tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33112004385883839422024-03-12T22:04:29.952-07:00Suffolk Birdwatcherkeith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.comBlogger434125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-20589434238042892962023-05-28T11:33:00.000-07:002023-05-28T11:33:58.116-07:00BEAVERS on the river Tay - May 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XgYGg8Fw0IUYVIQzQMl1ThcWQ1iOXanolFKSeN070V3pqyQqdgLKhcMSwl6_aeCYkT2ZPHbgITW6dqyzNqHX691iTHPJUedf14SJrJGCxUV_lrTatAzcm_zU-HuzUXUcIXaPb4tqM7tTYWzqG7PiEyowybEd68IuMreK0_dVJY37CcyycZQIHlJtKw/s5184/IMG_5390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XgYGg8Fw0IUYVIQzQMl1ThcWQ1iOXanolFKSeN070V3pqyQqdgLKhcMSwl6_aeCYkT2ZPHbgITW6dqyzNqHX691iTHPJUedf14SJrJGCxUV_lrTatAzcm_zU-HuzUXUcIXaPb4tqM7tTYWzqG7PiEyowybEd68IuMreK0_dVJY37CcyycZQIHlJtKw/w504-h378/IMG_5390.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><br />Around ten years ago an unlikely creature turned up on the river Tay in Scotland. No one knew where they came from, whether they were released or escapees, it remains a mystery. Of course the creature we're talking about is the beaver. Extinct in this country for four hundred years, these animals have made a welcome come back. Easily dove tailing into a landscape that desperately needed them, they are now thankfully classed as fully wild and protected.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBXNVuk93LqGX57U6WkgxPh5Yw1Ha7jnkwqFpg81CrEeojr7_ED4tKmQzafBt23Qt_0ZsIM3RRs2CuZAzb5NwO2PIkHE4n5LYNL5PfEUMGUpJ-OuFwk9Ww3-xCE7zvLpabHFqGBx98dKuWWVjL-MLTA9J-QoPGhaifQHWHgXvNb8HyRU8s6zQ9y7hLw/s5184/IMG_4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBXNVuk93LqGX57U6WkgxPh5Yw1Ha7jnkwqFpg81CrEeojr7_ED4tKmQzafBt23Qt_0ZsIM3RRs2CuZAzb5NwO2PIkHE4n5LYNL5PfEUMGUpJ-OuFwk9Ww3-xCE7zvLpabHFqGBx98dKuWWVjL-MLTA9J-QoPGhaifQHWHgXvNb8HyRU8s6zQ9y7hLw/w504-h378/IMG_4743.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>In mid May 2023 I took a week long holiday at Aberfeldy in Perthshire, Scotland. Walking the local area, the beavers were much in evidence. They had taken up residence in a deserted golf course across the river from Aberfeldy. This was pretty much a public park, used by joggers and dog walkers, yet the beavers were fine with it. They had taken to living in a ditch that branched off from the main river. Little dams had been constructed holding the water back, creating little reservoirs, and the local trees had been gnawed by their legendary teeth.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoMu2PpDJyg60SY3udUekrFEcyukO30O7daNXNgrypXFNfEzvigvK1cJvNaTm9qn6jI1owkzbiv6TYCqtOWXohqi11lH7Ro90tZyVv2ec8YifX27jeHlKddNRYz7WXdqdRduxXj7Pt8Gu9YsgMKtRYcGpzEexJO4ZoEEQA8yRjCnth2ex-6Rbi9iYsQ/s5184/IMG_5381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFoMu2PpDJyg60SY3udUekrFEcyukO30O7daNXNgrypXFNfEzvigvK1cJvNaTm9qn6jI1owkzbiv6TYCqtOWXohqi11lH7Ro90tZyVv2ec8YifX27jeHlKddNRYz7WXdqdRduxXj7Pt8Gu9YsgMKtRYcGpzEexJO4ZoEEQA8yRjCnth2ex-6Rbi9iYsQ/w505-h379/IMG_5381.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>On the first night I got a good view of a beaver as it came up from the main river onto a dam, and then dived into the ditch where I lost it in the stagnant water. For the next couple of days I would again catch brief views, usually ended by a big splash as the animals escaped from me. It was becoming one of those ones where I came so close, yet unable to get a decent photo...</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzp3keHolAIzizFdoQhfyYFyTCY6VxYjHxkhFNpdjJjguC00WKq2FmN0vK7nSrhn5O6e1VGxwYB4509MgCOXQZobudeQpkBk-yPCpuIRKMNKV3JKYa0q6XjNQhe7c1Xcvlb1zaEY6tEUFU6-orqCGqWFnCT0276v7ZPKcSKZpEx6tSuYOQ9Cce3-WcOQ/s5184/IMG_5021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzp3keHolAIzizFdoQhfyYFyTCY6VxYjHxkhFNpdjJjguC00WKq2FmN0vK7nSrhn5O6e1VGxwYB4509MgCOXQZobudeQpkBk-yPCpuIRKMNKV3JKYa0q6XjNQhe7c1Xcvlb1zaEY6tEUFU6-orqCGqWFnCT0276v7ZPKcSKZpEx6tSuYOQ9Cce3-WcOQ/w509-h382/IMG_5021.JPG" width="509" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>And so it came to the last night and it was a case of getting photo or going back home with nothing. It was 19:00 hours when I wandered down to the deserted golf course to look for the beavers. Creeping round their homely ditch, I took steps with great care trying not to disturb any beavers in the area. Finally I caught sight of one in the water, top part exposed. It swam down the ditch, and I cautiously followed. Tree branches got in the way of the camera and I couldn't get a decent shot. The beaver swam on, occasionally diving, so often I had to guess its position underwater by the trail of bubbles. