Ramble - Spring
4km Around Wicken Fen
Starting at the National Trust car park walk towards the visitor centre keeping to the left hand path and the Eastern bank of Wicken Lode.
By mid April Reed Warblers singing from every clump of reeds and Cuckoo's will be calling all around. The Cuckoo lays it's lone egg in Reed Warbler nests making Wicken a prime spot to see and hear this herald of spring. Insects love the shelter provided by the scrubby tangles along the lodeside and it's worth spending a bit of time searching for butterflies such as Comma, Brimstone, Orange Tip and Small Tortoiseshell. Listen for the explosive song of the rare Cetti's Warbler, this can be transcribed as "swep swep swepish sewsewesewesuu" - you'll know it when you hear it. Swinging left and then over then Southwards over the Monks Lode the scrub gives way to the open grazing of Bakers Fen. In spring this area may be flooded and hold wading birds such as Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover and more often than not a dazzling white Little Egret. The Fen here is grazed by Highland Cattle and Konik Ponies keeping the habitat open and preventing invasive vegetation taking over and keeping the ground fairly boggy.
(Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.)
Turning right where the footpath hits Harrison's Fen brings you closer to tall plants such as Hogweed, Cow Parsley, Wild Carrot and the flag of the fen phragmites reed heads. Looking skywards there is an excellent chance of seeing summer visiting Hobbies, slim falcons that hunt for Dragonflies in flight or Marsh Harriers soaring effortlessly on bigger broad wings. This drove is very sheltered with a good south facing aspect and is therefore really good for insects particularly in the afternoon. Dragonflies, Bees and various species of Beetles should be found with a bit of searching and you amy be lucky enough to hear the hollow booming of a Bittern from the newly restored reedbed. At the end of the Drove turn right and head back towards the visitor centre. Skirting the Wicken Fen reserve to the West gives another chance to see the species mentione above and there will always be a surprise, maybe a Barn Owl hunting in the daylight, a Muntjac or Roe Deer bounding through the grassland or even a Water Vole at the Visitor Centre pool.