If you have been to the reserve over the last couple of months, you may have seen that we currently have our "Lucky 5" campaign happening until the end of the year. The aim of the campaign is for reserve visitors to come to the reserve and to try to see our "Lucky Five" bird species over the course of the year. These are:
You can come as many times as you want over the course of the year and if you see all five species over the course of the year, you win a pin badge. Please ask in the visitor centre on arrival and we will give you a "Lucky 5"spotters card.
We are now coming to what is perhaps the best time of year to see all five species during a single visit. Therefore, I thought I would give you an update about where the best places to see each species are on the reserve at the moment.
Crane
Image credit: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
If you visit the reserve regularly, then you will know that cranes can be very difficult to see between April and June on the reserve. However, we are hoping that these large and impressive birds will become more visible in the next couple of weeks. A pair has nested on the reserve and we are hoping that the young will fledge (or leave the nest and fly) very soon. Watch this space for further updates!
If you are coming to the reserve, the best place to see cranes tends to be Joist Fen viewpoint. This is approximately a mile and a half from the visitor centre.
Bittern
Image credit: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
We had a new reserve record of 10 booming males (males in breeding condition) during the spring and now, the reserve team are currently in the process of working out how many nests there are on the reserve. Two juvenile bitterns have been seen feeding in front of Mere Hide recently, so there must at least have been successful nest near there! Please follow this link to see some pictures of them.
Although Mere Hide seems to be the best place to see them at the moment, they can also be seen from New Fen viewpoint and Joist Fen viewpoint. Please ask in the visitor centre on arrival and we will let you know where the best places to look are.
Marsh harrier
Marsh harriers are widespread at the reserve at the moment and chocolate brown youngsters are now starting to appear on the reserve. They can be seen potentially be seen hunting anywhere on the reserve. However, they tend to favour hunting over the reedbeds in front of New Fen viewpoint and Joist Fen viewpoint. They are also seen hunting in front of the Washland viewpoint fairly regularly, which is only a five minute walk from the visitor centre.
Bearded tit
Although charming and elusive bearded tits can be tricky to see on the reserve, July is a great time of year to see them on the reserve. Gingery coloured juveniles are starting to leave the nests and they can be seen regularly alongside the boardwalk down to Mere Hide in appropriate weather conditions (sunny and still). They can also be seen in front of New Fen viewpoint and Joist Fen viewpoint. Although they can potentially be seen at any time of day, they tend to be easier to see in the mornings.
Kingfisher
Image credit: John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
Our beautiful kingfishers are seen regularly on the reserve at this time of year. They are regularly seen perching at the edge of our visitor centre pond, which can be seen from the visitor centre window. Further afield, they nest near New Fen viewpoint and they are also seen regularly from Mere Hide. Look out for a bright blue flash as they shoot across the water in front of you.
If you would like to find out more about our "Lucky 5", please ring the reserve office on: 01842 863400 or e-mail: lakenheath@rspb.org.uk; for more information.
We hope to see you on the reserve soon and we hope that you see the "Lucky 5" when you do!