Nature – Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Nature

Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

November

November began with a mix of weather: a blustery south west wind, rain but also some sunny spells thrown in – overall not good conditions for seeing birds.

On my first visit I did find a male Brambling, perched calling at the top of an ash tree near the Cress hut, and at this time 50+ Siskins remained in the alders, with fewer Goldfinches. One Blackcap and one Chiffchaff had made it into the new month, and at least 3 male Cetti’s Warblers were also being quite vocal around the reserve, giving hope that there may be more than 2 pairs next spring!

At the Reedbed hide 2 male Shovelers were still present and 2 Kingfishers were showing well, often perched on the fence by the gate just to the right of the hide. In the evenings, there were still 3000+ Starlings coming in to roost, providing some entertainment, and more than 20 Redwings were in evidence feeding on the plentiful berry supply.

On the 5th I was pleased to hear a Bearded Tit calling constantly for 10 minutes, deep in the reedbed at dusk. I could not see the bird as it was too far from the path, but it seemed to be somewhere near the Reedbed hide. It was still present a few days later, with a bird again heard calling at dusk on the 7th and three birds seen by a visitor on the 8th. This species was erupting from breeding areas at that time so I was hopeful that there would be more to come.

These birds usually move on before winter but they were still in evidence at the middle of the month, 2 being seen briefly on the 14th and heard again at dusk on the 15th, and their being on site for over a week was a hopeful sign that they might remain; in fact, at least one

Starling flock over reedbed hide

was still present on the reserve right through to the end of January.

Over the next few weeks the Starling numbers increased to 4,500, still coming into roost and drawing little crowds of visitors to admire their flying display. Some evenings they were disappointing and roosted quickly with little flying around, but at other times they were very good fun to watch. At the end of the month a couple of Sparrowhawks made them look a bit lively, but earlier that week a couple of Peregrine Falcons came in: that really made them move!

Three warbler species were still on the reserve, with 2 Blackcaps, 1 Chiffchaff and the resident 4–5 Cetti’s Warblers.

As the month progressed Siskin numbers in the alders reduced down to about 20 birds, and it was nice to have 2 Redpolls in amongst them.

In the final week, at least 2 Bramblings were in evidence, heard calling and roosting on the reserve. I also heard 8 Water Rails calling; there were undoubtedly more than this wintering on the reserve, but I rarely recorded as many in a day.

The previous few nights had been good for Redwing movement, so it was not surprising that numbers on site had increased to 100, seen feeding on the hawthorns. Fieldfares were also now present: only 20, a very low figure, but it was the most I had seen at Fowlmere this winter.

December

At the beginning of December, we heard of rare birds being seen elsewhere in the local area: 5 Tundra Bean Geese and 28 White-Fronted Geese at Haslingfield, Glossy Ibis over Great Shelford, Great-White Egret at Bassingbourn and the exceptional Kumlien’s Gull at Dernford Reservoir. Sadly, none came to Fowlmere and the reserve remained relatively quiet.

Visitor numbers over the weekend were very high and disturbance was at a maximum, meaning that few birds were in evidence.

On the evening of the 13th I was surprised to see a Coot on the mere. This was a very early returning bird, the earliest I have known. Normally Coots don’t arrive back until February, but in recent years I have noted them back earlier and earlier. A friend who had visited the reserve earlier during the day had seen Ravens, Grey Wagtails, Blackcaps and a very good 800+ Redwings feeding around the site.

The following week the reserve was still quiet: a total count recorded just 35 species, including flyovers, only 10 of those species reaching a double figure count. Woodpigeons had the highest total at 40, which was very low for such a common species. There were 25 Blackbirds, 17 Siskins in the alders (nice to see) and the single Coot was still on the mere.

Over the Christmas period bird numbers on the reserve, especially song birds, remained low. Another Coot arrived to join the one on the mere, and a number of predator birds were seen flying over, including a female Merlin, a Red Kite, a Buzzard and two Sparrowhawks.

Duck numbers were low, just 3 Teals being seen. Roosting Reed Buntings were counted with a total of 170 coming in, and a female Blackcap appeared to be wintering on the reserve, something that doesn’t happen often.

Christmas Day, however, brought a special treat. Having heard a report of 2 Greylag Geese and a WhiteFronted Goose being seen Greylag over the reserve, a friend and I moved to a position beside the Shep from which we could view the sheep field by the entrance, hoping that the birds might land there. We were very lucky eventually to see all 3 birds. The White-Fronted Goose remained feeding on grass for the next half hour before taking off to fly northward,

Gadwalls

Snipe leaving the 2 Greylags. This was the first record of WhiteFronted Goose at Fowlmere, so very exciting for us!

At the end of the month a sharp increase in waterfowl was nice to see: 47 Teals, 40 Mallards and 2 Gadwalls had all come in.

Ravens were seen daily, with up to 3 birds around the area. There appeared to be just 3 Snipe wintering on the reserve, although there were probably more hidden away. Siskins and Goldfinches were feeding in the alders and both Fieldfares and Redwings were feeding on the hawthorns.

