Warden's Wildlife Report 2006 David Nobbs
The year 2006 will be remembered at Wheatfen as the Year of the Otter, with
over ten sightings by visitors and two wonderful close encounters of mine which
I shall share with you later in my diary. To commemorate such unforgettable
moments the otter features on the front cover of this newsletter. The weather as
always played its special part in the year with an exceptionally cold spring and a
very warm autumn running well into November.
January started mild with some very low tides allowing mowing on Old Mill
Marsh. On the 4th a little grebe was seen along Home Dyke and two days later
a male Cetti’s warbler was singing in the bushes along Old Mill Marsh and
Smee Loke. Also at this time many mole hills had sprung up along the paths.
Early morning on the 7th, to start my day, five waves of geese flew low over the
cottage and a kingfisher flew along Penguin Dyke. While stacking reed on the
fen I found my first harvest mouse. Sadly this one was dead, but numbers of this
beautiful small creature must be good as many nests are found. By the 11th great
tits were singing noisily. On the 13th I glimpsed a Chinese water deer walking
across Home Dyke as it took advantage of the low tide. On the 20th the weather
was mild and a lone marsh harrier was seen hunting over the cut reed beds on
Old Mill Marsh. That sighting was followed by one on the 23rd of a barn owl at 8
am. By the next day cold east winds had set in and, with the temperature down
to -4 deg C, some parts of the broads were frozen. A pair of snipe were seen
along Eleven Bridges on the 28th. At the end of the month cold days and low
tides prevailed which enabled winter work to become well advanced.
February arrived and on the 2nd at 8 am a barn owl was seen again over Old
Mill Marsh. Also on that day a lone woodcock flew up by the cottage. On the 4th
many teal were on the broads, snowdrops were now out and, to my surprise, a
peacock butterfly had awakened from hibernation and was flying in the garden.
The 9th brought a change in tides and the fen was flooded. There was a little
grebe on Home Dyke again. I had a good view of a weasel on the Boardwalk
on the 14th and, later that day, a stoat by Middle Marsh Dyke. By the 18th the
weather was milder; the female flowers on hazel were just visible and some
winter gnats and flies were in evidence. Also, a green woodpecker was observed
on the paving slabs just past the cottage. The mildness was short lived as the
cold east winds returned on the 21st. Siskins were flying in the alder trees on
Alder Carr and there was some growth in evidence on the fen with leaves of
willow herb showing. Snow arrived on the 28th and stayed for two days making
many deer and mammal tracks visible.
High tides on the 1st of March welcomed in the new month. While walking by
the cottage I was intrigued to hear a great tit sounding just like the ring of a
telephone. It would seem from this that they, as other birds, are able to mimic
sound. On the 7th I came across a treecreeper which had flown inside the
Thatch and had collided with a window. I am glad to say it was none the worse
for his encounter and was released safely outside. The small and beautiful scarlet
elf cup fungus could be found in good numbers along path edges in the wet carr
by Wheatfen Broad. Great tits were in loud voice, but there were no real signs
of spring growth; only one marsh marigold was in flower. By the 11th the cold
east winds had set in again with low tides. A pair of swans were feeding on the
Canadian pond weed in Home Dyke. On the 21st herons were noisily engaged
in early nest preparation by Four Acres. Two days later a Muntjac deer was
seen grazing in the garden by the cottage where daffodils were still to come into
flower. I wondered if spring had arrived at last on the 25th with the temperature
up to 14 deg C: honeysuckle was in leaf, a single comma and five brimstone
butterflies were on the wing, and toads were croaking in the pond by the Thatch.
On the 27th toads were seen also in Smee Loke Dyke and two heron nests had
been established by Four Acres. I set up two woodcocks on Old Mill Marsh,
lesser celandine was in flower and sedges were starting into growth. On the 29th
a tortoiseshell butterfly was seen and mining bees and bumble bees were active.
The following day provided one of the highlights of the year when a red kite
perched in a tree by the car park. At the end of the month, with the temperature
at 15 deg C, bullfinches were seen along the Boardwalk and sightings of
butterflies were on the increase.
