Nature

Summer at Fowlmere RSPB Nature Reserve

Fowlmere RSPB nature reserve has seen a great deal of wildlife over the summer despite the hot and dry weather, when low water levels can affect what is present. Some can be seen by just casually strolling around the site however, the hides are a good place to see much of the wildlife that come to Fowlmere reserve each year. In this article, local birder Ade Cooper sets out his diary for the summer months of June and July. The start of June saw plenty of juveniles fledging. There was successful breeding of Cettis Warbler and a Little Grebe appeared with two youngsters. They can be very secretive – this was the first time the juveniles had been seen. There were several Moorhen broods around the reserve, Coot and Canada Goose had three each of their broods left. But the best newly fledged award went to the two Tawny Owlets, spotted near the Spring Hide.

At the Reedbed Hide a Turtle Dove was heard singing briefly and three Yellow Wagtail were seen on the mere edge – also the first Grey Wagtail of the year. A Spotted Flycatcher was present in the alders and the nesting Lapwing were doing a great job protecting their nest.

The hot sunshine brought out lots of Hairy Dragonflies and Four-Spot Chasers. Damselflies such as Blue-Tailed, Azure, Large Red and Banded Demoiselle were all in abundance. There was a great collection of butterflies including: The Common and Holly Blue, Small Heath, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Orange Tip and Small White. Mammals seen included three Fox cubs, a family of six Stoat, Water Vole, Pipistrelle Bat and Grass Snake. A bit of rain brought a Dunlin onto the mere edge. The pair of nesting Lapwing did their best to make sure the Dunlin’s visit was brief, but it won in the end and stayed for the rest of the evening.

Stoat watching me – watching it!

The Kingfisher returned after an absence of over a month – the juvenile fledglings were seen at the Spring Hide pool. Up to four Yellow Wagtail were feeding on the ever-expanding mud by the mere, which looks as though it could completely dry out again this summer.

During the second week flying at the back of the mere were three Turtle Doves – possibly a female being followed by two males. Great news, as it means there is at least a pair in the area. The following day a male Turtle Dove was heard purring away for at least two-and-a-half hours, flying back and forth from a willow on the Shep over to the Drewer Hide area. More fledglings were seen including Reed Bunting, Blackcap and Willow Warbler.

A Bee Orchid was out on the small meadow near the Drewer Hide and Water Vole still showing in front of Drewers.

Four days of almost constant rain and cooler temperatures were tough on any newly fledged birds.

The good news was finding a pair of Tawny Owl young in the poplar wood and when disturbed they didn’t move off, but adopted a sleek, slender pose to look like a stump!

Now the bad news – the Lapwing nest was attacked by a Carrion Crow! Such a shame as the eggs were about two days from hatching. However, the following day there was a glimmer of hope, the female Lapwing was sitting on the nest. It seems the Crow didn’t get all the eggs.

In the third week, the Lapwing – sadly did lose the eggs and unfortunately abandoned the area. The three Turtle Doves were still seen together and the two males were heard singing at the same time with display flights. A Grasshopper Warbler was still reeling halfway along the boardwalk in the early morning and a Hobby was seen hunting over the mere. A reserve scarcity in the form of a Greenshank arrived on the mere edge, the first south bound wader.

More rain and a lot of cloud but warming up with a Coal Tit and a male Marsh Harrier making an appearance. A pair of Tufted Ducks were on the mere alongside visiting Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails. The Turtle Doves were heard singing every day. A pair was also seen flying together with the possibility they were going to nest!

A newly hatched Little Grebe was seen being fed by a parent and five Green Sandpipers dropped in to spend the next few days refuelling. Another young Tawny Owl was found calling in the centenary wood, which makes three successful pairs of Tawny Owl, fledging five young between them!

By the fourth week of June a family of Little Grebes were seen on the mere, three adults, one first brood juvenile and a second brood fledgling, there were also two Little-Ringed Plovers, and the reserve’s first Black-Tailed Godwit of the year. One Little Egret came in for a brief visit. A Nuthatch also made an appearance in the poplar wood and its distinctive call was heard for a couple of minutes.

The hot weather meant that there were plenty of insects to see. Dozens of Meadow Brown, Large Skippers and Ringlets, a Marbled White and a couple of Painted Lady. The first Common Darter was seen on the reserve. An Otter was seen at the Spring Hide.

The start of July turned out to be uncomfortably hot, the Little-Ringed Plovers left the Reserve in the first few days of July. The Green Sandpipers also left. A Redshank was seen on

Greenshank

Little Egret Tawny Owl

Black-Tailed Godwit

Lapwing and Redshank

Despite the heavy rainfall in July the mere is virtually dry as seen in this picture taken in early August. Grass is now growing as shown on the right of the mere. Some of the springs on the reserve have been blocked to prevent the water being pulled back into the aquifers, although water is pumped into the Shep 24 hours a day to keep it flowing.

the mere mud and a large flock of Lapwing had gathered on the mere edge. Yellow Wagtail and Corn Bunting continued to visit the mere. The male Turtle Dove was seen feeding on the mud. The young Tawny Owl from the poplar wood were

very mobile and had moved to the tall trees at the far end of the car park. There were also two fully fledged Barn Owls on the reserve. The regular visits by three Grey Herons nearly proved fatal for one newly hatched duckling on the mere and was only saved by the heroics of the female Mallard that actually flew into the Heron as it attacked the chick.

Mid July is the time of year that many species start their post breeding moult. The mere had almost dried up and could, within a week, be completely gone. When this happens the area will be unattractive for birds so virtually nothing will be seen. The Turtle Dove was regularly seen feeding on the reed line and watched singing from a willow along the Shep. The Lapwing were still gathering with the count at 53. Yellow Wagtail were often present including the first juveniles of the year. At this half-way stage of the year, 115 bird species had been recorded on the reserve.

By the third week the reserve was very quiet with nothing particularly note-worthy. Up to 78 Lapwing gathered on the mere mud and there were also 55 Greylag Geese. A female Marsh Harrier had been reported and the Spotted Flycatcher was still around the old cress hut, but elusive. Soaring temperatures didn’t help with birds hiding in the shade.

Close shave for duckling

The fourth week of July saw some much-needed rain, after which the mere just about passed as a wader scrape. There was no sign of early autumn movement, but several nice sightings of an adult male Marsh Harrier, heavily in moult, made a number of visits to the reserve. A juvenile Marsh Harrier was also seen, so it looks like a Harrier pair did nest somewhere nearby. The Cettis Warbler had a second brood of four newly fledged juveniles and the Spotted Flycatcher was found feeding young. Adult and juvenile Water Rail and two Teals were seen from the Reedbed Hide while it was raining.

Turtle Dove

Spotted Flycatcher

This article is a synopsis of the summer months of June and July at Fowlmere Bird Reserve taken from the website produced by Ade Cooper and Caroline Scott. To see the full version and other interesting visits Ade and Caroline have undertaken in the UK and abroad, visit www.cooperandscott.wordpress.com