Lakenheath Fen RSPB Reserve, Norfolk, UK, 29-May-2011

5:00 AM - 9:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
4.0 mile(s)
Comments: Out as close to the dawn chorus as I could muster, hoping for as many of the wonderful species that reside at Lakenheath as possible, & I was not disappointed.
Weather: Overcast, blustery (SW).
50 species

Canada Goose X
Mute Swan X
Gadwall 1
Eurasian Wigeon 1 male on the reservoir.
Garganey 2 , a pair out of the water on the mud on the side of the reservoir. They settled down with heads tucked in but not before I got nice views & was able to point them out to a tour-lead group.
Tufted Duck 3 over.
Common Pheasant X
Little Grebe X
Great Crested Grebe X
Great Cormorant X

Great Bittern 3 flying around over the New Fen marshes. They were out in the open for a remarkably long time & went quite high up the air in some sort of display or dispute flight at times it resembled a dog-fight. Strange behaviour to observe in a normally secretive species but not completely unheard of apparently. A nearby chatty RSPB guide commented that he had seen it happen a few times, presumably as they establish territories & compete for mates. It was just after observing the bitterns that the golden oriole popped out on its branch causing quite a bit of excitement.

Grey Heron X
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier 1
Common Kestrel X
Common Moorhen X
Eurasian Coot X
Black-headed Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 over.
Common Tern 1 only, on the reservoir.
Stock Dove 1 over.
Common Wood-Pigeon X
Common Cuckoo 2 heard at first from the car-park. Later a couple were flying around near the poplar copses & one obligingly perched at the top of a tree by the side of the path allowing excellent views & some good photos as I waited, with others, for a golden oriole.
Barn Owl 1 hunting over the marshes.
Common Swift 8 approx.
Great Spotted Woodpecker X
Green Woodpecker X

Eurasian Golden Oriole 1 finally seen after the usual frustrating search amongst the dense poplars. At 5:30-5:45am I heard that sounded very close, but I didn't see it. At 8:15pm as I begun to make my way out I hung around with a large-ish group loitering on the path at the Trial Wood plantation trying to find one. All of a sudden there was a flurry of excitement as a wonderful bright male had come out into the open. A few, including me, ran to the spot where it could be seen & I got a great view for about 30 seconds as it briefly preened, & I even got a couple of record shots. It then flew back to the poplar canopy. Easily my best view of this bird, & always well worth the effort & patience required to find one.

Eurasian Jay X
Common Magpie X
Eurasian Jackdaw X
Rook X
Carrion Crow X
Bearded Tit 1 male, perched close by on some phragmites allowing a good look at its neat bright plumage.
Sand Martin X
Common House-Martin X
Great Tit X - heard.
Eurasian Wren X - heard.
Common Chiffchaff X - heard.
Sedge Warbler X
Eurasian Reed-Warbler X
Blackcap X - heard.
Garden Warbler 1 heard - a nearby RSPB guide picked out the song from the more prevalent blackcap singing nearby.
Common Whitethroat X - heard.
Eurasian Blackbird X
Song Thrush X - heard.
Mistle Thrush 1 over, carrying food.
Pied Wagtail 2 , adult & juvenile.
Reed Bunting 1 singing male.
Common Chaffinch X
European Goldfinch X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)