Wellmore Field is the old name for the parcel of land to the south and east of Glinton, from the Lincoln Turnpike Rd, crossing Foxcovert in the direction of Peakirk. It is mainly a clay dome, draining to the North and East into the Folly River. This is the easterly end of a waterway following the old Car Dyke path, so connecting the Nene system to the Welland via Eastfield, Newark, Eye, Dogsthorpe, and along the easterly edge of Paston and Werrington to Peakirk

In the same way as Botolph and Henry tread the west and middle of Maxey Cut, my beat, also with four-footed friend, is the Folly River and the easterly end of Maxey Cut, (from Walderam Hall where it rejoins the Welland proper - see the Jan ’10 Tribune), then the South Drain and Brook Drain back into the village. We see possibly the same Kingfisher, the Terns, a Barn Owl, and all the common species on Maxey Cut. However it is possible that the Car Dyke/ Folly River route provides a kind of wildlife corridor along the fen edge from Eye to Peakirk encouraging movement along the wide dyke, with scrubland and pasture almost all the way from the Nene system to the Welland. It is also much more “open” to the East.

How else to explain two unusual sightings in recent times. A couple of weeks ago, I believe I saw a Great White Egret (or Great White Heron if you prefer) along the Folly River. About full-grown heron size, but brilliant white, sharper in wing and faster in flight. When disturbed from the water’s edge, the single bird flew off south easterly back along the Folly River/Car Dyke route. There was one reported (by a real ornithologist!) at Manea the day before.

Then yesterday (Thursday 11th Feb), almost in the same area, a Marsh Harrier - I am confident of this one from sightings and identification on Langdyke Trust trips to the Nene Washes. The magnificent bird, I think a female, flew up from a band of bare trees on the northern Folly River margin, overlooking an uncut rough pasture, and flew slowly and deliberately, repeating a few power strokes, then a short glide, across the open fields towards Werrington Bridge. It had sharper wings and longer tail than a Buzzard (I spotted a female and “mewing” youngster here in late summer), it was much too big for a Kestrel….


Lastly, the Fieldfare flocks, having exhausted the berries, feed in the wheatfields, - last weekend a large flock of hundreds between Glinton and Peakirk, this week only about 120/150 adjacent to Folly River and along Mile Drove.

I wonder that this weekend will bring - time to check out the owls perhaps.