The Blyth Estuary and Hen Reedbeds - 22/1/2017

Spent the morning further up the Suffolk coast at Blythburgh and Hen Reedbeds. These are two areas I don't really have the chance to visit too often, so I like spending my time there.
Hen Reedbeds was artificially created by flooding some species poor farmland and turning into a large area of reedbeds. And it worked. The reserve looks great and totally natural.
Due to the recent cold weather pretty much every area of freshwater was frozen over. This meant all the reedbeds and the pools were turned to ice.
From the viewing platform, near the car park four MARSH HARRIERS were in flight, while a SNIPE shot passed, all above the wild ponies grazing the edges of the reeds.
Crossing the  road to get to the other half of the reserve, things were pretty quiet. The tide was out along the river running parallel to the footpath and reserve, but there wasn't much about. A KINGFISHER zoomed passed the first hide while a party of 15 BEARDED TITS were by the second hide. But with everything frozen  it was a hard job finding anything about.
Over in the distance huge flocks of BARNACLE GEESE were in flight over the Southwold marshes, making quite a spectacular sight.

Over at Blythburgh where it meets the estuary the tide was out, but there were still lots about. The species seen were pretty much the usual estuary type waders, gulls and ducks. A lone RINGED PLOVER was a first for the year.