Trip reports
Mini-Bus Trips to Lakenheath Sat 31st May & Sun 1st June
Thursday, 5 June 2008
In the group I was in, one of the first birds seen was a high- flying Marsh Harrier and 6 to 7 hawking Hobbies.We walked on with Reed and Sedge Warblers serenading us as we walked to the 1st reed bed lagoon, where up to 5 Marsh Harriers, male and females, quartered the area. Bearded Tits flitted over the tops of the reeds and a Kingfisher flashed through.
As we walked along the edge of the Poplar plantation, we heard the fluting call of Golden Oriole, somewhere in the canopy. Moving slowly along to the 2nd Poplar plantation another calling Oriole was heard along with a calling Cuckoo.
Reaching the halfway point overlooking the 2nd and largest reedbed we stopped for lunch and to admire the pair of Common Cranes, which had attempted to nest, unsuccessfully for the 2nd year, were showing.
Walking back to the visitor centre along the river bank Mute Swan, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Gt Crested Grebe and Common Tern were seen.
Meeting up with the rest of the group, we exchanged sightings and found we had missed out seeing a pair of Garganey and a hunting Barn Owl.
We moved onto Weeting Heath and although there were 2 pair of Stone Curlew nesting on the site, none were seen, however Spotted Flycatcher, Woodlark and a Little Owl were seen.
We eventually found a site that I knew about where Stone Curlew breed and were able to see, without disturbance, 2 adult and 2 chicks.
Sundays trip started off in rain clouds all the way to the suffolk border, where the rain stopped and although the sky was overcast all day, no more rain fell.
We started birding at the Stone Curlew site where we found 3 adults and singing Woodlark and Yellowhammer.
At Lakenheath the dull conditions kept the Marsh Harriers from flying and only 2 were seen all day but a high flying Red Kite was an added bonus.
As per Saturday, Golden Oriole was only heard not seen but at our lunch stop, at the reedbed where the Common Cranes were still showing a Bittern boomed continually and a pair of Hobbies hunted.
As we walked the river bank the Hobbies returned and we were treated to very close looks as they flew at head height and below the bank a few feet from us. We ended the visit with excellent views of a hunting Barn Owl across the river in Norfolk.
Again at Weeting Heath there was no sign of the Stone Curlew but good views of Spotted Flycatcher, Woodlark and Marsh Tit were had.
David Broadley