11th May - RSPB Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk

A long weekend away in Norfolk, but first a visit to a favourite reserve that we haven't been to for a while, the RSPB's reserve on the Norfolk - Suffolk border just outside the village of Lakenheath.  The Little Ouse River that flows on the north edge of the reserve is actually the county border.

We set off early in glorious sunshine which was extremely welcome after the indifferent weather of the previous few days.  The forecast was for thundery showers from late morning, we hoped this might be wrong.  Arriving around 9:00am we set off from the car park around the pond at the visitor centre and out on to the the main path.  Sedge and Reed Warblers sang from the surrounding reed beds while Whitethroats could be seen on their display flights as they concluded their song, and of course there were the bursts of song from the hidden Cetti's Warblers.

The path follows a line of Poplars on the north side and to the south the railway track, the first view of the fens and reedbeds was at the New Fen view point and it was looking glorious in the morning sunshine, beautiful white cumulus clouds hanging in the deep blue sky and reflecting in the still waters of the fen.

Behind us a Cuckoo was calling, the call getting louder as it appeared to be coming closer to us.  On the pool in front of us were two drake Tufted Duck, one of which was resing but keeping an eye open just in case..

Away over the reeds I could hear the call of the Common Crane, and I just managed a glimpse as two flew just above the reeds and away over the river and out of sight, we hoped that would not be the only view we would get of these wonderful fenland specialties here at Lakenheath. Adding to the atmosphere was a booming Bittern somewhere in the reed bed

We decided to walk on and reminisced about a huge Grass Snake we had seen on the path during a visit several years ago.  A Wren was singing in the reeds, not the bird I would have expected to see singing from a reed stem, but it was quite content.

At the far end of the reed bed there was a raised bench and we walked around to see if it afforded a better view across the reeds.  On getting there a sign proclaimed it was not to be sat on, it was there for staff to take surveys.  I suppose once again the concern was somebody might fall and hurt their selves.  We scanned the reeds where A Reed Warbler appeared briefly and a Reed Bunting sang.

Just as I was about to walk away I picked up a large bird just over the tops of the reeds flying towards us, at first I thought it might be a Greylag Goose, but quickly realised that it was a Bittern.

Then turning to head along the main path alongside the trees towards Joist Fen, but also now with the sun behind it and the challenges that brings for photographs.

A good opportunity to see and capture the detailed markings on the plumage that provides such excellent camouflage.

I assume the mouth is open to allow it to breath following the effort of taking off.

The last and probably the best shot as it flew away from us.

We headed off, passing the Mere hide on our way to the Joist Fen View Point with Reed and Sedge Warbler singing from a hidden spot amongst the reeds, giving teasing views as they moved to catch insects amongst the stems.

A Great Crested Grebe was motionless on one of the pools and appeared to be puffed up and settled.  It wasn't until I processed the photographs that I realised it had two small youngsters on its back, known as "humbugs" due to their striped plumage they appeared to be quite comfortable as they peered through the parents feathers.

The first butterfly of the morning was a smart Peacock which settled on the path in front of us.

On reaching the view point over the Joist Fen we were greeted with another wonderful scene.

Looking as equally impressive in black and white.

A Cuckoo called in the distance and at the back of the fen a male Marsh Harrier was drifting over the top of the reeds with that rocking flight behaviour.  However it was the sheer numbers of Hobby that could be seen up in the sky, we estimated that there must have been between 30 to 40 birds at any one time hawking insects high above us.

They were very high and this made it complicated to photograph them, distance affecting focus and the strong sunshine the exposure, every so often one would drift past.

And they would drift over to be come overhead, if still very high.

Every so often they would lift their legs to transfer what ever they had caught, probably emerging May Flies that were everywhere.

Every so often a Bittern would boom, while the Cuckoo appeared to undertake a circular route and at one point called loudly from a nearby tree but never showed.  We also heard the bubbling call of a female, but again was never able to locate her.

