Hobbies have returned to Redgrave & Lopham Fen once more, after spending the winter in Africa. Hobbies are keen hunters, chasing and catching fast-flying dragonflies and small birds on the wing. The amazing images were taken by local photographer John Yaxley.

Warden Lewis has been using trail cameras to monitor predator activity at Castle Marshes. It looks like the wildlife are posing for the camera in these snap shots! 

There has been plenty of water vole activity recorded recently – Warden Jamie found this evidence whilst surveying Dingle Marshes, and then Gavin got this footage of one feeding on one of the monitoring rafts at Carlton Marshes. 

The Carlton Marshes team have obtained some interesting information from the leg rings of marsh harriers. Firstly, an adult bird seen at Peto’s Marsh this week turned out to be of Dutch origin, tagged 3 years ago in the Dutch city of Ijzendijke, and the same bird has also been seen three times in Ireland. 

The second bird was a marsh harrier chick the team ringed and tagged last summer, which has recently been recorded soaring the skies in Algeria. 

This bittern has been stalking about right in front of one of the trail cameras at Peto’s Marsh.  

Amphibians have been busy breeding at Carlton Marshes. The dykes are currently teeming with frogspawn, and Warden Gavin also spotted this toad was taking its chances crossing the main track in the middle of the day. 

Lound Lakes is a mosaic of habitats, attracting a wide variety of wildlife, including these green hairstreak and painted lady butterflies spotted by Andy. 

This is the hairy, gold speckled caterpillar of the drinker moth. They're most often found in marshy places, like this one at Dingle Marshes. These caterpillars feed on a variety of grasses and reeds, like cock's-foot and reed canary-grass. 

Warden Jamie was delighted to see these freshly emerged four-spotted chasers at Hen Reedbeds recently. Both sexes of the four-spotted chaser are golden-brown, getting darker towards the tip of the body, and with yellow spots along the sides. Two dark spots at the front edge of each wing give this dragonfly its name and easily recognisable appearance.  

Darsham Marshes is a classic representative marshland site that has been traditionally managed for many years to achieve its diverse mix of flora and fauna. This week southern marsh orchid and ragged robin are in flower, attracting this beautiful orange tip butterfly. 

These gorgeous intricate moths were recorded by Warden Dan at Church Farm this week. 

Roydon Fen is exceptional at this time of year with wildflowers galore, including ragged robin and marsh lousewort as pictured here by Assistant Warden Debs.