Avocet, Temminck’s stint and whimbrel spotted at Tubney Fen

11/05/2010 14:24:00 Rare species delight bird watchers on Wicken Fen
May 2010. Local bird watchers have recently reported sightings of rare wading birds including avocet, temminck's stint and whimbrel on the National Trust's Tubney Fen (Part of Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve), near Reach in Cambridgeshire.

Avocet
Avocet, iconic wading birds with tilted up bill and black and white markings, normally live and breed in shallow coastal lagoons around the coast of East Anglia. Last year three pairs of avocet bred on Tubney Fen, the first time the species have been recorded breeding at Wicken Fen. Nine avocets have been seen on Tubney Fen in recent days raising hopes that they will breed again this year.

Temminck's stint
Temminck's stint are rare visitors to our shores with around a 100 birds visiting the UK each year. The tiny wading bird is most probably resting whilst on migration from Southern Europe to its summer breeding grounds in the Artic. The last reported sighting of a temminck's stint at Wicken Fen was over a decade ago.

Whimbrel
Whimbrel are large wading birds with characteristic long legs and a bill that curves near the top, spends its winters in Southern Africa with around 500 pairs breeding in Shetland and the Orkney Isles each year.

Tubney Fen was purchased in 2005 as part of the Wicken Fen Vision, a 100 year project by the National Trust to create a landscape scale nature reserve and green lung for Cambridgeshire and the East of England, covering 53 sq km, from the existing Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve to the outskirts of Cambridge. The Vision will see the re-creation of a mosaic of fenland habitats to help protect and conserve endangered species of wildlife whilst providing a vast area for public access for leisure, relaxation, exercise and education.

Tubney Fen - Old turf farm
Prior to being acquired by the Trust, Tubney Fen was used for turf production. Habitat restoration undertaken by the Trust includes the creation of a mere and species rich grassland. The fen has now been returned to agricultural production with the species rich grassland providing high quality seasonal grazing for local graziers. Public access routes have also been created across the fen, together with the provision of facilities such as mounting blocks to assist access for horse riders.

New hide
A new bird viewing facility overlooking the mere enabling visitors to view the birds without disturbing them was constructed over the winter months. The planting of a turf roof on the hide and screening cover will be undertaken when the birds have left in the autumn so as not to disturb them whilst they are breeding.