Sunday, July 17, 2005

Farcet Fen - looking good

Despite being an intensively farmed arable fen, Farcet Fen is a fantastic wildlife fen. The droves, dykes and irrigation reservoirs which are an important part of an arable fen's make-up mean that these areas are much more wildlife-friendly than similarly intensively farmed areas away from the fens which are little other than crop prairies with no dykes, ditches or hedgerows.


Fen drove weedy edges and (on right) lush damp dyke which holds breeding Sedge and Reed Warblers.


Fen dyke a medium-width dyke which is fantastic for aquatic life including many dragons and damsels and breeding site for both Hairy Dragonfly and Migrant Hawker.


Fen irrigation reservoir now beginning to get well vegetated and this year added Coot and Little Grebe to its list of breeders. Great for drags, the odd wader and a favourite haunt for feeding Tree Sparrows to collect emerging damselflies and other aquatic inverts.

All images | Nikon Coolpix 995 | © Steve Dudley

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