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| 29 December 2016: Aldreth to Old West River 1 Yesterday we walked down to the West River along the Causeway and saw a buzzard perched on a tree on the far side of the river and a barn owl being pursued by what we thought might be a crow but passing horse riders said it was a buzzard. They had seen two barn owls, both being pursued/buzzed. Sally 2. Good morning Paul. Compliments of the season Just to let you know, the bullfinches arrived this morning, at least three males and one female, in the cheery trees as per usual. All the best . John Burgess |
| 29 December 2016: Long Drove - Buzzard 2, Stonechat 1 pair, Corn Bunting c30 and a Green Sandpiper. SS |
| 21 December 2016: Just remembered: on Sunday there were around 6 pairs of Coots fighting in our corner of Guppy's Pond. That's the most we have seen fighting like that so I suppose it's worth mentioning. Apart from that, I found a broken snail shell on our front doorstep (probaly indicating Song Thrush)and there have been blackbirds around with dark beaks. Are they the visiting ones from Scandinavia? Plenty of Goldfinch, Long-tailed Tits, Dunnocks, Great and Blue Tits, several robins and I'm sure I'm missing lots. It all looks quite healthy. From Wendy Lanman. |
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20 December 2016: A lovely Christmas message from Paul Mason (photo Ian Dickerson).
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| 10 December 2016: I heard you were always interested in bird sightings. Just to place us, we are at the bottom of Lode Way and along the lane opposite the potato sheds, leading to the sewage works, we have a 20 acre field. Last Sunday (6th December) about 1 pm, a few hundred yards to the south of us, we saw a red kite circling quite low above us before it turned over towards Wilburton. Also, several times this week I have heard a little owl over the field. Two or three years ago, we had a resident little owl that used one of our stables, and I was able to get some good pictures. We did not see it last year, so I'm pleased to hear one again. Pat Dittner |
| 1 December 2016: Lakes Drove. flock 60-100 Linnets plus a dozen or so Goldfinches. Pair Reed Buntings. 7 Redleg Partridges 18 Grey Partridges. Dambank. Flock 20 +Skylarks, Lapwings 2000-2500 Lapwings spread thinly over several fields. Female Marsh Harrier and 2-3 Buzzards 1 Little Egret. Long Drove 150+/- Linnets. Claytons Bridge. 2 Kingfishers, 1 Green Sandpiper. The Boot. 3 Kestrels. 50+ Fieldfare 6-8 Redwings plus various finches. PM&ID |
| 28 November 2016: Last Friday morning, before work, I had a look along Dambank Drove and was impressed by the numbers of Lapwings (000s), Golden Plover (00s). There were also at least 4 Buzzard, a single Little Egret and still a male Stonechat. Not sure whether I’ll have the chance to look this weekend. My aim this winter is to obtain a decent image of a Short-eared Owl, although this has been my aim before and I haven’t been successful! If you hear of any locally then please let me know. Have any been reported from Grunty Fen? Simon. |
| 7 November 2016: Aldreth and Haddenham fens: A pretty wild windy trip round the fens found countless Lapwings spreading to nearly all fields in varying numbers. A rough estimate would be 2500-3000. Grey Heron for some reason insisting on landing on a road despite us moving forward slowly in car. Large unestimated numbers of Starlings some sometimes in air practising communal flights usually seen at roost sites. Many Corvids and just one Common Buzzard showing itself. It was a colour of a male Kestrel brown not seen by us before. Quite smart. Several diverse flocks of Linnets amount to perhaps 300 and Goldfinches about 100. Pair Mistle Thrushes at Aldreth Ponds and small numbers of Fieldfares feeding on field inside The Boot. PM&ID |
| 26 October 2016: About a dozen Fieldfare on our neighbours tree this morning. The earliest we have seen them near the garden. Sheila and Ian D. |
