Boxing Day walk

Just a quick stroll before lunch, but enough time to try out my new camera - a Nikon Coolpix P510 with a fabulous 42X zoom lens!
Water levels have risen once again, with Middle Fen totally flooded once more.

Flooding in Middle Fen

The usual suspects, mute swans, mallards & wigeons, were feeding in the floodwaters, whilst several cormorants and a grey heron flew along the river.
Ouse Fen was relatively quiet, but there were good numbers of shovelers on Cell 2 and a grey heron flushed a couple of snipe from Cell 1. As we approached the livestock corral, a nice male stonechat perched obligingly on some thin branches.

Male Stonechat

This was the best picture that I managed, & has been cropped a little, but given the bird was over 20 metres away, it's not bad!
Heading back through the village, I decided to try a couple of closer subjects; a pair of blackbirds along the alleyway behind the house.

Male Blackbird

Female Blackbird

The camera shows promise, so hopefully I'll be able to take plenty of photos in the New Year (particularly as I've also got a 32GB memory card for it!).

Walking in a winter wonderland

Just a short walk, this afternoon, down to the river and back. Not much wildlife to report, but this little lassie enjoyed herself.....

Jet

Highlight was a green sandpiper flying out of Middle Fen, calling as it went. A few snipe were working the semi-frozen edges of the Swavesey Drain & goldfinches fed amongst the frost-covered teasels.

Teasel

Due to its regular flow, the Swavesey Drain stays ice free, so is as good place to look for waterfowl, even on the coldest of days. Today it was a family of mute swans; the two adults still tolerating the presence of their three offspring.

Mute Swans

We still have some guelder rose berries around Giffords Way, so we are still hoping for the return of the waxwings!

Guelder Rose