It has certainly been rewarding to owl-watch up at the Great Fen this winter, most notably for the barn owls. Head up to the northern end and watch from Trundle Mere Lookout one evening, or from the Northern Loop, and keep your eyes peeled for a ghostly image floating back and forth across the fields.

We have had the odd sighting of short-eared owls as well, but maybe next winter will be one when these winter visitors will appear in force.

Lapwing flocks are around, sometimes intermixed with golden plover, and the flocks of starlings are growing in size, often perched on the overhead wires near New Decoy.

As the ice melts, watch out for the movements of winter wildfowl, as the ducks, geese and swans redistribute themselves, to find open water.