Spring on the Local Patch

There is a little church with a cemetery, which this GOLDFINCH appreciated as somewhere to perch.

 





Nature isn't doing too well in the general countryside, in fact its barely surviving as it holds on whilst modern agriculture destroys everything in its way. The countryside is an industrial waste land devoid of anything resembling nature. Yes there are still great areas for wildlife, the Minsmeres of the worlds, but they are the exception, that have somehow survived despite our best efforts.

My Local Patch is no exception, formed of large prairie fields, featureless expanse of crops dedicated to growing food at the sake of everything else. There are token areas for wildlife, little hedgerows that are allowed to grow but are brutally cut back, often for no reason. LITTLE OWLS once nested in the area before the farmer cut down the tree they nested in, again for no reason as it didn't improve access or anything, it was cut down for the sake of destroying somthing natural.

RED DEAD NETTLES. They are "dead" because they don't sting, have red flowers and look like nettles.

 



Any areas of tall trees left exist around the inhabited areas, the buildings. There is a small pond in the area and an irrigation reservoir, but they offer little beyond a token area of habitat.
There is a church with attendant cemetery which provides a bit of an oasis of trees and grassland. The church seems to serve only one hall as there are no other houses in the area.

 

Away from the agriculture there are fields given over to horse grazing which adds variety, but little else. The grass is so tightly cropped that few flowers can grow there and offers little for birds.

 

So things look bad on the Local Patch, I witness all this and feel powerless to do anything about it. The Local Patch is the area I visit every week, the nearest area of countryside to where I live, and it is the place where I am most able to connect with nature. It is also the place where I witness first hand the interaction between man and wildlife in the countryside, to which I'm most sensitive.
I while away the hours here rambling the many footpaths that criss cross the area, just myself and the birds. I take the camera with me as you can see from all the photos, but I seldom get any good shots. Sometimes it doesn't matter if I don't see anything, and I seldom do here, its just that I need that connection with nature.

 

Its amazing how few people you can meet out here, how easy it is to get away from it all, but most people in the country are friendly, away from the stresses of town life.

 

One area, called First Field, for obvious reasons had been left fallow for over a year now. This is a bad sign as this usually means its going to be developed by housing, which is an issue on the outskirts of a town. That would be a shame because as a green space its invaluable to the area.

 

I haven't really bothered with a blog on winter here, as it was a non event, and spring now seems to arrive earlier and earlier. I've kind of counted this blog - 'spring' - from the end of January all the way to the end of May.

SNOWDROPS growing in the church cemetery

 



Signs of spring began after a brief snow flurry in late January, when the first SNOWDROPS appeared in various places. They were soon joined by DAFFODILS and CELENDINE, all common harbingers of spring.
On 22 Jan I saw my first BUTTERFLY of the year, an absurdly early RED ADMIRAL, which may even have been wintering. The next BUTTERFLY was a yellow BRIMSTONE on the 22 February which is still pretty early.

 

 The female of the resident KESTRELS - Suffolk Punch Field

 

The winter was the warmest on record and as a result a lot of birds were fooled into singing earlier than usual. February was as warm, if not warmer than April.

The first SKYLARK of the year was on the 22 January, a declining resident bird that still manages to cling on in the area.

By the end of January GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS had started drumming on the tall trees that surround the pond, and there were two pairs of GREEN WOODPECKER in the area. In February more birds had started singing, with two SONG THRUSHES, and three YELLOWHAMMERS, slightly lower numbers than last year.

On 11 March I heard the first CHIFFCHAFF of the year, singing its two note tune, which gives it its name. Soon they were found everywhere there were any tree growth.

 BLUE TIT

 

A pair of BUZZARDS moved back into the wooded area of the Suffolk Punch Field. A pair of KESTRELS are also resident in the area. Another pair of BUZZARDS were on territory above Rede Wood. The presence of birds of prey, the apex predator, at least indicates there is some food about so there is signs of life I the area, even if I rarely get to see it.

 

DAFFODILS in the church cemetery

 

March was a bit more like March should be, less predictable, not so sunny, but there was no rain, drought conditions still prevail. Various THRUSHES moved through in that month, however they have mainly been in small numbers, its been several years since we've had any large influxes. The largest flock this Spring was of forty FIELDFARE in mid March.

