Benacre Broad & Hen Reedbeds - 22/1/2020

Today was one of those quiet days, a time when there was really nothing much to get excited about, where bird sightings were at a minimum, and I didn't expect it to get any better. I chose to go to Benacre today, as there were some sightings to be had there, but in the end turned out to be a disappointing visit. I have never been to Benacre in winter before, but on this visit probably won't come back gain in this season, it just wasn't that great.
It was a calm day and a mist cloaked the land to begin with, but someone up there heard my payers and the mist would soon clear up, providing decent visibility. However the mist lingered on the sea, hanging like a curtain and creating an artificial horizon. Because of the rubbish light and there being few birds within range, photography was difficult.

 On this rapidly eroding coastline, lots of buildings are claimed by the sea.

 

I originally parked at Covehithe, hoping to walk down to the beach there, but the coastguard had taped off the footpath for some reason, so I was forced to go over to Kessingland and walk down from there. As it was  Covehithe Broad was just too far to tramp down to, so I missed out on that place, which was a bit disappointing.
Kessingland, a little sea side town, has a huge beach stretching for miles, but there was a lot of disturbance from dog walkers. A small flock of LARKS, MIPPITS, GREENFINCHES and WAGTAILS, numbering around twenty strong, fed on an area of grass just in from the shingle.
From there it was a walk straight down the coast to Benacre Broad, and basically taking the same route back up the coast again back to Kessingland.
The sea offered most of the birds, with plenty of RED THROATED DIVERS present, the seas of Suffolk are a national stronghold of this species. Three GREY SEAL were around doing that thing that seals do, nosily watching the shore from the sea. A flock of thirty WIGEON were a strange find lying just off the shore.

 

Further down the coast a hard slog led to the gravel pit. This is where the nature reserve starts, a small lake bordered by the sea on one side and by scrubby heath behind. The place is a National Nature Reserve, no less, known for its three broads with extensive reedbeds, which should be a magnet for birds.
Around the gravel pit a pair of STONECHAT were present which could be wintering, migrating or breeding birds its hard to tell with this species, a bird that is known as a partial migrant.
Benacre Broad the final destination, was the most full of water that I have seen, it actually lived up to its name as a broad. However despite this numbers of waterfowl were poor. A GREAT NORTHERN DIVER was present, loitering towards the back, so I couldn't get a photo, but was the one bird I came to see. The bird was huge with a massive bill, much larger than the RED THROATS off shore. Its a much rarer bird in Suffolk than the other diver, with only a few most winters. But when they turn up they linger for a while, as this bird has. Unfortunately there was little else to observe. Around 60 MALLARD, 13 GADWALL, 3 SHOVELLER, 4 LITTLE GREBE were all present around the reedy edges of the broad. Three male GOLDENEYE, were handsome fellows, hanging around in the centre of the broad and a pair of SWANS were probably staying to nest this year.
Having looked over the broad it was a straight walk back up the coast back to Kessingland.

Hen Reedbeds
I stopped off at Hen Reedbeds on the way back, although I only had a short time. I walked along to the first hide, following the narrow channel, until it widened out to a vast expanse of mud. The tide was out, and although there were lots of birds they were mainly all singletons scattered to the horizon. Some RINGED PLOVERS were around the commoner birds, and a small flock of GOLDEN PLOVERS were nice.

 One of the pair of KONIKS that graze part of the reedbed

 

I heard a few BEARDED TITS in the reedbeds, although I didn't see them, but apart from that most of the reserve was quiet.

Blythburgh
Driving down the A14 I decided to stop at Blythburgh, to have a look to see what was about in the flocks of birds I spied from the road. As at Hen Reedbeds the tide was well out, but some birds were gathering around the channel, which flows under the A14, and then through the vast expanse of mud. Amongst all the WADERS, there were some AVOCETS, and there were some PINTAIL amongst the DUCKS. A single BAR TAILED GODWIT was noteworthy. It was only a short stay, and there was probably a lot more out there in the vast numbers of birds, but I didn't have time to see them all, such is life.

Birdwatching can be tricky when there are few birds about. If you don't know a place well it can be difficult finding birds. Although today was an adventure of sorts, covering new ground, it didn't really come up with as much as I anticipated. Its always difficult to predict where the birds will be about, the vagaries of nature is what makes this past time so fascinating. If I wanted predictability I would have taken up something like train spotting.