Barham Pits - 16/1/2022

Pair of CANADA GEESE Pit B

Its not often I dedicate a whole post to Barham Pits, but, just occasionally, the place can come good. A set of three fishing pits between the villages of Clayden and Great Blakenham, on the outskirts of Ipswich, flanked by the A14, its set in a fairly urbanised area. Pit B is the biggest with Pit A half the size and Meadlands again which is pretty small, they are all tree lined, but are heavily fished so there is a lot of disturbance. It doesn't attract a whole load of birds, mainly those of gravel pits, but today there were a few goodies.

Barham Pit B, your typical gravel pit

A patch first for me, for the area along the Gipping, was a GREAT WHITE EGRET which alighted on a tree for a few seconds before flying off again, some time around midday. Formerly a rare bird in Suffolk, if this species has finally arrived to the Gipping Valley, then it has really colonised every corner of the countryside, a dash of something exotic in a very mundane place.

Pair of GOLDENEYE

Another local mega, and this is a strange one, was a pair of GOLDENEYE on Pit A. This is a duck which winters on lowland lakes, pretty much like the ones found here along the Gipping, yet in this area they are very rare. It doesn't really make sense, the area should have a lot more records of this duck than it does, its just one of those unexplainable things. My only other record for the Gipping Valley was one at the Suffolk Water Park a couple of winters back. The only other duck at the pits were four TUFTED DUCK on Pit B with five more on Pit A, not big numbers at all. A pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE were on Pit A, this is the sort of habitat that is attractive to this kind of bird, so they may colonise the area. These birds come from Egypt, as you would expect, the birds in this country originated from escapees from wildfowl collections that have now become naturalised. 

Pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE Pit A

The pits are good for GREAT  CRESTED GREBE, with several pair nesting on them each year. Today, two birds had dressed up in their summer plumage finery, and with the thrill of spring in the air, had decided to tentatively start their courtship. Okay so it was just a small amount of  head bobbing, not the full dance, for which the bird is famous, but its still nice to see, one of nature's wonders. A decent count of twelve COOT were on Pit B, whilst a count of 40 MOORHEN there was important. On a final note a KINGFISHER was on Pit B, a little speck in flight, short but nice.

LITTLE EGRET, half the size of a great white egret, which flew over the Pits today, this is now a common bird in Suffolk

Having visited this site many times over the years I really wasn't expecting to see any birds, I have become desensitised to the area. But such are the joys of birdwatching, the inconsistencies, and the fact that any place anywhere can attract birds, even Barham Pits.

Lackford Lakes - 12/1/2022

GREAT TIT on the Stump

Birdwatching is now becoming a big thing. Upon entering the car park at Lackford Lakes I was amazed at the number of cars parked there, it was full to the brim. And this was just a normal day on a Wednesday in January, no special events on at all, and yet it was still busy. This popularity of Lackford is great news for nature, as the more people who get involved with her, the more people will want to protect her. If people enjoy nature and the countryside at Lackford then they may want to support the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the owners, and that is good news for wildlife in the county. Nature should be there for everyone to enjoy, appreciate and to look after.

The Slough

As with most reserves, when you leave the visitors centre and the first couple of hides the people are soon left behind, and apart from a tour group, I barely saw a soul. Since my last visit there had thankfully been an increase in bird numbers on the lakes although numbers were well down on previous winters. The warm temperatures have resulted in many wintering birds not turning up on our shores. This is called Staggered Migration where birds from the continent flee the cold weather in steps across their migration path, and if the temperature is warm enough at one step they don't need to move on. And as a result a lot of our normal wintering birds are staying in Europe and not coming over here.

GULLS on the Sailing Lake

As with most visits to Lackford there were plenty of birds about to see. The western lakes, the Sailing Lake and the Slough, are usually the best for birds, holding the largest number and most variety. The Sailing Lake is the largest at Lackford, and when there are no boats on the water it is often full of birds. When approaching the hide there grew this cacophony of noise, and looking out on the lake there was a reason why: hundreds of GULLS were present, never the quietest of birds, today they were making quite a racquet. The Sailing Lake is the main area for POCHARD, this pretty duck forming small tight flocks in the centre of the water. However the total of forty birds is pitiful when compared to previous years, when there are usually double that number. This is a bird that has declined quite substantially in this country due to the milder winters we have enjoyed.