 



 Male CHAFFINCH
 

The first BLACKTHORN appeared on the 4 March about two weeks earlier than last year, but was soon over. They were soon replaced by HAWTHORN, again very early.

During March some of the fields had been ploughed and sown with crops, whilst fields planted in Autumn became too tall for any nesting birds.



One of the strangest things to be dumped on the local path - an old rusted exercise bike

 

April was again unpredictable. Mid-month held hail and snow storms, and there was a light frost. But still no rain.
By the end of the month WHITETHROATS had returned, their buzzy call emanating from the hedgerows, the occasional song flight, a reall feature of late spring and indicates they have wintered well in Africa.

SWALLOWS have also been seen catching insects over the grassy fields. A few still nest in the farm buildings on the patch. 

 

 

Nice view of the Local  Patch.
 





In the first week of May the first SWIFTS returned to the skies above Ipswich, the same time as most years. They are one of the latest returning birds, and are usually the first to leave as well. Their wheeling through the sky is greatly entertaining.

May brought monsoon weather, as if all the weather had been built up and was forced out in the space of a week.

 There is a resident flock of GREYLAG GEESE in the area around the pond.

 

There has been a BLACKBIRD with white splodges on its body that has been living on the patch for at least four years, it doesn't migrate or anything, choosing to spend its time in the patch throughout the year. It must be really old now for a BLACKBIRD.

 

Farmer ploughing a field near Shrublands.

 

On 20 May a ROE DEER was in the Suffolk Punch Field, a rare visitor to these parts, and a female COMMON BLUE was in the meadow by the Reservoir.

 

Rede Wood
Settled in the local countryside is a tiny area of ancient woodland called Rede Wood. This used to be a county wildlife site, but the local council flogged it off to someone, to save what little money an ancient woodland costs. This is just the typical under appreciation of our native wildlife by the powers that be, I mean would they sell off some work of art so easily?

Male BLACKCAP

 



The canopy is very open, a lot of trees have been felled, but replanted, but it means the understorey is very scrubby, which in turns attracts lots of BLCAKCAPS. A GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was heard drumming, and there were lots of commoner birds all twinkling away.
There is a small display of BLUEBELLS under an area of hazel coppice, but not the large drifts you would associate with ancient woodland, because it was so overgrown.

 

 

Hopefully this sums up spring on the Local Patch well enough. This is an area I know so well, I have been coming here pretty much straight after first moving into the area over six years ago. I know the area blind folded, know all the passing of the seasons, yet I'm not really rewarded, I seldom see anything unusual to pay for the the coverage I have given it. Such is life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Nightingales and the voices of nature - a walk - 29/5/2019

 SMALL HEATH

Its a funny old past time, birdwatching. Its not to everyone's taste, and it can seem a bit too esoteric to appeal to any but a small number of people. But it can also be a fascinating hobby and a way to unwind from the modern world, a way to find some breathing space. I mention this as I attended a birding walk this morning, an organised workshop on bird song. It was run by Steve Piotrowski and John Grant probably the two biggest names in Suffolk birdwatching, semi legends in their own right. Under their vast bird watching knowledge we had a great morning's bird watching walking areas of Suffolk that were new to me. It was based around the Froize, a pub restaurant in Chillesford, probably serving the best food in the area, even for a veggie like myself, where we had a lunch at the end of the event.

 WOODLARK perched atop a conifer, a way it differs form the skylark
 

We started with coffee at the Froize where we met up, around eight o'clock. There were around ten people in the group, which is a reasonable number for a birding trip. From the Froize we moved onto Bromeswell, just north of Melton and Woodbridge. This is a small wildlife trust nature reserve, which has some woodland surrounding a couple of fen meadows. NIGHTINGALES were what we were looking for, the morning was built up around them, and as soon as we got out of the car we were hit by the 'machine-gun' fire by one. We heard more as we looked around eventually getting a view of the elusive bird. This is a species that is undergoing a massive decline, due to habitat destruction here, linked to deer eating the understorey of woodland, and habitat destruction in Africa, where they winter.
There were plenty of other singers, mostly common birds but also included a GARDEN WARBLER, which I have trouble differentiating its song from blackcap's.
After we had walked around Bromeswell, we changed location and moved onto Hollesley Common. This is a large and beautiful area of heath, well managed, a dynamic and shifting environment where different habitats merge into each other, like a living painting. Areas of heather with scattered pines morphed into woods, or into grassland where the emerging SHEEP'S SORREL burned the ground a deep red.

