A morning at nearby Grafham Water 18th March - well it should have been a day but sightings were so limited that it was not worth staying any longer. I drew a blank on the dam, in the harbour and the only birds worth switching the camera on for were from thje hide. - a Carrion Crow picking it;s way throught the waters edge and a pair of mating Mallards

So I went home and cut the lawn!!!!

The next day, a friend and I drove to Willow Tree Fen in south Lincolnshire to see if we could manage any better photos of the Cranes than we managed last week, arriving around mid-day.

A strange phenomenon as it was warm and sunny, although not excessively hot, but it was not until later afternoon that any photos taken were worth keeping due to heat haze (or heat shimmer). I thought that only occured in hot conditions but apparently not - it can happen in any conditions where the air temperature if warmer than the ground. We live and learn!!!

Anyway, I started of with a trio of Little Egrets

a female Marsh Harrier

And Wigeon flying around.

There appeared to be three pairs of Cranes on the reserve but none showing close enough for a photo but eventually one pair flew into the open, although still distant.

but the shot I like best was when they were flying in over a lone Muntjac.

In fact they pair did not really settle, probably due to the close proximity of the Muntjac so, with nothing else of interest, it was time to call it a day.