Alton Water - 23/7/2019

 

With temperatures reaching the mid thirties, and with the school holidays bringing the rabble out I decided an early morning visit to Alton Water was in order. Getting up at 5:30 was an enormous undertaking for me, I like my lie-ins, and I ended  up getting to the reservoir at around half six, through quiet traffic-less roads.

At this time of day every thing is beautiful. The air was mild and the water as still as a mill pond. There were no cars and no people around which was great, just me and the birds.

 

 

Bird watching at Alton Water is different to birding at some of the more popular reserves. At, say, Minsmere there is so much bird life that in any report I can't put in everything I see. This is the reverse of Alton Water where there is so little bird life I put in everything I see, so the reports seem the same length. Not every place is as good as Minsmere, but I have to explore the more general countryside, because birds aren't confined to one location. They are about everywhere, just not in as great numbers.

 

The scrubby grassy areas are good places for YELLOWHAMMERS

 

From the moment I got here and walked out along the causeway the most obvious bird was the COMMON TERN. There were plenty of these birds flying around, gliding over the water, before maybe occasionally dropping down with a splash to catch a fish. There were a lot around, and I took hundreds of photos, mainly of a white blur against an indistinct background.

 

 



Alton Water is a hard place to bird watch, as despite all the paths around there's not really much access to the water. There are two hides at the north shore, two on the south, overlooking different areas of water, and you have the causeway and the dam at either ends of the reservoir but that's it.

Rather than walk the entire length of the reservoir, there are a variety of car parks from where I was able to visit various look out points. Doing the circuit is only really viable if you have a bike, something I can't fit on my moped. Its still nice walking through the landscape of woodland, scrubby meadows, with various stops along the water.

 

The causeway - always the starting point for birding the water

 



The hides on the north shore, at this time of year, is where most of the bird life is concentrated. This is where the COMMON TERNS nest. Three shingle islands and several tern rafts have given the terns the perfect  habitat to nest. There were plenty of chicks about so it seemed to be a decent breeding season. The adults would fly around the reservoir looking for fish before coming back to this area to feed their babies.

 

An adult TERN coming in to feed its waiting chick.

 



On the shingle islands areas of exposed mud attracted some WADERS, with two COMMON SANDPIPERS, one GREEN SANDPIPER and one OYSTERCATCHER present. This is a decent haul for an inland site in July.

 

 

The GREBE to the right had a little chick resting on its back. The grebe to its left came over to feed the chick, here with a fish. 

 



Out on the water were various waterfowl, mainly GREAT CRESTED GREBES, with smaller numbers of COOT and TUFTED DUCK. These birds were mainly away from the main body of water, nestled in the various creeks. The birds especially kept away from the dam area as this is where the water sports take place, causing much disturbance. Bucking this were the EGYPTIAN GEESE, which seemed to be present everywhere, whether it be by the picnic site or in a secluded bay, they are very exotic although still somehow artificial at the same time. Maybe thirty were present.

 

PURPLE LOOSETRIFE growing amongst the reeds

 



The hides on the southern side were fairly quiet. A KINGFISHER flew past, seen briefly. From what I've heard from locals it seems that a pair is nesting in the area.

Around the picnic site, which has the centre, café and all sorts of facilities, were small numbers of birds. A SWAN brood of one was present, there was also a SWAN brood of five elsewhere on the reservoir, with a couple of moulting birds dotted around.

 

 SWANS at the dam

 

Also present around there was an oversummering WIGEON, which is actually my first record of this species at this site, I did not expect to see one in July.

 

By the picnic site a BLACKBIRD would run down from the nearby bushes to bathe himself in the water.

 



Over by the dam, which is a large artificial wall to prop up the reservoir, few birds were present. There were a pair of OYSTERCATCHERS and a BLACK TAILED GODWIT flew over. Its always a quiet area as it tends to be busy with people.

 

Female KESTRAL resting on the reservoir overflow. At this time of year there is not much water, so the overflow is dry.

