RSPB Ouse Fen and Lakenheath Fen

Saturday wasn't a good day weather wise, being rather dull and cool all day with a bit of drizzle at times. There wasn't much happening nationally, at least nothing worth travelling for so Colin and I decided to head to the fens, hoping to pick up a few year ticks. There was also the chance that the Snowy Owl seen around the Wash in recent weeks would be re-found, so we would at least be half way there. Unfortunately it wasn't.
There wasn't much of a plan, but we thought we'd try the fairly new RSPB Ouse Fen reserve. We had been in the area  something like 20 years previously when news of an over summering female Red Footed Falcon came out, but the decades of gravel pit excavation and restoration had changed the area considerably.
We didn't manage to get to the reed beds the other side of the river-a combination of distance and closed/diverted routes meant that we essentially did a circuit of the various pits. A couple of Smew had been wintering on one of them and had been reported recently, but we couldn't find them, assuming they were still in the area. There were a few small flocks of Wigeon still, plus the expected Mallard, Teal, Canada and Greylag Geese, a few Mute Swans and some Great Crested and Little Grebes. Its a good spot for Bullfinches-we encountered birds on several occasions with a maximum flock of five birds. An unexpected bonus were the five White Fronted Geese, though they were a fair way off on one of the larger water bodies. There have been several booming Bitterns recently, but presumably they were in the larger reed beds.

We then headed off to Lakenheath Fen. The usual Great White Egret was on the washes from the view point, but headed off west as we walked along the bank. A second bird was also seen briefly. Lots of Shelduck and Wigeon on the wash as well plus single drake Pintail. A calling Water Rail was heard in the riverside reed and iris beds, though we failed to locate the Garganey seen earlier in the morning. A flyby Water Pipit and a female Stonechat added interest as we walked towards the Joist Fen view point. We were warned that some of the Poplars had come down over winter, but both of the old plantations had lost maybe 50% of the trees,

Assuming the Golden Orioles ever return this would have a significant impact but it would probably affect the returning Cuckoos, Hobbies and Warblers more. I assume that many of the woods along the river will have been affected similarly.
Not much from the view point-no Bitterns Kingfishers or Cranes but a pair of Marsh Harriers and some pinging Bearded Tits were worth the long walk. The way back wasn't great as it had cooled a bit and the light was dropping and we didn't see much else of note.
Had the sun been out we would have tried one of the heaths for Woodlark and Stone Curlews but we decided to return early. Thoughts of calling in at Ashwell to check he dung heaps was dismissed-a big mistake as Tom Spellar found a Wheatear the next morning.