Lakenheath Fen

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Recent sightings

• 25 May 2012

  The western face

  I had a fantastic but rather experience last night. I was down at Joist Fen viewpoint at around 7.45pm taking part in a bittern survey with Janet, one of our volunteers. Suddenly, she said: “there’s a bright yellow bird perched up on the western face of West Wood!” Although it took a while to track it down, it was indeed a male golden oriole and it was perched on the same branch for about 15 minutes..............

  Great, you might think. Sadly, the bird remained a yellow dot as nobody had a telescope to see it closer. How frustrating! I’ve worked here for almost four years and I’ve never seen a male oriole perched out in the open for so long. Typical! I have now learnt my lesson: Never go out without my telescope!

   Anyhow, enough of my nonsense! The recent warm weather has encouraged plenty of insects to appear on the wing. Highlights have included several hairy dragonflies and our first record of the year of these unusual little damselflies:

  

  Photo credit Katherine Puttick

  It’s a variable damselfly, a species that was first recorded on the reserve in 2010. Also of interest on the insect front were several holly blue butterflies on the riverbank yesterday afternoon. Highlights of yesterday evenings moth catch included grey carpet and reed dagger, which are both scarce species locally.

   Meanwhile, back on the bird front, a spotted flycatcher was calling behind New Fen viewpoint on Wednesday. At least fifteen hobbys have been seen hawking over the reserve over the last couple of days. The two hotspots seem to be Joist Fen viewpoint and the riverbank north of West Wood.

   A quail was heard calling from the riverbank last night and a short eared owl was seen hunting near Joist Fen viewpoint early this morning. There is plenty to see on the reserve at the moment so we hope to see you soon..

   

  Posted by David White

• 24 May 2012

  Just a quick one

  We are all a bit confused and bemused as to why one of these was wandering around Lakenheath Cricket pitch this morning:

  

  Photo credit Amberlee Foote

  It’s a white stork and a rare bird in Britain indeed. The bird seemed to have several rings on it so it could either have escaped from a collection or be a colour ringed bird from the continent. It was later seen flying over the reserve so unless it turns up again, I guess we will never know.

   Whatever next?!

   

  Posted by David White

• 23 May 2012

  Brightening up

  It finally seems to be warming up, hooray! In hopeful anticipation of the day warming up, here are some great golden oriole pictures taken by Paul Foster recently:

  

  

  

  At least one male can still be hard and seen roaming around the poplar woods. A male ring ouzel was on the riverbank on Monday morning before flying into East Wood. Several hobbys were out and about and six “commic” (either common or Arctic) terns flew over the washland.

  There were two singing garden warblers in West Wood and a male golden oriole nearby. This morning Katherine was lucky enough to see a tawny owl in East Wood, the first poplar wood.

  Our blue tit nestcam has proved very popular over the last week or so as the eggs hatched on around Monday May 14. Mum and Dad are now very busy bringing food in and out for at least six hungry mouths. Hopefully we will have some more footage for your entertainment soon! Hopefully the weather will stay warm and we hope to see you soon.

   

  Posted by David White

• 20 May 2012

  An early night

  I really needed an early night last night, as I was due to lead a guided walk here at 4am this morning. Why oh why did the Champions League final have to go to penalties?! However, despite, watching the game until the end, I practically leapt out of bed at 3am this morning.

   The walk was well worth getting up for and the first treat of a day was a nightingale singing between the car park and the road in the darkness. Soon after we left the visitor centre, two grasshopper warblers were reeling their hearts out near East Wood, and a Cetti’s warbler was shouting from nearby.

  

  Photo credit David Carr

  A couple of roe deer were barking in the wood and several blackcaps were in full song.  At least one bittern was booming in New Fen North and a juvenile male marsh harrier was floating nonchalantly over the reedbed. Also of interest was a treecreeper calling just behind New Fen viewpoint.

   We heard a golden oriole singing in West Wood and some cranes also bugled nearby. Said oriole then flew into Trial Wood and back to West Wood without us seeing it. Crafty so and so! We eventually caught up with it in West Wood before it flew back to Trial Wood once again.

   Too soon it was time to head back to the visitor centre but it was well worth getting up for. There are still places on both golden oriole quests next Sunday (May 27). Details on how to book can be found here and here. We hope to see you soon.

  Posted by David White

• 18 May 2012

  Hide and seek

  Bird of prey identification difficult can be very difficult. After much deliberation and head scratching whilst looking at photos, the possible black kite from Sunday seems to be in fact a marsh harrier. The bird had some tail feathers missing and looked very dark which didn’t help with identification.

   Also from Sunday, here are some photos of a golden oriole playing hide and seek, taken by John Walsh:

  

  

  At least one male has been visiting all three woods recently and showing itself occasionally.

   Wednesday was an extremely busy day with both birds and people. A hobby was busy mobbing a barn owl near Joist Fen viewpoint and a nightingale was singing at the west end of the reserve.

   This morning, a skylark was singing over the visitor centre and an oystercatcher was in Brandon Fen. Two black terns passed through the washland and a treecreeper was singing in East Wood.

