Ely Cathedral and the Marshy Fenland Wildlife.

My wife, Carole, and I went over to the bird hides at Manea today. We saw a lot of great birds via binoculars and had a pleasant couple of hours drinking coffee and looking out across the marshy Fen towards Ely Cathedral where Hereward the Wake hid from William the Conqueror's Norman soldiers and also where Oliver Cromwell was born. 

Everything was very still as we sat inside the bird hide with the windows open. We drank coffee and had a small picnic. It was a most pleasant time and we saw many things. There were a few great sights of a distant hawk upon a gate. At first we hoped it might be a hobby, but it was just too far to make out. It was clear via binoculars and we were able to dismiss the notion of a black headed hobby hawk. However, with the Nikon D3100 zoom lens going from 55 to 200, it was still not enough to get a good shot of the splendid creature. It was not a buzzard. (at least I don't think it was.) It might have been a marsh harrier, but even with the shots magnified, the picture pixilated too much to make out when enhanced upon the laptop. It is obvious that I will need a lens with stronger and crisper magnification. 

On the way back, we saw a huge grass snake sliver across the lane in front of us. Before I could get the camera, it was off into the river bank's long grassed under growth.

Still we enjoyed the couple of hours there and managed a few nice photo shots and sights. I have added some below.

Ely Cathedral in the shimmering haze.

Small Kestral doing its thing.

On the prowl for food in the long grass

Dragon fly coming in to land, using a water lilly like a helipad.

Or do we use helipads as giant water lillies?

Some of the wild flowers look great

The bees seem to love wildcornflower

This is a rather striking flower about to bloom.

The colours are divine

Everything trades life.

Every month brings a new onslaught of floral splendor.

Insects find the blooms wonderful

the various colours enticing

and the bees can't be wrong

They love the flowers

Never wasting an oppotunity

So too do the butterflies