Weather: cloudy, some sun, windy. From 9:50am.
First early summer visit, with Kim, to attempt to see the resident orioles.
Along the path that runs parallel to the railway, via the visitors' centre. Most species in good voice as per the time of year: Dunnock, Wren, Coot, Whitethroat (eventually spotted amongst the low vegetation), Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Swift (many over the reedbeds), Greylag Goose, Reed Warbler (only heard from the dense reeds), Rook (in their rookery trees), Cuckoo calling persistently though I didn't sight it.
On various patches of water amongst the reedbeds: Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Mallard, House Martin (a few amongst the swifts & swallows), Tufted Duck, Bittern (booming repeatedly), Swallow (6-8 also over the reedbeds with the other hirundines).
Reaching the first of the poplar plantations we were soon amongst many other birders straining our ears & eyes for the orioles & it wasn't too long before we could hear their distinctive song though they remained elusive. Eventually we carried on to the next poplar plantation where more orioles were in good voice but again we drew a blank seeing them amongst the dense poplar trees, especially because the wind was increasing & the large poplars dense leaf cover shifting about so much made the task much harder.
At the 'top end' of the reserve we stopped at the shelter & benches: Common Tern (foraging back & forward over the reedbeds), Marsh Harrier, Hobby (1 male & another species I was hoping to see at Lakenheath for the first time), Gadwall (2), Stock Dove, Herring Gull (over).
On the way back & past the first poplar plantation, the orioles could be heard better. We lingered hoping for a sighting & I scanned the canopy a few times looking along the galleries between the trunks. Suddenly with a huge slice of luck a Golden Oriole flashed through the field of vision of my binoculars for an exhilarating but brief & unmistakeable view of a golden streak with black trim. After that I had no luck finding another for the other people around & felt almost guilty that I'd seen one & no-one else had.
Eventually carrying on out of the reserve, amongst the reeds, or over them or in the adjoining woodlands: Moorhen,
Kestrel, Blackcap (singing from the trees), Crow, Lapwing, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Woodpigeon.
29 species, 1 new.
No comments:
Post a Comment