SHEEP'S SORREL turned the grassy areas of the heath a deep red

 



Its always interesting to see how other people bird watch, and Steve and John had a different approach to myself. There's was more methodical, slower, looking at every bird, whilst I usually just walk as quickly as possible through an area, only stopping when I see something unusual. Their approach seemed the best at seeing the birds and there was some cracking birds to see at Holleslley.
With heathland it is the scarce birds that are the attraction, and the area proved to be particulalrly rich in the birds associated with this environment. There were lots of WOODLARKS around, the numbers seen getting into double figures, which is good for a scarce bird. We would often disturbed them from the ground and they would fly up a few metres, perch in a tree or go back to ground. They were often seen in song flight, like the closely related skylark's but with a much different song. One was perched on a fence post singing its heart out. It just shows that with a decent amount of the right habitat any species can be quite common. SKYLARKS were also seen but singing over the surrounding farmland, birds of a different habitat.

 ADDER found amongst the tall grass
 

Also on the heath was a herd of maybe thirty FALLOW DEER seen in all manner of colours including several white ones, they make light work of getting over the surrounding fences.
Another denizen of the heath was a male STONECHAT, as usual perched up on a gorse bush, and another species less restricted to heath,  the YELLOWHAMMER, were seen with some singing perched visibly on gorse bushes.
Reptiles are often associated with heaths and a small ADDER was spotted sunning itself before slithering off after getting some unasked for attention.
After we had walked the heath we changed car parks, to one literally just down the road. In this car park a puddle existed, which we had a look at maybe in the distant possiblity of seeing CROSSBILLS drinking from it. We saw a COAL TIT drinking, but no crossbills. However seeing a small bird fly onto a little birch sapling I focused on it and seeing an unmistakable red and black plumage identified it as a male REDSTART. They are an absolutely beautiful bird with a red chest and a silvery grey back. This bird was carrying food and was obviously feeding young in the area. The bird kept moving to various posts in the area giving some cracking views. Definitely the bird of the day. This bird is now a very rare nesting bird in Suffolk, which is a shame as it looks so great, its population has gradually dwindled, facing the same pressure as all our summer visitors.
That ended the morning's bird watching, and having worked up a hunger we headed back to the Froize and had a well deserved lunch. Thank you very much.
So a good morning's birding. Its nice to finally meet some of the big names in Suffolk bird watching, to get some access to their local knowledge. They were both thoroughly decent people, engaging, and very happy to dispense some of their experience. It was nice to see some new areas of land, to open up places and to see some cracking species. I have another walk in June - about nightjars - and I'm looking forward to attending it. Worth a look if you're interested in birds, and want to learn more from some local experts.

 

 

 

 

Trimley Marshes - 21/5/2019

Female POCHARD, Trimley Marshes Reservoir

Over by Loompit Lake two policemen asked me if I had seen two drunk men cavorting in the mud. I said I hadn't but I wish I had as it would have enlivened the day somewhat. With Spring migration pretty much coming to a standstill there wasn't much about, just the breeding birds, which by necessity hang about in small numbers.
Trimley Marshes is located several miles from the nearest road, or the local train station. Its accessed through a long driveway that goes through a lot of uninteresting farm land. The only solution is to bike down. I cycled over to Westerfield train station (a country station that no one seems to use) took the bike on the train and travelled onto Trimley. It was nine o'clock, a strange time certainly, but I was the only person on the train. Its a shame because with such low numbers using the train, they will eventually scrap the service, especially as the line is heavily used for goods from the docks at Felixstowe. After arriving in Trimley I cycled down to the marshes.

