RSPB Lakenheath – Tuesday 27th January 2015
We left home just after 11.30am, the weather was dry but grey and the temperature was 7˚C. We decided to go to RSPB Lakenheath today as there has been a Great White Egret reported there on and off for the last month or so.
There were no particular sightings on our journey and when we arrived we walked to what I thought was the Washpoint Viewpoint but it wasn’t! It wasn’t far, about 150 metres but that’s a long way for me but I was disappointed when I got there and realised that there was at least another 300 or so metres to go but we sat down for a while. While we were sitting and watching over the Washland, which is the flood plain for The Little Ouse River, I saw what I at first thought was a Fox moving in and out of the reeds on the far bank but as it came out of the Reeds and walked along the open bank of the Washland I could see it wasn’t a Fox at all, it was a Bittern. Although the number of these birds are now growing again in our country it is still relatively rare to see one out in the open, normally our sightings of these birds are in flight. This one, however was walking out in the open, it was just a shame it was just too far off to get any decent footage.
To get to the proper Washland Viewpoint we had to go through the Visitor Centre. The last time I’d been in there was with Drew, my Son several years ago but lately I haven’t been able to walk that far. Although I was feeling quite proud of myself for walking this far, I needed to sit down, so we had a hot chocolate and watched the birds on the feeders outside the Visitor Centre. It was more or less non-stop action on the feeders, there were; Reed Buntings, Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Marsh Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinches and Chaffinches but the Reed Buntings were the most numerous and in various stages of plumage. The Blue and Great Tits were looking absolutely resplendent in their breeding plumage.
Goldfinches
Great Tit
After our hot chocolate we set off to get to the Washland Viewpoint. It might seem a bit dramatic but I was very anxious at this point, 300 metres might not seem very far and it wasn’t that long ago when I would walk all day long. I was concerned not so much that I wouldn’t make it but more about how long it would take and could I make it back!
As we were walking to the viewpoint I was aware that there were lots of small birds moving about around me but I could only put my head down and keep going, I’m always afraid that if I stop that will be it, I was also aware that my chest was feeling tighter with every step. When we got the viewpoint I felt as if I’d completed a marathon and all I could do was flop down on the bench and although I had a quick scan with the binoculars I couldn’t really take it in. I took me about 5-10 minutes to recover fully from the walk!
We were now sitting on the high bank which overlooks The Little Ouse River and its flood plain. There were quite a few birds in sight; Mute Swans, Cygnets, Herons, various Ducks and Gulls (including a few Great Black-backed Gulls), Cormorants and several Little Egrets but no sign of a Great White Egret. Then suddenly we both saw a Great White Egret, it had obviously just come out the reed beds.
Great White Egret
It is quite easy to tell the difference between Great White and Little Egrets: Obviously the first thing is the size difference, which might seem easy except that when Little Egrets are with other birds they themselves appear quite large but the real easy way is to remember that Great White Egrets have yellow beaks and black feet whereas Little Egrets have black beaks and yellow feet.
As we were watching the various birds on the Washland suddenly there were two Great White Egrets quite near to each other, so we’d gone from never seeing a Great White Egret to seeing two together. These birds used to be quite common in the UK but like so many other species were hunted out of existence, mainly for their white feathers so loved by women in their hats. It appears they are making a comeback and first bred on the Somerset Levels a few years ago, surely it won’t be long before they become as established as the Little Egret is now after its successful return to the UK.
I must admit I could have sat there for the rest of the day, the walk back weighed heavy on my mind, but I could see Jan was getting cold as we were in quite an exposed position. We didn’t get very far before I had to sit down again on a lovely high bench by the dipping ponds. At least we were sheltered from the wind by the high bank. We hadn’t been there very long when small birds started to move around us. We saw Chaffinches, Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits.
Resuming our walk back to the Visitor Centre the small birds were all around us and we saw at least two small birds in the undergrowth, we never saw them long enough to identify them properly but they were probably Wrens.
It was with some relief that we made it back to the Visitor Centre where we enjoyed watching the birds on the feeders and a Moorhen on the pool. I also saw a Jay here as well.
Goldfinch
Reed Bunting
After recovering from the walk Jan picked me up from the Visitor Centre and we drove to the Fenland Viewpoint. It was very quiet and all we could see were two Coots and a pair of Mallard and they were tucked into the reed beds. We had our lunch there and the longer we sat there the more birds we saw. Two Kestrels one of which came within about 30 metres of us, a Sparrowhawk, a flock of about 16 Pink-footed Geese which circled around several times before landing out of our sight and the air was full of moving Corvids, Gulls Wood Pigeons and Geese. Eventually two Mute Swans swam onto the pool in front of us. Jan said there were plenty of birds chattering in the reed beds and she said some sounded like Bearded Tits but we never saw them and of course me, with my tinnitus didn’t even hear them.
The Fen Viewpoint
As we made our way back to the Visitor Centre we saw plenty of Corvids gathering in the treetops and some Magpies and Jays (which are also Corvids) moving about the trees. As we were leaving the reserve we saw a couple of Rabbits, another Kestrel who flew off once we stopped and four Roe Deer Hinds right near the main road. We did manage to get some footage of these but they were concealed in the undergrowth.
Late Afternoon Sunshine
One Of Four Roe Deer Hinds
We made one last stop on the bridge over The Little Ouse River and as we were sitting there a third Great White Egret came into land but unfortunately just the other side of the reed beds. There was a Cormorant fishing on the River and several Mute Swans and Cygnets on the pool. Just as we were about to pull off a Marsh Harrier came over the reed beds looking for a meal. Harriers are some of our most graceful flyers just gliding over the top of the reed beds. It was amazing to watch as what appeared to be lifeless reed beds exploded with small birds all making their escape from the Harrier. Majestically the Harrier floated over the reed beds upstream.
On our way way home we made a futile attempt to see the Great Grey Shrike at Santon Downham.
Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.
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