April started cold. On the 6th, while walking along Smee Loke, I saw a pike
swim under the bridge into shallow water. It remained motionless and this
enabled me to take a photograph head on. When I viewed the image later I was
surprised to see that a leech had attached itself to the side of the pike’s head.
I was able to identify the leech as a new species to Wheatfen - an unusual way
to obtain a record to say the least. By the 7th the first of the migrant birds was
noted - a willow warbler on Blake’s Marsh. Later that day a weasel was seen on
Middlemarsh path. On the following day a blackcap was heard singing behind
the Warden’s Office and a sedge warbler again on Blake’s Marsh. A cuckoo, the
first of the year, was in evidence by Wheatfen Broad on the 14th. The weather
was much milder at 13 deg C and I wondered whether spring had finally set
in, though the trees were still not in leaf. A grasshopper warbler, a bird not at
all common these days, was heard on the 16th churring on Four Acres. By the
18th cuckoo flower (lady’s smock) was in flower and meadow rue was starting to
grow. There was much bird song and there was a good show of marsh marigold
along the dykes. Two grebes were on the Fen Channel and brimstone and
peacock butterflies were in numbers around the reserve. This on the 21st. The
Spring Walk took place on the 23rd with the weather cloudy but mild. Twayblade
leaves were showing, as were oxslips, and hazels were just in leaf. There was
a good view of a male blackcap in the woods. Cetti’s warblers, which tend to
skulk low in bushes, are the most elusive of birds and very difficult to observe.
I had, however, a wonderful view of a pair on the 25th of the month. They were
a mating pair engaging in their ritual repertoire of chasing, wing flapping and
calling. In all, this lasted for about twenty minutes on a thicket by Smee Loke.
The first orange tip butterflies were seen on the flowers of the now fully out
dandelion. The month ended with very mild temperatures at 16 deg C and, a
cause for concern, grey squirrels seemed to be widespread on the reserve.
May started sunny and warm with an osprey seen briefly on Wheatfen Broad.
This was the only sighting of it on its migratory passage north. By the 3rd of the
month the nests of moorhens and coots could be seen along Mack’s Dyke. 20
deg C had brought out a good number of butterflies including small white. St
Mark’s fly was also in evidence. The Dawn Chorus Walk took place on Sunday
the 7th. I was surprised by a lone male Cetti’s warbler singing in total darkness
at 3 am. One hour later, as dawn was breaking, thirty to forty pipistrelle bats
circled round the chimney of the cottage. This was a magical time that lasted
for about ten minutes and then all was quiet. A Chinese water deer was heard
barking about 6 am. By the 9th of the month large bittercress was in flower and
the first dragonfly of the spring was seen: a female hairy dragonfly in the garden
on a day with the temperature at 20 deg C. I had also a good view of a cuckoo
in a crack willow tree on Crake’s Marsh. By the 13th azure damselflies were in
good numbers along the dykes and ponds and on the 16th a large red damselfly
and a red admiral butterfly were seen on Smee Loke. Later this year because of
the cold spring, the first flag iris came into flower on Old Mill Marsh by the 17th.
Another first were the coot chicks which had hatched on the Thatch pond. Great
crested grebes had started nest building on Wheatfen Broad by the 23rd and a
good number of buff tip bumble bees were about at that time. I came across a
very approachable female pheasant on Middle Marsh Dyke which then began to
follow me along the path. The first swallowtail butterfly was seen on the 25th of
the month and, with the late spring, orange tip butterflies were about still. Banded
demoiselle damselflies had emerged by the 30th and could be seen by Wheatfen
Broad. There was rain on the last day of the month and the temperature was 14
deg C, but flag iris in full flower brightened up the day.
