karen's country calendar

With cooler showery weather forecast I decided to make the most of a free and beautifully sunny morning and took a stroll round our local Godmanchester nature reserve.  Summer migrants have started to arrive and willow warblers, black caps,  sedge and reed warblers were all in evidence together with my first speckled wood butterfly of the season.    I was pleased to see a willow warbler obliging with its song from the top of a tree and a sedge warbler was singing its heart out from a low bush.    35 species seen in total today.  mute swan  through the trees     greylag geese    Canada goose female reed bunting   sedge warbler    sedge warbler  great crested grebe  great crested grebe   speckled wood  willow warbler     

A cold frosty morning with the promise of a fine dry day saw us leaving early to visit Titchwell Marsh with the  hope of seeing some new birds for this years list.  After a short stop at Huntstanton to see fulmars gliding along the edge of the clifftop we soon parked up at the reserve. We first took the straight path down towards the coast, where we were glad of warm clothing, hats and gloves due to the chilly breeze.  From the path to the hides we noticed a pair of male red crested pochards and a large flock of brent geese. Avocets and a couple of little ringed plovers were two new birds for list seen from hides together with a little grebe,  snipe and sandwich terns.  Walking back we stopped by a reed bed and were rewarded by a view of bearded tits, firstly a shape flitting across between the reed beds then seen quite clearly through binoculars amongst the reeds.  After a delicious broccoli and cheese bake for lunch we headed towards home via Roydon Common where there had been repo