Nene Washes Walk

This year's spring walk along the Nene Washes lived up to expectations, producing wonderful views of displaying snipe, lapwing, redshank and black-tailed godwit - and what's more for once it wasn't freezing cold!

A group of ten Langdyke members ventured out last Thursday evening to walk along the central drove of the washes and a calm and clear late spring evening. There was plenty of bird activity from the start, with snipe drumming near the entrance to the RSPB reserve and very soon we came across several black tailed godwit too, piping in alarm at our presence and flying aggressively overhead, wishing us gone.

A male marsh harrier flew past too and soon we picked up a barn owl hunting along the main dyke near Bassenhally farm.

With plenty of common birds too - meadow pipit, skylark, reed bunting and yellow wagtail - plus mallard shoveler and mute swan in the ditches.

Finally as we pulled our boots off at 9.30pm by the cars, a lucky few of us could just make out the rather distant call of the corncrake from the meadows near by. This bird has been successfully reintroduced to the Nene Washes recently - making this pretty much the only location in England where you can find this elusive bird - don't try to see it, you won't, it stays put in the long grass, calling monotously all night long. For the John Clare lovers amongst you, this is a bird that he regularly wrote about - and you can here its call on the Botolph's Barn website!