Bawdsey to Hollesley Marshes - 5/1/2021

Across the river Deben looking towards Felixstowe Ferry

The southern section of the Suffolk Coast is not as famous for birds as the more northerly parts, it has none of the great reserves or large variety of habitats that attracts the huge numbers of birds you would find at places like Minsmere. Instead its mainly agricultural in area with the commercial use of the land an alternative to the nature reserves found further to the north. As a result its somewhere more low key, more under watched and I didn't meet any other birdwatchers today. Its not an area I visit that often, and I even covered some new ground today. This was my first visit for quite some time.

 

Part of the large herd of MUTE SWANS feeding on the cabbage fields

Today I did some walking, one of the joys of being an outdoors man. From East Lane, Bawdsey I walked three or four miles north to Shingle Street, and would have walked from there to Hollesley Marshes if the tide allowed. Walking is one of those enjoyments I manage to wring from life, especially when out in the fresh air, whenever there is nature to accompany me, its such a gentle earthy pleasure. It always helps when passing through such an interesting landscape. Martello Tower after Tower passed as I trudged up the coast, former fortresses from Britain's many wars with the French. Pill boxes, square concrete blocks, hinted at a more modern war. Because no matter how remote a place, as this part of the coast is, there's always someone fighting for control of it.

The low lying agricultural land that lies between East Lane and Shingle Street

East Lane, is a country road which leads to the coast, its known as a place where migrants may fall, but there's not much there really. There are some old World War Two pillboxes carved into the shingle bank and some lakes created among the low lying farm fields. With a heavy reed fringe these lakes are quite attractive to waterfowl with around fifty WIGEON, thirty GADWALL present and singles of TUFTED DUCK and SHOVELLER. Two pairs of MUTE SWAN were looking to start nesting. Further out on the extensive farmland, in what appeared to be a large cabbage field a further herd of MUTE SWAN were feeding. Around seventy were present, and they seemed quite content, that was until some out of control dog ran at them and scared them into flight. And the dogs owners just watched, did nothing, just didn't care. I tried shouting at them, but they were quite distant and it was in the wind so I couldn't admonish them. I don't mind people using the countryside, it should be there for everyone, but what I HATE is when people can't give a shit about it and cause threat to nature, which could be easily stopped if they could be bothered.

A long line of white shells leading up to the former life boat station at Shingle Street

An alternative view of Shingle Street, a hamlet built right on the beach

Between East Lane and Shingle Street is low lying agricultural land protected by a shingle bank, which wasn't particularly attractive to birds. A single female STONECHAT and small flocks of LARKS and LINNETS were about. A KESTREL provided company, hovering, then flying then hovering always ahead of me, often standing so still in the air that it looked like it was hanging from a piece of  string. A shore side pool held a small flock of eleven LITTLE GREBE.

The Viewing Screen at Hollesley Marshes, which looks over the scrape. Its like a hide without a roof

Shingle Street is like its name, a small settlement built on the edge of the beach. Its remote but as always where there's a car park there are the hordes, and with these hordes their many out of control dogs causing as much disturbance as possible. I know that's not really the case, but I was still angry with the previous dog's owners and now I was seeing every dog off its lead as something destructive. Sometimes its quite difficult to come from a lonely walk back to civilisation. The plan was to walk from here to Hollesley Marshes, but nature had a different plan for me. The road out of Shingle Street was flooded under a heavy high tide. To access the footpath on the river wall to Hollesley I had to wade through some water. With a pair of wellies on I braved it, got to point where they were a couple of centremetres from being inundated, judging this to be OK I thought I could make it, but I was wrong, and the water gushed into my wellies. That first influx of water was absolutely freezing, I couldn't carry on. Socks and wellies wet I wore my hiking boots without any socks on. Onwards to Holleley Marshes in the car.

DUCKS on the scrape at Hollesley Marshes

The marshes at Hollesley were good for a change. A nice injection of water had attracted the waterbirds in. The scrape, a shallow body of water in some grassland, had several hundred birds, mainly WIGEON and TEAL, with 25 PINTAIL and nine SHOVELLER also present. 

A pair of CROWS on the pill box along the river, with the pagodas of Orford Ness behind

A flock of GEESE were grazing the higher drier ground behind the scrape but along with the larger CANADA and GREYLAGS there was just the one BARNACLE. Usually at this time of year Hollesley brings in the wild geese of high winter, but there seemed to be none present, which is a shame.

Looking down the river from Hollesley Marshes to Shingle Street in the dying sun

Its always good to explore new areas of the world, to get off the beaten track as it were. But to be honest there weren't particularly many birds to divert my interest from somewhere up north like Minsmere. If this place  was a local patch or something then maybe I would come more often, and its an interesting place, but really I'm not going to come back any time soon.