RSPB Lakenheath, Ickburgh & Hilborough – Wednesday 22nd
April 2015
View From The New Fen Viewpoint
When we lived in Bressingham I used to keep a note of the date of the first Cuckoo I heard as we often heard them from our home but since we’ve lived in Watton I haven’t done so because we don’t hear them around our home. In Bressingham I kept the records for 15 years and over that time the earliest I heard reduced from the 29th April until the 26th when we left, so today’s Cuckoos were the earliest I’d ever heard.
Young Nettle Leaves
I wanted to go to RSPB Lakenheath in the hope of seeing a Hobby as they normally begin to arrive at this time of year. We left home at 12.30pm it was overcast but bright with a slight breeze and the temperature was 14˚C. It did brighten up completely later in the afternoon.
Peacock Butterfly Judging By The State Of Its Wings
One That Has Hibernated Over The Winter
On the way to Lakenheath we saw a Buzzard on the thermals over the junction of the B1108 and the A1065, Jan said we’d seen one in this location before. When we arrived at Lakenheath the first thing we heard was Cuckoos, there were two calling in quite close proximity to us but unfortunately we didn’t see either. I was quite hopeful because a Hobby and a Swift had been seen on the reserve today but we didn’t see them either.
Shield Bug
We parked near the New Fen View Shelter so as I didn’t have too far to walk. Almost immediately we saw the pair of Marsh Harriers that nest in sight of the viewpoint, the male looked particularly resplendent in his breeding plumage. During the time we were at the viewpoint the Harriers took to the air either as a pair or separately, they didn’t go very far, it was if they were stretching their wings every now and then, they always landed back in the same area so I presume they had a nest there. On one of these short flights the male was mobbed by a Crow only for the tables to be turned with the Harrier then pursuing the Crow and almost catching it before it made its escape.
At first sight there didn’t appear to be too much on the open pool in front of the viewpoint. There were about 4-6 Coots in the area mainly rooting about in the reed beds. A Mallard that turned up several times was eagerly set upon by the Coots on every appearance. A pair of Gadwall swam into the open water and once again every time they went anywhere near the Coots they were chased off.
A Great Crested Grebe swam through the pool and a Mute Swan spent some time on the pool but the Coots left both of them alone. It is still early and the new reed shoots were only just beginning to pierce the surface of the water. It is incredible to think that in just a few weeks time this pool will become alive with Dragonflies and Damselflies.
Jan went for a wander while I stayed at the viewpoint. While she was gone a Buzzard appeared over the trees in front of the viewpoint and a Bittern took to the air to my right, when it landed there was a half hearted booming and later some proper booming was heard but not for long.
Missing Sector Orb Weaver Spider
When Jan returned she had heard the booming not very far from her but couldn’t see the Bittern which was undoubtedly right in the reed beds. Jan had also observed a Spider one of many she saw on her little walk. We later identified the Spider as a member of the Zygiella family which are more commonly called “Missing Sector Orb Weaver Spider.” These Spiders get their name from the obvious pattern of their web which has a section missing which at first sight might seem to be a disadvantage but this is where the signal thread is so the Spider can feel any intrusion onto the web before rushing on to the web to dispatch and deal with the catch. It has made these Spiders particularly successful. One thing Jan hadn’t noticed at the time but became very apparent when the video was processed was that the pattern on the back of the Spider’s abdomen looks like a face, check it out on the video on our YouTube Channel just click on the icon in the top right hand corner of the blog.
Other sightings from the viewpoint were Magpies, Moorhen, Canada and Greylag Geese, Heron, 3 Buzzards in the distance, a hunting Kestrel, Cormorant and several Small White Butterflies which may have been either Small Whites or Wood Whites. During the day we also saw several Orange Tip Butterflies.
We went back to the visitor centre and while Jan was parking the car I watched the feeders and saw Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Marsh Tits and Reed Buntings feeding from them. When Jan returned we made our way to the Washland Viewpoint. On the way we saw some strange objects which we later found out were last year's decaying Giant Puffballs. It isn’t very far to the viewpoint but for me it takes quite a while and frequent stops to get my breath back.
Decaying Giant Puffballs
Once we got to the viewpoint the clouds disappeared and it became quite warm. There were plenty of birds on the Washland pools and also the Little Ouse River which forms the Norfolk Suffolk border in this area. We saw Common Terns, Great Crested Grebes, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coots, Herons, Mute Swans, Lapwings, Little Egret, Black-headed Gull, Buzzard and we heard a Green Woodpecker. There were also several Small Tortoiseshell, Peacocks and Small Whites on the wing.