| 23 October 2016: Lakes Drove. Abt 90-100 LBB gulls at roost still. 1 Greater Black-backed Gull,30-35 Linnet flock also still present. Nice to see good presence of Yellowhammers around fen edge site amounting to 15-17. Dambank area strangely quiet except for abt 150 Carrion Crows probably immatures. North Fen, Back Drove 3-4000 +/- Lapwings following cultivator. Millions of Starlings uncountable. 200 app Golden Plovers. Marsh Harrier juv. Brambling with 20-30 Chaffinches in North Fen. Many mixed gulls following cultivator also. Aldreth Ponds area 2-300 Fieldfares. First winter arrivals at this traditional arrival spot. PM&ID Aselection of pictures 1. Selection of Linnets and Yellowhammers in solitary bush by Lakes drove bridge. record shot. 2. View east from Lakes Drove showing fen edge habitats. 3. Lakes Drove north end looking south with falling leaves. 4. Stack of tree trunks (Poplar) Thinning from Nineacre Wood.     |
| 13 October 2016: 11 October 2016 in Nineacre Wood which is now being thinned out and this photo by Colin Bidwell shows work in progress as logs laid by footpath and shredding laid on footpath will improve access. PM |
| 12 October 2016: Haddenham, Aldreth Fens: 150+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls on field off Lakes Drove. Not checked for Yellow legged. Dambank 1500-2000 Lapwings spread over several fields. 25-30 Golden Plovers also. Surprised to see a single Whooper Swan which was trying to befriend a pair of Mutes that still had 2 young. Even more surprised to see 3 Cranes behind it on edge to next field. 150+ Linnets, Many Goldfinches not counted, 300 Starlings. Countless corvids. 5 Common Buzzards. North Fen 1 Marsh Harrier juvenile. PM& ID PHOTOGRAPHS: 1. Part of 150 Lesser Black-Blackbacked gulls. Lakes Drove 12/10/16 2 Single Whooper Swan trying to befriend pair of Mutes but they weren't having any! Why was Whooper alone? (Photos not good in poor light but are a record.)   |
| 28 September 2016: First for the year, a Hobby quartering the garden and heading into College Farm to land in their pear tree. Ian Dickerson |
| 18 September 2016: Some local sightings from this morning (18th September) from Simon. Southern edge of Aldreth – Lesser Black-backed Gull c20, Swallow c5, Blackcap 3, Chiffchaff 1 or 2, Meadow Pipit several over Ewell Fen – Mallard 20+, Common Snipe 5 in single flock Berry Fen Corner – Goldfinch 20+ Dam Bank Drove – Buzzard 2, Lapwing 200+, Golden Plover c30, Meadow Pipit 5+, Starling 200+ Dam Bank Drove / Long Drove junction – Black-tailed Godwit 4 (circling over raised reservoir and then headed towards Washes), Common Snipe 3, Yellow Wagtail 1, Wheatear 1, Goldfinch 25+, Linnet 20+ Clayton’s Bridge – Mallard 90+, Common Snipe 3+, Chiffchaff 1, Yellow Wagtail 2 Cracknell Farm – Swallow 20+ The Galls – Buzzard 1, Swallow 20+ |
12 September 2016: Here are a couple of images – Common Teasels at sunset, New Cut Drain from a week or two ago and juvenile Kestrel, Dam Bank Drove from Sunday. Simon.  |
| 8 September 2016: On a drive around the droves, 4+Buzzards, three Grey Partridge near 9 Acre Wood, and a Greenland type Wheatear on Back Drove, North Fen. Plenty of Dragonflies about, but butterflies were mainly small white. Sheila and Ian D. |
| 5 September 2016: An hour along Dambank Drove on 4th September produced: Marsh Harrier 1 male, Peregrine 1 immature, Snipe 1, Lapwing 260, Golden Plover 60 and Wheatear 2 1CYs. Simon. |
| 3 September 2016: Engine Drain from Cross Drove 2 Kingfishers. Ewell Fen. Many Swallows hunting low over all the fen. Dambank. juv Marsh Harrier. 200+ Lapwings. Adventurers Drove 4 Common Buzzards.2000 Lapwings approx. North Fen .Back Drove 2 Common Buzzards. 8 Grey Partridge. 1 Wheatear. PM SD&ID. 1. Branched Bur-reed. Galls Drain. 2. Record shot of Kingfisher in engine Drain by Cross drove. 3. Thorn Apple. (weed). Station Road garden. Caution this weed is poisonous but can turn up almost anywhere were soil is moved. 4. Hairlike Pondweed. Galls Drain.     |
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