  There were several dragons and damsels on the wing including large red damselfly and hairy dragonfly. There were plenty of hobbys hunting near Joist Fen viewpoint and the highest count was around 20 birds hunting together.

   Also of interest was a turtle dove that flew in to West Wood and there were plenty of swifts pelting around the sky. There were at least three garganey on the washland and two common terns nearby. We hope to see you soon.

   

   

  Posted by David White

• 16 May 2012

  Talon spotting

  Lakenheath Fen certainly has a fantastic reputation for birds of prey. On Sunday, there were at least 36 hobbys feeding over the reserve. There may have been as many as 50 birds swooping through the sky feeding on insects. How amazing is that!

   

  To add to the excitement, a possible black kite flew over the reserve and a honey buzzard flew south over Brandon Fen mid-afternoon. Add this to the “usual” compliment of around 15 marsh harriers and this was one great place to do some talon spotting (Sorry couldn’t resist!)

   

  Things reached fever pitch yesterday when an osprey flew over Joist Fen viewpoint. Whatever next?! Unfortunately, the bird wasn’t photographed but here is a photo of one taken at Rutland Water last year by Mark Graham:

  

  At least one male golden oriole continues to both wow and frustrate visitors in the poplar woods. A fair number of visitors have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of these buttercup yellow beauties over the last couple of days.

   As I hope this post has shown, it is a great time to come and visit the reserve. We are open at all times and the visitor centre is open daily 9am-5pm. We hope to see you soon!

   

  Posted by David White

• 16 May 2012

  Raptor fest!

  Lakenheath Fen certainly has a fantastic reputation for birds of prey. On Sunday, there were at least 36 hobbys feeding over the reserve. There may have been as many as 50 birds swooping through the sky feeding on insects. How amazing is that!

   

  To add to the excitement, a possible black kite flew over the reserve and a honey buzzard flew south over Brandon Fen mid-afternoon. Add this to the “usual” compliment of around 15 marsh harriers and this was one great place to do some talon spotting (Sorry couldn’t resist!)

   

  Things reached fever pitch yesterday when an osprey flew over Joist Fen viewpoint. Whatever next?! Unfortunately, the bird wasn’t photographed but here is a photo of one taken at Rutland Water last year by Mark Graham:

  

  At least one male golden oriole continues to both wow and frustrate visitors in the poplar woods. A fair number of visitors have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one of these buttercup yellow beauties over the last couple of days.

   As I hope this post has shown, it is a great time to come and visit the reserve. We are open at all times and the visitor centre is open daily 9am-5pm. We hope to see you soon!

   

  Posted by David White

• 13 May 2012

  Sun (shine) bird

  I don’t find myself saying this very often, but quite a lot of people have seen golden oriole over the last couple of days. Here is a photograph taken on Friday:

  

  Many thanks to Christine & Steve Pomfret for sending this over.

  At least one bird has been roaming around the poplar woods and calling frequently in the sunshine. The sun also encouraged lots of invertebrates out yesterday. There were plenty of large red damselflies on the wing and a couple of hairy dragonflies. The weird looking longhorn beetle (agapantha vilosviridescens) could also be encountered alongside East Wood sporting its large antennae.

  There were at least ten hobbys on the wing and a common buzzard flew over the car park. Later on in the day, a barn owl was hunting near Joist Fen viewpoint and a grasshopper warbler was showing well near the visitor centre.  We hope to see you soon.

  Posted by David White

• 11 May 2012

  Red in the tail

  Why, oh why didn’t I park in the public car park on Wednesday morning?! It turns out there was a male common redstart lurking around in the bushes at the edge of the car park. If you are not familiar with what one of these beauties look like, please click on the bird’s name and you will be whisked away to the RSPB website.

  Surprisingly, this is only the second record of this species on the reserve. The only other was back in September 2000. Sadly, the bird had moved on by mid-morning, but its a great record for here anyway!

  Anyhow, there was plenty of marsh harrier activity on Wednesday. Here is a recent photograph taken by Chris Banks to whet your appetite:

  

  Later on in the day, a jay was in Brandon Fen and as I rounded a corner, there was a large obstacle in the path: A very angry looking mute swan. Despite, trying to edge round it, it wasn’t having any of it and I decided to make a hasty retreat!

   Yesterday morning was nice and warm but pretty windy. A curlew was south of the railway line and a common buzzard flew up just beyond Trial Wood. A cuckoo was perched up very conspicuously in East Wood and a garden warbler was singing nearby. A grasshopper warbler was reeling away near the visitor centre.

  The local hobbys were out and about and there were at least 20 feeding over Joist Fen viewpoint in the afternoon. Several lucky visitors saw a bittern swimming across the channel in front of the viewpoint and a wood mouse was also wandering around nearby.

  This morning a red kite flew over Joist Fen viewpoint and a hobby almost caught a swift in front of Joist Fen viewpoint. A garden warbler was singing near Joist Fen viewpoint and a grass snake was on the riverbank.

  Last but not least, one of these was singing in West Wood this morning:

  

  Photo credit- Phil Hack

  Its a male golden oriole, and it has been showing on and off in the wood since around 10am this morning. Have a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you soon.

   

   

  Posted by David White