Good morning. I mentioned in my blog post yesterday that the RAF's Red Arrows display team would be displaying over nearby RAF Feltwell tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 4 July). Sadly, the display has been cancelled due to a security alert. Please read this article for more information. 

Good afternoon. It has been really rather warm recently, hasn’t it?! I will begin my posting some pictures that were taken here last Saturday, courtesy of Matt Walton:

Sunrise over the river:

An otter fishing in the river:

A barn owl hunting over the washland:

A flying bittern:

A four spotted chaser:

Image credits: Matt Walton

Thank you very much to Matt for sharing these great images with us. 

Good morning! The recent warm weather has encouraged plenty of funky looking insects to get out exploring the reserve. Thank you very much to Simon Jeffs for sharing the below pictures that he took here and at Weeting Heath NWT reserve. Most of these species can be found at both reserves, just in case you are wondering.

A golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle, taken here:

Stenurella melanura, a type of beetle, taken…

Good morning. After yesterday morning’s mainly retrospective blog post, I thought I would post some more sightings from the last couple of days.

The little bittern had not been heard for a week until this morning. To be honest, we all thought that it had gone but it HAS been heard in New Fen North triangle, just east of Joist Fen viewpoint so it is definitely still here after all!  

The reserve team did a bitter…

Good morning. It’s been a busy week so it’s now time for another update. I will begin by carrying on where I left off on Saturday. A goshawk was reported over New Fen viewpoint and a red kite was circling north of the river.

There were also plenty of dragonflies and damselflies on the wing. This included several scarce chasers, hairy dragonflies and at least two variable damselflies. 

We had a very successful…

Good morning! We have reached the longest weekend of the year and we have plenty going on over the course of the next two days.

It was a bright but breezy day on Wednesday and Suzanne headed down to New Fen viewpoint at lunchtime. She saw a hobby, a cuckoo a marsh harrier.

The weather conditions were similar on Thursday and local photographer Matt Walton was here early. He took these great pictures:

A barn owl:

Good afternoon. We have a selection of events planned this weekend so here is an update on what is going on:

Unfortunately, the Botany, bees and butterflies walk has been CANCELLED due to a lack of bookings and the poor weather forecast during the afternoon on Saturday. 

The Dusk Walk is still going ahead but please note that spaces are limited so please ring 01842 863400 or e-mail lakenheath@rspb.org.uk; to check availability…

I am very lucky to be involved in a unique Heritage Lottery Funded project, Wings over the Brecks. This is a partnership project between the RSPB, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Forestry Commission and the BTO. It aims to unlock the door the lives of the most iconic and secretive species in the Brecks.

A large proportion of land in the Brecks is protected on a national and international level for the rare species found here…

Good morning. Although the weather wasn’t terribly inspiring last weekend, there was still plenty going on. A group from the Royal Photographic Society came on Saturday and one of their group members photographed these colourful dead nettle leaf beetles:

Image credit: Ann Miles

A stoat was dashing around at the edge of the visitor centre pond and the little bittern was barking intermittently in New Fen North…

Good morning! It has certainly warmed up recently! On Thursday morning, a bittern was seen at the edge of the visitor centre pond shortly before we opened up the visitor centre.

The collared pratincole was seen at Joist Fen viewpoint and the little bittern was barking near Mere Hide.

A roe deer was skulking at the edge of the visitor centre pond and there were plenty of dragonflies and damselflies on the wing. This…

Good afternoon! Its been an interesting week here and the reserve team have been up to some interesting things. On Monday, some collages from RSPB Headquarters at The Lodge came with an interesting piece of technology: a drone. It was used to try and find marsh harrier nests in the reedbed. It took a photo every second and I have posted some of the pictures that it took below. Although they take some finding, each nest…

Good morning. The weather was a lot better yesterday and the collared pratincole was out and about hunting insects in the heat of the day. At one point, it was directly overhead at Joist Fen viewpoint. Here are some pictures of it, courtesy of Jon Winnan:

Image credits: Jon Winnan

Thank you very much to Jon Winnan for sharing these fantastic pictures with us.

