Newbourne Springs, Hemley & Waldringfield - 14/1/2019

I'm always on the lookout for new birding locations, those areas on the map that are often overlooked by those who long for the easy birding at Minsmere. Don't get me wrong Minsmere is great but everyone knows about it, I know about it, and I yearn for pastures new.

On the map, to the east of Ipswich, I saw several promising locations - a nature reserve - Newbourne Springs, and two walks along the river Deben - Hemley and Waldringfield. But here are the reasons why these places are overlooked, they are not great places for birds.
Newbourne Springs is a Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve where large amounts of alder carr, with smaller areas of fen meadow lie in a valley bottom, with dry woodland and an area of heathland on its slopes. Its a medium sized Wildlife Trust reserve, around 40 acres or so, equivalent in size to somewhere like Sculthorpe Moor. A large SISKIN flock was in the alders, I heard a TREECREEPER, and the first tentative song of the SONG THRUSH was heard - about a month early - brought on by the mellow weather. But mainly it was just the commoner birds present. I plan to come back in June to look for the wild flowers of the marshes, which I think is the main attraction of the reserve.

About ten minutes away from Newbourne is the village of Hemley which is the starting location for a short walk along the Deben. It was very much the last outpost of civilisation, the end of the road with nothing human beyond. The river Deben is the smallest of the Suffolk estuaries and has no real nature reserves on its course, but apart from Woodbridge and a few small villages, is very much unspoilt.

Around Hemley is the largest area of saltmarsh on the estuary, with the river having breached through an old sea wall. The estuary was at mid tide and was fairly quiet with few flocks, mainly of the usual culprits of WADERS and DUCKS. Five SEALS were chilling out on the mud just upriver.
After Hemley I had enough time to go to Waldringfield. The river was wider here and had more mud, but nothing unusual.
Sometimes exploration can lead to something magical, a secret in the countryside, but not today. With work and everything its hard finding the time to go birding and sometimes taking a punt on a place you don't know could just end up being - meh. So expect more reports from now on from Minsmere.