Autumn on the local patch - 2019

The Local Patch, an enigma, the nearest area of countryside, a place that is not necessarily a nature reserve, or anywhere managed for wildlife, yet is the birdwatcher's most watched of places. Mine is an area of farmland a short walk away from where I live, an area of large arable fields, horse grazed pasture, and the odd tree and hedgerow. Its not great for birds but is interesting to see how wildlife survives in a place that is the general "countryside".

 

  Pylons are a real feature of the Local Patch

  

Autumn started with a CUCKOO on 19 August. It was perched on a fence by Rise Hall farm buildings, but flew off as I tried to get closer. This is a good late record for this species and a first for the patch.
After that things quietened down for a bit. As the calendar moved from August to September the weather really lost its heat and things felt colder, more Autumnally. A CORMARANT remained for a while, this is a rare sighting for an area with very little water.

CORMARANT seen around the Reservoir during August

 

On the 2 September there was a good movement of birds. A finch flock 50-strong was present comprised mainly of GREENFINCHES, GOLDFINCHES and LINNETS, made up of mainly local birds, it shows that there seems to have been a good breeding season. Also present in the area were several CHIFFCHAFFS, some BLACKCAPS, one LESSER WHITETHROAT and one smart SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. There were also large numbers of SWALLOWS swooping to grab at bugs congregating over the fields. All these birds were found in the Suffolk Punch Field, which is the main migrant catch point in the area, a field of pasture with scattered bushes.

Tractor with attendant GULLS

 



I visited the area on 11 Sept, and things had quietened down, but I was able to see more of the patch. A flock of 16 YELLOWHAMMERS were feeding on stubble way out near Rede Wood. In the wood itself I saw two FALLOW DEER, which is a new patch records as there isn't really any other areas of woodland, I think they must have come down from the woodland around Shrublands. On that day as I cycled up to Shrublands I passed a sand quarry, where in some overgrown areas I encountered a flock of 30 LINNETS, which is always a nice find as they are probably locally born birds. There wasn't really much in Shrublands itself.

 

 

 Shot of the landscape of the Local Patch

Autumn always brings an influx of GEESE to the pond area, swelling the resident population. The geese can increase to over a hundred birds, but numbers were a bit lower this year.
On the 18 Sept a dead BADGER was seen on the road by Thurleston Lane. It was a complete surprise as I had no idea any of these animals were present on the patch. But it shows how roads can block in wildlife, act as an artificial boundary and stops their movement. The road was a quiet country lane, so its sad the animal was hit by a car.
As the days get shorter JAYS become more common, starting with a flock of six on the 27 August. After that large numbers were seen every time I went down to the patch, singles flying between trees, their distinctive white rumps obvious in flight.
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Burnt out scooter in the dried up stream

 

I don't normally see many people on the patch, despite it  being a boundary to north west Ipswich.

There are a few dog walkers, horse riders, and joggers amongst others. To be honest this is what I want as its an easy place to escape human life and access into nature and some relaxation of the soul. The countryside is a great resource for people, but we don't have any say about how the countryside is managed. I often feel so impotent when I find yet more habitat has been damaged, in a way that is out of my control.
There are occasional signs that remind you there is an urban environment less than half a mile away. A torched scooter was found in the stream. The fire seems to have burnt out a large chunk of River Meadow, although there are now grown shoots showing in the blackened earth.

 PARASOL FUNGI - apparently quite edible if you dare 

 

On the 1 October there was a flock of 10 MEADOW PIPITS in Lark Field, along with five LINNETS and a couple of LARKS. This place is a large arable field which lies on the downslope of the area and has the largest number of breeding and wintering larks on the Patch. In the same area on 9 October there was a flock of 30 LINNETS, I'm not sure if its different flocks, or just one flock roving the countryside, and a flock of 15 LARKS, which is about usual, local birds gathering together for the winter.

 

I have no idea what this bit of equipment is, found on a farm near Shrublands

 

Being an area of countryside that's not managed with wildlife in mind, it is harder to find any birds out here. There are days, where the areas of featureless farmland have no birds in them at all. That can be quite disheartening as its the same story in a lot of our countryside. We always associate the countryside with wildness, but its not really the case any more. The countryside can be as lifeless as an area of urban blight. Its shocking to think that we have lost half our wildlife since the 1970s, and yet what can we do? We can't turn the entire country into a giant nature reserve, so its up to the farmers to change things, and that means pressure coming down from government. Sadly that will never happen so things will never change and wildlife will continue to dwindle until there is precious little left.

