6 O'Clock (Here Comes The Blue Light)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILAJ7cUxFRM&app=desktop

6am and outside the great ship of the fen, Ely Cathedral, 8 of us gathered to try and find 100 winter birds across the Ely10.

The team comprised Will Burdett, Ben Green, Mark Groom, Mark Peck, Sergio Tomey, Andrew Balmford and Bill Mansfield, our first site the mighty Wicken Fen, the most biodiverse site in the country.

In the pitch dark we ascended the viewing platform and started our day with just our ears - Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Moorhen and Herring Gull gave themselves away and as the clouds shifted revealing a full moon the sky began to lighten and some cacophanous Tawny Owl action was ignited.  With the dawn, birds started movkng and corvids left their roost.  A Cetti's Warbler proclaimed itself and the first of  the days many Barn Owls was picked up across the sedge and reed.  

The first harriers up were Marsh Harriers but it wasn't too long until the first ringtail Hen emerged and then a male.  All told, 4 male and 3 ringtail left their roost - a really impressive total and a fantastic, memorable start to the day. 

Reluctantly we moved on to Kingfishers Bridge where we saw loads of good bits and bobs, highlights being 2 Great White Egrets and a couple of Cranes.

A brief visit to the Cam Washes followed where 3 White-fronted Geese were amongst the Greylags and then      ...to the woods. 

We visited two lovely sites - Fordham Woods and Chippenham Fen where we added Marsh Tit, Woodpeckers, Treecreepers, Red Kite and a great value Merlin whizzed through.  At Isleham there was a lone Barnacle Goose and Ely Sewage Works produced the expected Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff.  

The Washes was worth the remainder of our day.  Across Lady Fen a couple more Great White Egret, swarms of Golden Plover, wild swans and scores of other Wildfowl.  The water wss really high on the Washes themselves and although a vocal Oystercatcher pitched in briefly there was not the usual array of species in front of the main obsevatory.

We had to investigate further down the Washes, right on the limit of the Ely10, to view the huge flocks of Godwit, alongside Pintail, Ruff, Curlew and Dunlin.  It was a great vista and a pan around the fen produced Barn Owls quatering many of the fields including the cradge bank right in front of us.

We watched the sunset on the bank at Pymoor and then a final nocturnal fling at Ely Beet Pits before retiring to The Albert and a pint - our total a handsome 99, as Mark P reflected, a great reason to do it all again next year.