THORNEY DYKE

A drive with great fenland and farmland birds on either side

Thorney Dyke is a dead-end road which runs east from the B1040 north of Whittlesey and covering 4 miles parallel to the channel of the River Nene to the south and the Nene Washes RSPB south of the river. You can view the surrounding farmland from the car (or from the roadside), scanning for birds such as wild swans, raptors and Cranes, or something even rarer (Great Grey Shrike, Tundra Bean Goose and Pacific Golden Plover have occurred).

WHERE TO WATCH 1

Stone Bridge Corner. A good spot for Mistle Thrushes, and for scanning the fields for ‘worming’ Buzzards, Golden

Plovers, Lapwings and egrets. In November 2021, an adult Pacific Golden Plover was found in the large ‘Golden Plover fields’ near to here.

2

Scan the fields for more Golden Plovers (which may number in several thousands, often mixed with Lapwings, and the flocks may contain other waders, such as Dunlin and Ruff), possible Great White Egret and raptors, which may include Merlin and Peregrine, as well as the more expected Buzzard, Kestrel, Red Kite and perhaps a Marsh Harrier or two.

3

Look in fields to south in particular for Whooper Swans and Bewick’s Swans. Occasional wild geese herds have included

Tundra Bean Geese (though these are rare, here). Also scan here for Cranes, which are particularly fond of the fields near the river. There can be more than 50 in the winter.

4

The area to the north, known as Knarr Fen, may hold many hundreds of wild swans (Whoopers are always much more numerous than Bewick’s Swans, these days). Stonechats feed along the ditches and there should be Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings feeding in farm yards and along hedges.

5

The scattered grain of the former haystacks at the east end of the paved road is good for searching for Bramblings and Tree Sparrows (both scarce, these days) among the Chaffinches.