Female GOOSANDER on the Slough

Further on from the Sailing Lake, the Slough usually holds a good variety of DUCK, with its array of different habitats: reed and tree fringes, deep water and shallow, islands and scrapes it attracts a lot of birds. Bird of the day was a female GOOSANDER red headed with a grey body, quite shy it had disappeared out of  view behind some trees, and took a while to be coaxed out. Lackford used to be the prime site in Suffolk for this duck, but nowadays only a couple are seen here each year. The Slough was the only place at Lackford for SHOVELLER, with around twenty present, again low numbers. In fact the only duck to make it into triple figures today were TUFTED DUCK, WIGEON and TEAL, birds present on all the lakes, east and west. Teal were present in the largest numbers with several hundred present, mostly sleeping on some tree on the edge of a lake.

TUFTED DUCKS

Around four pairs of MUTE SWAN were around the site on various lakes, as well as a pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE, the latter are very early nesters, often starting to breed in January. SNIPE were about with eight present on the Slough, with six more on the island in Plover Lake out on the eastern fringes. As always with this well camouflaged bird, of those I saw, probably many more were present.

NUTHATCH on the Stump

As you enter Lackford from the main road you instantly know you have arrived at a nature reserve from the general countryside, the hedgerows are fuller and things begin to look untidy, as nature wants. The trees, scrub and reedbeds at Lackford attract lots of smaller birds, many of which will soon start to sing as the days lengthen. The best place to look for these songsters is the Stump, just on from the Slough, but before the Eastern Lakes. This is a an old fallen tree where photographers put out seed to attract birds down to take pictures of. These birds have now become used to people now, and don't mind if you come too close. And there were some good birds too. A  NUTHATCH, dapper in blue-grey; a pair of MARSH TIT scarcer than its cousins, although muted in colour; COAL TITS, GREAT TITS, BLUE TITS, BLACKBIRDS and DUNNOCCKS, were all encouraged down to feed.

KINGFISHER from Steggall's Hide

Right at the most eastern end of the lakes, at Steggall's Hide, a KINGFISHER flew in to perch on the edge of the reed fringe, this little jolt of sapphire shining through the brown reeds. Just outside the hide a large flock of SISKIN were heard feeding in the alders, little greeny-yellow finches making quite a racquet with their melancholic call. 

Long Reach Lake

In winter aside from the birds, wildlife takes a break with only the odd mammal seen. Today, as I walked towards the Eastern Lakes, a CHINESE WATER DEER nonchalantly walked across the path in front of me, it didn't even bother to look at me as it passed, totally confident as all deer have become in a countryside free of predators.

Pair of SWANS

When Lackford's good it really does pull in the birds. Habitat like the lakes here are quite rare in Suffolk, so for birds the place is quite important on a county level, if not nationally. This is one of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust's largest and most popular reserves, situated in an area where there are few wetlands which makes it so important for wildlife and if you're bored of the coast is worth a visit.

Blythburgh and Hen Reedbeds - 6/1/2022

DUNLIN are one of our smallest and most numerous wader, forming large flocks on the mud of our estuaries

What a cracking reserve Hen Reedbeds is. Formed in two river valleys that flow into the Blyth Estuary, when the Wildlife Trust took over the reserve at the start of the millenium they allowed the area to grow into reedbeds. The area has now had time to mature, and coupled with great views of the Blyth Estuary, the place makes for a good birdwatching site. It forms part of the vast Walberswick nature reserve complex an area that is very rich in birds, one I visit many times, and never tire of visiting.

The estuary at Blythbrugh

I started the day looking over the Blythe Estuary from Blythburgh. The tide was still rushing out of the river, but on the expanses of the estuary there was still lots of mud about. As you would expect there was a vast array of birds, mainly WADERS and DUCKS. The usual suspects were about, including a lot of black and white AVOCETS, among the flocks of commoner browner waders. Also a bit scarcer in the duck congregation were a good number of PINTAIL among the TEAL and WIGEON.

