Birds on Wicken Fen - 3 June

This was one of the most exciting days of bird photography I had had for several months - and so close to home too.   I saw additional birds to the ones appearing below but their photographs are not good enough for viewing!   What were particularly exciting were the opportunities to see the courtship display of Great Crested Grebes from West Mere Hide, followed very shortly by the first juvenile Bearded  Reedling I had ever seen, in the reeds just outside the Hide.

One of the Marsh Harriers in the first picture appears to be carrying food, so presumably feeding young somewhere.   The lapwing spent quite a bit of time flying with one leg dangling - not sure why though.   I had only seen others' photographs of Great Crested Grebes displaying before, so it was magical to see the behaviour and capture it.  There had been a lot of head bobbing before I thought they were going their separate ways, only to find within moments they each had vegetation they had dived for, and then faced up to one another with head swinging movements for a short while.   The only time I had previously photographed Bearded Reedlings was at Pensthorpe - and that hadn't included a juvenile.