Birding Nene Washes (1 Viewer)

[jogresh]

I'll be birding the Nene Washes tomoz and Tue - any hints n tips appreciated: where to look, where to park, avoid, eat, bogs etc etc., much appreciated.
Staying in Whittlesey. Thanks in advance, Mike. 🙂👍🐦🌤

 

[wolfbirder]

Eldernell is the best place - go east from Whittlesey along A605 through Eastrea and Coates - a total of only a mile or two at most from Whittlesey - and turn left off A605 where you see a tractor factory on your left - this leads to a small car park at the end, just over a small bridge. I don't think its signposted off A605. From the car park you can walk westward or eastward along raised bank. Short eared and LE Owls often in hedge below the bank immediately to the left (within a few hundred metres). Eldernell is perhaps best towards dusk when birds come into roost - maybe harriers, owls, Merlin, Cranes, Barn Owl in farm buildings behind car park. No wc here nor eating places. Take food with you and wrap up, its exposed.

 

[jogresh]

Useful info, many thanks. 🙂👍🐦

 

[tonyfenn]

Eldernell is the best place - go east from Whittlesey along A605 through Eastrea and Coates - a total of only a mile or two at most from Whittlesey - and turn left off A605 where you see a tractor factory on your left - this leads to a small car park at the end, just over a small bridge. I don't think its signposted off A605. From the car park you can walk westward or eastward along raised bank. Short eared and LE Owls often in hedge below the bank immediately to the left (within a few hundred metres). Eldernell is perhaps best towards dusk when birds come into roost - maybe harriers, owls, Merlin, Cranes, Barn Owl in farm buildings behind car park. No wc here nor eating places. Take food with you and wrap up, its exposed.

Also keep walking Westwood to view the wood on the other side of the river/drain and look for the most photographed tawny owl in Britain

 

[jogresh]

I'm hoping to see the wildfowl spectacle I've read about since a wee lad, is that likely? Or is the Ouse Washes better? TIA. 🙂👍🐦

 

[wolfbirder]

I'm hoping to see the wildfowl spectacle I've read about since a wee lad, is that likely? Or is the Ouse Washes better? TIA. 🙂👍🐦

Yeah Id say Ouse Washes and WWT Welney - that general area - are probably better for masses of Whoopers and some Bewicks. There is waterfowl viewable from Eldernell especially away to the right but you need a scope.

 

[Farnboro John]

I'd say that apart from swans (and you should see some Whoopers there) Eldernell provides a great wildfowl spectacle, especially when a Peregrine puts everything up over a wide area and the air is filled with flights of Wigeon, flocks of Lapwing flashing black and white and circling masses of Golden Plover.

In these days of bird flu I wonder how responsible it is to attract masses of swans from across maybe Iceland, Scandinavia and beyond to a single location and then crowd them together even more with barrowloads of grain. Not to mention if they were wintering as small family groups across Britain maybe more people would be aware of them. Just saying....

John

 

[jogresh]

Yeah Id say Ouse Washes and WWT Welney - that general area - are probably better for masses of Whoopers and some Bewicks. There is waterfowl viewable from Eldernell especially away to the right but you need a scope.

Cheers, yes was a smidge underwhelming on the waterfowl front, apart from (as John mentions), the big numbers of distant Lapwings which lifted from time to time which was a cool spectacle. Not complaining at all, very pleasant few hours in the sun, great views of preening LEO - my first LEO for a very long time (maybe decades?), couple of distant Whoopers n Cranes, Cettis and Kites calling, and chatted to some friendly birders from Ely. Quite a sight to see so much water. Huge numbers of Roe Deer (c. 35 ish?), they've hardly made it to my part of the world! 🙂👍🐦

 

[jogresh]

In these days of bird flu I wonder how responsible it is to attract masses of swans from across maybe Iceland, Scandinavia and beyond to a single location and then crowd them together even more with barrowloads of grain. Just saying....

John

Oddly, I wondered exactly the same thing as I was chilling along the Nene this avo, perhaps prompted by the sight of a couple of dead swans? 🤔🤷

 

[wolfbirder]

Hope you have a good bit of birding and get to see what you hope to see.