Vast skies on the estuary

From Blythburgh It was a short distance up the road onto Hen Reedbeds. Next to the car park is a viewpoint which looks over the sea of reeds pushing inland to trees behind. From here two MARSH HARRIERS were flying about, a male and female, although it might be too early for them to start looking to nest. Ten SNIPE were about, on the edge of the reeds, feeding in the areas exposed to the sun, ground which was thawing out, becoming soft enough to let them insert their bill into the mud. Cryptically plumaged, these birds are well camouflaged, and if you see one bird, there are probably just as many more hidden in the vegetation.

The reeds from the viewing platform

Just below the car park a flock of SISKIN were noisily feeding in the alders, their call a melancholy sighing ringing through the trees. From the car park, the footpath crosses the road to lead up to the river wall, Here the wall protects another area of reeds, whilst on the other side is the mud of the Blyth, giving the best views of the north side of the estuary.

More reeds, this is an important habitat for many rare birds

The tide on the estuary had come in somewhat since I was in Blythburgh, but there was still plenty of mud about and as a result there were plenty of birds. The Blythe is a strange river in that parts of it are narrow channels, whilst others explode out into vast seas of mud at certain periods. Along the wall at Hen Reedbeds there were both narrow channels of inrushing water, before turning to big stretches of mud. A KINGFISHER zipped down the river, briefly alighting on a branch before disappearing again. Its so frustrating that our most colourful jewel of a bird is rarely seen as anything but a distant speck flying low over the water, as if it was feeling so self-conscious about its beauty, as if it was embarrassed about it and refused to show it off.

A female MARSH HARRIER being mobbed by a pair of CROWS, sorry its a bit out of focus

On the reedbed side of the reserve a pair of SWANS were pairing up to probably breed, whilst a BEARDED TIT flitted across a gap in the reeds. On the estuary there were plenty of birds, of both WADERS and DUCKS, although nothing different to what I saw at Blythburgh earlier on.

A pair of SWANS pairing up, probably to attempt to nest over the next couple of months

Further on, as the path leaves the reserve and its reeds, the wall passes low lying grasslands, several of which had flooded. Among the ducks and loafing gulls present was a flock of seven WHITE FRONTED GEESE This is your typical mid winter bird, a goose from Russia brought here by the cold weather. A small goose, told apart by the white band behind the beak, this is my first record for the Walberswick area. The Suffolk Coast has to be the main site in the country to see this species, as I have never seen them as often as I have here, although I do spend a lot of my time birding the area. From these flooded pastures I made my way inland, and climbed a hill to a café where I had a coffee and a nice giant sized scone, looking down on the estuary and the reeds and grasslands below.

A flock of WHITE FRONTED GEESE on fields beyond Hen Reedbeds

After Hen Reedbeds I took a trip over to Southwold Harbour to have a walk among the boats, the gulls and starlings. The place is fairly ramshackle, a hodgepodge of shacks, boats and little bridges connecting them to land. Its still an industrious place, there were plenty of fishing boats and lobster pots left out to dry in the sun. The harbour is at the mouth of the estuary, where it meets the sea. Its very much down by the water and there's no real way of protecting it from sea level rise. Behind the harbour, and lying below the town of Southwold, the Town Marshes had a bit of flooding but little beyond flocks of LAPWING, STARLING and ROOKS feeding on the grass.

Southwold Harbour, a nice ramshackle place at the mouth of the estuary

An interesting time at an interesting place, I really should come out this way more often. But as it is I am completely spoilt with birdwatching on the Suffolk Coast, there is just so much to see and do in the area, just not enough hours in the day. Few places can match the sheer variety of habitats and birds that the area throws up. A third of the land in the Suffolk Coast is protected, which is what the entire country needs to be to avert species extinction. Imagine that, the whole country looking like the Suffolk Coast, how amazing would that be.