My blog on the Local Patch ends slightly earlier for an Autumn report because on 12 October I shall be heading to the Sates to attend my brother's wedding. I know what you are thinking - how can an environmentalist, knowing what I do about climate change, really advocate travelling half way across the world. I don't know, and it shall weigh heavily on me.

Lakenheath Fen - 3/10/2019

 The cold days of late Autumn have begun to wrap their icy fingers across the shortening days. Summer is becoming but a memory, holding on with a last gasp as winter comes ever closer, a knowing inevitability. With this cross over of seasons birdwatching can be quite interesting, the last diehards of summer, and the first explorers of winter.

Having exhausted the coastal reserves I felt it was time to try somewhere inland, somewhere way out to the western fringes of Suffolk. There isn't too much that way, so it wasn't a tough decision to visit Lakenheath. I never go out there that much, its been two years since I last visited, so I thought it was well time I had another look.

BLUE TIT and GOLDFINCH on the visitors centre feeders

 

Its a good reserve, but hard to birdwatch. The reserve is on such a grand scale, such a huge amount of reedbeds, there's no point of reference. I mean where do you start? Half the reserve is only viewable from the river wall, while the accessible part meanders through poplar woods with a couple of viewpoints over the reedy areas.
Today had a really Autumnal feel, the air was dank and cold, Summer seems like a long time ago.



Autumn is the time when habitat management takes place on reserves, when the breeding season is over and the winter period has yet to begin, so there is minimal disturbance to bird life. The New Fen, the first area of reedbed, was undergoing such work, with billows of smoke rising out of the reedbed and distant voices carrying in the quiet. As a result I didn't stop here for too long. As I carried on, further ahead in the trail, a STOAT appeared, running backwards, sideways, all directions but still using the human path to make its way through the area. It probably knew I was there but didn't seem to mind my presence.
Work was going on around Mere Hide, as well, but on the approach path a flock of BEARDED TITS erupted from the reedbed. This is typical behaviour for the species at this time of the year, when the birds leave their summer grounds in big eruptions. This is a species confined to large reedbeds and places like Lakenheath are essential to their survival. In this flock I counted ten individuals, but throughout the reserve the species was a constant present, with its distinctive 'pinging' call.

Smoke on the water - management work at Mere Hide

 

From Mere Hide I walked further along to reach Joist Fen viewpoint, the furthest point of the visitor trails, giving views across the vast sea of reeds, to the far horizon. Not much was present, so after a while I decided to head off. At this point in the reserve, there comes a point where the reserve path meets the public footpath along the river wall. Either you can follow the path back to the centre or you can head out to the Wilder areas of the reserve. I chose the latter.
Such a wilderness creates difficulty in seeing birds as there is no point of reference, its all just a huge area of reeds. The odd MARSH HARRIER, two overflies of GREAT WHITE EGRET, lots of BEARDED TITS, and eventually catching up with BITTERNS - I would see two flights of this species, the birds flying just above the reeds. In the end with LITTLE EGRET and GREY HERON, I saw four species of HERON which isn't too shabby, and is probably the best place in Suffolk for this. The public footpath reached the end of the reserve and the only option was to walk back the same way.

 

A pair of MUTE SWANS on the river

 

As I came back to Joist Fen, two WHOOPER SWANS flew over, distinctive because of their 'whooping' call - our local MUTE SWANS, are well, mute. Barring over summering birds this is the earliest Autumn date I have for this species, and may be the earliest in Suffolk this year.
I was also able to connect with the last HOBBY of the summer, swooping over the reeds, feeding on the declining dragonfly population, it was great to see, if a little sad that the bird will soon be leaving. This bird, along with some SWALLOWS, will be the last of the summer birds, but what a contrast with the returning swans.

A boat, some backpacks and a flask of tea - the essentials of reserve management

 

From here I walked back to the visitors centre, with the reserve on one side ad the river on the other. Eventually I came to the Washland, a seasonal pool next to the river. It was quiet, a few MUTE SWANS and TEAL, but I  encountered a pair of STONECHATS in the riverside reeds. And with that I was finished the reserve and had a well earned sit down.
Lakenheath is a lot of effort, it takes a lot of time to appreciate, it involves walking long distances, and sometimes it can be disheartening when there are NO BIRDS WHAT SO EVER. But as you can see from my blog I did in fact see a good variety of birds, if not a lot in number. Lakenheath is always that reserve where you have to risk it to see good birds, mainly wetland ones, when there's always a chance that you will see nothing at all. Its not like Minsmere where there's large numbers and varieties of birds, all so accessible, and for that Lakenheath's a fairly unique reserve. Just appreciate the quiet, the wilderness, and the absence of any people, and for that its priceless.