 

Well there you go a full species list for Alton Water. I was surprised as I did not expect to see this many birds, on a late July day at Alton Water. It just shows that birds are really present everywhere, you just have to be patient and you need to get up early.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minsmere - 18/7/2019

 

As Summer winds down, attention is turned to Autumn migration, and at this time of year the focus is on WADERS. In July the birds are all adults, finished raising their young and are now taking their long time back to their wintering grounds. As they do this they can stop off anywhere, which makes this time of year exciting, you never know what you're going to see.
Minsmere's Scrape is the perfect habitat for migrant waders, where over the Autumn bare mud is slowly revealed. This bare mud is full of lots of worms and other microscopic beasties which is a great source of food to the birds so attracts a lot of waders to visit.
However as the breeding season winds down things get quiet on the Scrape. With all the GULLS having nested and fledged their chicks they have departed the Scrape, and suddenly where there had been thousands of raucous birds there were now few. Some gulls were still about but nowhere near the number that were here earlier in the Summer.

 

 SPOTTEDD REDSHANK, looking a bit spotty now its moulting out of its summer plumage.

 

East Scrape was looking pretty good. Most of the birds were moulting out of their summer plumage, the birds not looking as dapper as they did earlier in June. Apart from several hundred GODWITS and over a hundred AVOCET there were smaller numbers of scarcer birds.
Here is a list of the WADERS I saw on East Scrape:
5 RUFF    3 SPOTTED REDSHANK   5 RINGED PLOVERS   3 COMMON SANDPIPERS
2 DUNLIN

AVOCET

 

On South scrape numbers were a bit lower. There were :
7 DUNLIN    4 LITTLE GULLS   1 ARCTIC TERN

The ARCTIC TERN was amongst the COMMON TERNS. The species look the same except the ARCTIC has short stubby legs, and a tail that stretched out further than its primaries, and had a pale underwing when it flew. This is my first record for Minsmere, you don't get the big colonies like further up north, like the Farnes. To see photos of arctic terns visit my Farne Islands blog.
The LITTLE TERNS on South Scrape were in various stages of breeding and rearing young, ranging from fully fledged young to little baby chicks. Its so good to see them breed successfully at Minsmere as all along the Suffolk coast this species is not doing well, mainly because they nest on beaches and are subject to disturbance.
The COMMON TERNS were also in various stages of breeding, some having fledged chicks whilst others were still nesting. A few SANDWICH TERNS were on East Scrape, but most had moved on.

 

LAPWING

 



West Scrape was overgrown with reeds and marestail, and is more vegetated than the rest of the Scrape. This attracts different types of birds, those more secretive in their habits. WADERS were fairly well presented:

1 GREEENSHANK   3 GREEN SANDPIPER   10 SPOTTED RED  1 COMMON SANDPIPER
4 RUFF

Resting AVOCETS and GODWITS on East Scrape

 



A CUCKOO flew over East Scrape. Its so strange that a cuckoo becomes such a major sighting for me. This once common bird is sadly declining, for various complex reasons. Being such a unique bird its problems are less known, than birds with more "normal" breeding habits. As the adult CUCKOOS don't need to raise offspring they leave this country quite early, so this is probably a fledged juvenile.
Some BEARDED TITS were seen at North Wall, with many more heard around various reedy areas, but the birds were mainly keeping low down in the reeds.

Record shot of a DARTFORD WARBLER in the dunes

On the beach two pairs of DARTFORD WARBLER were present nesting, one pair behind the public viewpoint and the other in the extensive area of gorse nearer to the sluice. Also present were the usual STONECHAT and LINNETS, all very pretty.

