Afternoon at Wicken

The rain stopped after lunch and I enjoyed a couple of hours on Burwell Fen before the very strong winds arrived. The herons were the most confiding - otherwise the birds were at a distance including male and female Kestrels, Short-eared Owl and two Marsh Harriers.  The landscapes were with my not-very-good mobile camera!

Toft Raptor Show

 Yesterday afternoon we were treated to our own personal raptor show as Buzzard, Kestrel and Red Kites swooped down into the field next to our bungalow when the hay-making machine disturbed rodents and insects. The light wasn't very good for most of the time and backgrounds difficult but quite an experience seeing them sometimes very close.

Rutland Water Walk 2. Other Birds

The variety of birds that we saw at Rutland was great but the viewing distance and photographing into the sun for most shots means they definitely come into the 'for ID and Memories' category only. The Osprey(s) kept us entertained most of the day, soaring and hovering in the distance while Kestrel and Marsh harrier also hunted in the distance plus the usual wetland species.

Welney: Barn Owls

We spent the afternoon at Welney with the Barn Owl(s) - there are several pairs roosting around Lady fen so a good chance of seeing them out hunting in the daylight. Not technically good images as at a distance for my lens but hopefully gives the feel of these wonderful birds on a sunlit afternoon. The last two were taken into the low sun and show a successful catch which the owl managed to get back to its barn despite three 'pirating' kestrels.

Welney Morning Birds

We spent the rest of Sunday morning (after a breakfast in the cafe!!), general bird watching and 'snapping' on the main reserve so here a flavour of the session and including Cattle Egret and ?Chiffchaff (a pair were flitting in the bushes - presumably overwintered in UK).