A Winter of Harriers

It really has become a winter full of harriers! Yesterday went to the Nene Washes and managed to see the cranes again - six of them this time, in more or less the same area - plus buzzards, a couple of marsh harriers, plenty of whooper swans, a large flock of golden plovers constantly whirring about in the sky, and a hedgerow bristling with the "chack chack" of fieldfares... Some good ducks too on the pit on the left, including some smart pochard. Plenty of pied wagtails dancing about on the grass alongside the dyke. Then off to Wicken Fen, such a favourite place and with that wonderful special oasis-style feel. We tramped around the nature trail - buzzard, green woodpecker, longtailed tits - and then got into position in the Tower Hide and waited for the birds to come to us... First up was the most exquisitely plumaged barn owl, a beautiful  cinnamon on its upperparts, sailing right past the hide and over the Lode towards the cormorant colony. Then a mature female marsh harrier, again passing very close, with a bright golden crown. Next a female hen harrier, wafting in from the left, quartering the fen before dropping down at the back. Then a superb male, his pale grey feathers gleaming in the fading light and showing off beautifully before he went down, followed by another ringtail, which came very close to us and fanned her tail for us to see those wonderful horizontal stripes. Another male, then another female, and we were still seeing them as we walked back towards the visitor centre. Probably two males and five females in total, at least. Wonderful.