First 2020 Comma in the Garden

We were having a mug of coffee this morning when we looked out and noticed the flutter of wings. On closer inspection it was the first Comma we have seen in our garden this year, and its arrival was the cause of much excitement! Most of our bushes and shrubs are green, but I'm guessing there is something in the butterfly's DNA that led it to these golden leaves where it could absorb the sun, safely in camouflage.  

Showing the comma mark

I am logging the sighting on the Garden Butterfly Survey.

We prepared some soil and planted the little packet of wildflower seed that came as a gift from our local branch of Butterfly Conservation. I do hope the seedlings survive our slugs as it would be lovely to entice more butterflies into the garden. Watch this space!

NT Wicken Fen

We have visited Wicken Fen nature reserve in Cambridgeshire many times, but I don't think we have ever found the reserve as busy as it was last Saturday. It was, of course, half-term. It was also what I might describe as an exceptionally warm summer-in-spring day. Some (the agile ones) climbed the new temporary viewing tower and were able, for a few moments at least, to look beyond the crowded boardwalks to the expansive reed beds and wide skies that are such a feature of this area.

Perhaps with so many visitors about it was not surprising that we failed to see many birds. However we watched a Marsh harrier in the distance; and were treated to some lovely views of a Kestrel, as you can see in the photos below.

The small boat, the Mayfly, that is used for boat trips up the lode a bit later in the season was still in dock...

As I peered into a watercourse where we have seen Grass Snakes and Caddisfly larvae in summer, I noticed this rather fine (?duck) feather...

The windpump is such an iconic feature of this reserve, and those who follow my blog will know that I can never resist a shot or two...

We very rarely see Sparrows in our home patch so it is always a joy to hear their song when we walk down towards the Fenman's Cottage in Wicken.

Quite a few Sparrows were sporting their bird ringing bling...

Well, you know I find the wind pump an irresistible subject...

I felt the picture below represented the sense of 'winter into spring'...

Catkins have been in evidence for some weeks now, but this was my first 2019 sighting of Pussy Willow...

Yet more views of the wind pump...

... and the Kestrel.

I believe the tree below is an Alder, sporting its catkins and (false) cones...

Our last visit had been in November. Such a lot of work had taken place on the reserve since then. We don't ever remember seeing this pool area so clearly. You can see where reeds have been harvested.

I took my sketch book but that was as far I got: one of these days I will try to catch those sails in pen and ink...

There are some beautiful little signs around the reserve, like this one ...

... and this one on a wooden seat in an area where you can sit and watch dragonflies in the summer.

The area which forms the Butterfly Trail in summer is always one of my favourite parts of the reserve, and this area is also signed appropriately...

We noticed on our November visit that the path around the Butterfly Trail area of the woodland walk was receiving attention. This time the path had been smoothed out and, ramp apart, felt much safer for those of us who use walking sticks.

A huge amount of work had been done on the trees and bushes in this area: take a look at my photo below. I gather this is all part of good husbandry and conservation. I will watch this space with interest in the months to come to see what transformations take place.



We so enjoy looking out for species such as the Brown Argus on this part of the reserve. It is my favourite spot for doing the annual butterfly counts. You can read about the Wicken Fen Butterfly Trail here. A list of (named) butterflies seen in the area can be found here.

Like most people, I feel strongly that the next generation should be given every opportunity to enjoy nature and to learn the names of species for, surely, we care most about the things we know. Like Robert Macfarlane, Margaret Atwood, Mark Cocker and others, I feel sad that so many nature words were removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary to make space for words that fitted the zeitgeist of our scientific and technological age. We need technology, but we also need biodiversity and literature to help us appreciate nature. During our time on the nature reserve, we spoke to members of one all-age party who were enjoying a checklist of wildlife (reminiscent of the popular I-spy books), ticking off the features and creatures they encountered, and listening out for the call that would identify a particular bird. I was impressed.

Having read a post on Jim's Birding Blog about visitors to the Brecks, I began to wonder on that busy Saturday, and this was February and not August, about the effect of the human footprint on the rare creatures (some brought to light during Chris Packham's Bioblitz in 2018) who live on the reserve.

I am still wondering...

We headed back to the entrance for a pot of Earl Grey (David and Caroline), a cheese scone (David) and a gingerbread sheep (guess who!). It was lovely to be able to drink our tea outside in such balmy conditions.

We listened to the Sparrows and watched them watching us...

We love the changing light and the way it affects the landscape. The sun was low by this stage of the day...

I have just found this site which gives quite a good summary of the reserve. And if you like facts and figures, this site might also be of interest!

It was time to leave the fen to its night-time creatures and head for home. 

Autumn Light at NT Wicken Fen

Many wildlife-lovers and poets would probably name autumn as their favourite season, and while I am not one of them, I love the bright colours and the intensity of the light that can be enjoyed at NT Wicken Fen in October (and yes, it was still late October when we visited).

We kept an eye out for a Kingfisher, but were not rewarded.

This was the view up the lode. 'Lode' is a late Middle English word for a watercourse, found frequently on the Fens, where it refers to an artificial waterway, usually for drainage. 

A moth larva was rapidly disappearing in the undergrowth at the edge of the reedbeds. 

I don't suppose we will see many more dragonflies now until 2018, but there is a wonderful dragonfly poem in a new book, Thaw, by Charles Bennett, Wicken Fen Poet in Residence, just out from Fair Acre Press.

I don't feel I have had a very good dragonfly-spotting season, but it may be more to do with location than climate issues.

It was lovely to see these Goldfinches out in force at the top of a bare tree.

I have taken so many photos like the one below over the years...

... but the windpump on the reserve always draws the eye.

On the butterfly front...

it was the Speckled Woods...



...who were stealing the show.

You can see the changing light...

I am wondering what work is being done on the Butterfly Walk, which is one of my favourite parts of the reserve - and a good place for Brimstones, 'Blues' and Brown Argus in spring and summer.

I love the little 'dragonfly' cottage...

Light was fading as we passed the fenman's cottage.

Time for a last windpump picture...

... and, of course, one of a sparrow, since this is one of the best places we know for watching (and hearing) these birds that were once so much of a part of our lives.

I took a last look at the watery reflections...

... before we headed for home.