 

Bawdsey to Hollesley Marshes - 5/1/2021

Across the river Deben looking towards Felixstowe Ferry

The southern section of the Suffolk Coast is not as famous for birds as the more northerly parts, it has none of the great reserves or large variety of habitats that attracts the huge numbers of birds you would find at places like Minsmere. Instead its mainly agricultural in area with the commercial use of the land an alternative to the nature reserves found further to the north. As a result its somewhere more low key, more under watched and I didn't meet any other birdwatchers today. Its not an area I visit that often, and I even covered some new ground today. This was my first visit for quite some time.

 

Part of the large herd of MUTE SWANS feeding on the cabbage fields

Today I did some walking, one of the joys of being an outdoors man. From East Lane, Bawdsey I walked three or four miles north to Shingle Street, and would have walked from there to Hollesley Marshes if the tide allowed. Walking is one of those enjoyments I manage to wring from life, especially when out in the fresh air, whenever there is nature to accompany me, its such a gentle earthy pleasure. It always helps when passing through such an interesting landscape. Martello Tower after Tower passed as I trudged up the coast, former fortresses from Britain's many wars with the French. Pill boxes, square concrete blocks, hinted at a more modern war. Because no matter how remote a place, as this part of the coast is, there's always someone fighting for control of it.

The low lying agricultural land that lies between East Lane and Shingle Street

East Lane, is a country road which leads to the coast, its known as a place where migrants may fall, but there's not much there really. There are some old World War Two pillboxes carved into the shingle bank and some lakes created among the low lying farm fields. With a heavy reed fringe these lakes are quite attractive to waterfowl with around fifty WIGEON, thirty GADWALL present and singles of TUFTED DUCK and SHOVELLER. Two pairs of MUTE SWAN were looking to start nesting. Further out on the extensive farmland, in what appeared to be a large cabbage field a further herd of MUTE SWAN were feeding. Around seventy were present, and they seemed quite content, that was until some out of control dog ran at them and scared them into flight. And the dogs owners just watched, did nothing, just didn't care. I tried shouting at them, but they were quite distant and it was in the wind so I couldn't admonish them. I don't mind people using the countryside, it should be there for everyone, but what I HATE is when people can't give a shit about it and cause threat to nature, which could be easily stopped if they could be bothered.

A long line of white shells leading up to the former life boat station at Shingle Street

An alternative view of Shingle Street, a hamlet built right on the beach

Between East Lane and Shingle Street is low lying agricultural land protected by a shingle bank, which wasn't particularly attractive to birds. A single female STONECHAT and small flocks of LARKS and LINNETS were about. A KESTREL provided company, hovering, then flying then hovering always ahead of me, often standing so still in the air that it looked like it was hanging from a piece of  string. A shore side pool held a small flock of eleven LITTLE GREBE.

The Viewing Screen at Hollesley Marshes, which looks over the scrape. Its like a hide without a roof

Shingle Street is like its name, a small settlement built on the edge of the beach. Its remote but as always where there's a car park there are the hordes, and with these hordes their many out of control dogs causing as much disturbance as possible. I know that's not really the case, but I was still angry with the previous dog's owners and now I was seeing every dog off its lead as something destructive. Sometimes its quite difficult to come from a lonely walk back to civilisation. The plan was to walk from here to Hollesley Marshes, but nature had a different plan for me. The road out of Shingle Street was flooded under a heavy high tide. To access the footpath on the river wall to Hollesley I had to wade through some water. With a pair of wellies on I braved it, got to point where they were a couple of centremetres from being inundated, judging this to be OK I thought I could make it, but I was wrong, and the water gushed into my wellies. That first influx of water was absolutely freezing, I couldn't carry on. Socks and wellies wet I wore my hiking boots without any socks on. Onwards to Holleley Marshes in the car.

DUCKS on the scrape at Hollesley Marshes

The marshes at Hollesley were good for a change. A nice injection of water had attracted the waterbirds in. The scrape, a shallow body of water in some grassland, had several hundred birds, mainly WIGEON and TEAL, with 25 PINTAIL and nine SHOVELLER also present. 

