Starting point for the trip was Tunnard Street, Boston, where committee member Steve Bulbeck was waiting with the hired minibus he had picked up from Skirbeck with a pick up point at Budgen’s, Holbeach at 9.30. All told 12 people made it for the trip and with organizer, Steve, acting as driver too we set off East towards King’s Lynn and then South along the A10 to Littleport. After going down the A1101 to Shippea Hill Station then across Sedge Fen to Lakenheath, Steve admitted he always takes the wrong turning to the reserve when coming from Brandon and I had not been there for 20 years so thought the reserve might be the blue bird on the AA road map. This resulted in turning right into Lakenheath village itself instead of North to the reserve and a detour South. A U turn was required down the road but at least it gave a chance to stock up at the local store.

            Destination was finally reached at 11 10 and I was impressed by the approach along the entrance road and  how the car park blended in with the surroundings. After disembarking the group split to search the reserve in smaller parties with a visit to the large and modern visitor centre first on the agenda. The centre is manned by staff and volunteers and outside a membership development officer was on hand to greet visitors and hopefully recruit new RSPB members. On leaving the centre it was time to explore. The reserve is vast and is bordered by the Ely to Norwich railway on the South and the Little River Ouse on the North; it consists of reedbed, grazing marsh, pools and poplar plantations. Apart from the poplar trees which were originally owned by Bryant and May to use for matchsticks, the rest was carrot fields grown on the peat soil until the RSPB bought the land and created the new habitat. With such a variety of habitat a wide diversity of species were present and despite the wind, conditions were fairly sunny and so birds were spotted regularly with patience.

Highlights were a grasshopper warbler singing and briefly showing in the scrub just down the track fro m the visitor centre, cuckoo and hobby seen from the New Fen viewpoint and Cetti’s Warbler and Marsh Harrier from the Joist Fen viewpoint. The numbers of Marsh Harrier reminded me of a TV programme filmed from the Camargue years ago without the Caspian Terns. Golden orioles were heard but not seem in the poplars; never mind! Rendezvous time at the minibus was 3.30 and as a group 47 bird species of bird were seen.

            As a bonus we then set off for Weeting Heath a mile or two up the road just across the border into Norfolk to look for Stone Curlew. This reserve is owned by the Norfolk Naturalists Trust and now has a visitor centre at the car park. Entry fee is free for trust members and £3.50 otherwise unlike Lakenheath which was free for all.

There seemed to be a lot of ‘honorary’ members among the group but muggins here forked out the full fee and felt too miffed to purchase the Norfolk ice cream enjoyed by others. The reserve is popular among birders doing a Norfolk tour so the hide was a bit of a squeeze at times. The hide offers excellent views across the heath and the woodland beyond and binoculars were scanned in all directions; a brief glimpse of the Stone Curlew was spotted by one member of the group in the distance but that was it and after about 20 minutes we left the hide to have a look at other areas for different birds. On a hunch and to get my money’s worth I decided to go back to the hide and unencumbered by lettuce and tomato sandwiches, I sat patiently with binoculars trained on the edge of the heath. And then there it was, a brief movement in the distance behind some tufts of grass. I exclaimed ‘Got it’ and excitedly described its position to the other birders in the hide; when it moved again people were able to locate it too. Slowly but surely, while feeding, it moved closer across the heath. Taking a chance it would still be there when I came back, I left the hide to get other members of our group. Half the group came back with me and what a reward; it had now come extremely close to the hide and cameras were clicking with some people were saying it was the best view they had had of a Stone Curlew in this country. This had to be the highlight of the day and a great way to finish.

            On the journey back we experienced some very bumpy roads in Norfolk and Jenny Pipe thought she spotted a Montagu’s Harrier near Sutton Bridge. Many thanks are due to Steve for organizing the day and driving even though he had to be up at 2.00 next morning for work.

         Committee members on the trip were Steve and I, John Wright, the author of this report. The bird lists for Lakenheath Fen and Weeting Heath are as follows:

LAKENHEATH FEN

Mallard, Coot, Marsh Harrier, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Carrion Crow, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Bunting, Woodpigeon, Grey Heron, Whitethroat, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Cuckoo, Blackcap, Cetti’s Warbler, Canada Goose, Black-headed Gull,

Mute Swan, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Swift, Herring Gull, Common Tern, Hobby, Goldfinch, Lapwing, Cormorant, Egyptian Goose, Buzzard, Magpie, Kestrel, Merlin, Bittern, Moorhen, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Kingfisher, Gargeney, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, House Sparrow, Swallow, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Treecreeper, Chaffinch .  TOTAL = 47

            Also heard were Golden Oriole and Green Woodpecker and seen were various dragonflies and damselflies.

