53rd: Willow Tree Fen – Lincolnshire

The visit to Willow Tree Fen may turn out to be our final reserve visit, as part of this project anyway. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, we will visit many, many more reserves in the coming months and years, but I need to focus on actually producing the artwork for this project at some point. If I end up getting any more inspiration for artworks my brain may melt. I’ve got enough inspiration for at least 3 exhibitions already, and I’m not sure I’ll cope getting any more.

Before we travelled to the reserve Matthew Capper (the most fantastically helpful and knowledgeable person we’ve met) described it as the best car park in England. Once we were there, I completely understood what he meant. We arrived at the car park to be met by a volunteer and about 5 other nature enthusiasts, all using spotter scopes with wonderful expertise. Cries of “the harrier’s up” filled the air as we saw another marsh harrier off in the distance.

Everyone was lined up at the edge of a small carpark, looking over what has now become (thanks to 15 years of careful management by the Trust) traditional fenland, a mixture of shallow meres, seasonally flooded pastures, hay meadows and reed beds. It also has a fantastic story that puts at least a little silver lining on the tragedy that was the Covid pandemic. As a result of the lockdowns that were put in place and the subsequent plummet in the numbers of walkers crossing the reserve, a pair of cranes returned to breed.

This was a huge event as there haven’t been any cranes in Lincolnshire for at least 400 years. The decision was taken to close off public access to the reserve and set up a viewing area in the carpark, meaning the place now attracts many visitors from all over the country and further afield.

The weather was pretty mixed when we arrived, with very heavy rain threatening to ruin the last reserve on our trip to Lincolnshire. However, it held off long enough to get to know the incredible volunteers, Chris and Matt, and to take in the breeding pairs of cranes, other fantastic birdlife and also an unexpected roe deer.

The weather then arrived in full force and it poured down with rain, driving us to start the long journey home. The trip to Cumbria, Scotland, Northumberland and Lincolnshire had been absolutely fantastic and rewarding. Thank you.

Seriously, thank you.