A Couple of Hours with the Harriers

25th June 2025

Difficult to say what the harriers are up to at the moment. I was there from 9.00am to 1.00pm and during that time there was no sign of the female and only two visits from the male. Hopefully the female is on eggs, but when the male brought in food, once to the nest and once behind the bushes, on neither occasion did she leave the nest to collect the food. Here are my shots of the male.

Then just as we were about to leave, a bird of prey was seen flying towards the reserve which I immediately assumed was a harrier bringing in food. It was not until it got closer I realised the tail was too long for a harrier and therefore a kite, but instead of the characteristic forked tail, the tail was square. My thoughts immediately turned to Black Kite.

It was only when I got home and took a closer look at my photos I saw that the mantle was chestnut and therefore a Red Kite. Also the pale fringes to the wing coverts indicate that it was a juvenile.

I sent the photos to Alan Harris who agreed with my diagnosis and added that all 12 of the tail feathers were present, and the reason the tail looked square was that the outer tail feathers were still growing. He had seen a similar bird at Amwell last week. 

Thanks Alan, mystery solved!!!

Bitterns at Lakenheath Fen

8th June 2025

Back at Lakenheath Fen for another try at some Bittern food flights. New Fen was still vey quiet, but the appearance of a female Shoveler with her six ducklings was a nice surprise.

The Mere Hide was fairly busy and when I managed to get a seat I was able to get a shot of a newly emerged Emperor Dragonfly perched on an old Phragmites stem, drying its wings before its first flight.

The three Great Crested Grebe humbugs were still with mum who was bringing in food. Unfortunately she didn't seem to have much idea about the size of fish they could cope with, and this small Tench was far too big and in the end she ate it herself.

The next offering of a small Pike was far more suitable and one of the humbugs swallowed it straight down.

I was so busy photographing the humbugs right outside the hide that I hadn't noticed the Great White Egret fly in. What an elegant bird...................

...................and just look at that neck.

Even managed some flight shots.

At that point a couple of Hobbies started hunting over the mere, very close and very fast and made more difficult with a crowded hide. However, still managed to get a few.

So what about the Bitterns? Well, when we arrived at the New Fen viewpoint one did a short hop across the reed bed, but the real action started when we arrived at the hide. A Bittern was in the reeds about 20 yards away but about a foot inside and was therefore concealed by reed stems, but I did manage a few shots while it was preening and then moving off deeper into the reeds.

But the one and only flight shot opportunity came as I was walking back past New Fen and one flew past between me and Trial Wood, just 30 yards away.. 

Got to get lucky some time!!!!

A Couple of Hours in the Mere Hide

30th May 2025

A visit to Lakenheath Fen today in the hope some Bittern eggs had hatched and the parents were carrying out food flights to feed the young. There were two such flights at about 6am (we were told) so probably still a bit too early.

All very quiet at New Fen, although a single Kingfisher did put in a brief appearance on the far reeds which did allow a few record shots.

Further up the track a Black-tailed Skimmer had just caught what looks like a Tiger Cranefly Nephrotoma flavescens.

No Kingfishers at the Mere Hide today, but there were a few dragonflies around like these three pairs of Azure Damselflies ovipositing on the Water Mint just outside the hide.................

.......................and a handful of Four-spotted Chasers zipping around, only stopping occasionally for a rest.

I even managed to catch one in flight.

But the stars of the show today were the female Great Crested Grebe and her young, generally know by their nickname humbugs. Here she is with one of them.

And then there were two.

And then three, although one was on her back in the last two photos.

Here is one being fed a small Tench..................

.......................which it immediately gulped down.

Well, another great day at Lakenheath Fen, and it looks as if we'll be back for the Bitterns in a week or so.