Marsh harrier chicks have recently been ringed on Ely Beet Pits. This will help scientists track their movements and shed light on the birds’ ecology. Marsh harriers were extinct in the UK for most of the last century, returning only in the 1970s, but they have bred here regularly for several years. The parents can be easily seen from the pull-ins on Queen Adelaide Way, but remember that it is strictly illegal to approach the birds without a licence.
The LCPRE Annual General Meeting will be held from 7.30pm on Wednesday 7 July, at Ely Sailing Club. After the formal business of the evening, there will be cheese and wine, and (weather permitting) a nature walk around Roswell.
The LCPRE Garden Party will be held on Sunday 13 June to fundraise and keep people in touch with what’s happening around the Wildspace. Gardens will be open at 50A Prickwillow Road (CB7 4QT, from 2-3.30pm), and at Rosewell House (CB7 4TX, off Kiln Lane, from 2-5pm). There will be a nature trail for people between the gardens across Ely Common, and at Rosewell there will be teas, cakes and stalls. An all-garden ticket costs £2.