Trimley Marshes - 18/4/2018

 Fisherman at Loompit Lake

 

With Spring migrants slowly trickling into the country I though it might be a good idea to go down to Trimley, always a good place for birds. The area I birdwatch edges the Felixstowe docks, the largest in the country and hugs the Orwell estuary. Timley Marshes is a Suffolk Wildlife reserve, probably the best reserve for birdwatchig the trust has, compromising wet grassland, several scrapes and a large reservoir. It is set in a large area of farmland, which can be quite boring, but also includes a decent lake in Loompit

Anyway the day proved to be the hottest of the year so far, making the walk a bit of a slog, and creating a haze on the landscape, but also stifling bird activity.

I took the Felixstowe train from Ipswich, stopping off at Trimley, where I met my brother and he drove us over to Levington Marina - the nearest car park to Trimley Marshes is three miles away. The tide was rising but there were still areas of mud about. From the marina the path went through an area of wood where BLUEBELLS were emerging. The path led to Loompit Lake, a large, artificial lake, good for its wintering and breeding WILDFOWL.

 



Good numbers of all the resident ducks were present: TUFTED DUCKS, POCHARD, GADWALL and SHOVELLER. Hopefully this will lead to a good breeding season. There were also two SWANS nesting, with larger numbers over the lake. Two MED GULLS flew over.

On the mudflats BLACKWITS and REDSHANKS were present in small numbers. Still hanging around were small numbers of BRENT GEESE. Considering the brief breeding season so far up north they need to hurry up and get going, while they have time.

We passed the Managed Retreat, an area of field that was deliberately flooded to be turned to mudflats to compensate for mudflats lost further up the river when they were built on with cranes from the docks. Nothing much was present except for one solitary DUNLIN.

 Male POCHARD

 

We eventually arrived at Trimley Marshes. The first hide overlooks the Winter Flood. This is usually the best scrape for birds as it is flooded in winter (of course), but is then allowed to dry out over the summer - creating lots of mud and grass for migrant and breeding waders. However today the scrape had more water than I have ever seen, completely flooded except for a few islands. There were plenty of ducks present with a few WIGEON and TEAL joining the usual resident birds. On the wader front two RINGED PLOVERS were present amongst all the resident birds.
Between the hides and the scrapes they overlook is a ditch with reedbeds. They were full of newly arrived SEDGE WARBLERS, excitedly chattering away as they go full throttle in establishing territories. There were also several REED BUNTINGS, creating territories in the bushes amongst the reeds.

 LITTLE GREBE nesting in one of the dykes

 

Further down the path, the next two hides were being painted by Suffolk Wildlife Trust volunteers. So we decided to give them a miss and went down to the furthest hide the reservoir hide. As its name suggests it overlooks the reservoir which is similar to Loompit Lake with the same species, except there are no fishermen. By the entrance to the hide a CETTI'S WARBLER exploded in song.

As we left the reservoir hide we found the other hides had stopped being painted - it was lunchtime. They over look two separate scrapes, the Permanent Lagoon and the Summer Flood. The Permanent Lagoon was quiet, but the Summer Flood had large numbers of AVOCET with several pairing up and defending territories.
After going as far as Trimley Marshes we basically had to walk back the same way. On the way back the tide had risen quite high. By the Managed Retreat we found two FALLOW DEER. There is a small herd in the area, and we thought these might be young bucks kicked out of the herd and forced to  live alone.

 

We arrived back at the Marina and I got a lift back to the station, and got the train home.

Anyway it was a good day out, if a bit quiet, fairly solid without being spectacular. Spring migrants are arriving fairly slowly this year, and a lot of birds I expect to be present haven't arrived yet. Only time will tell how badly birds have been affected by the cold Spring.