A pair of CROWS on the pill box along the river, with the pagodas of Orford Ness behind

A flock of GEESE were grazing the higher drier ground behind the scrape but along with the larger CANADA and GREYLAGS there was just the one BARNACLE. Usually at this time of year Hollesley brings in the wild geese of high winter, but there seemed to be none present, which is a shame.

Looking down the river from Hollesley Marshes to Shingle Street in the dying sun

Its always good to explore new areas of the world, to get off the beaten track as it were. But to be honest there weren't particularly many birds to divert my interest from somewhere up north like Minsmere. If this place  was a local patch or something then maybe I would come more often, and its an interesting place, but really I'm not going to come back any time soon.

Hazelwood Marshes - 25/12/2021

An AVOCET, which looks to be catching some kind of lugworm

Every six hours of the day the muddy expanse of Hazelwood Marshes is flooded by the salty water of the River Alde, a refreshment of life that provides food for its many birds. Once  upon a time this area was flooded grassland, protected by a sea wall from the briny river, before that sea wall was breached and Hazelwood Marshes was inundated, eventually becoming mudflats. Surprisingly, since that natural realignment of the estuary, the birding has become better here, because as always nature always finds a way to heal itself. And so on a Christmas morning I visited Hazelwood to work up a hunger for the large dinner that was going to follow that day. Oh how I love Christmas dinner.

The expanse of mud which makes up Hazelwood Marshes

As I visited today, the tide was well and truly out, the low tide leaving a sea of mud in its place. When the tide is low the vast expanse of mud means the birds are all spread out over a much larger area, so you don't see any of the flocks you expect from the incoming tide. Also a lot of the birds will be feeding on the edge of the water, which today at Hazlewood meant a small channel of the river a long way away, and with all the mud there's no way to get closer to them. So although there were lots of birds about today, estuaries usually do pull them in, the birds were distant and in smaller numbers, often right on the edge of view, even through a telescope.

A REDSHANK, the SENTINAL OF THE MARSHES

The most evocative sound of the estuary has to be that of the REDSHANK. Known as the Sentinel of the Marshes, this bird with its red beak and legs, lets off a piercing melancholy call usually associated with it in flight. As this is a common bird and it calls a lot, it becomes a constant sound of the area and it really adds to the wilderness of the marshes its found in. This being estuary country there were plenty of other WADERS about, waders love to feed in mud. These birds have adapted different shaped bills to each other, to feed on different prey in the mud. For example the CURLEW, our biggest wader, has a long down curved bill, whilst the DUNLIN is a much smaller bird with a relatively stubby bill, although still curved bill. Also about were a few GREY PLOVER, GODWIT, and AVOCET with singles of RINGED PLOVER and OYSTERCATCHER also about. All these birds have different shaped bills which is a good tool for telling all the brown birds apart, as well as by their size. They are a good test of birding skills

Hidden among the mud were thousands of birds

DUCKS are another feature of estuaries and there were plenty about, with hundreds of TEAL and WIGEON present, mostly in one of the channels or on the water's edge. Also about were a few PINTAIL, a very elegant duck with its princely neck, and titular pointed tail, a bird that is quite scarce away from its favoured sites, which are usually estuaries.

This PHEASANT was chilling right in front of the hide

All the large number of birds would be put to the air by a passing MARSH HARRIER which frequently flew over looking for some prey. Still a rare bird in some parts of the country, the reedbeds of the Suffolk coast provide a good home for this bird of prey, although they are usually too big and slow to take a wader or duck.

The area of dead birch trees, killed by the inundation of salty water when the river walls were breached

As the path to the hide starts, an area of intertidal reedbeds is developing and today I heard the "pinging" of some BEARDED TITS there, which was a first sighting for me here, a good sign the reedbeds are turning into some place important. Another small bird making its presence known were the three ROCK PIPITS along the path to the hide, a common sighting here in winter.

An area of reedbed is developing on the edge of the estuary

Sticking to the path to the hide, aside from the birds, a nice sight was a brief WEASEL that dashed out onto the path ahead, before darting back the way it had come, into the rough grass, maybe sensing my presence.

AVOCET are quite common birds on the Alde Estuary in winter, with several hundred present.