As we sat watching out over the fen butterflies drifted past, Orange Tip teased as they visited the flowers but never stopped, while Peacock settled on the dandelion flowers.  At one point a Small Tortoiseshell was buzzing the larger Red Admiral, but again never settled.  The one butterfly that allowed me a photograph was a very well marked Green-veined White.

As the morning wore on there was also several damselflies appearing, this a female Large Red Damselfly, my first of the year.

We decided to make our way back, the path we wanted to take was blocked by two families of Greylag Geese, with goslings present we decided not to push them so opted for the public footpath along the raised dyke of the Little Ouse River.

With the newly emerging leaves and the morning sunshine the Poplar woods were full of different greens, which contrasted with the black peaty soil of the fallen tree bases

A Hobby flew from the farmland on the other side of the river and conveniently decided to hunt over the river quite close to us(compared with the earlier views).

Hobbies have a grey-brown head with white cheeks and a yellow and black hooked bill. Their breast is white with dark streaks, while the thighs are a rusty-red colour. The presence of these red ‘trousers’ is the easiest way to distinguish the hobby from the similarly sized kestrel and the much larger peregrine.

Their wings are greyish on top and white with dark streaks underneath and appear long and pointed in flight, very much like a large Swift.

The hobby is a summer visitor to the UK, coming here to breed before heading south for the winter. Birds begin to arrive from late March onwards and start to depart from late August, with almost all having left by October. Hobbies spend the winter in tropical Africa, flying thousands of miles each year.

The Hobby population has grown significantly in recent decades. It’s thought this could be linked to an increase in flooded gravel pits and reservoirs having led to a rise in dragonfly numbers. It has also been suggested that the species may be benefitting from the UK’s warming climate. An estimated 2,800 pairs breed here each year.

The Hobby is now found across much of England and Wales and its range is expanding north, with Scotland’s first breeding pair recorded in 2001.

Some trivia, the football game Subbuteo was named after the Hobby's Latin name Falco Subbuteo, it was apparently the game's designers favourite bird.  "Subbuteo" actually means in English, "smaller than a Buzzard".

The views along the Little Ouse were beautiful in the sunshine.

Coming away from the trees Helen found the first Small Heath of the year, nectaring on the plentiful daisies along the path.

Some more views of the glorious clouds that were surrounding us and the lush green fields with the river running through it.

The first view of the Washland, an area of flooded pools where the Ouse meander floods the farmland, an ideal habitat for ducks, geese and swans and if you are lucky some marsh terns, but not today.

A male Stonechat was calling from the bushes by the side of the path.

The male Large Red Damselfly

The familiar bugling call of the Common Crane alerted us to the arrival of a single bird coming from up river, it flew towards us calling as it came.

The common crane has significantly declined across Europe over the last 300 years as vast areas of wetland habitat have been drained for agriculture. A recent breeding programme in Somerset has led to the establishment of a wild population once again. There are also low levels of migration from Europe which may also account for the adding to the breeding pairs in East Anglia.

Hunting along with the draining of marshlands led to their disappearance as a breeding bird about 400 years ago, until a trio of migrating birds were blown off course in 1979, ending up in Norfolk. Careful protection, reintroduction projects, and some landscape-scale habitat restoration projects mean that there are now around 160 cranes in Britain.  We were informed that here at Lakenheath they have two pairs of Crane and one pair is believed to be incubating eggs.

Common Cranes make loud, resonant, gravelly trumpeting calls. Breeding pairs of cranes often call in duet with the male giving a higher-pitched trumpet call followed by the female’s lower pitcher ‘kraw’ or rolling ‘ka-ka-ka’ sounds.

It flew off towards Brandon Fen and we were to see two come back later on, but this time following a more distant path back towards the Joist Fen area.  It was though lovely to get good views of what are wild Cranes.

