It has been fascinating to hear about the flyovers of pink-footed geese this November, a species more associated with the Norfolk coast. These birds come all the way from Greenland and Iceland to join us, and they are spreading out from the northern coast of Norfolk this year, into the Fens; will we see them feeding in the Great Fen in the future?

Meanwhile, it is great to hear the calls of whooper swans in the Fen again. The sounds of birds great and small are worth listening out for right now. The exotic looking relative of the chaffinch, the Brambling has been heard this November, another visitor for the winter.

With more wet weather at the end of the month, water levels are still high, and at this time of year the numbers of water rail increase. The squealing call of this rarely seen species is definitely a winter sound of the Fens. So are the calls of the flocks lesser redpolls and siskins, at places like Trundle Mere Lookout, as you are on the edge of Holme Fen.

Try a walk on the Northern Loop Trail, watching out at its northern end for linnets and raptors as merlin and peregrine are about. The number of short-eared owls are starting to increase as usual, approaching December.

If you’d like to learn more about how we are monitoring the birdlife of the Great Fen, and how we are developing our use of bioacoustics, what out for forthcoming talks. If you would like to develop your identification skills next year, check out the brand new Wildlife Training Workshop programme for 2025. The year starts with the identification of raptors, online, but also with a fieldtrip to the Great Fen.

Henry Stanier (Great Fen Monitoring & Research Officer)