There were several BROWN HARES on the fields

Being the breeding season, all the usual birds were present. The grassland WADERS were present in good numbers: LAPWING, REDSHANK and OYSTERCATCHERS. Pairs of AVOCET were present on all the scrapes and pools but only two young were seen, on the Permanent Lagoon.
The usual resident DUCKS were present, mainly on the reservoir. This is the largest and deepest lake on the reserve. A pair of POCHARD was significant, as although a common winter visitor, it is a rare breeding bird, with less than five pairs in Suffolk, mainly breeding here and Loompit Lake close by.
Also on the reservoir were lots of COOTS, SWANS and GREAT CRESTED & LITTLE GREBES.
On the Summer and Winter Floods were some roosting OYSTERCATCHERS and GODWITS, whilst a summer plumaged DUNLIN was on Winter Flood.

There were plenty of SWANS on the deeper lakes

 



Further along from the marshes the path follows the river estuary, where the tide was coming in, but not much was present on the mudflats. The male MARSH HARRIER, from the breeding pair at Trimley Marshes, was hunting over the surrounding farmland. A pair of MUNTJAC were in a field and several BROWN HARES were seen.

Roosting WADERS on the Winter Flood

 



Loompit Lake, further along the riverside is a good spot for birdwatching. It is man made but seems natural with reed and wooded edges. It is one of the best lakes in Suffolk for breeding and wintering birds. Of note was a small flock of twenty POCHARD, mainly males but with a few pairs.This is a massive number for this far into the breeding season and some may be made of failed breeders. There were lots of TUFTED DUCK and there were two broods of SWAN about.
A COMMON SANDPIPER was the only migrant of note, but two COMMON TERN were of interest, as I don't think they nest in the area.

 

 

 

 

Male MARSH HARRIER

 

After Loompit Lake the path circled back to the train station, through some uninteresting farmland where I didn't see much. Of interest was a huge new irrigation reservoir, distantly viewed from the footpath, although all I could see were some loafing GULLS.

 

Pair of MUNTJACS

 

So an alright day down at Trimley Marshes. There was a lot about, as there usually is, just nothing too unusual. Its been about a year since I was last down, which is a long time, and there's no real reason why except for laziness. I'm sure it won't be that long before I come down again, maybe to look for some Autumn waders.



Environmental Vandalism - Orchid Destruction

PYRAMID ORCHID taken last year

 



The local farmland to where I live doesn't have much going for it, nature-wise. A small colony of PYRAMID ORCHID was one of the high lights, tucked away in a bit of set aside, safe, you would think, from any farming need . Last Monday, 20 May, I visited the local patch, to check if any had started to appear. Imagine my shock to find the small area of grassland where they grow had been cut back, essentially before the plants could flower and seed, in effect killing the colony. There was no need for this, it had no agricultural benefit. This was environmental vandalism, destruction of wildlife for the sake of it. All the farmer had to do was to wait two more months for the plants to flower and seed, but no they had to cut in May. It makes me sick that we have no control over what these land owners do to our countryside, abusive custodians who get away with murder. Hopefully with this Brexit deal they wanted so much, they'll lose all their money, their subsidies, and will be forced to abandon the fields and let nature take back control.

Spring on the River Gipping Lakes - South Section

Nesting GREAT CRESTED GREBE, Barham Pit B

 



This post focuses on the southern section of the area, following the river Gipping as it winds its way south of Pipps Ford down to Claydon, passing several lakes. It also includes the Suffolk Water Park, a lake on its own separate from the other lakes in the area.

There is a rare breeds farm in the area - this HIGHLAND COW was having a good old scratch

 



When I was a young bird watcher, twenty years ago, a feature of Spring was seeing the hundreds of SWALLOWS, SWIFTS AND HOUSE & SAND MARTINS migrating over the local reservoirs. They would form huge flocks, as they caught insects on the wing, reminding me of a mosquito swarm. Nowadays when I visit the local lakes the number of those birds that I see are pitiful. Destruction of breeding habitat and hunting on their migration routes have all taken their toll in a way that is unsustainable. For a nature lover every time something positive happens, something bad always takes their place.

