Winter wildfowl at North Warren - 27/12/2016

Often forgotten, though sandwiched inbetween two honey-pot sites of Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, is Minsmere's little sister, a mix-up of habitats called North Warren. It has a similarly diverse range of habitats, though apart from the wet grassland has nothing in Minsmere's league.
The start point for the reserve was the car park just outside Aldeburgh. From here the walk goes north along the beach, that is literally heaving with people, with the reserve's wet grassland running parallel.
The marshes were fairly dry for this time of the year, due to low rainfall, with wildfowl numbers very low. Usually there are thousands of TEAL and WIGEON, but there was  only a scattering  of these ducks around, along with small numbers of SHOVELLER and PINTAIL.
Halfway along the beach a footpath leads off and cuts the marshes in two, and as it did so things  got a little better. Here the wintering flock of WHITE-FRONTED GEESE was very confiding, often getting close to the path, and mixed in with them were the ubiquitous feral BARNACLE GEESE, literally hundreds of  geese being present. In the north marsh despite some flooding there were few other birds about.

Geese feeding in front of the ponies

 



Past the wet grassland is the old rail line which cuts through the reserve. It's heathy-scrubby area with some small areas of wood. Along here we found female BULLFINCH, always nice to see and never common.
The route we took turned into Thorpeness, then it hit the beach and went all the way back down to  Aldeburgh, making the route a kind of circle. Amazingly despite the huge numbers of people on the beach constantly disturbing things, there was a flock of 11 SNOW BUNTINGS, who didn't seem to mind, often feeding within a few metres of people. Further along, by the clam sculpture was a STONECHAT, this has been a decent winter for them.
It isn't often North Warren out shines Minsmere, but this holiday it has and all the better for it. Maybe I might just visit this site more often instead of ignoring it for the larger reserves.

Minsmere's closed! - 26/12/2016

Boxing Day and without checking opening times went to Minsmere, only to find it closed. All the paaths and hides weren't open. So we had to stick to the public footpaths that kind of skirt the edge of this huge reserve.
The first footpath skirted around behind the reeds of Minsmere, through grazing marshes and out onto the sea. The marshes themselves were fairly quiet, as was the sea.

Sizewell Power Station across the marshes

 



Further along the beach was a lookout over the Scrape. Water levels were high, but there were some flocks of DUNLIN and TRUNSTONE present.
The walk took us into Dunwich Heath then around the woods and heaths of Minsmere again, before going full circle to finish with a drink at the Eels Foot Inn.
So... we were unable to visit Minsmere proper, and we didn't see many birds, and it was very busy... but as a walk in the countryside it was top notch.

Ghost of the Marshes - Hen Harrier - Snape Marshes - 25/12/2016

Over the Christmas period I spent time with my family in Snape which led to me being able to visit some good bird locations in that area. This included the magical Suffolk Coast and Heaths area, a near continuous area of wild coastal habitats.
On Christmas day, before we opened our presents, and to get out of my mum's hair as she cooked the turkey we walked the Snape area. Snape is a small village surrounded by rich wildlife habitats which includes Snape Warren, a large patch of heathland, Snape Marshes a local wildlife reserve, and the Alde estuary, which has loads of mud to attract waders.

Snape Warren

 



Snape Warren was fairly quiet, and there were a few waders on the mid tide on the Alde, including some AVOCETS. It wasn't until we reached Snape Marshes where things changed. A beautiful male HEN HARRIER was discovered where it flew around waist height over the rough grassland. This is an attractive, scarce bird, white-grey with black wing tips, that winters in the wild marshes of Suffolk.
As the bird quartered the marsh it flushed two JACK SNIPE from a wet tussocky area, the two little birds zipping around in the air.
The HARRIER went to ground, before reappearing and drifted around before it eventually flew up over the trees to head off towards Snape Warren.
This was a completely unexpected bird which makes it even more amazing and was the perfect Christmas present.

In Search of Owls at Shingle Street - 18/12/2016

With several web sites broadcasting news of SHORT-EARED OWLS around the Shingle Street area I decided to go over and have a look. Shingle street is a tiny hamlet built on the shingle ridge many miles from anywhere, and in the cool mist of today it was bleak.

