Morning at Lakenheath and Rainham update

The pointless year list has moved on to 175 with the addition of Whitethroat at Rainham on 10th. The 9th April saw the first reports of any but I couldn't find one for the tick, roll forward a day and they're singing from every bush along the foreshore.

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Chiffchaff

As well as the vocal Whitethroats the Sedge Warblers and Chiffchaffs are in full song but Blackcaps are less numerous now after the initial noisy arrival. The Med Gull movement seems to have stopped but Common Terns are now the daily arrivals. The Hoopoe was seen again yesterday flying from the tip across the Thames. The Garganey remains on Purfleet scrape but the GW Teal hasn't been seen for a few days now although there are still quite a few Teal around. Some of the wintering birds remain with Snipe still being seen and a Jack Snipe on Purfleet scrape too, a couple of pairs of Pintail remain and a few Wigeon stragglers are still contemplating migration. Ringed Plover and Grey Plover have both been seen this week along with the springs first Whimbrel although I didn't see it. At least 62 Black-tailed Godwit remain and the Lapwing, Redshank and Avocet have set about nesting although Wennington remains very dry with the lack of rain. The LRP is still being seen so hopefully will stay to breed. A Redstart was seen at the weekend by some locals and I had a large hirundine flock over on Sunday

containing Swallows and Sand Martins but no House Martin for me yet although they have been seen by others.

Yesterday I took the Jims for a morning at Lakenheath to take advantage of the forecast nice weather. We arrived at 6.30am and walked out along the river bank to joist fen and back. Blackwits, Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe accounted for the waders on the washland pool along with the usual ducks. We heard our first Reed Warbler of the year and added a couple more on the long walk although we later found these were the first arrivsls reported at Lakenheath this year. Gt White Egret was added to the day list before we found a pair of Garganey. Bittern were booming from every reed bed but we couldn't find any Cranes on this visit, I guess they're either out in the distant fields feeding or busy nesting in the reed bed somewhere. Marsh Harriers were seen nest building and a single Swallow flew over. Two Cattle Egrets were seen along with Heron and Little Egret to make it a five heron species day. On the way home we stopped at Cavenham and Jim found himself a Wheatear which he still needed for a year tick and then he managed to locate a single Stone Curlew to give us all a year tick. Woodlark, Skylark and Stonechat entertained us whilst we watched the heath.  We saw 72 species in the mornings birding.

year list now 175

Woodlark

A flyover from RAF Lakenheath 

Canada Geese

Lakenheath