GREY WAGTAIL

 

The majority of the lakes in this area are fishing pits generally closed off from the general public, and we have to rely on the public footpaths that meander along the river. These usually give a good view of the lakes, so its not too bad.
As is typical of such lakes there are pairs of SWAN, GREAT CRESTED GREBES and COOT on most of them. Barham Pit B and Causeway Lake had single pairs of GADWALL, whilst Barham Pit A had a pair of TUFTED DUCK. Slim pickings indeed.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE

 

The River Gipping is a very fertile river, with clear water that has a lot of fish in it, especially near the locks you can see them gathering under the water. In areas where the river slows down reeds grow in profusion and REED WARBLERS sing from them.
The two locks, at Causeway Lake and Great Blakenham, have GREY WAGTAILS present. The ones at Great Blakenham feed on a stony beach in the river, giving good opportunities for photography.

GREY WAGTAIL

 

The marshy area of Barham Pit A provides habitat for CETTI'S WARBLER, the bird belting out its song, with a couple of birds present at the Suffolk Water Park and Bramford Meadows.
The causeway between Meadlands Lake and Barham Pit A is a good place for BULLFINCHES its one of the best sites in the area. This is always a scarce bird, and even an active bird watcher like myself has difficulties finding them, but when I do its great because they are such a beautiful bird.
A pair of BLUE TIT are nesting in the fishing lodge in the Suffolk Water Park.

Some more ducks from the rare breeds farm -  I will visit the place, but that is for another post.

As is fairly obvious this is not a great bird watching area, but that doesn't matter, its not about finding that rarity. Sometimes its just great to be out in the countryside, to walk a lovely area, and it is lovely indeed. For inland Suffolk with its acres of featureless arable, the River Gipping has so many different habitats, attracting the odd bird in turn. I hope it gets better protection, because to me its a special place, a wild place.

 



Spring on the River Gipping Lakes - North Section

Newly fledged LONG TAILED TITS in May

 



This post describes the north section of the Gipping Valley Lakes - From Needham Lake outside Needham Market, down to Pipps Ford, a route that takes a couple of miles, walking down the river Gipping.

Its been four years since I first came to Pipps Ford. A report of a lesser spotted woodpecker was posted on the SUFFOLK BINS website which opened my eyes to the site. Because it is a new quarry nothing about the site is shown on any map, its just a blank, so I had no idea anything was there. So one Sunday I cycled over, it took about half an hour, and walked the footpath from the road to the river, didn't see particularly much and went home not very impressed.
However, with a paucity of any actual decent local birding sites I came back. The best bird I have seen there was a GLOSSY IBIS, a bird that looked completely out of sorts at the site. Gradually I started to explore more of the area and I began to acquire more of the general area into my birding, and I gradually learned more about the site.

I can't admit that its a good birdwatching area, it isn't really, but for inland Suffolk, close to Ipswich, its the best I've got. Trust me the area is fairly birdless
So over the years I have built the routine that gets the best out of the site. I get a bus to Needham Market, and just walk down river, maybe stopping at Pipps before heading back to Needham, or walking all the way down to my house, which is a very long walk.

 

 Needham Lake is a very busy green space on the edge of town, full of families, fishermen and model boat enthusiasts. The birds are typically very tame and quite boisterous about getting fed.

The lakes that line the river are of various sizes, the larger ones having nesting COOT, SWANS and GREAT CRESTED GREBES. Around Pippin's lake, a small tree lined pit a pair of GADWALL have taken up home with an extra two males hanging about as well. At Pipps Ford a pair of LITTLE GREBE were present as they are most years.

On Pipp's Ford when I visited in March there were four pairs of LAPWING in the area. However by May that population had dropped to just one due to the drought conditions, that pair in the active quarry, where there was still wet mud for them to feed on. Just one LITTLE RINGED PLOVER was seen this Spring, despite this quarry being the most regular site in the county for this species, with a few nesting each year. However this year may see their local extinction. A pair of OYSTERCATCHER were also found in March, the usual nesting pair, but I couldn't find them later on in the year, and this being a very obvious and easy to see species, maybe they too have deserted the area.
On the migration front on the 17 April I disturbed a JACK SNIPE along the river, the bird breaking into the air as I walked past, but I didn't see much else this Spring.