Estuaries are really one of the UK's most important bird habitats. Its because we have so many, such great expanses of glorious mud, and the fact that these rich factories of food attracts waders and ducks to our shores in such large numbers. As a result the UK attracts internationally important numbers of such a wide variety of birds, something we should be so proud of, and despite there being so much declines elsewhere in the country, the birds of estuaries seem to be doing alright, again something to be proud of. And witnessing these bird flocks really gives something back, something primordial to the human spirit, seeing something as old as time, a natural spectacle which we have destroyed almost everywhere else.

Minsmere - 24/12/2021

BLACK TAILED GODWIT having a good shape

What I love most of all about Winter, more than any month, is that it creates an aura of wilderness on the land, a kind of wildness embodied by the empty trees and frosty mornings. There is a haunting beauty to the season, again like no other, when even a duck pond becomes something wild. Summer feels so tame in comparison, so civilised, and that's what Winter means, the arrival of large numbers of birds from distant lands.

GREAT WHITE EGRET, West Scrape

On a relatively mild winter's day, one of the last days of the year, I headed over to Minsmere to have a look for some of the birds that the cold has brought in. As with most winter's days it was fairly quiet with most of  the birds sleeping or feeding in a lazy manner. Large numbers of water birds turn up at Minsmere for the winter, taking refuge on the wetland areas on the reserve, usually concentrated on the Scrape, and numbering in the thousands. 

DUCKS and LAPWING on South Scrape with the BEWICK'S SWANS in the background

Birds of the day was a flock of eight BEWICK'S SWANS on South Scrape, newly arrived birds having flown in all the way from Russia. Like many other birds, these swans are having a hard time of it, and their population is declining. Always a fairly scarce bird on the Suffolk Coast, this bird is becoming much rarer now, with Minsmere being the main base for them. One of the problem with Bewick's Swans is that they are not rearing enough young on their breeding areas, and tellingly none of the eight birds today were juveniles. One of the swans had a neck ring, a way of tracking individual birds, but I couldn't see the number. 

Snoozing TEAL, East Scrape

Often not the focal point of the reserve, as its fairly poor for birds, the sea can be fairly empty off Minsmere, but today it was actually quite a good place to see birds. The still calm weather allowed for  some good views of certain maritime birds, mainly RED THROATED DIVER, with at least ten present close to the shore. Usually you see these birds miles off the beach, usually just a speck in the telescope as it undulates on the waves, but today they were easy to view. There were also a few GREAT CRESTED GREBE and CORMORANTS on the sea as well.

Plenty of RED THROATED DIVERS were seen offshore

The Scrape was the main focus of waterbirds, with most of the commoner birds present. Slightly scarcer, just the one PINTAIL was present, a male on South Scrape. The Levels, a large area of wet grassland between Minsmere and Sizewell, has started to flood, with a large flock of LAPWING present. Hidden amongst the tussocky grass on the ground, they would take to the air when the odd MARSH HARRIER flew over, maybe a thousand put to flight, their rounded wings and tumbling flight a characteristic of this bird. Winter is always a poor time for WADERS at Minsmere, but a few birds were present. 20 DUNLIN were on East Scrape, whilst 19 AVOCET, 12 CURLEW and 2 TURNSTONE were on South Scrape, with 2 REDSHANK on the Levels. One further wetland bird, a GREAT WHITE EGRET was present flying around the Scrape often in the company of its smaller brethren, the LITTLE EGRET. Although common a few miles north at Dingle Marshes, it is still fairly scarce here, but will become more common, forced here through climate change.

BLUE TITS on the visitor centre feeders

Away from the waterbirds, there was a supporting cast of the smaller birds. Around the visitor centre bird feeders among the large numbers of TITS was a NUTHATCH, a bird that although common across the country is actually quite scarce on the Suffolk Coast. As usual the dunes held plenty of STONECHAT with six present, such an easy bird to see as they are often gracious enough to pose on a gorse bush for a view. And finally another iconic bird of Minsmere, and its huge reedbeds is the BEARDED TIT.  The bird's characteristic metallic "pinging" call carries over the winter's silent reeds, and I was able to see two flying across the front of East Hide.