It was last seen at the viewpoint at about 16…

Good morning. It turned out to be another exciting day here yesterday. Despite my reports of negative news on both of the reserve rarities mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, they both reappeared before the day was out!

The little bittern was actually heard barking twice in its usual haunt just east of Joist Fen viewpoint yesterday morning. It was then not heard until right at the end of the day, but more about…

Here is another guest blog from the Brecks, which is another special insight into a day in the life of a stone-curlew field worker. Jo Jones writes about stone-curlew monitoring on a site a bit different from farmland... and not very far from RSPB Lakenheath Fen! 

I am at RAF Lakenheath, which is a USAF air base. Stone-curlews started nesting here about twelve years ago. They took advantage of large areas of short Brecks…

Good morning, if you are wondering what the title of this blog post is all about, both of these species could have been seen on the reserve yesterday evening.

The little bittern was barking away in its usual spot in the triangle just east of Joist Fen viewpoint and showing itself occasionally both in the reedbeds and in flight. Earlier on in the week, the bird was photographed by Ian Goodall and here are his pictures…

Further to my previous message, we have just been informed that Lakenheath railway crossing WILL NOT be closed this weekend so access to the reserve will not be affected. 

Good morning. There was a definite theme to yesterday afternoon in the office: that of “alien” metamorphosis. Now before you think we have all gone slightly mad, let me tell you why. It all started when these two pictures arrived in our reserve inbox, which were taken on the reserve on 13 May:

Image credits: Dave & Helen Tanner

Thank you very much to Dave & Helen from sharing these great images with…

Good morning. I will begin by sharing some great photographs that were taken over the weekend:

A smart female scarce chaser:

Image credit: Rob Nichols

A flying bittern:

Image credit: Dave McGough

An otter:

Image credit: Tim James

This otter picture was taken early on Saturday morning when at least three individuals were seen. One was in front of the Washland viewpoint, one was on the washland north of East…

Good morning. Its been a while since our last update so here we go again: It is always sad when we get to the end of May as it tends to be the most exciting month of the year here! I will start off when I left off on Tuesday. I saw a beautiful ruby tailed wasp near the visitor centre and there was plenty to see further down the reserve. 

The little bittern was seen in flight just after 4pm between Mere Hide and Joist Fen…

Please note that the Brecks and Fens Discovery Day on Sunday has been CANCELLED due to a lack of bookings. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. 

On a recent visit to the reserve, I could hardly escape the signs of the spring migrants and the race for all wildlife on the reserve to prepare for the breeding season. Watching the mind blowing aerobatic feats of the hobbys and the screaming swifts above them reminded me of how reliant some of our best loved nature highlights are on insects being present, both for themselves and their young.

In the Brecks, the insects…

Good morning! As you can probably imagine, having Suffolk’s first little bittern since 1979 on the reserve has meant that we have been really rather busy recently! However, there has been plenty of other things going on as these great images show:

Dawn over the washland on Friday:

A pair of variable damselflies oviposting:

A drake shoveler:

An action shot of a hobby:

Image credit: Jon Winnan

I lead…

Good morning. A more extensive recent sightings blog post will follow tomorrow but in the meantime, here are some pictures of the little bittern. Thank you very much to Jon Winnan for sharing them with us: 

Image credits: Jon Winnan

It has been heard barking regularly but is only being seen in flight occasionally. It is still favouring the area that we know as "New Fen North triangle." This is between Mere…

Good morning! Well, after listening to it barking for around three hours last night, I am pleased to say that I saw the little bittern last night at around 8.30pm!

There were plenty of eyes and ears down there last night and local birdwatcher Richard Thewlis did these fantastic sketches of it:

He also did a sketch of a crane and a red kite on Sunday:

Thank you very much to Richard for sharing these with us!

Good afternoon all. This is just a quick note to say that the little bittern is back! It has been barking intermittently this afternoon and was seen at around 3.30pm. It is present in the part of the reserve that we know as "New Fen North triangle". This is between Mere Hide and Joist Fen viewpoint. Where the path splits just west of the track down to Mere Hide, take the right hand fork which goes alongside West Wood…