OSPREY at Alton Water

Great White Egret

After having the good fortune to see an OSPREY at Martlesham Creek, in September, never in my dreams would I imagine seeing a second one within a couple of weeks, within Suffolk. So on an early October day I saw this bird, an OSPREY, at Alton Water. From the Larchwood Hides, at 12:30 it drifted over the water, coming closer to me until it came close enough for good views before disappearing over the trees. It was pure luck, to be in the right hide at the right time and this time I had no prior knowledge that the osprey was down here. Again its the wonders of migration which provides such good views of what is still a scarce bird in Suffolk, a bird that probably originated in some place like Scotland.

The Larchwood Hides are two hides set halfway down the reservoir on the south side. There is always a KINGFISHER here, they must nest in a tree near the water, and they are often seen flying to and fro in front of the hide. There was also a juvenile COMMON TERN still around, the last of the breeding colony that sets up home here in summer. Soon it must take up the courage and finally leave its birth home. An October record for this species is always good as usually the birds have left by mid September.

View from the North Hides

There are another set of hides further up the reservoir on the north section, where in summer it overlooks the tern colony. Usually there is some mud present, but today there today there were no waders. A GREAT WHITE EGRET was distinctive in flight, flying towards the tail end, this is a first record for me here at Alton Water. The TERN was also present though more distant. Birdwatching is difficult at Alton Water, as there are few view points over such a large body of water. I ended up walking long distances, walking to these viewpoints, through impenetrable forest with no views over the reservoir, so its lucky I have good patience when it comes to birding, a patience that keeps me walking until I reach my destination.

Unfortunately there are lots of water sports on the reservoir, which causes disturbance, however today there were just these two intrepid windsurfers

The Tail End is the thin part of water cut off from the main area by the road. There was some mud, and on this a GREENSHANK was present. There were more DUCKS here too, though Alton Water is poor for them, with numbers of birds barely making double figures. However for another species the site is the best in Suffolk. The GREAT CRESTED GREBE occurs in large numbers here with many birds present throughout the year. This species is also a late nester, and there was still one family group present with a stripy-headed juvenile bothering its parents for food.

So a strange day at Alton Water, with some good birds, such as an osprey, present, which was the main highlight. However today there was so few birds about, it at times came to staring out over empty water. Some times this doesn't matter if in the end you see an osprey, but on other days, when you're frantically searching for even a coot, it does really feel a bit desponding. But hey, that's the fun of birdwatching isn't it?