 

 

 

 

Landguard Point - 26/9/2019

For the last birding session of September I decided to give Landguard a visit, maybe because I couldn't really think of anywhere else to go. Landguard is fairly dependable for attracting migrants, so I thought it would be worth a visit. To some extent it was worth a look, as there were a lot of birds present, its just they were all the usual fare, the sort of migrants you would expect on a late September day.

 

 

Landguard, the nature reserve, is shaped like a dagger, that runs north to south as the underbelly of Felixstowe. It is completely hemmed in by human development, the town of Felixstowe and the massive cargo docks along the river form its boundary. Its an area of tightly cropped grassland - nothing much grows on the shingle under layer. At the north end the landscape is dominated by scattered bushes of mainly bramble, gradually thinning out until it leaves just open grassland for the majority of the reserve.
The shape of the reserve, sticking out into the sea and the river Stour, makes it a migrant hotspot, its an inviting place for tired birds to land.

In the dunes, between the beach and the grasslands, there was a flock of 100+ FINCHES - LINNETS and GOLDFICHES - feeding in a tightly knit group. It was hard to know how many there were as small flocks within the larger one would fly in the air and settle only a short distance away, making a vague estimate the only number I could bring together.
There was also a large flock of 100 STARLINGS, again an estimate. They would fly in the air at the constant disturbance reeling around in impressive murmarations. These birds are present all Summer as the birds that nest in Felixstowe town come out here to feed.

 

In the open grassy areas a loose flock of around 20 MEADOW PIPPITS were around, as you would expect for this time of year.
Summer kept a toe hold into September with the last migrants of the season still present in small numbers. A couple of WHEATEARS were about as usual in the southern open areas, a species I haven't encountered much this Autumn, so were nice to see. On the hill around the observatory there is a small area of woodland and there was a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER present as well as a couple of CHIFFCHAFFS.

The old sea watching hide - the point is full of crumbling old buildings built over the past.

 



Just offshore a MED GULL flew south, its all white wings unmistakable, and two SANDWICH TERNS followed a bit later on, moulting into their winter plumage.
In the end today was just the standard fare for September, a fare that is still a fairly impressive haul for just a couple of hours. Its really heartening that even in these days of environmental destruction, there are still birds left in reasonable numbers, birds still clinging on in the countryside. Who knows, maybe in the future I will look back and see this as a low point, that in the future there may be more birds, but most likely there will be less and I will look back at this time as a golden age, before the effects of environmental destruction really kicks in.

 

Minsmere part 2 - Ringing and Reedbeds - 19/9/2019

The North Bushes are an area of scrub situated just the other side of the Scrape to the sea. They are a migrant trap that often attracts birds as its the first area of rest and food they get to after they have flown in off the sea. There were plenty of WARBLERS here today, with LESSER WHITETHROATS, CHIFFCHAFFS and BLACKCAPS present amongst the bushes. There were lots of blackberries growing on the brambles, providing a banquet for these birds.

A bird in the hand - CHIFFCHAFF

 



There was also bird ringing going on there. The Waveney bird ringers were giving demonstrations of their craft. In their nets they would capture birds and bring them out to the waiting crowd that had formed. From there they would take measurmemnts, ring the bird, and then let one of the spectators release it back into the wild.

 

 CHIFFCHAFF being weighed

 

CHIFFCHAFF being ringed

 

While I was there they showed a ROBIN, CHIFFCHAFF and REED WARBLER. The reed warbler was the latest date I have seen this species, they often migrate away much earlier. I was given the honour of releasing that bird back into the wild.

REED WARBLER - I was lucky to be given the job of releasing it back into the wild.

 

After witnessing the bird ringing I had finished the scrape area, and with that done I headed off to the reedbed hides. In the first part of the blog I detailed what I saw around the Scrape, and in this section I shall finish on the reedbed ones.

The Bittern Hide was quiet, just a few HARRIERS. In the area of woodland past that hide a TIT flock included a couple of MARSH TITS, which I have found hard to connect with this year, hopefully just because its me and not because they are becoming scarce.

After hearing them around the reserve, their metallic 'pinging' call, I finally saw some BEARDED TITS at Island Mere with a few birds flying in and out of the reeds.

Out on the water a large flock of GADWALL had formed with over 150  present, within which were mixed small numbers of TUFTED DUCK, both GREBES and COOT.

And that concluded a marathon session of birdwatching, one that only Minsmere can deliver. Its such a great reserve, with such a variety, of habitats, and birds. Its also a place to restore some soul, when I come off a busy week of work, to unwind in the wild, to  become one with nature, away from that artificial world we humans have created for ourselves. Long may places like this continue to thrive, for us as much as anything.

