Marsh Harrier Update 22nd May

22nd May 2026

A month since my last visit so time to see how the Marsh Harriers are getting on. The Heron was in its usual place but the lack of rain meant no Jack Pike to feed on. 

Therefore, had to make do with a spot of sunbathing using its wings as reflectors.

The reed bed was full of Reed Warblers that were chasing each other around making them very difficult to photograph. When they land they normally shin down the stem thereby disappearing into the tangle of stems. Luckily I found a little tunnel through the reeds for this one.

Cuckoos seem to be having  a very good year and there are at least three at Fowlmere having seen them all in flight at once. This one obligingly sat up on a Sallow above the owl box.

And talking of owl boxes this Stock Dove was enjoying sunning itself just outside the nest hole. I know the box is still occupied by the Barn Owls so they must be happy to charge it rent for the use of the veranda.

So how are the harriers getting on? Well the male was spending quite a lot of time in the air and only once left the site and returned without prey.

However, what was confusing was the female also often being in the air leaving the nest unattended. She also left the site on one occasion and also returned without prey.

So what is going on? Well, the eggs must be coming up to their hatching date, but the lack of food being brought in suggests not yet. So perhaps she was just stretching her wings and letting the sun keep the eggs warm.

                                                       SO WATCH THIS SPACE!!

A Late Spring Day at Abberton Reservoir

16th May 2026

I started the day at Island Hide hoping for a few passes by the Barn Owls hunting prey for their chicks, but after a no-show after an hour and a half it looked as though they were hunting elsewhere. However, a cracking male Reed Bunting singing his heart out from the top of a Wild Rose right outside the window, and a Chiffchaff exploring another bush provided some entertainment.

Then as I walked back to the visitor centre I was serenaded by a Sky Lark.

Now on to Layer Breton causeway and it was good to see the Common Terns back and feeding close to the bank. Such graceful birds.

A rather late male Yellow Wagtail was perched on one of the concrete posts that line the road...............

.......................but the biggest surprise today was a superb female Goldeneye sitting on a log in the bay in the North-east corner of the causeway. Surely she should now be on her breeding grounds in the North, unless she is going to over-summer like a couple of birds have in the last couple of years.

In the heronry the Herons are the early breeders and have fully grown young in the nest

This one had already learnt how to sunbathe using its wings as reflectors.

Today I only managed to see one Little Egret in the heronry as I seem to remember they are late breeders.

Also a single Great White Egret sat behind the wall next to the heronry. Although they are common at Abberton throughout the year, they have not yet bred here.

Cattle Egrets have only started their nests in the last couple of weeks and I saw three entering the heronry and there could be more as they tend to nest inside the trees. 

One Cattle Egret left the heronry and flew low out to the middle of the reservoir and lowered its legs as if to try and land. It dipped its feet into the water and then returned to the heronry. At first I thought it was trying to snatch a small fish from the surface of the water, but perhaps just washing its feet. Answers on a post card.

But the stars of the show are always were the Spoonbills which are such elegant birds.

Just look at that throat patch.

They are very elegant on the ground and in flight, but quite ungainly when trying to land in the tops of trees in a high wind.

They have been on their nests for quite a few weeks now, so hopefully we will soon get a few baby spoons.