Red Throated Pipit at Languard Point - 28/9/2017

Not sure about this  one - maybe a MIPPIT?

 



Its not usual that I go to twitches, I don't really like crowds - hence why I took up birdwatching - but a RED THROATED PIPIT on one of my local patches was too good to miss. The day started off cloudy but soon cleared up and it became quite sunny, and with the bird reported yesterday took a trip to Felixstowe.
The bird was located at the point - the furthest part of Languard - and was keeping itself to the roped off areas and was being seen on and off. A group of around ten people had gathered and it was fairly easy to locate the bird.
When the bird was in flight it gave off a monosyllabic call much different to the MEADOW PIPITS around. It also had distinct white wing bars and heavy black stripes on its chest. It also seemed to have burgundy red spots on the side of its throat.

 

This one more like the RED THROATED PIPIT - see the red throat

 



Apart from the PIPIT not much else about, with the usual WHEATEARS, GOLDFINCHES and LINNETS.

Warbleswick - 25/9/2017

With my brother spending some time in Suffolk I wanted to show him some of the birding highlights that the Suffolk coast has to offer, and where better than the often overlooked Warbleswick. Despite being one of the most biological rich reserves in the country its often overlooked compared to the nearby reserve of Minsmere, which is geared up for birding, rather then the more low key Warbleswick. Its a wilderness of coast, reedbed and heathland that stretches over a huge area.
We started from the Dunwich car park which was unusually quiet, and from then on saw barely a soul. A pair of STONECHATS were present in some gorse bushes by the car park, but apart from that the area was quiet. Walking up by Dingle Marshes, the pools there were fairly quiet with the usual estuarine waders, and the first couple of BRENT GEESE of the Autumn.
We turned off from the coast at the entrance to the Warbleswick reserve, and in the reedbeds there were three MARSH HARRIERS. By the abandoned wind pump there was a party of 'pinging' BEARDED TITS. These birds were to become a feature of the day as dispersing parties of birds were seen across the area. A WHINCHAT was found perched on a bush in the reedbeds, with its eye stripe and white patches on its tail, when it flew, making it a nice find.
As the land rose, the habitat turned from reedbed to woodland and eventually to heathland. A lot of the heathland at Warbleswick is more kind of grassy, with stunted heath plants dotted about. I hadn't been to this area for quite a while and a lot of the farming practice had changed since then.
We followed the footpath to Tinker's  Marsh an area of grazing marsh bordering the Blyth Estuary. Most of the grassland had dried out, and the estuary was quiet. However there were two COMMON SEALS resting on some exposed mud, a good sighting for this area. There were several parties of BEARDED TITS seen along the ditchside reeds, it really has seemed to be a good year locally for this species.
We connected with the old train line that used to run to Warbleswick village, and on a cow grazed area of grassland were four WHEATEARS. On the marshes north of Warbleswick were a huge number of BARNACLE GEESE. We walked through Warbleswick Common, an area of more overgrown heath, of gorse and scrub.
We traced our way through some farmland and came across a huge flock of birds. Seeing the number we guessed them to be STARLINGS but on further observation found them to be RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, in a flock numbering several hundred! There were loads of PHEASANTS about, on Tinker's Marsh one kept running into my leg, in a vain attempt to get some food off me!
We returned to Warbleswick reedbed, where we saw a pair of STONECHAT, a REED BUNTING and more BEARDED TITS, before diverting off around Dunwich Forest. On a pool on the edge of the Warbleswick reedbed, viewed from  a small hill, were a large number of commoner DUCKS and GEESE, and also a GREAT EGRET, standing as tall as a HERON next to it, with its large yellow bill.
Further along the track on the edge of Dunwich Forest we saw a MARSH TIT, always good to see. The path took us back to Dunwich and a drink at the beachside café.
So we covered pretty much all of the Warbleswick reserve, which is a huge area, it took a long time, about five hours. I haven't been to this area for a long time, nearly a couple of years, as I tend to go to the reserves further south, which are so much easier to birdwatch. But its a good reserve, and by putting in the effort it can be richly rewarding.

Wader Spectacular - Snettisham -19/9/2017

 

The real reason I came out to this area of the country was to take advantage of the Spring tides that were occurring on the Wash. Spring tides are the highest tides of the year which results in more mud being covered by water leading to the huge numbers of birds present being pushed closer to land. And boy were there a lot of birds.



 

 

We arrived here from Holme at about half three, with high tide not due until eight passed seven, which we hoped would give us plenty time to appreciate the forces at work here. The tide was well out, with only small  numbers of waders on the vast area of mud. There was a small flock of SANDWHICH  TERNS and COMMON TERNS on the mud and there was also a SPOONBILL which would later relocate to the gravel pits.