Minsmere part 1 - The Scrape - 19/9/2019

Birding in September always has that air of something special, that something unusual is just waiting to appear, when the conditions are right. At this time of the year millions of birds are on the move, streaming down the coast as they move from their breeding grounds to their winter ones often involving flying thousands of miles. And because of this, if the winds are right, or a bird gets lost, you can get birds turning up from Siberia or maybe America, if the wind is right.

BLACK TAILED GODWIT

 

Today at Minsmere the star bird was a PECTORAL SANDPIPER, one of those rare birds brought to the UK through freak weather conditions. This is a bird from America that has been blown over here, or got lost on migration, and now is stuck here, doomed to wonder the wetlands of Western Europe on its own for the rest of its life. This bird, a juvenile, was in the Konik Field, and was very hard to find. A brown bird feeding on churned up mud meant it was only visible through a telescope, and only then with difficulty. Its main feature was its streaky brown chest which turned to white just below its pecs - hence the name. It was slightly bigger than a dunlin, and had a unique bill, but it was a brown job, so it was a bird of subtle looks.

 

COOT

 

On the Scrape migrating WADERS were still holding up well, with a good variety present.

On West Scrape there were present:

1 LITTLE STINT   1 GREEN SAND   1 COMMON SAND   1 SNIPE.

South Scrape had been turned a red colour, by some sort of vegetation, and looked like something from the War of the Worlds. It was fairly quiet and held:
14 AVOCETS   30 DUNLIN   1 OYSTERCATCHER

South Scrape had been turned red

And on East Scrape:
1 CURLEW SAND   7 RINGED PLOVERS   9 DUNLIN   2 SNIPE  5 AVOCETS  6 GODWIT

East Scrape - large numbers of GEESE were present, mainly BARNACLE.

 

There was a small influx of DUCKS since I had last visited, the majority of them TEAL, with smaller numbers of SHOVELLER and GADWALL, and a couple of WIGEON. The male GADWALL had returned to their breeding plumage after the summer moult, which is known as eclipse, but most of the other species were still a variety of brown.

Teal in flight, East Scrape

 

On the beach, there were few migrants about, with six STONECHATS present, which could possibly be resident birds or incoming migrants. There were no signs of wheatear or whinchat, which you would expect at this time of year.

STONECHAT feeding in the dunes.

 

An interesting record was of a GRASS SNAKE, slithering across the path, by the entrance to the woodland. Its a Minsmere first for me, and despite many years of connecting with nature, its always strange to see wild snakes in the English countryside.
The second part of this blog on Minsmere will detail the bird ringing and reedbed hides. I couldn't fit it all into one blog as it would be just too long a read.

Global Climate Strike - Ipswich - 20/9/2019

On Friday 20 September cities across the world went on strike to demonstrate against the environmental crisis that is devastating the world. This was an organised global event trying to highlight the impending doom of climate change at a grass roots level.

On midday on the steps of the town hall - known as the Corn Exchange - in Ipswich, my local town, a large number of youths stood in front of a large gathered crowd, and called out a need for change. In the end it is these youths who are inheriting this poison chalice of an environmentally dying planet. However it wasn't a demonstration just for the young as lots of people of different ages turned up - like myself.

These kinds of protests are always good fun, making an important statement whilst at the same time everyone enjoying themselves. There wasn't really anything special, no bands or anyone dressing up, which was a bit of a disappointment, as a photographer I always want something to snap. But it was an important event in itself as this sort of thing that doesn't happen in Ipswich.

As a fairly apathetic town as Ipswich is, when I heard about this demonstration I thought only five people would turn up, but happily I was wrong. There were hundreds of people present all packed into the town centre square as those on the steps of the town hall shouted out their demonstration to rounds of applause.

This is Sandy Martin a councillor for Ipswich Borough Council. He spoke at the demonstration, on the town hall steps to those who had congregated. He spoke well about how change needs to come more quickly than they are set out at the moment, about the need for innovation to halt climate change. It looked like he was really one of us - a politician that actually believes in helping the environment.

But soon the jeers started issuing out of the watching crowd. It was revealed that this politician supports a Northern Bypass for Ipswich - to provide more roads for extra lorries to supply Felixstowe Docks - and a subsequent town the size of Bury to be built along it. This will result in huge areas of Suffolk countryside being destroyed, just at a time when we're coming to realise we need to do something more creative with the world rather than concrete it over. In the end his act of environmental solidarity was just a front to get more votes.

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing so many people coming together was something powerful to witness. So much of what was being said and felt was what I have been hoping for years to become mainstream and now its finally happening. If everyone comes together like this then maybe we might just be able to save the world. At a time when the earth is being destroyed at such an insane level a real understanding of the human tragedy to such a large extent is really heartening.

