Distant raptor-fest at Strumpshaw Fen

Chiefly out of desperation at being stuck indoors decorating for much of the past three days, I took a rapid five-mile spin around the Fen & Buckenham yesterday afternoon.

The 'seeing' was appalling and I just couldn't seem to set the camera up at all: moreover, necessary maintenance meant teams of vols were all over the rerserve cutting and burning reeds.

Nevertheless, a few odds and ends enlivened my walk: an Osprey flew across from Rockland, picking up a pair of Buzzards over Buckenham Woods, where a Hobby joined in the fun!

At Buckenham a couple of Whinchats flitted up and down in the high winds: workmen all over the riverbank guaranteed a complete lack of birds on the scrape, however.

Still lots of Odonata at Strumpshaw: Brown, Southern & Migrant Hawkers as well as dozens of Common Emerald Damsels.

Back home, I watched this Blue Tit pecking grains of sand (NOT cobwebs or insects!) from the wall outside my office!