Redgrave and Lopham Fen - 28 Jan 2010

Rain in Ipswich at 0645, cleared by Debenham. Grey light at the Fen but sun breaking through the trees on the far side. As I got out of the car a grey squirrel was all over the bird feeders outside the visitor centre, didn't mind me and just got on with stealing the birds' breakfast. Tried to get a silhouette shot but couldn't remember how to change the Manual metering settings on the camera. Must read that manual....

A brisk walk out to Little Fen. Took the beanbag and 18-70mm with me in case of landscape opportunities but need to keep going - fitness in January and February to be able to look forward to March and the arrival of Spring. Stopped at the first small bridge, geese taking off in the distance. What an amazing symphony at that time of day. Nothing at the second bridge, over the Waveney. On into the wood. Mud replaces the frost of yesterday. Horses in blankets watch me try and creep through the gate. A fox trots away, don't think it saw me but I couldn't get a picture. A solitary muntjac weaves through the trees and crosses the path and over into the field, bouncing away when it picks up my scent.

Under the high canopy the pigeons break out announcing my arrival. I peer through the trees to the grazing meadows hoping to see the white of a barn owl sliding across the fields. Nothing but horses, cavorting and stamping, indignant at each other and bemused at me bent double under the bough of a tree pretending to be hidden. Still no owl, and no kingfisher today. Stop at the bridge by the sluice. Water chasing under the bridge disguising my sound, but nothing. Follow down the river and onto the trail across the top of Great Fen. Sun trying to drag itself up, a bit of light but not enough to get excited about.

Back towards the visitor centre and a pair of roe deer, one young, leap away towards the wood. Adult stops, juvenile wanders over, they look back at me as I walk purposefully across in front. By a scraggly tree I stop and mount up the tripod, get one photo before they turn and run, flashing white.

Back to the car, still no-one here. Strip off to cool down, start taking camera apart when a treecreeper hops onto an oak tree. Why don't I do the camera last. Grab new beanbag and start firing off, knowing it's still too slow even at ISO800. Beautiful little bird, skirting around the trunk but never resting, always busy, climbing higher, crane neck, this shot isn't going to work.

Lose it high up, back to taking boots off but leave camera on roof of the car, a gambler hoping for his luck to turn.

Overhead the branches light up with little voices, long tailed tits descend on the feeders, two, three, four, even five at a time.

Blue tits don't get a look in. One little chap breaks off and sits on the fence then obliges by hopping onto a branch. Bingo.

My first photo in something like reasonable light. Nothing groundbreaking but a nice reward for the morning.

That's it, off to work, Paul McKenna hypnotising Aled on the radio very funny. Sun comes up and light looks good, out at lunch to look for hares if I get organised.