another Eurasian Oystercatcher on Lagoon Eight.  I heard another two Common Chiffchaff before I reached the centre and then continued to the northern lagoons.

European Goldfinch

European Goldfinch

As I walked along the path to the northern lagoons I saw two Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Blackcap and heard a Green Woodpecker, a Willow Warbler, two Common Chiffchaff, five Blackcap and two Garden Warblers.

I went into Sandpiper Hide to view Lagoon Four first where I found eight Common Ringed Plover, a Little Ringed Plover and six Dunlin and there were twelve Eurasian Oystercatcher, three of which were escorting young birds.  I then found a Common Redshank on island one and a young bird, which appeared to be lame.  There was a single adult Yellow-legged Gull amongst the Great Black-backed Gulls roosting on the end of island six.  There were far fewer terns on the lagoon today with just eight resting on island ten spit and I suspect that the breeding birds have probably been predated.  There was a single Western Osprey and a Common Buzzard towards Burley and a Common Kestrel was hunting near the Volunteer Training Centre and just before I left the hide I found a Eurasian Hobby hawking towards Burley.

Brimstone near Sandpiper Hide

I went back to the car for lunch before going back into the centre to view Lagoon One.  It was quiet on the lagoon with nothing of real note and I was considering calling it a day at Rutland Water when five Black-tailed Godwit flew over. They headed towards Lax Hill before circling and coming back and I thought that they would drop onto the lagoon but after making a low pass they gained height and headed off south.  I called Steve to make him aware and he said that he had seen a couple of Eurasian Wigeon on Lagoon One and so I went through the ducks on the long island with the scope and found the two males close to several Northern Shoveler.

Black-tailed Godwits

I finally decided I would stay at Rutland Water and set off back to the northern lagoons and met Terry coming back.  Whilst we were talking he picked up a Eurasian Sparrowhawk that I saw briefly and then a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over and a juvenile Garden Warbler appeared over our heads.

I eventually continued to the northern lagoons with Terry going to the centre to look for the Eurasian Wigeon.  I went to Shoveler Hide on Lagoon Three where initially there appeared to be very little with just six Common Pochard, a Little Egret and six Common Terns.  As I scanned the tops of the wood I found a Red Kite and a Western Osprey, and a Eurasian Reed Warbler provided some intermittent views to the left of the hide.  I then picked up a Eurasian Sparrowhawk over the wood and another Red Kite and two Common Buzzard towards Burley and then a female-type Western Marsh Harrier appeared over the reedbed.  I called Steve to make him aware and he managed to pick it up from Sandpiper Hide before it disappeared beyond the wood and wasn’t seen again.  There were two Mute Swan escorting a brood of five quite close to the hide and a second brood was observed closer to the reedbed.

Mute Swan with cygnets

I joined Steve in Sandpiper Hide and he pointed out three Eurasian Curlew at the end of island one and we then found a forth on island seven.  As we went through the waders we found ten Dunlin and four Little Ringed Plover, although I couldn’t improve of my earlier count of eight Common Ringed Plover, although I did find a second Common Redshank.

I eventually left Steve in the hide and headed back to the car park seeing one of the Spotted Flycatchers just before I reached the car park.

Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

After a coffee I set off for home seeing a Common Buzzard over the road at Gunthorpe.

An early morning in Wigston Magna, Leicestershire - June 19, 2018

There were 124 moths trapped and identified last night, covering forty-six species, of which seven were new for the year.

The following were recorded: Hawthorn Moth [1]; Timothy Tortrix [1]; Green Oak Tortrix [1]; Marbled Orchard Tortrix [2]; Celypha lacunana [2]; Ancylis achatana [2]; Notocelia trimaculana [1]; Bee Moth [2]; Thistle Ermine [1]; Chrysoteuchia culmella [5]; Crambus pascuella [9]; Agriphila straminella [3]; Elephant hawk-moth [3]; Riband Wave [2]; Garden Carpet [2]; Common Carpet [1]; Foxglove Pug [1]; Common Pug [1]; Brimstone Moth [2]; Peppered Moth [2]; Willow Beauty [1]; Clouded Silver [1]; Common Emerald [1]; Straw Dot [6]; Common Footman [1]; The Spectacle [1]; Burnished Brass [1]; Silver Y [1]; The Miller [1]; The Coronet [2]; The Uncertain [2]; Brown Rustic [1]; Angles Shades [1]; Clouded Brindle [1]; Rustic Shoulder-knot [3]; Dark Arches [5]; Marbled Minor species [2]; Middle-barred Minor [1]; Bright-line Brown-eye [7]; Cabbage Moth [1]; Heart and Dart [32]; Turnip Moth [1]; The Flame [1]; Flame Shoulder [2]; Large Yellow Underwing [3] and Lesser Yellow Underwing [1].

