Holme fen

Rare raptors are among the attractions here

Holme Fen includes the lowest point in the UK, with the Holme Posts being nearly three metres below sea level, but visit in winter and your attention will be firmly fixed on the skies. We’ll deal with the birding to be found in the National Nature Reserve in a forthcoming issue, but at this time of year, we will focus instead on the goodies to be enjoyed by watching from the roads (traffic is light once you’re off the B660 aka Long Drove, but there are no pavements, so take care and make sure you’re visible). It has been an excellent site for Rough-legged Buzzards in recent years, with two present this winter. One of them is utterly unmistakable, but beware, as Buzzards and Red Kites are both plentiful here, so false alarms might happen. From the road looking across the fen towards Yaxley, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Marsh Harrier (and sometimes Hen Harrier) Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl are all possible and even probable on winter afternoons. Another predator recorded here in winter is Great Grey Shrike. One a few winters back helpfully hunted right next to the level crossing, enlivening interminable waits for the barriers to rise. But they can be very mobile when present, so check telephone wires, fenceposts, and any other suitable perches for these fierce hunters. The whole area is part of the Great Fen Project, which will ultimately link up Holme Fen with other wetland sites such as Woodwalton Fen, creating a swathe of valuable, unbroken habitat for wildlife. matt merritt