Pam has been a member of the WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) for as long as she can remember, having always had an affection for Geese and Ducks. Its Welney reserve has a heated hide which is an extra attraction. The main attraction is the number of Swans and Ducks which congregate on the wash in front of the hide, fed daily during the winter months.
Again, a blustery wind but it stayed dry until mid afternoon.
Maybe if we'd known what to expect we might have changed our plan. I'm glad we didn't.
Taking the short route to Littleport from Downham Market, we found a large Diversion sign with a Road Flooded warning. We should have guessed really after all the rain. The diversion took us towards March and Manea. Not where we wanted to go.
I should have consulted the website !!
Water levels have again increased on the Ouse Washes, the Wash road
A1101 is now closed. The main hide and wing hides are open. All other
hides and footpaths are currently closed due to flooding. Swan feeds
and hare walks are continuing as normal. We have an exciting programme
of events and activities over the coming months, with plenty to see and
do, we look forward to welcoming you for a visit.
Pam turned round, we drove back to Downham and took the main A10 to Littleport, finding a right turn to the Centre well before the town. This is a typical fen road. Flat fields as far as one can see, tall pylons marching into the distance, deep drainage dykes and the worst road surface. The road undulates in all directions, the camber is wrong on the bends and the bumps hit make one feel as though the car could take off. Probably because of the very wet ground on which the road floats. The same thing happens on Mull in places, that patch of road is on peat.
The best is, that as one nears the Centre, flocks of mainly Whooper Swans with a few Bewick's, start appearing roadside, usually a long way away. At dusk they fly into the reserve to feed on the spread grain.
Pam dropped me off at the rather splendid Centre before parking the car. Even the disabled parking spaces are a 100 metres away.
I borrowed a buggy, reversed into the lift and rose to the upper floor. Through the shop, along a picture gallery, and, finally the cafe (good marketing ploys) and into another lift which, to the accompaniment of recorded bugling Whoopers, takes us to the bridge crossing the river to the hides. The bridge, although it has wooden sides to hide us from the birds, is very draughty. I was pleased to get to the spacious, heated hide with its large angled windows overlooking the main flood.
Only three other birders present, until two young women and an exceedingly noisy one year old plus appeared. Killing time whilst their other halves were birding we guessed (sexist or a good guess - or both?) as they were not the slightest bit interested in anything, apart from the colouring table set up for kids.
As the very flooded wash - it looked like an inland sea - held very little in the way of birds, it wasn't long before we left. We spent an hour or so scanning the extensive area, finding a couple of hundred drake Pochard and one female. The males are mainly from Eastern Europe, choosing to winter here. I don't know where the females go. There was one Whooper Swan in the relatively sheltered corner
along with the mass of Pochard, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Wigeon, Gadwall and Teal. The turbulent water with the birds appearing and disappearing in the troughs made for challenging photography through the windows.
It was good to escape the screams and return to the cafe for a late lunch. There was one vacant window table overlooking the flooded fields and two feeding stations on which Reed Buntings, House and Tree Sparrows, fed intermittently. Nearby reeds made a useful waiting room.
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| Adult male Reed Bunting |
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| Male Reed Bunting , not quite in full breeding plumage. |
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| Female Reed Bunting |
The Swan herds were visible in the far distance. Paired up Shovellers, dabbled in the shallow margins, Wigeon grazed on the grassy islands.
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| Shovellers |
Replete, having eaten half a cheese and caramelised onion panini with salad (me) cheese and ham (Pam), the other halves parcelled in a napkin, we left.
On the way back to the A10, Pam saw a Barn Owl, legs dangling in readiness, hunting along the near verge. With no traffic about, she parked on the opposite side of the road so that I could do my between the wing mirror and the screen, keyhole photography. Unfortunately, the owl crossed the road and flew away along a dyke before Pam could join in - apart from through the windscreen.
I would wish for sharper images but I love Barn Owls.
A long way for a Pochard, we thoroughly enjoyed our day - apart from the diversion.
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