The Turnip

The Miller

Clouded Brindle

Cabbage Moth

Lesser Yellow Underwing

A day in Cambridgeshire - June 16, 2018

There was a Great Reed Warbler reported at Fen Drayton, Cambridgeshire yesterday and so David, Malcolm, Roger and I decided to go and hopefully see it.  We left David’s just after 06:30 and headed to Malcolm’s in Market Harborough, who then drove for the day.

We arrived at Fen Drayton at around 07:50 and after checking the bird’s location yesterday we drove to a parking area on the south side of the reserve.  There was a Common Whitethroat where we checked the location and a Green Woodpecker flew over the road as we drove to the parking area.

We heard two Common Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps and saw a birder who said the Great Reed Warbler hadn’t been seen or heard before we reached the area where we could view Elney Lake and the surrounding reedbeds.  As we walked towards and old bench a female Cuckoo called and there were twelve Common Terns over the lake.  We spent a good thirty minutes overlooking the area without success and decided we would go on further to try our luck.  We walked along the path and turned north towards Moore Lake seeing a Common Chiffchaff and hearing two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, another two Common Chiffchaffs, six Eurasian Reed Warblers, seven Blackcaps and a Garden Warbler before we reached a gap in the hedge where we could view Moore Lake.

There were a few islands on the lake where I counted thirty-six Common Terns and as we walked on I found a Eurasian Treecreeper amongst a party of young Great Tits and a little further on we came to a hide giving us better views of the lake.  However other than seeing a couple of Common Kestrel we were seeing what we had seen in the gap and with a Birdguides tweet indicating that the Great Reed Warbler was still being seen and heard we made our way back to the view point on Elney Lake.

As we made our way back I looked at the full message and realised that the sighting was at 07:00 and there hadn’t been any sightings since.  When we got back a small crowd began to develop but all we saw new were a couple of Hobbies.  There were a few Eurasian Reed Warblers occasionally singing but we eventually decided to go to the main car park, seeing a Painted Lady as we made our way back to the car.

Painted Lady

Yellow Shell

We saw another Common Whitethroat and heard a Green Woodpecker, a Common Chiffchaff and two more Blackcaps before reaching the main car park.  There wasn’t a great deal on the information board as so we decided to go to Ouse Fen.

It wasn’t too far to Ouse Fen and we were parked at the site by 11:10 and walked out along a track to view the fen.  We hadn’t gone too far before we saw our first of four Western Marsh Harrier, two males and two females and shortly afterwards we picked up a Eurasian Bittern in flight.  We had also heard a Willow Warbler and two Blackcaps and seen two distant Little Egrets as we walked out.  We walked along the path until we could overlook Cuckoo Fen, seeing a Common Whitethroat and a few Black-tailed Skimmers as we did so, and a Four-spotted Chaser and a Brown Hawker as we stood overlooking the fen.  A male Western Marsh Harrier provided some excellent views and Malcolm and David saw a second Eurasian Bittern as we walked back.

Female Western Marsh Harrier

Male Western Marsh Harrier

Male Western Marsh Harrier

Male Western Marsh Harrier

After some lunch and with news of the Great Reed Warbler being heard again we went back to Fen Drayton and arrived back at 13:00.  We walked back down the path hearing a Lesser Whitethroat and when we left the site almost two hours later there had been no further sighting, or song, of the Great Reed Warbler.  Whilst at the view point we did have a Eurasian Sparrowhawk, a Common Buzzard, a Eurasian Jay and at least four Eurasian Reed Warblers and a male Common Cuckoo was heard on numerous occasions.

We were now at a loss of what to do next but finally decided to go to Needingworth at the RSPB Ouse Fen site.  We arrived in the small car park and then walked quite some distance to reach a view point overlooking a lake, hearing a Common Chiffchaff, two Blackcaps and a Little Grebe.  There wasn’t a great deal on the lake just a few Mallard and a Grey Heron with eight Common Terns over the water but there was a male and two female Western Marsh Harriers towards the north and a Eurasian Jay flew over.

With Roger needing to get back early we left Needingworth and headed back picking up the A14 at Huntingdon and seeing a couple of Red Kites and a Common Buzzard near Kettering.

Disappointed we hadn’t connected with the Great Reed Warbler but having good views of Eurasian Bittern and Western Marsh Harriers made the day worthwhile.