 



 

The wader spectacular is the rock concert of the birding world with lots of people truning up to view the natural wonder, with much more people than you would expect at a nature reserve. Everyone was expecting a big show.

The tide gradually came in and we noticed sights like a boat stuck on the mud becoming floating on water and other areas becoming submerged. The main bird flocks were always on the water's edge and they were gradually coming closer and closer. We were able to start identifying birds. KNOTS in massive flocks, some still slightly pink from their summer plumage. Loads of OYSTERCATCHERS, forming a great black mass, a few GREY PLOVERS, RINGED PLOVERS, GODWITS. The birds would form huge murmarations twisting about as if trying to create giant knots from rope in the sky. Offshore there was a flotilla of SHELDUCK with a few AVOCET amongst them.

We positioned ourselves by the last hides, and then gradually the tide met the start of the reserve and along the way the jetty where we were standing before became submereged. The mud turned into a mass of bird, different flocks formed of single species creating a strata of different colours.

In the end the sea didn't quite cover the entire mudflats leaving a small amount of bird covered dry mud. When it became obvious the tide had reached its peak and the birds had stopped flying and had gone to sleep it was time to leave whilst there was still some light left.

 

 

So even though it was an amazing spectacle and a wonder of the natural world we were slightly short changed. What was supposed to happen was the tide was to cover up all the mud and the remaining waders were to fly inland and roost on the gravel pits positioned behind the sea wall. This didn't happen, even on this the highest of tides, so it seems a rare event even though it is advertised as something that happens a lot by the RSPB.



 

 

Out on the gravel pits some young COMMON TERNS were present with adults flying in to feed them from the sea. There were a few SPOTTED REDSHANK and GREENSHANK present preferring here to the mudflats.

So a good day of sorts. I was able to witness a great wildlife experience, probably the greatest in lowland England, and another tick from my bucket list, I came away thinking I kind of missed the full experience, that if only the sea had come in a fraction higher I would have witnessed something truly spectacular. Oh well, such is life.  

Holme Dunes - 19/9/2017

View from one of the hides

 

 

Today I went on a trip to North-West Norfolk, specifically to Holme Dunes, to catch migrant birds, and to Snettisham for the wader spectacular of a spring tide. However on both counts I was fairly unlucky and got neither of what I wanted.

I arrived at Holme around midday and the weather was absolutely gorgeous, with a cloudless sunny sky. However the southerlies which led to this were also the worst winds for birdwatching and resulted in there being few birds about.

Holme is a large dune system behind which lies an area of grazing marsh. It is a large reserve managed by the local wildlife trust, within which is a bird observatory, managed by someone else. This is only the fifth time I've visited here, over a period stretching twenty years, so its not a place I know well.

The hides produced few birds, just a handful of DUCKS on the pools. Likewise the dunes produced only a couple of STONECHAT and a large flock of several hundred STARLINGS, which could be heard from some distance away. I think these birds were more locally produced birds rather than migrants.

The pine trees contained the bird observatory

 



Onto the bird observatory, the tiny little reserve within the big Holme Dunes reserve (yes it is a bit of a strange arrangement). This little reserve is based in a pine forest, and consists of bushes which supposedly attracts migrants. I don't know if they do because I've never seen anything there. The guy at the observatory brought my attention to a large gathering of birds of prey. Around 15 BUZZARDS were high in the air in the distance, with some MARSH HARRIERS closer to the ground. This was a nice record for a fairly bird less day.

After I left the reserve it came to me why I have only ever been to Holme five times. I've always concentrated on Titchwell and Cley, which I have visited many times, and with the distance I have to travel to get to North Norfolk always went to those reserves which were more reliable and could guarantee good sightings.

However with a trip to Snettisham to see the waders it gave me a chance to experience this reserve as part of a trip when I normally wouldn't.



KINGFISHERS Galore at Lackford Lakes - 14/9/2017

 

 

 

What ever else you say about Lackford Lakes, one thing undisputable is that this reserve is the best in the country for viewing KINGFISHERS. The sheer amount of photographic opportunities presented is absolutely amazing and its almost impossible to not get a good shot. These photos were all taken from the hides overlooking the Slough, which is the best bit of water for birdwatching on the reserve.

 

 

This bird posed for a long time on a branch

 

With its piping call this bird dashed across the water

 

This bird was hovering in flight over the water

 

 

Elsewhere on the reserve there was a small influx of TUFTED DUCK across the lakes and some GADWALL and TEAL on the Slough.

On the Long Reach lake there was still a GREAT CRESTED GREBE family present. However in general the lakes were fairly empty with not much birdlife really present.

