PIPP's FORD 29/08/2016

Had time on my hands this bank holiday so I decided to bike on over to Pipp's Ford to look for some migrant waders. This is an area of working and restored quarry along the river Gipping. It reminds me a bit of COLLEGE LAKE, a nature reserve where I started birdwatching many years ago.

 

The footpath cuts the area in two with the restored pit to the south and the working pit to the north. At the end of this the path goes north up the river and then does a circuit of the site. This is an up and coming site, and will be a good one for inland Suffolk
There was a decent wader passage with LITTLE STINT, LITTLE RINGED PLOVER and 2 COMMON SANDPIPER, on the working pit, whilst a GREENSHANK was on the restored pit.
The river by Pipp's Ford lock is a good place for KINGFISHER, and I saw some and heard more.

 

 

Pipp's Ford Lock River Gipping

Titchwell 25/08/2016

OK now onto Titchwell (25/08/2016). This is probably my least favourite of the two reserves, and I'm thinking of changing reserves when I head back up to Norfolk, maybe to Holme Dunes.

 



The best part of the reserve was the Freshwater Marsh. It was fairly busy with waders and wildfowl, pretty much like Cley. The most interesting species were the SPOONBILL roosting on the reserve, of which I counted 12. They were present right at the back of the scrape, so were unable to be photographed, or see without a telescope. Waders such as GODWIT, RUFF, DUNLIN, AVOCET and RINGED PLOVER were all present.

 

Ruff

 



 Also here was a YELLOW WAGTAIL, a hard bird to find nowadays.

Avocet

The path which stretches from the car park to the sea passes the Fresh March, past several tidal polls, until it reaches the beach. From here I could see SANDERLING and KNOT on the water's edge.
Out at sea was the same as Cley. the exception was an ARCTIC SKUA heading west, mobbing a tern for a while before carrying on its journey.
Down on Patsy's pool was an eclipse GARGANEY amongst the teal.

Cley 24/08/2016

Ok, what better place to start my blogs than Cley and Titchwell on the North Norfolk coast, true premier league reserves.

We'll  start with Cley on 24/8/2016

 

 

It started out sunny but a mist crept in from the sea. Out on the reserve there was the usual mixture of migrant waders and eclipse ducks present on the drying up scrapes. Best sighting was a decent 25 CURLEW SANDPIPERS the largest flock I've seen in the UK. Good numbers of RUFF and GODWITS were feeding in the mud, with a spattering of AVOCET. Also present was an adult YELLOW LEGGED GULL.

On the way to Babcock hide there were 2 WHINCHAT, but not much at the hide.

Out at sea GANNETS were flying on the horizon with some terns flying closer into land.



 

 

 lapwing

This is my first birding blog. Before I just used physical journals to write in, but decided I could get my sightings viewed by more people by using this blog site.
Please be patient as I find my writing style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, I'm new to this so be tolerant as I bumble my way through