Pages

Wednesday, 27 April 2022

Spring Comes To The Fens

It's time to turn our backs on the woodland that has entertained us through the last few posts and venture forth into the Fenland. First of all we'll go just north of the village of Fen Drayton where the River Great Ouse is poised to empty its waters over the wide flat plain; not that it's allowed to do that any more, of course. Nowadays it's all neatly channelled and confined as it crosses the agricultural land.

Fen Drayton Lakes:

But here, where the river gravels have been removed, the flooded pits give some idea of the watery world of past times; similar enough to attract ducks and wildfowl at least.



With the gentle turn into spring come many changes: cattle are once again turned out on the riverside meadows, leaves begin to hide the bare branches, flowers appear, the winter ducks fly north and from the south new avian friends arrive to populate the hedgerows with birdsong.



In winter these lakes were home to huge flocks of ducks, but now there are gulls noisily planning to nest on the islands, and soon there will be Swallows and Sand Martins, Swifts and House Martins, swooping over the water and feeding on flies.



No matter how many times you've seen it before it's a strange transformation to witness. 



The ears are as surprised as the eyes, as a whole new soundtrack unfolds to our wanderings. One of the new arrivals is the Sedge Warbler. This small, streaky brown bird has just flown in from Africa and starts singing the moment it arrives. Everything seems to be urgent and hurried in the world of this tiny scrap of life.



Reedbeds like these are its summer home - a few weeks ago it might have been perched among the elephant grasses of the Savanna. Its "song" is a madcap assemblage of chattering, clicks, whistles and snatches of other birds' songs, all hastily uttered with such rapid changes that I often think there are two or more birds singing. The longer it sings the more crazy it gets...


That's a short video I found on YouTube. The higher up the reed the bird climbs the more excited it becomes; often they fly up into the air, unable to control their emotions any longer.

Baker's Fen:

When we were at Fen Drayton Lakes the first Sedge Warblers had just arrived, by the time we visited Baker's Fen, near Wicken, they were chirruping away at full-throttle in every patch of reeds we passed.



Wicken Lode is (just about) navigable as far as this and a few boats make the journey and moor here for the night. They can't go any further, but what a great place to watch the sunset and then awake at dawn the next morning.



There's a Mid-West style wind pump here, looking a little out of place in the Fenlands of East Anglia. There's also a more traditional "windmill type" pump a short distance away, but just out of sight of today's walk.



The mere above held an interesting collection of "left-over birds": a single Wigeon that's presumably injured and unable to fly north with his brethren; a couple of Pochard perhaps similarly afflicted; some Mallards that seem to contain a certain amount of "farmyard-duck" in their genes; and a hybrid goose. 



But there were recent arrivals too: a Garden Warbler was singing sweetly in the bushes and several Blackcap likewise; a pair of Greenshank - an uncommon wader here, just passing through perhaps; and two or three Hobbies, smart little birds of prey which will feed on dragonflies later in the summer, catching them on the wing, then neatly "shelling them" and devouring them while in flight. And that symbol of the English spring, the Cuckoo.



I don't know who Charlie is (or was) but that's his hide above. "Charlie's Hide" it says proudly by the door. If the hide is anything to go by then Charlie would have been a rough and ready fenman, witness to many a "fen-blow" and perhaps a flood or two. The kind that blends in with the landscape and with a particularly pleasant outlook on life.



That's the outlook from Charlie's Hide anyway, as spring edges in across the Fens.

Take care.


26 comments:

  1. What an amazing landscape. It would be nice to have a flat punt and meander silently along the waterways.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flat-bottomed punts are exactly what the old fenmen used when fishing and wildfowling. During my teenage years we had an old punt on the river at Grantchester, near Cambridge, and you're right, drifting downstream sitting on the back of the punt and using the pole as a rudder, was an excellent way of seeing the wildlife.

      Delete
  2. The circle of the Earth brings it all round again. Your photos give such a lovely frame to the landscape.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What great stories of the way spring brings those birds your way to the fens. Loved hearing the one, and knowing many others also serenaded you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous photography as usual. That first photo is other worldly…gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such a nice tour of this area, John! I always enjoy your photos and explanations and the birdsong was an added treat! I especially liked your photos of the cows and the windmill with the reflections in the water. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a beautiful walk you had there at the Fen. I love the change of the seasons with the arrival of the birds and all their songs. I always find it hard to imagine the journeys some birds take every year.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful photos and commentary. I liked the last one with the interesting cloud cover. I am nowhere near as knowledgeable about bird song as you are but I have thoroughly enjoyed my walks this week through the Norfolk countryside and listening to the birds singing their hearts out. Thank you for your comment on my blog. I couldn't stop laughing at your description of Wells.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a pleasant place to go for a walk, so beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  9. A wonderful place to walk and enjoy nature.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That meadow full of cattle fills me with joy John. Thank you for that

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do so enjoy the journeys that you take us on. Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I assume that bird is singing for a mate but with no luck? Nice to hear the birds as one walks. Lovely photos always!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The male birds rush to get here as early as they can, then sing to establish their breeding territories and attract a mate. But you can here some singing throughout summer.

      Delete
  13. Wonderful! The pictures are simply perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very few fens here in this dry prairie land. However, I do know how full of life a fen can be.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Those fens are so unique! Nothing like them here. It must be fascinating to see them and all their birds.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love to hear about all the spring birds you get where you live.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I do enjoy your posts. Thank you John.

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a fun adventure you shared in the fens, John. I agree that it would be wonderful to wake up to a sunrise or see a sunset from one of those boats.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wonderful John - gorgeous photos and I loved your comment to David about seeing life along the waterways in a punt- like 'boat' ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, what a wonderful place to visit. I cannot help but try to imagine what birds see that migrate, such as your sedge warbler. I have did that with birds since I was a kid.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I got tickled watching that little bird sing! Such a happy little creature.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The third from last image with the tree centre right, is absolutely stunning John.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).