Lakenheath: Cuckoo's doing well here.

The thinking this morning was to make an early morning stop at the NWT Weeting Heath reserve before  any heat haze kicked in.

As it turned out we didn't have to worry about any heat haze as the sun failed to show at any point during the whole morning.

The visit did however produce good views of a pair of Stone Curlew along with a couple of Woodlarks.

At Lakenheath it wasn't long before the first Cuckoo was heard calling, it was then seen flying overhead and landing in a distant tree.

Lakenheath must be one of the strongholds of this species, as it has always produces good numbers of Cuckoo's each year we visit.

Several birds were heard and seen during the morning, including a close encounter with a pair that flew from the nearby reedbeds directly in front of us.

Cuckoo

Another bird landed at the top of one of the tall poplar trees, that will hopefully host some Golden Orioles this year.

According to the warden someone had reported a flash of yellow that morning, could it be a returning Oriole?

A Crane was heard calling from within the reedbed, and Marsh Harriers were very evident, with four birds seen in the air together.

Bitterns were heard "booming" regularly, and Bearded Tits were watched flying across the channel at the Joist Fen Viewpoint. 

View from Joist Fen Viewpoint.

While scanning the area from here our first Swifts of 2014 were seen, along with a couple of Hobbies and Common Buzzards.

On the return route a Kingfisher dropped onto a perch at the visitor centre pond, giving good if brief views. Before leaving another year tick was added when a Garden warbler was found in the scrub surrounding the car park area.