Flyladyphotography By Wendy Cooper

  Back in January, we decided to have a trip to RSPB Lakenheath Fen, in Suffolk.  The day was bright, crisp and rather chilly - the frost from the morning still being about well into the afternoon.  The reserve is a mixture of fenland and woodland, surrounded by farmland with a river running through it.  As we drove into the carpark, a sparrowhawk flashed low across the front of us, in hot pursuit of a late lunch, the start of a promising afternoon.   Just outside the visitor centre there are feeders and a waterway, I have never seen so many Reed Buntings in the open before - usually I'm lucky to get a glimpse when they hop up out of the reeds.  They were basking in the sunshine as well as visiting the feeders.   As we followed the footpath towards the first viewpoint, there were a fair few rooks too-ing and fro-ing between the fields the otherside of the railway line and the trees, very cheeky and very loud!   When we reached ...

  Well after the hub-bub of Christmas, I decided that a little wander on my local patch was in order.   It is an area of farmland with a couple of patches of woodland; the woodland comprised of oak, beech, chestnut, ash, hazel and alder with a couple of big spruce trees as well.  Along the edge of the woods there are an abundance of brambles, hawthorn and blackthorn, as well as plenty of elderberry bushes.   It was a lovely clear sunny day, albeit a little on the fresh side!  Anyhow as I entered the woods I was pleased to see a possible old acquaintance on the little pond, a grey wagtail. I'm not sure if it is the same one as I've seen previous years, however one is back after a long absence A further surprise, along the edge of the woods, was my first sighting of a Marsh tit -  seen them elsewhere, however never before on home territory!  I have seen Coal tits up there, as wee as currently having a pair visiting the feeders in the garden...