The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Hi,

I just spoke to a chap who had the stilt at Willowtree Fen this morning at 9ish.

Cheers,

Simon.

Sorry we have been a bit slow on getting back to questions (got the bird info out promptly though!). The Lincs Wildlife Trust bought Willow Tree Farm (now renamed Willow Tree Fen) 3 years ago, as part of a £2M project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Natural England, Environment Agency, LCC and other partners.

It is 111 hectares (about 270 acres) of what was up until last year 4 large fields growing beans and wheat. The crops have been removed and we have sown a grass mix, with the aim over the next few years of managing the sward to recreate similar conditions to those found at our Baston Fen reserve, 2.5 miles to the west. We have fitted several water control structures, which have enabled us to raise the water levels on site without affecting neighbouring farmland. We are currently experimenting with what exactly the raised water levels are going to deliver.

The field with the B-w stilt in appears to be going to be the best for wet flashes, so we have put up a couple of small hides overlooking these, the other field adjacent looks quite promising as well. The biggest field is about 100 acres, but is going to be much more of a challenge to get wet and will need some new drains/scrapes creating to get water on to it. There is one smaller field of about 15 acres which will remain dry - we have planted this with a bird seed mix - quinoa, millet, teasel etc and arable weeds. We have had some good finch flocks on this last winter.

The site is only just getting visitable - paths are now in, couple of hides, way-marked routes etc. The paths are around the edges of the fields to minimise disturbance to the birds and to walk all the paths is about 4 miles. It is a very exposed fen site, but there are a couple of good reed-fringed pools and a long thin mixed woodland for birds to shelter in, as well as walks along the River Glen and Counter Drain. Looks like it will be a good dragonfly site as well - 15 species so far.

Please use the car park off the Counter Drain Drove (Tongue End/Pode Hole). Do not use the Pinchbeck Fen Slipe road (sometimes Sat Navs pick this up), the last mile isn't suitable for cars. We look forward to birders using the site and would be grateful for any records/feedback.

Dave Bromwich
Head of Nature Reserves
Lincs Wildlife Trust

I got the feeling that Willow Tree Fen was a 'new' LWT reserve for most visiting birdwatchers at the weekend. I certainly intend to visit again in the near future. The fact that the BWS has stayed suggests the water levels are at an acceptable level for passage waders....

Thanks

Andrew

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Andrew Chick
Website: http://www.forktail.co.uk/

Well done, Dave. The LWT have received flak in the past on this Forum but I'm sure all will agree that the efforts made to restore the area to what was a widespread habitat is already producing the goods.

Black-winged stilt still present this evening feeding at the edge of the water close to the track. Also a couple of pairs each of shelduck and shoveler plus, amongst other things, several lapwing and a single barn owl (and a barn owl on Bourne South Fen en route). Vin

A female Wheatear flew across the road on Sunday 15th April.