RSPB Lakenheath and Weeting Heath - 10th April 2024

Whilst it was always going to be a bit early for Hobbies and Cuckoo a trip to Lakenheath is always a good day out and today was no exception. A coffee at the visitor centre and a chance to watch some of the birds coming to the feeders including Goldfinch and Collared Dove.

On the way up to the first viewpoint we had our first Common Whitethroat of the year and surprisingly this very early Little Grebe chick.

And plenty of Greylag Geese!

Lakenheath is always a good place to see Marsh Harriers and this male gave us a flypast.

Joist Fen was fairly quiet, but good to see a single Sand Martin, so back along the river picking up Redshanks, Oystercatcher, Shelduck and Great Egret as well as this Stonechat.

And on the opposite bank, a Roe Deer stag with three females.

A pair of Garganey swam out from the edge of the inner Washland allowing a few shots.

The next stop was Weeting Heath for Stone Curlew and we saw four birds but as usual, all fairly distant.

The small pond is always good for some shots with this Pheasant and Robin visiting.

The surprise visitor though was this male Brambling that came to the feeder. Thankfully it also posed in a Lilac bush.

A nearby site gave us a pair of distant Woodlark and a Tree Pipit singing and doing its "parachute" display flight. Very distant and grey conditions so just a record shot here.

A nice patch of Honesty on the way back to the car.

It was starting to get cold, grey and windy, but a final stop near the airbase gave us a Nightingale singing and some great views of the F15 Strike Eagles coming in to land.

A fitting end to a great day.