Birds at Clayhithe

Although I haven't yet posted earlier photographs of Great Crested Grebes with three chicks on their back, today it was reassuring today to see that all three chicks are doing well and no longer getting a lift on a parent bird.   Although I didn't see parents feeding chicks, they were behaving as though they were expecting a parent bird to produce some food.   The image below is of the family group busy preening at the beginning of the day.

I think some Common Terns must have bred near Clayhithe as there were 8 Common Terns on the wing at one point.   The young birds no longer look different from the adult birds so they may leave the area before too long.

I think the wagtail is a young Pied Wagtail although I have seen Grey Wagtails on this stretch of the river in the past.   A Heron in flight is always worth a click!

Wildlife in the Research Park

I have only recently found the Research Park for dog walking, and it is a welcome addition to others I'm familiar with.    There is an area at the far end of the Park which is not open to dogs and there is a hide there which I visited for the first time this afternoon.  The hide overlooks a stretch of water which I imagine was probably a gravel pit.   I particularly enjoyed seeing some birds not readily seen nearby - Common Sandpiper, Little Grebe with chicks and Common Tern with chicks.   It was a very hot afternoon and the Cormorant was 'panting'.   Butterflies and dragonflies were about too but I need to go back to do justice to some of those that I saw but didn't photograph successfully.

Common Tern chicks appearing to fend for themselves although a couple of adults were around.

It is a long time since I've seen a Common Sandpiper at the water's edge - delightful

A very hot day................

A Dab Chick with chicks!

A Meadow Brown butterfly.

This Meadow Brown butterfly was 'seeing off' what I think was a Skipper so making this a pictorial image

Wicken Fen

I have been taking the dogs out early in the morning, when possible, so as to avoid the heat of the day.   We were on the Fen early this morning, but there wasn't much around.   However, what appears below captures the essence of these walks in Wicken Fen for me - birds, ponies, lilies.   The real delight was finding this Kingfisher (the first I've seen on Wicken Fen) just the other side of one of the waterways, so unexpectedly close.   It wasn't until this bird flew off that a couple of other Kingfishers also flew off - no doubt a family group.    Given that Kingfishers nest in banks, they would be pushed to find that many possible/suitable breeding areas on the Fen.

Water Vole and Kestrel

There have been Water Vole near Baits Bite Lock for several weeks now - they may be there throughout the year; I shall have to keep an eye out for them,   As the reeds have grown during the summer it is increasingly difficult to photograph these quick moving and secretive animals, but always worth the challenge!   Their eyes are bulbous and prominent.   I think there will have been breeding activity because of the increased number of sightings but I have never seen more than one at a time despite their appearing at different places alongside the waterway entering The Cam near Baits Bite.

 This image suggests the shape of a Water Vole is quite like that of a Guinea Pig.

Easy enough to see how a rodent won't have that much chance of survival when a Kestrel pounces like this!