“The RSPB is the Country’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home.” Cambridge Local Group Newsletter Issue No: 110 May 2015 Contents Page 2 Editor’s notes Brenda Smith 2 Group Leader’s Notes Melvyn Smith Field Trip Reports 3 Rye Meads Brenda & Melvyn 4 Frampton Marsh & Freiston Shore Rachel Lowly 6 Paxton Pits & Grafham Water Ed King 6 WWT Barnes West London Brenda Field 8 East Wretham Heath and Wayland Wood Brenda & Melvyn 10 Dawn Chorus Alex Andrews 11 Birding in Cambridge & London Jill Aldred 13 Eclipse Rachel & Alex 14 Thriplow Daffodil Weekend Melvyn Smith News from Local Reserves 14 Lakenheath Katherine Puttick 16 Fen Drayton Lakes Tim Fisher 18 Ouse Fen Barry O’Dowd Events 19 Field Trips Andrew Camps 21 Group Indoor Meetings 21 Cambridgeshire Bird Club Meetings The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no SC037654 Cambridge Local Group Newsletter No 110 May 2015 Editor’s Notes Welcome to our May edition of the newsletter with the usual trip reports and news from the some of the local reserves. Also an article comparing birding in London and Cambridge, which I hope you enjoy reading. We have had another cold spring this year, with northerly winds at times, which have held up some of our migrants. But now spring is in full belt with warblers singing from the bushes and cuckoo and swifts having been seen. I love this exciting time of the year as you never know what might turn up! It has also been a very dry April which may have been the reason that, in our garden, we have had a visit from a badger, Badger via Bushnell camera eating the food put out for “our” resident hedgehog. It was coming in under the gate which we have now stopped-up but now it comes from our neighbour’s garden by making holes under the fence which we have also blocked up! It is still finding its way in so, the battle continues! If you have been on any interesting nature trips which you would like to share with the group, I will be happy to include them in the newsletters. I am looking for ideas such as a query section, where you send in a question about nature and members can send in answers, or a nature quiz. I am also looking for photos to accompany the articles, or even a photo for ‘what is that bird?’ The deadline date for any ideas, articles and photos is 13 August 2015. Thanks - Brenda Group Leader’s Notes – May 2015 Whilst writing these notes, I am reflecting on another great “Group birding weekend”, having just returned, with thirteen other members, from South Devon. Discounting travel time, we experienced three days’ excellent birding in a wide variety of habitats which accounted for more than eighty species, one of which we would never have dreamed of coming across – a Squacco Heron! Full details of our exploits will be included in a Field Trip report soon to be included on the Group’s website and once again, thanks must go to Andrew Camps for organizing yet another brilliant weekend. The “weekend birding trip” is one of many “jobs” carried out on behalf of the Group and, as I am now standing down as Group Leader, I would like to thank all those members who have helped and are still helping in the smooth running of the Group. We have now found a new Group Leader, subject to ratification at the forthcoming AGM and I would urge as many of you as possible to give a hand in whatever way possible to help with the future organisation of the Group. I will continue to take an active role and look forward to seeing you at future meetings and events. Melvyn 2 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no SC037654 Cambridge Local Group Newsletter No 110 May 2015 Field Trip Reports RSPB Rye Meads and Amwell Nature Reserve 10 January Five of the group braved the weather and decided that it would be better to give Hatfield Forest a miss and go straight to RSPB Rye Meads reserve, the logic being that with the strong wind and the likelihood of rain showers, we would be able to shelter in one of the hides at the reserve. Making our way from the visitor centre and along a broad walk to the first hide, we stopped by a brook to see if we could find the water vole we had been informed was frequently seen. There was no vole but a brown rat, which we watched as it swam along the edge of the water. In Draper hide we were lucky enough to see a water rail out in the open feeding alongside a moorhen and showing us how much smaller the rail was compared to the moorhen. Out on the water were several gadwalls, shovelers, tufted ducks and mallards and a couple of stock doves feeding on the grassy strip between two islands out in the water. As we made our way to the next Swans Photo Brenda Smith hide we heard a Cetti’s warbler. From Tern hide, looking out over the lagoon, there were a couple of tern rafts on which gulls rested – much too early for terns yet! Whilst in this hide it began to rain hard! Our earlier logic proved that we had made the correct call! There were several mute swans and two of them started to move their heads gently in unison in a “courting” display. We also noticed a cob doing the same with an immature bird, identified by its brown plumage. One of the cobs was “busking”, the familiar pose with neck curved back and wings half raised, in a threat display. With both feet paddling in unison, resulting in a more jerky movement; this display is intended to intimidate a potential rival and chase it off. A lesser black-backed gull flew up with a piece of vegetation, dropping and picking it up several times until three opportunist black-headed gulls arrived in the hope of snatching some food. The lesser black-backed gull then dropped the vegetation in the water and flew off! From the nearby Gadwall hide we spotted a lovely drake pintail together with a large flock of teals and a group of shovelers. The shovelers were swimming around in a circle with bills sifting the water, the other birds benefiting from foot stirring of the vegetation floating just under the surface. A couple of gadwalls also benefited from this action. Further out, a couple of shelducks and nearer, a little grebe, were added to our lists. 3 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no SC037654 Cambridge Local Group Newsletter No 110 May 2015 We moved on from this pair of hides, walking along by the river Lee to Kingfisher hide. After a short wait, a female kingfisher flew into the branches of a bush hanging over the water. We had to peer through the branches to see the bird and as we watched, it hovered and then dived into the water and came up with a small fish. It landed on a bigger branch so we had a bit better view, although its reflection was the best view! It bashed the fish several times before swallowing it and then moved further into the bush and sat still resting. We then moved on to Warbler hide where we enjoyed our lunches. Here we had good views of another kingfisher as it flew over the water and landed, momentarily, on a reed stem before flying away. A kestrel flew over and was chased off by a carrion crow. It was still windy and a reed warbler flew out of the reeds and up and away. Out on the marsh a little egret was feeding and then flew over the reeds towards the river. By now the sun had appeared and so we decided to take the longer route back to the visitor centre. This route leads out of the reserve via a one-way revolving gate so that, once the decision is made, there is no turning back! Back at the Visitor Centre we picked up a leaflet on wildlife watching in the Lee valley which included Amwell Nature Reserve not far away. The staff gave us directions and we made our way to this reserve, formerly gravel workings, and now one of Hertfordshire’s top wetland birdwatching sites. It boasts three Goldeneye photo by Brenda Smith hides with fantastic views. Immediately after crossing the River Lee Navigation channel there is a viewing area over the lake. There were several duck species and sitting in the tree on other side of the water several cormorants, a couple with white heads, and a few grey herons. We walked down to Gladwin hide and watched male goldeneye displaying with the distinctive head tossing, but it appeared that the female was not interested! Then two great crested grebes started to display facing each other and head shaking. Several wigeons landed and joined the other ducks on the water. What with the grebes, swans and goldeneye starting to display and great tits giving their ‘teacher, teacher’ song it too seemed that spring was not far away! A red kite glided over, giving us good views of this magnificent bird and shortly after, two buzzards drifted over.