 

 

Probably because of the KINGFISHERS this is a very popular reserve, maybe the most popular for the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Being inland it is always going to suffer from a lack of birds when compared to the coast, but it is still one of the best in west Suffolk and I always enjoy visiting here.



Lakenheath Fen - 14/9/2017

LONG HORNED CATTLE grazing on the river bank

We took a little trip over to West Suffolk to see the two best bird reserves over there - Lakenheath Fen and Lackford Lakes. First off is Lakenheath, the fenland created from a carrot field.
Lakenheath is an enigma of a reserve. It is an amazing place, an inspirational one in fact, by bringing back to the fens what was once lost. But it is also a frustrating place to birdwatch. There might be loads present but the birds are so difficult to see.
I remember the first day I visited Lakenheath, it was a stormy October's day and I saw nothing. I have only ever been irregularly since, and not for about a year and a half. Today didn't seem too promising, it again being very windy and nothing seen from the visitor's centre.
I was showing my brother around as he was new to here, so it was quite good to show him the grand scale of the reserve - it is absolutely enormous.
Several HOBBIES and KESTRELS were seen over the New Fen providing an identifications challenge. Over to the Mere Hide, and someone had spotted a WATER RAIL, which was present showing only a red bill and a bit of head through the reeds. It took great observational powers to find that. Two BEARDED TITS flew round the back of the reeds and several were heard on the way to Joist Fen.
Unfortunately the Joist Fen watchpoint had management work being taken out in front of it. As a result from the burning of the cut reeds literally nothing could be seen through the smoke. Essential, but a bit annoying.

Management taking place at Joist Fen. My camera couldn't take the smoke

 



We walked back along the river, but didn't see much until we got opposite the Washlands which was full of ducks, mainly GADWALL, SHOVELLER and TEAL. A GARGANEY had been reported present but I didn't feel like sorting through all those ducks to find it.

Washlands

 

So we didn't see much and it at times felt very frustrating when the place is so close to being a great reserve. As it's not quite on my birding radar it will probably be sometime before I come back. 

OTTERS crown a fine day - Minsmere - 7/9/2017

There was a bird ringing event and I was able to see this GOLDCREST

 

My brother was staying in Suffolk for a while, so where better than to take him, than the best nature reserve in the country - Minsmere. It was a warm cloudless day upon arriving, and it would prove to be keep it up all day, the warm sun keeping Autumn at bay. It being Minsmere there was plenty about, it was a decent mid Autumn day.
The highlight of the day was the three OTTERS at Island Mere hide. They were first spotted briefly in the small pond to the south of the hide, before moving out onto the mere proper. It looked as if there was a female and two old pups. They seemed oblivious to being watched and they were very active, constantly playing with each other, seeing their heads above the water and their whip like tail.
Apart from and maybe because of the OTTERS, there wasn't anything on the mere apart from a few SWANS.

OTTER briefly surfaced

 



As usual for this time of year, attention was directed at the Scrape, and the migrant waders upon it. The Scrape at this time of year is fairly quiet, with just a few waders and ducks. Wader numbers and variety were fairly normal for this time of year, numbers gently falling after reaching their peak. On East Scrape there were six SPOTTED REDSHANK, 2 RUFF, one KNOT, two DUNLIN, 22 AVOCETS and three SNIPE. On West Scrape, overgrown with marestail, were two GREEN SANDPIPERS, around 10 SNIPE, five RINGED PLOVER, two SPOTTED REDSHANK, and around 20 DUNLIN. A few WIGEON had returned and were amongst the resident duck species. South Scrape however was completely deserted.

There were a few migrant passerines present in the bushes across the reserve. Around ten STONECHATS and one WHEATEAR were present in the Dunes, often perched silhouetted against the sky on some gorse branch. WARBLERS included LESSER WHITETHROAT, COMMON WHITETHROAT and WILLOW WARBLER skulking in some bush or other. There was a small flock of BEARDED TITS beside East Hide, and their 'pinging' call could be heard ghost like across the reedbeds. A KINGFISHER flew across the Dunes, passed the Sluice and onto the marshes. This is probably only my second sighting of this bird at Minsmere.
DEER were represented by a CHINESE WATER DEER grazing at the back of one of the Konik Fields and a stag RED DEER on the way from Island Mere Hide.

HIGHLAND COWS and KONIK PONIES, were being used to graze the Scrape directly in front of the North Hide, getting it ready for the winter.

This brute had huge horns

 

So although there weren't any rarities about, or nothing particularly unusual like you hope for September, it was one of those days that are decent anyway, and provide pay back for the effort put in to this great hobby.