Several MALLARDS nest along the river

 



Away from waders there was a HOBBY over Riverside farm pit, on the 14 May, its appearance like a giant swift, with its red legs, dashing over the water catching dragonflies on the wing, it didn't linger and gradually drifted towards Needham.
Small birds are always a feature of the area as the mix of woodland, rough grassland and wetland sites attract lots of them. Perhaps the latest flock of FIELDFARES I have for Suffolk were found on 17 April typically feeding in a sheep paddock. Around Pipps Ford a large flock of LINNET lingered.
The heathy grassland around Pipps Ford attracts good numbers of SKYLARK, with five males on territory.
There were lots of WARBLERS in the area, CHIFFCHAFFS appearing in March, BLACKCAPS and WHITETHROATS in April and with several REED WARBLERS singing from the lake side reeds come May.

I hope this post gives a sense of what its like to birdwatch a local area. These places aren't usually the best for birds, but being so local, and under recorded, makes them somehow important.

Landguard Point & Fort

Male WHEATEAR

I have never been to Landguard in May, so I did a little trip over to see what I was missing. The first week in May is the peak time of Spring migration, but after that things wind down quickly for the nesting season. So far Spring hasn't been too great, and it would prove so today with a relatively quiet day down at Felixstowe. While I was at the Point I also decided to view the fort there, an historical site nestled into this spit of land.
I decided to take the bus down, as there is a handy service that goes straight to the Point. It takes an hour, which can be very frustrating, at every stop I groan - please just keep going. But in the end most of my birding is done by sustainable methods, it seems a bit stupid to poison the earth in search of birds and that's the way it has to go to protect the world we live in.
I got off the bus, headed out on the reserve, came upon the bird observatory and the tall trees there, hidden behind a tall fence, but they were quiet. Passed that are some buildings, that seem derelict, which has a resident flock of HOUSE SPARROWS, but little else. I followed the river and cut inside where I found my first WHEATEAR of the day. The area by the tip  of the point is where it becomes mostly grass and  is the best place to view these birds. This one was quite tame allowing me to get close to photograph it. I also found another of this species further along.

 

Male BLACKBIRD - if you look closely enough you can see its been ringed

 

At the grassy area near the point I came across two WHITE WAGTAILS. These birds are the continental version of our common PIED WAGTAILS. As their name suggests they are a lot paler, with milky grey backs and tails, the only black being on their bibs. It was a nice find and there were plenty of PIED WAGTAILS present for comparison.

Around this point I came across a couple of RINGED PLOVERS. They nest on the beach here in small numbers, protected from disturbance in roped off areas. The birds I saw were beyond the ropes, but weren't really pleased with me being there so I took a couple of photos and let them be.

I walked back up the point. LINNETS were ever present, the Point is able to sustain a large breeding population, which is good when they are declining badly in the general countryside. The birds were probably the most numerous species on the Point.

At the top of the point it becomes more scrubby with scattered bramble bushes growing here and there. In this area I heard and saw a LESSER WHITETHROAT. Despite its name its not smaller than the common whitethroat, but has a slate grey plumage, giving it a more pronounced white throat.

 

 

 The reserve was quiet and it didn't take long to complete a circuit. It was time to catch a coffee from the café and have a look at the fort.

Landguard Fort

 

Inside the Keep

 

Nestled between the nature reserve and the dock complex is Landguard Fort. Its an English Heritage property protecting some ancient buildings. It was originally founded during the reign of Henry VIII, but has been amended many times over the century. It doesn't face out to the sea, but looks over the Stour river to protect the docks at Harwich.

 

 These kind of look like Easter Island heads

 

 

The fort has two rows of walls protecting a large keep. It was interesting walking around the place, the various rooms. Most of the place were empty, and the people who lived there must have been small in height because there was little head room.

 

 

 

Unfortunately the views from the fort overlooked the Point car park and café, with the docks behind.
It was a nice little de tour from bird watching, and I recommend anyone out there to go visit it.
So I left Landguard feeling satisfied having had a good day out. Places where there is so much human history, yet with so much natural history present, is worth preserving for ever.