Wonder birds

A new place. New sights and sounds. New people.

It was a beautiful day - they have become precious as the weather worsens into winter. And I made a detour to Ouse Fen Nature Reserve for a little late afternoon wander.

I was walking along, taking the occasional snap when a person fifty metres or so ahead of me shouted and waved at me. I turned around and there was a large pale brown bird flying.... I could not tell what it was so I stumbled up to the woman, clumsy in a coat too big for the conditions and a shopping bag containing my flask of coffee. She told me it was a bittern. I had never seen one before.

I walked on and saw what I had hoped to see... or I hoped that it was what I had hoped to see - a marsh harrier. I asked the woman and she said that it was indeed a marsh harrier.

A man came and joined us. The woman said that if I stayed a while I would be able to watch the starlings murmurating. The man mentioned that he had once stood in the middle of a murmuration. He was on a hill and the birds were all around him, brushing against him. He said that when each family group joined the throng, the birds already there turned to face the newcomers and cheeped at them!

Of course, I had to wait. And as I did I heard, though didn't see, two other birds new to me - a Cetti's warbler and a water rail.

Though the regulars told me this murmuration was a bit abrupt - perhaps because the marsh harrier was in amongst the starlings, who consequently went down to roost in the reeds quickly - it was still wonderful. And when a flock through over me, the sound of their wings was like the tide coming in.