Rainy conditions lasted into the first days of June, but by the 3rd the temperature
had risen to 17 deg C and a few swallowtail butterflies were on the wing and
ragged robin was in flower also. A great tit had built a nest in a hole by the
back door of the cottage and the young could be seen being fed on a frequent
and regular basis - every 30 seconds by my watch. On the 4th a great spotted
woodpecker’s nest was seen in an old tree on Smee Loke and great activity
was heard. Later that day I saw a Norfolk hawker dragonfly flying in the car
park and then four swallowtails on Middle Marsh Dyke. Black-tailed skimmer
dragonflies and four-spotted chasers were seen by Wheatfen Broad on the 7th.
Our Swallowtail Day on the 11th was attended by about 150 people throughout
the day. The weather was hot and humid with the temperature up at 29 deg
C. Swallowtails were in abundance. There were Norfolk hawker dragonflies
hawking and marsh pea was in flower. All in all it was another successful though
exhausting day. At this time common valerian, the tall pink fen plant, was showing
well along Eleven Bridges. On the 13th southern marsh orchids and meadow rue
were in flower on Thack Marsh. One week later, red-eyed damselflies could be
seen on lily pads at the end of Penguin Dyke and purple loosestrife was in flower.
Two grass snakes were seen on litter heaps and meadow brown butterflies were
about. A pair of mallards with five young were on the Pond. This sighting was
especially pleasing as it was an unusual event at Wheatfen. Skullcap, a small
purple plant, was in good flower this year along Thack Path. On the 22nd a
swallowtail butterfly was flying in the car park and common darter dragonflies
were in the wood. On the following day the first white admiral butterflies in the
cleared site in the wood and a lobster moth caterpillar on a birch twig proved of
great interest. Four grasshopper warblers could be heard by the river’s edge and
a pair of bullfinches were observed along the Boardwalk. At the end of the month
froghoppers seemed to be everywhere and many willows had evidence of their
‘spit’ on the foliage. Their numbers seem to be increasing every year.
On the 1st July, a hot day at 27 deg C, a visit by Hadleigh Naturalists’ Society
was greeted by swallowtail and white admiral butterflies. Members also had the
opportunity to inspect the damage to the horse chestnut trees by the cottage.
The foliage of the trees had been left brown and shredded by a small leaf
miner moth. 2006 is the first year this condition has been seen at Wheatfen
- an unwelcome record. The weather continued very hot, reaching 28 deg C
on the 4th. A painted lady butterfly was seen by the Boardwalk and on the next
day white admiral butterflies were still about in the wood. Peacock butterfly
caterpillars, in larger numbers this year, were found feeding on nettles. I came
across a female partridge with ten young which I followed along the path along
Mack’s Dyke and, by the 6th, meadowsweet was in full flower. Swallowtail
caterpillars, prior to their chrysalis stage, could be seen grazing the umbels
of milk parsley; I counted ten on one plant. The butterfly was being aided this
year by the hot weather and I was hopeful that there might be a second brood
in the early part of August. I also hoped that all this activity was a positive sign
for the swallowtail in 2007. On the 16th a lone purple hairstreak butterfly was
seen by the oak on the boardwalk to the Thatch. Brown and southern hawker
dragonflies were in good numbers hawking the dykes. By the 24th the annoying
and biting cleg (horse) flies were becoming a real nuisance this year. It was a
very hot day of 26 deg C on the 25th and fleabane and hemp agrimony were in
flower. Peacock butterflies had emerged in good numbers this year and could
be seen all over the reserve and in particular along Smee Loke. Bird song had
died down with the exception of that of the great tits. I found a poplar hawkmoth
on the door of the Thatch which made a good photographic opportunity. The hot
weather continued towards the end of the month at a time when the troublesome
Himalayan balsam had to rogued out from parts of Crake’s Marsh. It is necessary
to remove it while it is still in flower and before it begins to seed. The month
finished with the temperature somewhat cooler.