Little Ouse River
Views From The Washland Viewpoint
Behind us in the trees and shrubs a Cetti Warbler was calling and moving around. These birds are notoriously difficult to see but by pure accident I was watching a small tree when it landed on an outside branch and I managed to get a good view of the bird but by the time I thought of videoing it, it was gone.
After making our way back to the car and seeing our second Curlew we left the reserve and made our way home. We made a small diversion first to Ickburgh where we saw nothing of note and then to the Ford at Hilborough; on our way to the Ford we saw two Hares chasing each other in a roadside field.
It was now a beautiful evening and it was really peaceful sitting down at the Ford. While we were sitting there we heard a Buzzard, saw a Hare, a Muntjac Deer, Great Tit, Pheasants and a Wren. We left the Ford and headed towards Great Cressingham seeing 4 Hares on the way. When we got to Great Cressingham I was pleasantly surprised when Jan suggested we had supper at the Olde Windmill which was a super way to end the day.
When we left we did go through Great Cressingham and Threxton hoping to see an Owl but we had no joy with that. I was also hoping to see the Lyrid meteor shower which climaxed tonight but by the time we had got back home it had clouded over.
This is what we saw:
2 Marsh Harriers (Pair)
Kestrel
7 Buzzards (6 seen and 1 heard)
Bittern (heard and seen)
Moorhens
Coots
Wood Pigeon
Crows
Jackdaws
Magpies
Rooks
2 Cuckoos (heard)
Great Crested Grebes
Mallards
Mute Swans
Canada Geese
Greylag Geese
Herons
Little Egret
Gadwall (pair)
Goldfinch
Reed Bunting
Marsh Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Green finch
Wren
Cetti Warbler (seen and heard)
Common Terns
Black-headed Gulls
Tufted Ducks (several pairs)
Curlews
Green Woodpecker (heard in two locations)
Lapwings
Teal
Pheasants
Muntjac Deer
7 Hares
Small White Butterflies
Wood White Butterflies
Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies
Peacock Butterflies
Missing Section Orb Weaver Spider
Keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.
View From The New Fen Viewpoint
When we lived in Bressingham I used to keep a note of the date of the first Cuckoo I heard as we often heard them from our home but since we’ve lived in Watton I haven’t done so because we don’t hear them around our home. In Bressingham I kept the records for 15 years and over that time the earliest I heard reduced from the 29th April until the 26th when we left, so today’s Cuckoos were the earliest I’d ever heard.
Young Nettle Leaves
Peacock Butterfly Judging By The State Of Its Wings
One That Has Hibernated Over The Winter
Shield Bug
At first sight there didn’t appear to be too much on the open pool in front of the viewpoint. There were about 4-6 Coots in the area mainly rooting about in the reed beds. A Mallard that turned up several times was eagerly set upon by the Coots on every appearance. A pair of Gadwall swam into the open water and once again every time they went anywhere near the Coots they were chased off.
Missing Sector Orb Weaver Spider
We went back to the visitor centre and while Jan was parking the car I watched the feeders and saw Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Marsh Tits and Reed Buntings feeding from them. When Jan returned we made our way to the Washland Viewpoint. On the way we saw some strange objects which we later found out were last year's decaying Giant Puffballs. It isn’t very far to the viewpoint but for me it takes quite a while and frequent stops to get my breath back.
Decaying Giant Puffballs
Once we got to the viewpoint the clouds disappeared and it became quite warm. There were plenty of birds on the Washland pools and also the Little Ouse River which forms the Norfolk Suffolk border in this area. We saw Common Terns, Great Crested Grebes, Shelduck, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coots, Herons, Mute Swans, Lapwings, Little Egret, Black-headed Gull, Buzzard and we heard a Green Woodpecker. There were also several Small Tortoiseshell, Peacocks and Small Whites on the wing.
Little Ouse River
Views From The Washland Viewpoint
Behind us in the trees and shrubs a Cetti Warbler was calling and moving around. These birds are notoriously difficult to see but by pure accident I was watching a small tree when it landed on an outside branch and I managed to get a good view of the bird but by the time I thought of videoing it, it was gone.It was now a beautiful evening and it was really peaceful sitting down at the Ford. While we were sitting there we heard a Buzzard, saw a Hare, a Muntjac Deer, Great Tit, Pheasants and a Wren. We left the Ford and headed towards Great Cressingham seeing 4 Hares on the way. When we got to Great Cressingham I was pleasantly surprised when Jan suggested we had supper at the Olde Windmill which was a super way to end the day.
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