 

 

Hundreds of people gathered in the town centre square

 



The difficult thing now is to get the message out to the people who don't normally come to these events, people who maybe don't think they are part of this movement. We need to get the message out that this world belongs to everybody and at the same time to make people realise that we are just caretakers, the world will continue after we leave, it just matters what state we leave it in.

Benacre Broad & Hen Reedbeds - 12/9/2019

Benacre is a place I seldom go to. Its just a little too far up the coast, and sometimes I feel its maybe not quite worth the effort what with Minsmere being so much nearer. Of course its a good reserve, lots of reedbeds, heaths and open water, which attracts lots of birds, but it suffers from sharing the same area as some of the best reserves in the country. The main point of the area the 'broads' were formed by glacial erosion and now sit next to the sea, they are surrounded by large areas of reedbed. They are not fully tidal, more brackish, but can totally dry out, so they can be unpredictable.

SPOTTED REDSHANK, Covehithe Broad

 



The weather, glorious for a day outside, was not great for migrants, which at this time is what I'm looking for. Sunny, clear skies, a slight westerly breeze weren't really what I wanted for a good birding session. On these kinds of days migrants just fly straight through - on rougher days there is more chance they'll get grounded and be easier to catch up with.

Different picture of the same SPOTTED REDSANK

 



Benacre is situated on one of the fasting eroding stretches of Britain's coastline, where the sandy cliffs are under intense pressure from the sea. As it is when ever I venture out here I wonder if the broads are still there or if they've been consumed by the sea.
But the broads are still there, well both Covehithe and Benacre Broads are, although Covehithe was just about surviving. On today's visit, Covehithe was just a large puddle, almost all dried out. However on this puddle there was a decent selection of WADERS feeding on the mud. There were 1 SPOTTED REDSHANK, 3 COMMON REDSHANK, 10 DUNLIN and FOUR TURNSTONE present. When I was at the broad a huge flock of BARNACLE GEEESE, several hundred strong, flew over to land at Benacre in the distance.

Covehithe Broad

 

From Covehithe there is a long walk north along the beach to Benacre. What's interesting about the walk is finding things that have fallen onto the beach through coastal erosion of the cliffs. There was the usual dead trees and most interesting a pill box, a relic from another time.
Today was quite quiet, not many people about. During the summer holidays and on a warm weekend, the hordes come out and the area can be just too busy as people come to the beach to enjoy the sun.
Benacre Broad, just up the coast is bigger than Covehithe, and was around a quarter full. Apart from a few hundred GEESE, numbers of birds were fairly small. There were around 30 BLACK TAILED GODWITS, 10 RUNGED PLOVERS, 2 BAR TAILED GODWITS, 2 OYSTERCATCHERS, 2 DUNLIN and 1 COMMON SANDPIPIER. Non-wader-wise there were 3 GREAT CRESTED GREBES and a PINTAIL.

Pillbox fallen off the eroded cliffs it will soon be washed out to sea

 



I walked a little  further up the coast where I took a path inland. This led through an area of sensitively managed farmland, with large amounts of woodland, hedges and weedy areas. However it was still farmland and there wasn't really much to see at this time of year. The walk took the shape of a square, with one side being the beach, and eventually took me back to the car park. It was a long walk, and maybe not one I'll do again, it can be a slog when carrying a camera and telescope, and by the end my shoulders ached.

Benacre Broad

Hen Reedbeds

On the way back home I stopped off at Hen Reedbeds, but only had time to visit the reedbed lookout near the car park. From there I saw four species of bird of prey. First a HOBBY over the distant woods, followed by a MARSH HARRIER, and then a BUZZARD which clashed with the HARRIER, and then a KESTREL flew across the reedebeds before doing its unique hovering hunting technique. I would say this is a golden age for raptors in Suffolk, but with so many harrier deaths up north, its wrong to get complacent.
As I gazed across the reedbeds a pair of KONIK PONIES (the same horses as at Minsmere) were pair bonding. These horses are an ancient breed that are given free rein to graze these areas of reedbed, to create lots of marshy habitat for the vast numbers of animals dependent on wetlands.
This is a good wildlife trust reserve in fact a couple of years ago in the Times it was given the accolade of the best reserve in the country. Its not quite that but its still worth a look as its a nice area to spend some time.

So not really much to report from today, this year September has been fairly poor for me so far, with Autumn not really developing much. But all it takes is for the wind to change direction, for the weather to be that little bit rougher and than things may become interesting. As ever with birding things are just difficult to predict, which makes it so rewarding.