HIGHLAND CATTLE in the Konik Fields

 



As usual after the Scrape hides I took the path to the reedbed ones. Bittern Hide was fairly quite, two fledged MARSH HARRIER young were present, perched on some bushes, the occasional movement of reedbed WARBLERS, and the odd screeching of WATER RAIL.
In the area of woodland on the way to Island Mere Hide there was a family party of JAYS, all screeching away as they squabbled over food. They are such good looking birds its so strange they sound so terrible, such opposites in one bird.
As I got to Island Mere Hide it started raining. What followed could only be described as monsoon weather where over twenty minutes the rain just smashed down. On the mere were various moulting DUCKS, as the birds enter late Summer/early Autumn they shed their breeding season feathers and can't fly, so they find large areas of water to rest on, like Island Mere. There were mainly GADWALL, with smaller numbers of SHOVELLER, TEAL and TUFTED DUCK.
There was still a GREAT CRESTED GREBE nesting on mats of weeds in the middle of the mere, the same one as I saw three weeks ago, which is a long time to be nesting in nature terms. I hope everything is ok.

After the monsoon weather I experienced in Island Mere Hide, there were lots of large puddles on the road, where I encountered this resting TOAD.

  

So a pretty decent haul for mid July, one of the quieter times of the year. In July Autumn migration hasn't really formed yet and the breeding season is quietly finishing, so things can seem slow. As usual Minsmere is excellent and there is always something good to see, and a visit is worth while. I can never sing this reserve's praises high enough, it really is that good. So go along, visit it, and support it in what it does, because these places need us as much as we need them.

Shrublands - 11/7/2019

 

 

What a day for a bike ride. I decided to visit some woodlands in the area, whilst getting a bit of exercise in at the same time. Eventually I would get as far as Shrublands. Shrublands is a country house estate a couple of miles north of where I live. Its an area of parkland, scattered areas of woodland and farmland.
It is an area that is seldom mentioned in Suffolk birdwatching circles, despite being a quite a large area. I have never heard mention of the place in any birding publication, in print or on the net. I will try to go here more often, but the amount of spare time I have is an issue.

 

In my exploration of the area the most exciting find of all was discovering a breeding pair of HOBBY, in an area of open woodland. One of the birds would fly around and when it got near the nest, the young would call out to it. Although common on migration, HOBBYS are still relatively rare nesters, so its good to find one, especially away from the main nature reserves.
There was the usual twinkling of birds you'd expect from a late summer wood, whilst a pair of HARES had a big fight in a woodland glade.
All the woodland area had been divided into small plots, each with their own little name delicately painted onto a sign outside. It seems the owner of the woods wants to sell it off, and by parcelling them into little blocks seems the best way to go about it. If you're interested in owning a little patch of a beautiful area of Suffolk, go ahead and buy a part of this woodland. It may improve your life and you heard it here first.

The area of parkland is situated around the actual house, a large clunky place, as over the top as you would expect from such places. It is an area of scattered ornamental trees with uncut grassland. Being uncut the area was overgrown with such enemies of the farmer as the RAGWORT, and various thistles. As a result the area was full of BUTTERFLIES, and the scratching sound of grasshoppers and crickets, something that has disappeared from the general countryside. Long may this form of management continue.
Back to the cycling. It wasn't too sunny, but very muggy and I sweltered in the heat. Then my front wheel got a puncture and I had to walk a large chunk of the route home. But in the end it was worth it. I can't really complain too much when there are such areas in the world and I can visit them.

Minsmere - 26/6/2019

This time of year on the Scrape, a time that's the height of the breeding season, there is so much happening. On East Scrape, looking out from the hide, everywhere I looked there was something happening. With thousands of GULLS, TERNS and WADERS, all stuck into a tiny space, Minsmere is one of those sea birds spectacles that has just got to be witnessed. Its the jewel in Suffolk's coastal landscape, a birdwatching place where anything can happen.

Its always a perversity of nature that in Summer, the height of the breeding season, Autumn is already beginning. Mid June marks the start of wader migration, with several species using the mud on the scrape as a feeding station, stopping off here on their slow way back to their wintering grounds.
There was a good selection of waders for June, with five SPOTTED REDSHANK, two RUFF, and three KNOT, all present on East Scrape, whilst a CURLEW flew over. Although resident there was a massive increase in GODWITS, feeding in loose flocks on the Scrape. At this time of year the birds are all in summer plumage, with most of the birds looking spectacular.

