With Autumn in full swing, birds are pouring into our country at a great rate, or so you would think. In any case it wasn't happening at Trimley. The marshes are usually one of the best birding sites in the county, famous for the WADERS that are attracted to the various scrapes. But today? nothing, and I mean nothing, not a single bird.
I wouldn't be annoyed except its a blooming three mile walk to get there. Ok so I saw a male WHEATEAR, disturbed along the river wall before it briefly alighted onto one of the hide roofs. There was also a flock of five SANDWICH TERNS on the river, nice late staying summer visitors, which will soon depart to warmer climes.
On the Managed Retreat, an area of land opened up to flooding from the river, the first SHELDUCK have returned to the area. Over late Summer our entire population of shelducks leave the UK to go off to Germany, at the Wadden Sea, to moult, before returning in late Autumn. Its a strange habit, one of nature's many mysteries, something science can't really explain, like how do they all instinctively know to do this en masse.
At the start of the walk, next to Levington Marina, there's Loompit Lake, which despite the situation at Trimley was brimming over with birds. Most obvious was the large gaggle of several hundred GEESE present and the herd of MUTE SWANS, of which 75 were recorded. Usually a couple of pairs of swans nest here and are quite territorial, but at this time of year the resident birds are more tolerant, as long as come Spring the rest all leave. There were plenty of water birds around with 70 GADWALL, 30 SHOVELLER, and between 10 and 20 each of TUFTED DUCK, WIGEON, TEAL, COOT and LITTLE GREBE.
Of most interest on Loompit was an EMPEROR GOOSE. Mixed in with the huge flock of CANADAS and GREYLAGS the bird was still in moult, it lacked the black neck, but it was distinctive, noticeably smaller than the other two species, with an all white head and neck. I did some research and discovered that it breeds in Alaska and wintered further south in America, and it was under threat as a species, as most birds are nowadays. So this means either two things, firstly its a very rare bird blown off course halfway across the world, or more likely, an escape from some wildlfowl collection. I know which one I hope it will be, but am resigned to what it most likely will be.
Also on Loompit was a KINGFISHER which briefly alighted on a dead tree branch before flying off, calling noisily. There was also a CETTI'S WARBLER, exploding with song, from a lakeside bush a very unseasonal record for the bird to be doing this. Just think the bird has confused early October with Spring, late autumn with the breeding season. Is this just some idiot bird, or a sign of climate change, or just one of those things, who knows.
And that's it. Just a short post from a very uneventful day down on the marshes. However, even when things are at there bleakest there is always something around to brighten up the day, so keep persevering as something will turn up eventually. Good birding to all.
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