Silver Ghosts at Lakenheath Fen

A grim and cold afternoon. Tupperware skies, the air barely above freezing point, and not a good day to be performing that hard slog out to the main viewpoint at RSPB Lakenheath Fen. Hardly anything en route, the water frozen in the pools and dykes... Arrived to be told by (the only) one birder that he'd seen cranes, a army of marsh harriers and a beautiful male hen harrier earlier. "They come in at 3 o'clock," he said smugly. It was 3.30pm. Humph. We (Clive and I) sat on the benches looking out over the reedbeds, asking for good fortune. We got it. At least ten marsh harriers were out there, mostly distant but sailing around, often six together in one bino view. Then, a pair of cranes passed across, dropping down and landing out of sight. Next up, a superb male hen harrier, passing quite close before dropping into the reeds. A kestrel flew by. We turned round, and suddenly there were two male hen harriers, those grey ghosts of the fen, quartering the reedbed behind, beautifully contrasted against the dark poplars beyond. Meanwhile, back beyond the marsh harrier fest were huge numbers of corvids massing to roost, then a large skein of geese moved across, with two more cranes drifting above them. And it went on, with a barn owl passing close as we walked round and along the river path. Seven little egrets flew by. A flock of wigeon and a grey heron flushed from the flooded meadows. A whooper swan sitting on the riverbank. A common buzzard passed overhead, then a peregrine fleetingly and low (five raptors on the list for the afternoon). Finally, at least 5,000 corvids, mainly jackdaws, swirling and calling as they settled in the poplars to roost. Amazing sights, on a slate-grey but exhilarating winter's afternoon.

The ghostly figure of a male hen harrier (pic by Graham Catley, http://pewit.blogspot.co.uk)