A farewell to winter at Wicken Fen

On Saturday 27th February I took another trip to Wicken Fen to go for a walk. I went earlier in the day this time, arriving at 2pm and leaving at 5:30pm, and got less birds of prey and owls, missing the Harriers Circus sp. and Short-eared Owls Asio flammeus we had recorded at the end of January. Next time I will stay until dark again, to hopefully see more large birds hunting or returning to roost. I still saw Barn Owl Tyto alba, Buzzard Buteo buteo and Kestrel Falco tinnunculus, though, along with an assemblage of other bird species, such as Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Lapwing Egretta garzetta, Fieldfare Turdus pilaris, as well as another spectacular murmuration of Starlings Sturnus vulgaris.

Mute Swans Cygnus olor

Buzzard Buteo buteo

Buzzard Buteo buteo

Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Barn Owl Tyto alba hunting over rough grassland in early dusk,
whilst a Woodpigeon Columba palumbus flies from a perch

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 1/7

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 2/7

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 3/7

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 4/7

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 5/7

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 6/7

Starling Sturnus vulgaris murmuration sequence 7/7

Goldfinches Carduelis carduelis with distinctive yellow wing-bar