WEETING HEATH

Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Pied Wagtail, Rook, Swallow, Stock Dove, Stone Curlew, Mistle Thrush, Green Woodpecker, Kestrel, Buzzard, Curlew, Turtle Dove, Chaffinch.  TOTAL = 15

            Also heard were Treecreeper and Chaffinch and seen were lots and lots of Rabbits

                              Compiled by John Wright 

 Due to the fact that there were not enough early bookings for the coach it was decided to take a mini-bus instead. This was hired from the company ‘Phil Haines’ and on the day was expertly driven by Robert Townhill with Mike Skinner as navigator apparently (well he did have a road map) and Robert’s wife Lindsey taking incoming phone messages. Official departure time from Tunnard Street car park was 9.00 am going via Deeping to pick up John Wright who had stayed there to enjoy Peterborough United’s win over Plymouth the day before. The weather was absolutely glorious for the journey and remained so for the majority of the day.

          On arrival at about 10.45 Mike went to the visitor centre to let them know we had arrived (there is a small fee for the reserve which was included in our payment for the trip) and we took time to have coffees (though Mike had a picnic hamper which could have fed us all if full) at the VC and shop before the birding began. The reserve consists of lakes formed from excavated gravel pits with scrub and trees grown up around these with nightingales very much in mind; there is also a pleasant walk along the River Ouse and a meadow trail. We set off on the main walk which is the Heron Trail and some of the bird song in the scrub required experienced ears to identify them for the group ( highlights were the garden warbler and an unseen nightingale). The trees by the lakes provided impressive sights of the cormorant colony and herons on their nest; both species already had well grown chicks. The beautiful male red-crested pochard was also a first for some. Further along the walk near the kingfisher hide several nightingale were giving out their impressive song; they are quite elusive to see and a brief sighting was later followed by one highly visible in a large tree not yet in leaf; it is a bird you could never tire of listening to. Sandwich lunch was taken on benches near the river with posing for photos (that is the people not the birds although a blackcap gave an excellent shot on the top of a log pile). A leisurely walk around the rest of the Heron Trail took us back to the visitor centre which is run by ‘The Friends of Paxton Pits’. Refreshments including ice cream were taken and while taking these in the garden we were able to meet Trevor Gunton, the founder of The Friends. Trevor is an ex-RSPB man who charmed us with his banter and provisionally promised to give a talk at one of our indoor meetings on “Wildlife and Vikings’. Suitably hydrated we then took to the Meadow Trail which is good for Cettis Warblers that had been seen by Trevor in the morning. This a very secretive bird about coming out in the open and although fortunate enough to hear it sing briefly from a bush nobody in the group could sight it. Talking of non-sightings Hazel did not spot John in front of her and walked straight into the back of him; though he was saved from the impact by his rucksack. By the time we completed the Meadow Trail some more common species for the day were seen for the list like the now not so common House Sparrow. At about 4pm we returned to the mini-bus and did a count of total sightings. Many thanks are due to Roy and Liz for taking the bookings for the trips and for Mike and Robert for leading the group on the walk. I would myself highly recommend to anyone to pay a visit to this popular and bird friendly reserve (the nightingales usually sing to the end of May).

          The full list of birds seen and heard totaled 49 and was as follows:

Willow Warbler, Collared Dove; Black-headed Gull, Dunnock, Whitethroat, Great Tit, Woodpigeon, Robin, Blackbird, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant, Blackcap, Magpie, Tufted Duck, Swallow, House Martin, Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Greylag Goose, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Nightingale, Blue Tit, Coot, Canada Goose, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Mallard, Common Tern, Moorhen, Pochard, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Long-tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Cettis Warbler, Wren, Song Thrush, Bullfinch, Pheasant, Yellowhammer, Green Woodpecker, Starling and Lesser-black backed Gull.

     Butterflies recorded included Brimstone, Holly Blue and Orange Tip 

                             Compiled by John Wright 

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