At this time of year, we approach a very sensitive period when birds will start to set up territories and start to construct nests.

One of the major conservation benefits of the Great Fen is the large areas of land that have far less adverse disturbance relative to our smaller reserves. With large areas of dry grassland, wet grassland, and wetland in the Great Fen, we have the great potential to support a wealth of ground nesting wildlife, especially birds.

The coming months are also the time when plants bring forth fresh growth. This diversifies the vegetation composition and structure, and provides food, including nectar sources. Many species benefit (e.g., birds, mammals, and insects); it’s worth keeping in mind that we are working at a landscape scale to benefit a range of wildlife, not just the birds.

As this sensitive time of the year approaches, many (but not all) management activities, including grazing, will soon cease for a while, if they have not already done so. Livestock is removed to allow the plants to grow, and the birds, mammals, and invertebrates to reproduce. Fencing is removed, to reduce predator perches and to reduce artificial barriers to wildlife movement.

There is variation in how we manage the Fen; it’s big enough to allow us to do so. Based on the results of our monitoring, we have targeted some sites where we remove livestock earlier, or bring them back on later, in order to accommodate early and late breeding species.

This year, we have had a very wet and very mild late winter, with the warmest February on record for the country. This means the wildlife is stirring already. As you may have read in the ‘sightings blog’ for last month, there is plenty going on. Since that blog, we have recorded more invertebrates on the wing, such as the greater spring blacklet hoverfly (Cheilosia grossa). Caterpillars are on the hoof, such as the common footman and queen bumblebees are flying about, in search of nectar sources and nest sites.

High water levels have meant that sites such as Woodwalton Fen remain closed, not surprising with the Environment Agency reporting exceptionally high February rainfall; the highest February rainfall totals on record (1871 to present). Many other parts of the Great Fen still have accessible trails, and it is worth exploring them. Please be aware that, for you own safety, you should avoid flooded trails and tracks, both yourself and your dogs; there are some flooded areas at Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve, so take care. We should not be surprised at these extremes of weather, as that is what we have to expect from climate change; see my blog from only three years ago, when we experienced high water levels.

As we do have high water levels, this does provide many more opportunities for amphibians to breed; we are literally awash with opportunities at their regular breeding sites. Have you had common frogs spawning in your garden pond yet? Have you come across any common toads on a night-time wander? As World Frog Day approaches, it seems timely to raise some amphibian awareness and we certainly do our bit for their conservation here at the Great Fen.

At Ramsey Heights Nature Reserve, we have a series of ponds of various sizes and depths. This means not all of them with have water in every year. This is a good thing, as a few ponds dry out periodically, controlling the competition for the amphibians. After having relatively low levels in recent years, the water is up and all the ponds are full, so the great crested newts are spoilt for choice. With amphibian monitoring poised to start for this year, it will be interesting to see how they fare. If you’d like to know more about the history of amphibian conservation, why not come and listen to Arnold Cooke at tonight’s talk on this topic and his new book, courtesy of the Huntingdonshire Local Group.

One of the most exciting aspects of having an interest in wildlife is its unexpected nature; you never know when you’ll get a surprising but memorable encounter. Polecats are a prime example. As they recolonise the region, I am receiving more records of these amazing mustelids, and I’ve had another last week, from just outside the Great Fen. If you’d like to submit a record, see this webpage for more information.

As wildlife is on the move, it’s not just the locals who are making an appearance. We now look forward to international arrivals!

We’ll soon be receiving visitors to the country, some of which you might not think of as migratory species, such as meadow pipits. We will be looking forward to the first sand martins, and one of my favourites will be passing through the Great Fen, the wheatear. The winds have, in fact, swung around to come from a more southerly direction this week. These southerlies are just what we need, to aid the passage of birds trying to reach us in the coming months.

There are still plenty of winter visitors around. Flocks of over 500 fieldfares are in the open fields on the Northern Loop, short-eared owls are still with us, bands of yellowhammers are foraging at Speechly’s Farm, and starlings are still putting on small, but perfectly formed murmurations over the Fen.

Resident bird species have started to sing, and the smart looking black-headed male reed buntings are a delight to see and hear. While at the Great Fen yesterday, I was greeted by the song of a corn bunting as I stepped outside the office. This is encouraging as, after liaison with our colleagues in the Somerset Wildlife Trust last year, we will be expanding our acoustic monitoring here at the Great Fen. This year we will be gathering additional data about the bird populations at our Peatland Progress sites, using the latest equipment to capture the soundscape or, more particularly, the Fen-scape.

Enjoy the coming months by looking and listening for more signs of spring. Please email me with your records of the first arrivals of migratory birds you encounter at the Great Fen, or your first sightings of emerging insects.

We have many events coming up, to share all of this with you. Looking ahead to this May, some of you may like to join me and immerse yourself in the Great Fen soundscape at our spring dawn chorus. We also have a fascinating insight into the geology of the Great Fen, with Dr Steve Boreham. You may also like to join me on the summer ecotour, but be quick, it's booking up fast.

Henry Stanier, Great Fen Monitoring & Research Officer