Friday 17 February 2017

Black squirrel

Wandering around The Wildlife Trust's nature reserve at Cambourne the other morning I spotted a black squirrel. It was hunting through the leaves for nuts alongside the more common greys. On posting the photos on a wildlife group later that day it appears many people didn't know black squirrels were even a thing! I know they are seen fairly often in Cambridgeshire, my friend had one in her garden a few years ago and one village has more blacks than greys.  They are actually the same species but with a mutant gene in their coat pigmentation.



Sunday 12 February 2017

Wicken Fen

We have taken a couple of walks at our nearby nature reserve Wicken Fen over the winter. It is the National Trust's oldest reserve and arguably one of the most important with over 9000 species. One of its winter visitors is the Short Eared Owl and they bring in lots of bird watchers and photographers as they hunt during the day across the fens. So far we have yet to see one but there is always something to spot at Wicken from the wild Konik ponies that graze there to kestrels and other birds of prey, deer are often spotted and on our last visit a barn owl in the distance.

Wild Konik ponies at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Wild Konik ponies at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Roe deer at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Fieldfare at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Barn owl at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Barn owl at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Barn owl at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Kestrel at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire

Vole re-visited

We did go back to see if the vole was there (still forgot the Nikon!) and so pleased to see it out and about around the hole. It posed quite nicely for us! The hole still looks like it's being used but so far this has been the last sighting.