Birds of the Great Fen - a summary

This is adapted from an article by Paul Tinsley-Marshall, which was published in the Cambridge Bird Society newsletter in 2013.

Although the Great Fen was first conceived many years ago, and the first land purchased in 2002, much of the land restoration is still in its early stages. Some land has been allowed to re-colonise naturally, while other areas have been seeded with native grasses, following the last crop harvest.  Meanwhile, the two National Nature Reserves form the cornerstones of the project. 

Woodwalton Fen

Woodwalton Fen is well known for its matrix of reedbed, scrub, willow carr and wet woodland. Water Rail, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Tit, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Cetti’s Warber and Cuckoo are all regular species. Grasshopper Warblers and Nightingales add to the summer chorus, and Woodcocks and Long-eared Owls are present, although the former in better numbers at Holme Fen. Bearded Tits are winter visitors, although not recorded breeding, and this year the first booming Bittern for quite some time was heard. Winter sees the arrival of Redwings and Fieldfares, flocks of Siskins and Redpolls, with Arctic Redpolls recorded in recent years. Hen Harriers (once common) are now rather scarce winter visitors, but Marsh Harriers are resident all year. 

Holme Fen

The bird populations of Holme Fen have fluctuated greatly over the years as the site has changed from open fen and heath to scrub, and then to woodland. Once common, Nightingales, for example, are no longer heard, although this may change as the shrub layer recovers following the control of Muntjac deer numbers.  The meres often reveal surprises, and Goosander, Smew and Ruddy Ducks have all been sighted in recent years, while Goldeneye are more regular. Tits, Wrens, Robins and Great-spotted Woodpeckers remain plentiful, and Firecrests and Spotted Flycatchers made a welcome return this year after a period of absence.

Hobbies are a regular summer visitors, hawking for dragonflies high over both Woodwalton and Holme Fens, and Red Kites are frequently seen, having first nested in Holme Fen four years ago. Common Buzzards breed in a number of locations. 

Areas under restoration

With the on-going land restoration beyond the National Nature Reserves, bird records are far from mediocre. One of the winter highlights is the roost of Short-eared Owls, numbering 10-15 birds in most years. Barn Owls are a daily pleasure for many staff and visitors, and Little Owls and Tawny Owls are also present. With Merlins and Peregrine Falcons offering occasional winter sightings, and Goshawk a one-time record, on a good day it would be possible to see many of the UK’s owl and raptor species. 

It is intended that much of the Great Fen develops naturally, without specific habitat or species prescriptions, but one exception is the provision of breeding and wintering habitat for waders. Lapwings breed and there are promising signs for Snipe; the numbers of both species swell in winter along with flocks of Golden Plover. Other wader species recorded on new and established scrapes include Black and Bar-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Greenshank, Common and Green Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Avocet and Dunlin.

A particularly productive area in this respect is the newly formed habitat at Rymes Reedbed (see image, right), viewable from a tower hide, Trundle Mere Lookout, which is accessed through Holme Fen. New Decoy Farm is also expected to be a haven for waders, as new water management infrastructure comes online; a series of scrapes are viewable from Jon's Hide, a straw bale construction accessible via a circular walk from the New Decoy car park on the B660. New Decoy also holds good numbers of wintering finches, with Bramblings often accompanying Chaffinches and Siskins on the feeders at Jon's Hide, and Redpolls make good use of the weedy seed-rich margins of the fields, that are grazed by cattle. 

Wildfowl

Another key part of the habitat mosaic will be the creation of seasonally flooded grassland and open water for wintering wildfowl, which we expect to boost the numbers of Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler, Teal, Goldeneye, and Shelduck, as well as those of the less frequent Pintail and Garganey.  Land-forming works are currently underway, although good winter viewing of these species can already be had from the west bank of Woodwalton Fen, overlooking Darlow's and Middle Farms.  Both Bewick’s and Whooper Swans can be seen feeding in arable fields in winter too, alongside their more commonplace cousins.

Scarcer and rare species

Corn Buntings  are present in good numbers year round but especially in winter, and Yellow Wagtails benefit from the abundance of flies associated with cattle, which are a key conservation management presence on the Great Fen. 

One of the undoubted highlights on the restoration land has been the irregular presence of Common Cranes. First sighted some 5 years ago on Woodwalton Fen, they are always a magnificent sight in the fields or circling high over the project area. They have since bred in other parts of East Anglia including the nearby Nene Washes but, so far, they remain only occasional visitors here.

Other species highlights are the Stonechat, Whinchat, Wheatear and occasional Ring Ouzel passing through in both spring and autumn, together with Little Egrets, Grey Partridges, Quail and Turtle Doves. In winter there are sometimes Hen Harriers and Great Grey Shrikes (picture right by John Chance). The occasional surprise is also possible, for instance a Gannet and a Sandwich Tern have been recorded. So, with a supporting cast of of fen and woodland birds, a day on the Great Fen can already be very productive and should become even more so in future.

Bird Report 2005 to 2013

For a full report on the bird surveys conducted between 2005 and 2013 please click here.