Ponies and Shorties, Burwell Fen, Cambridgeshire

I’ve mentioned Burwell and Tubney Fens previously, depending how you approach them, they are the back end of the NT Wicken Fen area. The semi-feral Konik ponies (Equus ferus caballus) of Polish descent there along with longhorn cattle (Bos primigenius) and European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), are natural managers of the scrub. Konik stallion The area is almost perfect roosting and hunting for Short-eared Owls, which have once again returned from Scandinavia to the Fen for their winter break. Starlings seem to find rich pickings around and on the Konik ponies of Burwell Fen There were three to four showing quite well and being harried and harangued by Rooks on the wing high above the fen. Short-eared Owl with prey I don’t think any of the clutch of photographers (Homo sapiens phoographiensis) photographing the birds got any particularly close views, but there’s the rest of the winter to try before the birds fly back to their summer breeding grounds next March. Throwaway capture of a Kingfisher at Burwell Fen Bored labrador
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Sciencebase Source Type: blogs