At the start of August there were still one or two painted lady butterflies about
and some southern hawker dragonflies. On the 2nd a kingfisher flew past me as I
sat on the seat at the end of Penguin Dyke. On the 3rd temperatures were cooler
and strong winds were in attendance. Looking round the fen I noticed what a
very good year it was for the tall marsh sow thistle. It was hotter by the 6th when
we held the Natural History Day. Three second brood swallowtail butterflies were
seen egg laying on angelica along Eleven Bridges. This is something I had seen
only once before - in 1995. Our rare leaf beetle had emerged and was feeding
on creeping thistle. At this time, good numbers of visitors had guided walks
round the fen. On the 7th I took the small boat out onto the broads and I was
pleased to see that hornwort, along with other water plants, is increasing there.
That is very good news. But not in every case. On the down side, common reed
is now blocking the entrance to the Fen Channel and will need to be dredged
in the future. There were a large number of angelica plants this year and by the
9th of the month they were in full flower. The flowers of the broad leaved ragwort
were to be seen on Home Fen at this time. Also, butterflies such as gatekeepers,
green veined whites and peacocks were still active around the reserve. The 11th
provided the most unexpected sighting of the year: a Reeve’s pheasant, which is
larger than our English pheasant and has black and white markings on its head,
was walking along the path by Wheatfen Broad. It had evidently escaped from
some enclosure in the village earlier in the year. And there were other unusual
sightings, also of escapees, on my way along the road to Wheatfen: a black
rabbit and a Lady Amherst’s pheasant. The 12th should have been our Bat
Evening, but there were gale force winds and rain - weather good for neither
man nor bats - and the event had to be cancelled. By the 15th flowers on the
fen were nearly over and only the occasional swallowtail was to be seen. On the
17th a young heron was standing by my car in the car park. This was the first in
a series of encounters with this fearless bird and, later, photographs were taken
when the heron was seen along Home Dyke and again when it was perching on
the chimney of Wheatfen Cottage. Migrant hawker dragonflies were hawking on
Home Fen on the 21st. Sunny days had returned by the end of the month and
the temperature reached around 20 deg C. A stinkhorn fungus, which had just
emerged, was surrounded by fungus flies attracted by its sticky head. This lasted
for about one hour and was quite a spectacle.
Our first Spider Course was held at Wheatfen and the Village Hall on the 2nd
September which was, on the whole, a wet day. A break in the weather enabled
us to show collecting techniques on the reserve. There was an invasion of crane
flies this year and on the 7th many of them were egg laying on the muddy parts
of the paths. At that time we also had the first very high tide of the autumn. I
came across some peacock butterflies hibernating in the garage and behind the
large wooden seat to the cottage’s outside loo. On the 9th was held the Wild
About Norfolk event over two days in Norwich and I collected some examples of
our rare beetle, a hornet’s nest and some photographs of the fen in general. By
the 12th plenty of geese were flying overhead on the migratory flight to the Yare
valley. Fungi, in the woods, were plentiful due to the recent wet and mild weather
and there were red admiral butterflies by the apple trees. The temperature was
still fairly high at 22 deg C on the 16th and the fen began to take on an autumnal
look. I disturbed a heron by the Thatch Pond on the 19th. Walking by the garden
end of the cottage I heard a scratching noise and discovered a grey squirrel had
got in and seemed to be making itself a home by the water tank in the loft. It was
quickly shown the door! That on the 20th of the month. The following day was
hot at 24 deg C, common darter dragonflies were ovipositing in the Thatch Pond
and reed was beginning to die off. Hornets had built a nest into a tree stump by
the boardwalk on Home Dyke and a great deal of activity could still be seen. Red
admiral butterflies were getting nectar from the ivy in bloom by the entrance to
the reserve. On the 28th I disturbed a Chinese water deer on Smee Loke and for
about 30 seconds we seemed to be eyeing one another motionless across the
dyke and only yards apart. At the end of the month strimming of the paths was
continued as both nettles and grass were growing at full pace.
As we moved into October temperatures remained high at around 20 deg C.
