Weeting Heath NWT 8th May, 2012

Weeting Heath NWT 8th May, 2012

Most of the 7th and 8th May were spent visiting friends for a 60th birthday party in Bury St Edmunds. We stayed at The Angel which was a fantastic, if a little pricey, hotel and definitely the place to stay if we go there again. While we were in Bury St Edmunds we did go for a longish walk across some fields on the 7th but the monoculture did not lend itself to bird life. In fact I think the only bird we saw was a Buzzard. However we departed on the morning of the 8th for Halesworth, a location we thought would make a good hub for other birding outings. We decided to visit Weeting Heath NWT on the way to Halesworth as it is renowned for its Stone Curlews. The drive there was not without bird spotting opportunities either as we saw a Jay, Starlings, a Grey Wagtail, Red Legged Partridge and Egyptian Goose as well as some commoner birds. However our main aim was to try to see Stone Curlew at Weeting Heath.

According to their own web site, “NWT Weeting Heath National Nature Reserve is one of the most important areas of heath in Breckland. Covered by open grassland and stony heath, the site is home to a number of rare plants, birds and insects. Of particular importance are the Stone Curlews which breed here. The hides overlooking the heath are undoubtedly the best place to see stone curlews in Britain, resident between April and September. A new 4.5km forest trail loop also offers a good chance to see coniferous specialists such as Common Crossbill”

We arrived at Weeting Heath just as they were opening and enquired about the likelihood of seeing Stone Curlew. A major type of person gave us the lowdown and informed us that they currently had only two pairs and that although they had made scrapes, at least one pair had lost its eggs already to a fox. In all likelihood they are trying again. A later conversation with the same person indicated that near the time of migration they have had, in the past, as many as 120 Stone Curlew collecting at their site but they can change from year to year and the precise details of where they are – if not actually on the reserve – seems to be something of a secret until they leave for the winter. So, with only two pairs of birds present and given that they are crepuscular, we wondered what luck we would have. A warder told me that he had seen a pair around 7am but that they were likely to be roosting by now and they are famous for their ability to blend into the environment with only their heads partly visible – if you are lucky.

Well, we looked and looked but could not find them so, after a while, we decided to take a walk in the woodlands around the hide but there weren’t too many many birds to be seen. We did see a Mistle Thrush and a Woodpigeon, a Pheasant and a Lapwing and Swallows were ever present. We returned to the hide overlooking the Stone Curlew field but again we could see nothing. Several other people were there by then but they were just as frustrated as us. So, instead, we decided to follow the woodland path. After crossing the very busy main road we walked uphill through the pine plantation. Although the trees are predominantly pine there is a very pleasant mixture of heathland plants and shrubs as well  and was rather reminiscent of the New Forest. As we walked around the circular route we could hear Cuckoo and Woodpecker but didn’t actually see any. As we went round, though, things picked up and we started to see Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Blackcap and as the forest broke out into plain heath we also saw Yellowhammer and Whinchat. A Buzzard circled overhead and all in all it was a very pleasant walk with many tantalising stoppages to try to locate birds that had briefly surfaced just to dive into the gorse as soon as you had seen them.

After about ninety minutes walking round the woods we decided to return to the main part of the reserve so we crossed back over the road and looked again in the hides but again no Stone Curlew. By now Anne was in need of a cup of tea and she sat in the car while I had another look at the left hand hide to see if there was anything to be seen on the far side of the hide. Just as I was getting back to the visitor centre and we were in all probability going to give up and drive on to Halesworth Anne phoned me to tell me that another birder had spotted a Stone Curlew from the original hide to the right of the visitor centre and had pinned up a description of where he had seen it. We rushed off to the hide and we followed the instructions – two low bushes together, look right four fence posts then come a couple of metres forward – and there the bird was. It was hunkered down on its nest but part of the body and all of the head was visible. We watched for quite some time and eventually the bird opened an eye,turned its head towards us and shook itself a bit before settling back down. As I watched it frequently opened an eye to keep a check on what was happening around it. I stayed as long as I could and was now as pleased as could be. Another lifer and a bird quite scarce and which only thrives in the peculiar environment of the Brecks and similar places. All in all a nice mornings work and well worth the patience.

Bird Sightings : Weeting Heath NWT