Great White Egret on the mere. Goosanders on the water

Over the year the reserve species total was 127, slightly down from usual. I personally recorded 121 species. There were two firsts for the reserve: Whooper Swan and White-Fronted Goose. A particular highlight was seeing Great-Crested Grebes on the mere. The 31st July also stands out, with Great-White Egrets, Goosanders and Crossbills all being seen in the same evening.

The breeding season was good: 4 reeling Grasshopper Warblers (2 at least paired) was a real comeback. Going the other way, however, was the Turtle Dove, lost as a breeding species and, very sadly, looking like there is no way back for the species.

Grasshopper Warbler

January 2021

At the beginning of the month some pleasant days showed that two more pairs of Gadwalls had come in, and there was much displaying from the Teals and Mallards. Siskins, Snipe, Redwings and Fieldfares were still present, and 5 Cetti’s Warblers were heard singing, which was excellent.

A visitor reported that 3 Mute Swans had come in, but they were soon on their way. Mute Swans have been infrequent on the reserve in recent years.

Over the next 10 days there was little change, the only notable arrival being a pair of Wigeons, which stayed on the mere over the weekend. On the 9th an unusual number of Gulls dropped in to bathe, including 100+ Black-Headed, 30 Common and 2 Lesser Black- Backed. Kingfishers, Cetti’s Warblers and Barn Owls were also seen.

The weekend of the 16th/17th began cold and wet so few birds were seen, but later in the afternoon, when the rain had passed, 3 Barn Owls came out well before dark; they must have been hungry after a night of rain. The pair from the box were not keen on the third bird poaching their hunting area and the birds put on a good display with plenty of calling.

On the 17th, a much calmer day, with sun all day, there were 4 Little Egrets on the Guilden brook and a Kingfisher came to perch in a bush overhanging the river Shep, just yards away from where I was sitting at the time. I dared not move to take a photograph, so I just enjoyed the moment.

The 19th brought a welcome first for the reserve. The Kumlien’s Gull that had been wintering in the area passed over, coming from the direction of Heydon pig fields, and headed west in a small group of Gulls. This was the 2nd record of Iceland Gull, but the first of the sub species Kumlieni. To have both on the reserve list is truly quite remarkable considering where we are, inland, arable country!

There were plenty of Thrushes also around at this time, with Redwings feeding in the Poplar wood and Fieldfares feeding in fields by the entrance. Also at the

Wigeon reserve entrance were 18 Corn Buntings; sadly, this was the largest flock I had seen all winter.

Ravens were still regularly flying over, seemingly daily. Barn Owls were hunting the reedbed, on one occasion flushing up 5 Snipe – the highest number seen this winter but low for this reserve.

Another Little Grebe returned that week, joining the two already present, while three Little Egrets were still along the Guilden brook. 210 Reed Buntings were counted coming into roost on the 22nd.

A sharp frost on the 24th brought in some ducks: a flock of Teals, 2 Gadwalls and the first Shoveler of the year. I also finally caught a glimpse of the Bearded Tit which I had been hearing since early November; it was a beautiful male. The female bird that I had seen before Christmas seemed to have gone, as calls heard suggested just the one present.

A weasel on the boardwalk on that day was notable; unlike stoats I don’t see many of them.

At the end of the month the rain had pushed the reserve water levels up to a level not seen for quite a while. The paths around the loop in the southern section were partly flooded and extremely muddy, only sensibly passable with wellies.

Several species were now gearing up for the breeding season. Song Thrushes were singing, as were the first Goldcrest and Greenfinch; a Great-Spotted Woodpecker was drumming and the Mistle Thrushes had paired. It was great to hear some vocals in the early morning.

On the 31st, a female Marsh Harrier spent an hour over the reedbed: the first of the year. Could it be our nesting female sizing up the place?

Finally, a Nuthatch was heard calling from the alders. This is rare for the reserve, but with breeding pairs now in nearby villages it may become more regular. The last site record was just over a year ago when 2 birds stayed for a couple of months. This article is a synopsis taken from the website produced by Ade Cooper and Caroline Scott about Fowlmere Bird Reserve. To see the full version and other interesting visits Ade and Caroline have undertaken in the UK and abroad, visit: www.cooperandscott.wordpress.com

Protecting the wildlife

With the continuing restrictions, due to Covid-19,

Fowlmere Nature Reserve is seeing very large numbers of visitors. Visitors are welcome, but it is important to remember that this is a Nature Reserve.

Do leave cycles at the entrance, and Please try to walk quietly and calmly around the reserve.

If the disturbance becomes too great, birds may cease to nest here and the wildlife may leave the reserve in search of a quieter habitat.

To keep the disturbance to a minimum and so ensure that we keep the reserve for the future, it is vital that we all observe key rules for the protection of the wildlife. • DO NOT take dogs into the reserve. • DO keep to the designated main paths. • DO follow the one-way system • DO take home all rubbish.