South Scrape

A fairly standard mid winter's day at Minsmere, with the usual birds you would expect from the place, a nice banquet of wintering species. Visiting the reserve on a day such as this, empty of people, away from civilisation, Minsmere is so relaxing, so healing, a place to fix the scars enforced on us by modern society, a place to connect with nature. That is just one of the reasons why we must protect places like this, because its as good for us as it is for wildlife.

Minsmere - 24/11/2021

A nice festive ROBIN, they were present in large number at Minsmere, every bush seeming to have one

Finally, its happened, its beginning to feel like winter. Despite the shortening days, and the calendar running into November, things still felt too mild, not really seasonal, and the birds were not arriving. But into the last week in November, the leaves on the trees have finally fallen, temperatures have dropped and our wintering birds have started to arrive.

Male SHOVELLER having a good scratch, they are present in good numbers on the Scrape

With the temperatures falling, the birds are forced into migrating to warmer grounds. A case of this was by far the most interesting sighting of the day, that of a BITTERN. As I was sitting in the Public Viewpoint, just behind the dunes, one of those elusive brown herons flew over me heading in from the sea, before heading south towards Sizewell B. To get such a view of such an elusive bird migrating like this is amazing. Although a fairly easy to see bird at Minsmere, Minsmere is maybe the best site to see them in the country, for one of them to be out in the open is very rare, they usually slink around at the base of reedbeds. This is only my second ever record of a migrating bittern, the first was just earlier this year at Cley in late August.

A BITTERN flew in from the sea before heading off to Sizewell B

At this time of year waterfowl dominate the scene at wetlands such as Minsmere, attracted to the large amounts of water on the reserve. As is usual there were good numbers on the Scrape  and Island Mere, but the Levels had yet to flood so were still quiet. There were a few goodies, high winter specialists coming in when that little bit of colder weather falls. Best of the show were four WHOOPER SWANS on Island Mere, among the large herd of MUTES accompanied by 100 GADWALL as well. A female GOLDENEYE was on South Scrape, which although a common wintering bird on various water bodies, is actually quite rare at Minsmere, this being only my second or third record. One last good record was a count of twenty PINTAIL on East Scrape, a good total, as they are not that common at Minsmere.

BLACK TAILED GODWIT are present all year on the Scrape. This is one of the Icelandic race, which doesn't breed in East Anglia

Although at this time of year the Scrape can be quiet for WADERS, some low water levels on East Scrape attracted a few to linger. Around ten AVOCETS were around, a bird that though an iconic breeding bird here is quite rare in winter. Good numbers of BLACK TAILED GODWIT were present, as they seem to be at all times of the year, and there were also ten DUNLIN and seven GOLDEN PLOVER hanging out with the many LAPWING.

Female STONECHAT perched in reeds beside the Public Viewpoint

A range of extras was provided by the smaller birds, our little songsters that have turned quiet for the shorter months. Seven STONECHATs were around, two at the beginning of North Wall and five in the Dunes, as usual perched on the top of a bush, a bird which gives good views. As they say, where there's stonechats there are also DARTFORD WARBLERS, and there was one of those resident warblers in a gorse bush with a pair of stonechat, behind the Public Viewpoint. Further along, seven SISKIN were feeding in alders between South and West Hide their meloncholic "sighing" call carrying over the marshes. And finally at several places around the reserve the metallic "pinging" of BEARDED TITS could be heard over the reedbeds, although they didn't appear above the fronds.

The KONIK PONIES are a feature of Minsmere, they are given full range to graze the Scrape

As you would expect from the greatest bird reserve in the country there was another good showing of mid winter birds today. Its quite a relief to finally see nature responding to the turning of winter, I thought at some point the leaves would never fall, and we would be in some weird non-season. Its still early days, but the evidence is in that climate change is upon us, although its fairly tame at the moment, but nature is struggling to keep up. Only time will tell the full effects of this will be, but it doesn't bode well. We all know what to do to mitigate it, its just whether we can be bothered.