I decided to pay an early visit to Lakenheath Fen on Saturday the 26th. Arriving just before five, I headed for the far end of the reserve, pausing to listen to a Golden Oriole singing in the first plantation of poplars. Walking on, the reserve was starting to wake up as a large glowing sun rose slowly behind me to burn off the thin layer of early morning mist. A Golden Oriole was again singing in the furthest plantation and I managed to catch a glimpse of him, resplendent in his bright yellow and black, as he sang from the top of a bare tree. I could hear numerous cuckoos, with varying calls - the familiar "cuckoo" call and the bubbling call referred to in the rhyme "in June he'll change his tune", although this is in fact the female. A kingfisher was perched over one of the lagoons in the reedbed, but soon disappeared, not to be seen by me again that day, but good to see one around. Arriving at the Joist Fen viewpoint I settled down to wait and watch. An early surprise was a male Great Spotted Woodpecker, investigating the stump of a nearby old elder tree.
A pair of Marsh Harriers were busy patrolling the reedbed, occasionally passing food in mid air, and returning with nesting material every so often.
A Barn Owl came patrolling along the track, before turning and heading away again. The bird returned later with its catch, and disappeared to its nest, before emerging again and repeating the exercise in the early morning light.
A lovely bird to see at any time, and an amazingly graceful and silent hunter.
A Wren was a busy singer, using the top of a couple of straggly bushes to herald the morning and declare his territory. Several Common Terns were flying around and fishing over several of the reserve's lagoons dotted among the reeds. A lone Oystercatcher flew over, piping as it went.
I had come with the hope of seeing some Bearded Tits, or Bearded Reedlings, depending on what name you want to call them. I had only heard one, until just before half past seven a family group of four or five suddenly popped into a group of reeds in front of the bank. They flitted around and then into the old elder tree, before making their way onward.
Around the same time, a Bittern made a first plypast, turning and coming down into the reeds behind the viewpoint. His boom had decreased to little more than a grunt by now, and 20 minutes later his grunt alerted me to his return flight.
A Whitethroat came and hopped about in the bushes at the end of the viewpoint, as the Harriers continued to patrol the reedbeds, and the cuckoos continued to busy themselves, flying between the plantation behind and the larger bushes near the viewpoint. As I walked back to the visitor centre, the reedbeds were busy with active Sedge and Reed Warblers and Reed Buntings, collecting food for their young and a Grasshopper Warbler was reeling in the distance towards the railway line. A lone Hobby passed high over the trees as I neared the visitor centre where the feeders were proving very popular with the Chaffinches, Great Tits and Blue Tits. An early start, to be sure, but well worth it, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone.