On the 1st May we left Halesworth to spend a couple of days on the Broads. Our first stopover en route was at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen. We had managed to get an early start so we got there by 10am. It was pleasant to see that the facilities had been upgraded a bit since we last visited and we took advantage of a cup of tea and a break before setting off. We took the “Fen Trail” route which takes you across most of the site and took us about three hours.
As we walked around the trail we could hear Cuckoos calling – a regular feature of the entire holiday which was re-assuring and pleasing. A Bittern was also booming and we saw plenty of Marsh Harriers so it was a nice walk. Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat were all also singing. We got a year tick in Red-legged Partridge.
As with everywhere else we visited, Reed and Sedge Warblers were singing loudly and from the Tower Hide we managed to get slightly distant Common and Spotted Redshank.
This was the first time we have had more than a very short period of time at this reserve and we enjoyed it greatly even if it did not have as many species as other sites we have visited on our holiday.
Bird Sightings RSPB Strumpshaw Fen 1st May 2019
| Greylag Goose | 30 |
| Mute Swan | 6 |
| Common Shelduck | 8 |
| Gadwall | 10 |
| Mallard | 10 |
| Northern Shoveler | 2 |
| Common Pochard | 1 |
| Red-legged Partridge | 2 |
| Common Pheasant | 1 |
| Great Crested Grebe | 20 |
| Great Bittern | 1 |
| Grey Heron | 1 |
| Eurasian Marsh Harrier | 4 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Common Moorhen | 3 |
| Common Coot | 4 |
| Northern Lapwing | 6 |
| Spotted Redshank | 2 |
| Common Redshank | 1 |
| Black-headed Gull | 40 |
| Common Wood Pigeon | 10 |
| Common Cuckoo | 1 |
| Common Kestrel | 1 |
| Eurasian Jay | 1 |
| Carrion Crow | 8 |
| Great Tit | 2 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 4 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 2 |
| Cetti’s Warbler | 2 |
| Willow Warbler | 3 |
| Common Chiffchaff | 3 |
| Sedge Warbler | 2 |
| Eurasian Reed Warbler | 3 |
| Blackcap | 2 |
| Common Whitethroat | 1 |
| European Robin | 3 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 2 |
| Grey Wagtail | 1 |
| Reed Bunting | 1 |
| European Greenfinch | 1 |