Whilst staying with my sister in Cambridgeshire, we visited Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Lackford lakes. It is always nice to visit a different reserve and I had read on their blog that redpoll were still visiting their feeders. Not having seen this species last year, I was hoping to see one here.
As we approached Lackford, we spotted a hare sitting still in an adjacent field so stopped to take some photos until it decided to lollop away down the field.
hare
On our arrival at the reserve, we treated ourselves to coffee and a slice of carrot cake which we ate at a table in front of the window overlooking some feeders and amongst the blue tits and great tits I was pleased to see several redpoll.
redpol
We spent several hours exploring the reserve, which was pretty muddy in places so we were glad of our wellies! From the hides were able to spot a variety of water birds, including a pair of displaying great crested grebes.
view from one of the hides
egyptian goose
dunnock
In the wooded area we were also treated to close encounters with a couple of bank voles which were scurrying amongst some tree roots, in their quest for food, which had been put down by a friendly photographer.
bank vole
myself enjoying the spring sunshine!
It was a beautiful spring day with many trees and bushes budding, and the sound of birdsong, including chiffchaffs around us. In total we saw nearly 40 species including three year ticks for me and at least a dozen for my sister.
Species list included: blue tit, great tit, marsh tit, coal tit, redpoll, dunnock, robin, blackbird, wren, goldfinch, bullfinch, chaffinch, canada goose, greylag goose, egyptian goose, mallard, tufted duck, gadwall, little egret, grey heron, cormorant, black headed gull, buzzard, crow, jackdaw, mute swan, coot, moorhen, wood pigeon, collared dove, great crested grebe, teal, shoveler, shelduck.
Leaving Lackford lakes, we then made for an area of heathland known as Cavenham Heath where a number of heathland birds can be found including wheatears and stone curlews. Here we were treated to good close views of a wheatear which perched up on some heather only a few metres away, followed by a distant sighting of a stone curlew. Woodlarks had been seen not long before our arrival but were not around for us to see during our short visit.
wheatear
Weeting Heath, owned by Norfolk Wildlife Trust is noted for breeding stone curlews, and that's where we headed next. On arrival we were informed that two stone curlews could easily be spotted from the East Hide. We were initially disappointed as none could be seen, but later were able to spot two that had stood up enabling views through binoculars, although rather distorted by a haze.
Just before leaving the reserve we made our way down to woodland feeding area, which was being frequented by a variety of birds. Here we spotted more redpolls, blue tits, great tits, marsh tits, coal tits, yellow hammer, goldcrest and goldfinch, chaffinch, robin and dunnock. All in all an enjoyable day out.
coal tit bathing
stone curlew
yellow hammer
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