We walked back to the Visitor centre and checked the forecast, things had changed and the sunshine was forecast to remain a little longer, so rather than rush off and probably encounter poor weather we decided to stay where we were.  After lunch we set off towards Brandon Fen, the day before a Golden Oriole was heard singing in the trees here.  

Golden Orioles used to breed in very small numbers here back in the late eighties.  This was before the RSPB took over the area.  I can recall coming here in the early nineties when it was a carrot field, you would cross the fields to the Polar Woods where you could hear and see the orioles, it was amazing and such a shame that they have now gone, but who knows with the climate change we are experiencing maybe the song of the Golden Oriole will be heard in woodland like that found here over the UK, I like to think so.

Walking through the Poplar trees of Brandon Fen, the fresh leaves and dappled light to the ground was producing some lovely scenes.

In clearings the Hawthorn bushes were covered in blossom, their scent hanging heady in the air.

Here an avenue of nettles through the Poplars.

Sadly the scenes around Brandon Fen were not complimented by the fluty song of the Golden Oriole.

The path leads up to the public footpath once again and we headed back towards the visitor centre.  From the raised bank of the dyke we could see into the reedbed and was finally able to get some acceptable views of the Reed Warblers singing in the reeds.

A typical view of a Reed Warbler through the reed stems.

Reed warblers are a plain, warm brown above and buff below, with a pale throat and a short, pale stripe in front of the eye. You are more likely to hear their 'churring' song, than see them hidden among the reeds.

Accompanying the Reed Warblers was a Reed Bunting, their song, a rather disappointing three notes, repeated over and over against the ongoing churring song of the reed warblers and the spectacular collection of calls and notes from the Sedge Warblers.

Every so often the bird song would be drowned out as the fighter jets took off from the RAF Lakenheath base close by.  

RAF Lakenheath hosts United States Air Force units and personnel. The host wing is the 48th Fighter Wing (48 FW), also known as the 'Liberty Wing', which includes two Squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles and two Squadrons of F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

The F-15E Strike Eagle

The F-35A Lightning II, RAF Lakenheath will eventually receive all fifty four F-35A Lightning II aircraft which will equip the 493rd and 495th Fighter Squadrons.

We followed the slowly meandering river, the weather having behaved impeccably, although away to the north dark clouds were an indication of the heavy thunderstorms that were hitting the north Norfolk coast.  We had this scene to enjoy of the river and the Washland and the beautiful white clouds in the blue sky reflecting in the water.

We were now into the afternoon and had time now to move on to our accommodation for the weekend, a boutique B&B just outside the village of Sedgeford near Snettisham.  Our room had lovely views across the garden and out over the surrounding farmland to the west, as a result we were blessed with some lovely afternoon sunshine that made you feel that summer was finally on the way.

A way into the distance you could make out the sun reflecting on the sea water of the Wash and apparently on very clear days you can see the town of Boston in Lincolnshire

As I sat enjoying the sun I was surprised to see two Grey Partridge appear on the lawn.

The Grey Partridge has an orange face and black horseshoe-shaped patch on its belly. It is grey-brown above with a grey chest and orange-brown stripes down the flanks.

The only major and constant difference between the sexes is the so-called cross of Lorraine on the tertiary coverts of females—these being marked with two transverse bars, as opposed to the one in males. 

The Grey Partridge is common in parts of the country but is becoming scarce around much of the UK.  Norfolk is seen as a strong hold for the bird, a long history of gamekeeping, light soils and diverse cropping provide favourable conditions for them. But in common with the rest of Britain, numbers have declined in recent decades, although many farms and estates are now working to restore them on their land.  A true farmland bird, it feeds on seeds, leaves and small invertebrates.

As the sun started to drop in the sky we realised that we had made the right decision in setting off early and staying where we were to avoid the thunderstorms.  We enjoyed the evening sunshine as we waited for our taxi to take us to dinner, hoping that the next few days would be as fruitful as today.