The shingle ridge was populated by these weird Triffid type plants

As a land lubber I couldn't resist a quick look ate the sea the hamlet looks out to. Several RED-THROATED DIVERS were present, though mainly in flight; also present were a COMMON SCOTER and a SEAL which is always good to see.
To look for the owls I tried the rough grassland that lay behind the hamlet. This area was intensly grazed by sheep and was therefore of not much interest to birds, especially not owls. Small birds were present in small numbers with a flock of 15 YELLOWHAMMERS, a pair and a single STONECHAT, and a beautiful KINGFISHER flew down one of the ditches that border the fields.

Out where the grassland met the shingle ridge there was a flock of approx. 30 non-descript finches I reckon to be TWITE. These are a form of finch from the uplands of Scotland which winter on lowland marshes in East Anglia. And sill no owls...
And lo! just as we were driving off there was a SHORT-EARED OWL quartering the fields and back gardens of Shingle Street.

 

 

The quality of the photos aren't great, but it was a misty day and the bird was far away and mobile. But a great bird and worth the trip out. Nothing describes the wilderness of winter Suffolk better than the SHORT-EARED OWL.

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Local Patch - Rede Wood -11/12/2016

Nestled amongst the large fields that carpet the area is REDE WOOD. A tiny area of ancient woodland, it represents the only forest in the area and as such is a refuge for different species than those that inhabit the arable land. Woodland is a very fertile habitat and this small patch harbours more species than any large arable field does.
The main species I saw today were singles of MARSH TIT and NUTHATCH two species that are indicative of ancient woodland. Other birds were present in the woods, formed mostly in loose flocks, with their light movements giving their presence away. About were a TREECREEPER, a SPARROWHAWK (disturbed it shot through the trees), and there were small numbers of GOLDCRESTS scattered around the wood.
Over head, above the tree line, a pair of BUZZADS were displaying. The wood represents the main breeding habitat for buzzards although they are very common in the area, whatever time of year.
These ancient sites are the cathedrals of the natural world, very serene and spiritual places, sculpted over the centuries, and are worth a visit as much as any man made building.
So a nice hidden gem of an area, of a habitat that is very rare, and of a great local patch.

Barham Pits - Local Patch - 3/12/2016

Oh the joys of local patch birdwatching. These are birding places right on your doorstep that are easiest to get to and therefore the most birded. As most people don't live near Minsmere, local patches are usually terrible. But you keep birding them because you hold the belief that one day you will find that one mega rarity.
Barham Pits is one of those. Composed of three pits - One unnamed, Pit A and Pit B - these are old lakes used for fishing. As a result there are bird scarers on location which results in few birds about. But hey its ten minutes cycle ride away. One day I'll get that lesser scaup.
Pit B had nothing on it except a GREY WAGTAIL along the river. There was an overwintering CHIFFCHAFF amongst a tit flock, which is usual as they overwinter next to water. 40 MOORHEN were grazing just over the river next to a pond.
Pit A had nothing much more - 4 TUFTED DUCK, 3 COOT and 1 GREAT CRESTED GREBE.

Goosander at Christchurch Park 1/12/2016

Today I again had an hour or two to in Ipswich and where else to spend it than that great green lung that is Christchurch Park. Centre of any visit is the wilderness pond - this glorified duck pond occasionally pulls off something interesting.

 

Usually the haunt of mallards, moorhens and mandarins a check around midday allowed me to spot a GOOSANDER flying around at the height of the tree tops. it didn't alight but eventually flew off. GOSANDERS visit most years, but are fairly uncommon in Suffolk as there aren't many gravel pits or reservoirs around which are their usual haunts in lowland England.

A LITTLE GREBE has been present there as well for a couple of months, they're not particularly common in Ipswich.
I checked on Mable the owl but she wasn't about in the usual tree.

There are lost of interesting ancient trees in Christchurch Park. This one looks like it has lost souls swirling around underneath the bark.