Still red admiral and other late species of butterflies remained active. On Sunday
the 8th our Fungus Workshop was attended by 24 people in three groups. Over
60 species were identified including a good showing of the common earth star
by the garden. On the 12th migrant hawker dragonflies were active, common
darters were along the Boardwalk and swans graced both broads. Sycamore
trees had shown some leaf fall, but other trees were still in full green leaf. I
started my autumn/winter work on the 23rd - later this year because of the
weather which was remaining warm and humid. By the end of the month cloudy
damp conditions prevailed.
What a month November proved to be. At its start there was the most serious
flood I have seen in the fifteen years I have been at Wheatfen and the worst
recorded since 1990. The tide gauge measured 134 cms (the paths are well
flooded at 80 cms). I needed waders even on the Boardwalk and, on the path
by Sluice Dyke, I came across a Chinese water deer living up to its name with
water up to its shoulders. The flood came to the very edge of the garden, but
fortunately not into the cottage itself. Four bridges were lifted off their footings,
creating more work for the volunteers! All this did raise concerns about future
prospects and possibilities. As for the flora and fauna, on the 2nd a woodcock
was seen by the cottage and a kingfisher on Thatch Pond. The first frost was
recorded on the 4th. My first encounter with an otter occurred on the following
day, Sunday the 5th November. Walking along Penguin Dyke towards the Thatch
I heard a splash and saw a young otter swimming along the edge of the dyke and
under the bridge. I reached the bridge quietly to see it come out onto the cleared
bank about ten yards away. It shook itself then slid back into the water. With its
head up and looking at me it seemed almost to say “I’m off!” and went. What an
introduction! High tides and cloudy mild weather were the conditions on the 9th
and then, on the 10th, I had a good sighting of a little grebe and a water vole on
Mack’s Dyke. Flooding returned two days later and a stoat was seen in the late
afternoon. A pair of swans had moved on to the Thatch Pond by the 15th. My
second encounter with an otter, this time a dog otter, took place on Smee Loke
Dyke on the 17th. I was walking back with a fork and a rake in hand to my work
site along the dyke and had just reached the small bridge half way along when I
saw bubbles and a wake like a small torpedo coming towards me. I could see the
otter clearly as it popped its head out just a few yards away. It then went up the
bank and into the wet carr woodland beyond. I wished that I had had a camera
to hand instead of my tools. It was a frosty clear morning on Sunday the 19th as
thirty-two people attended the Winter Walk to look around the fen at the work
going on. The nest of a harvest mouse was found and there were other signs and
tracks of interest to be seen. I was working on dyke clearing along Home Dyke
on the 23rd, a mild day, when a common darter dragonfly kept attempting to sun
itself by alighting on me while I was taking a (well earned) break. The weather
was mild by the 26th and the rutting season of the Chinese water deer was in full
swing with deer seen on many parts of the reserve and signs of fighting between
the bucks with quantities of hair left on site. At the end of the month I had great
pleasure in playing a game of hide and seek with a stoat. The stoat may have
had other ideas, but that is what I took it to be as it went under and over the
Boardwalk and kept poking its head out at me.
High winds and low tides welcomed us into December and I started mowing
reed on Old Mill Marsh on the 8th. I came across several old nests of harvest
mice as I worked. I found a dead female Chinese water deer on Home Dyke.
The remains had attracted foxes, with the clear evidence that a meal or two had
already been taken. Even as late as December one or two oak trees were still
in green leaf especially in the middle of the wood. From the 20th frost and fog
set in for a number of days up to Christmas Eve. There was a good sighting of a
kingfisher sitting on a post by Home Dyke and a barn owl hunting over Old Mill
Marsh on Christmas Day itself. This was repeated two days later. The year ended
with the weather cloudy but dry and the fen was flooded on the 31st.
Well, what a year with such extremes of weather. I think that that was, on the
whole, beneficial to the flora and fauna at Wheatfen, but flooding is a major
concern for us. The return of the otter I did not expect in my time at Wheatfen.
As a result, I shall now never be surprised at what Nature turns up for us in the
future. Whatever occurs in 2007, you will be welcome to come and share the
delight that is Wheatfen.
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