 The GODWITS look great at the moment in their bronze summer plumage.

 

The most flamboyant are the RUFFS, with the two birds having ornate ginger neck ruffs, and a black head. The SPOTTED REDSHANK, meanwhile, are all black with white spots, which is how they got their name. The KNOT are a brick red although the birds today weren't too colourful, and the CURLEW, well, are always a brown colour, no matter what the season.
Most of the BLACK HEADED GULLS had finished nesting, with most of their chicks fledged, the same with the MED GULLS, their chicks are a grey colour as compared to the brown of the BH GULLS. New to Minsmere are some ground nesting KITTIWAKES, with four nesting pairs on South Scrape. This may not sound like much, but in the recent history there have been only two other records of this behaviour happening. This is an offshoot of the population down the coast at Sizewell, with there not being any proper habitat they are forced to nest on the ground. Usually they are birds of sea cliffs.

Two KITTIWAKES and a BLACK HEADED GULL.

 

Present on the South Scrape, perhaps a month early was a second summer LITTLE GULL, not quite in adult plumage, with its distinctive all black head, its a small bird the size of a tern.
COMMON TERN were present in large numbers, 163 pairs, and being later nesters had only just hatched their chicks, with the birds mainly on South Scrape. The terns would dash from the Scrape, low down over the beach to fish out at sea, constantly coming and going.

One of the COOMON TERNS, they would fly from the scrape dashing over the dunes, to fish out to sea.

 



Unusual for Minsmere, at least in my memory, is a breeding colony of SANDWICH TERN, with around fifty pairs breeding on one island in East Scrape. Being early returners a lot of their chicks were nearly fledged.  LITTLE TERNS were also nesting on South Scrape, the first time in my memory that they've nested on the Scrape. They used to nest on the beach, about ten years ago, but coastal erosion and human disturbance put paid to that. I counted thirteen birds, but they kept coming and going so there was probably a few more birds about.

 One of the islands in South Scrape, inhabited by nesting GULLS and TERNS.

 

There were the usual resident DUCKS, although newly arrived TEAL may be here for the winter, and there was a turn up of GADWALL to the East Scrape, to moult. There were a couple of broods of SHELDUCK, and one of TUFTED DUCK on West Scrape.
The Scrape at the moment is very overgrown, to allow shelter for chicks from marauding gulls. It also allows the Scrape to recover, for the reeds and mares tail to pump oxygen into the water and attract insects that the birds feed on, which makes the Scrape more fertile.

 HIGHLAND COW grazing the Konik Field. This picture could be from a scene as old as time.

 

The reedbeds are fairly busy at this time of year. They make up a large chunk of Minsmere, and are of considerable importance as they have species that are exclusive to this habitat. Most of those birds were seen today with a BEARDED TIT being seen behind South Hide, whilst a family party of several more birds were seen in the reeds in front of Island Mere Hide.
There was a flock of moulting GADWALL on Island Mere, with several pairs of both GREBES, including a GREAT CRESTED GREBE nest created in and from water weeds in the middle of the body of water, and an old brood of SWANS were about.

  

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Female MARSH HARRIER quartering over the reedbeds

 

MARSH HARRIERS were present in small numbers whilst there was a brief HOBBY from Bittern Hide. There were plenty of BUNTINGS in the reeds, with the odd singing WARBLER, and SAND MARTINS and SWALLOWS flying low over the reserve.

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Other small birds on the reserve included at least two pairs of STONECHAT nesting in the gorse bushes in the dunes, with plenty of LINNETS about everywhere.

As you can see it has been an amazing day at Minsmere. I challenge you to find any reserve that can hold this many birds at the height of the breeding season. Minsmere just has the variety, with such a large area of so many rare habitats. This is the Sistine Chapel of nature, something that needs to be seen to be appreciated, and to realise how fragile it all is.




Male STONECHAT