Wicken Fen! What a wonderful nature reserve this is. You have access to acres of fenland and all the fauna and flora that goes with this. Quite a few of which seem to want to have a bit of you as well. So why bad backs? Well I have been nursing a sore back ever since I came back from Pembrokeshire. I thought it had cleared up and so went off to Wicken with renewed vigour. I could be found bending over, squatting and lying flat on the ground (perhaps the last was the only dignified position!). The upshot of this is that I have a recurrence of back acre. It is something I have had to learn to live with over the years but it does cramp your style. Hopefully this will clear up for the weekend when I'm off to Northumbria for a week. If it doesn't I will have to rethink what camera kit I take with me onto the Farne Islands.
So back to Wicken - why so wonderful? Well first off it is flat. I know this is stating the obvious but it does make getting around a whole lot easier - especially with a bad back and load of camera gear. The wildlife is varied but perhaps the stars are the cuckoo and the dragonfly. However, the cuckoo had already left by the time I visited - maybe next year. The dragonflies are a different matter. You have to get your eye in as these things zip around at an amazing speed. The best advice I would give is to find a small patch of water and see what comes by - however, it should be noted I am no expert on these matters and I am sure there may be better ways.
If you are interested in the smaller insects then you need to examine reeds and sedges a little close. However, the insect world is so abundant you are not likely to be disappointed.
I hope to visit the reserve more often over the next few months. If you want to see the photographs I made then click here.
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