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapFPOq8j48dB8Xp8otHJxTG_FtpK4A3zULYpoXhgUIF88ci3S9yRdkbmQwHjnnLLJekArNz1qEnl5yS-20sx7A7HoiQuewAhQ1CYwl8EiyYkJWcfr9NiMwmeAyUsbTeBLcxYpOQ_yxa1u7y21ZsGnDH6ie8qmVRFsgQ1sAMbSqvxPrq-kR2AgEm2UXQ/s5184/IMG_5265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapFPOq8j48dB8Xp8otHJxTG_FtpK4A3zULYpoXhgUIF88ci3S9yRdkbmQwHjnnLLJekArNz1qEnl5yS-20sx7A7HoiQuewAhQ1CYwl8EiyYkJWcfr9NiMwmeAyUsbTeBLcxYpOQ_yxa1u7y21ZsGnDH6ie8qmVRFsgQ1sAMbSqvxPrq-kR2AgEm2UXQ/w505-h379/IMG_5265.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>I think the beaver got used to my presence as eventually it got out of the water, and started gnawing on some tree. Again I didn't get good enough views as the area was fairly overgrown. The beaver would carry on like this, going in and out of the water, plodding along. And I followed, desperate for a photo but not wanting to scare the animal. Time wore on and I was wondering if it just wasn't my day, when suddenly the beaver climbed up the bank, across the ditch from me, and I had a clear shot! For several minutes the beaver posed, completely aware of my presence, yet deciding I was safe. I got some good photos, and actual proof I had seen a beaver, which is all I wanted.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7C66F1Av8_9PscextmLAbetk3u45kU8IWTScTKFEbFqG_j7WQ1qX6AiworCAeicDg9hCwHppRq6XKvwKoIac1N-3ldvW92cdSU8Y5HmbPobiDryntDQejOXQRKUe3wQUDkSdCu4STWuJbO1HW5T-n72PwMCdZkRKV1s_i5TZ0Q4Xb6XJbjWhdl8Fwg/s5184/IMG_5351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7C66F1Av8_9PscextmLAbetk3u45kU8IWTScTKFEbFqG_j7WQ1qX6AiworCAeicDg9hCwHppRq6XKvwKoIac1N-3ldvW92cdSU8Y5HmbPobiDryntDQejOXQRKUe3wQUDkSdCu4STWuJbO1HW5T-n72PwMCdZkRKV1s_i5TZ0Q4Xb6XJbjWhdl8Fwg/w505-h379/IMG_5351.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>In a world as naturally sterile as the UK, we may think that there isn't the space for animals like beavers. Yet the repopulation of our rivers by them proves there is a lot of room for these larger animals in our countryside. They are such popular animals, an animal that is known by most people, and may inspire people to take a greater interest in nature. And for me it was a memorable way to spend the evenings of my holiday in Scotland.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-52261470280535536842023-01-14T12:01:00.000-08:002023-01-14T12:01:04.501-08:00And So It Goes: The End of Suffolk Birdwatcher<p>After more than six years its now time to end my birdwatching blog. For some time the number of people reading my blog has declined until a week before I decided to finish I had two views, less than a view every two days. If out of the billions of people on the internet, only two people are reading my blog in a week, its a sure sign no one's interested. This lack of interest was a sign to stop writing and end my blog, and so I arrived at the decision to finish suffolkbirdwatcher.</p><p>I have always enjoyed writing my blog, and at times it felt almost like someone was accompanying me out in the field birdwatching. The photos I took were all taken in mind with what I would put up on my blog, and I often went round those nature reserves composing what to write in my head. A great deal of thought went into the blogs, but not any longer.</p><p>And so after 433 posts and so far nearly 15,000 reads, it all comes to an end, as everything does. A lot of me has gone into these pages, a lot of effort and creativity, I have all put up there for everyone to see. And no one's particularly interested, which is fine, the blog was always a bit niche, a bit too esoteric so I wasn't expecting much popularity in the first place. But I was sure that at least someone in the entire world might be interested...but I was wrong.</p><p>Although this blog is coming to an end, I will still go out birding, I mean nothing is going to stop me doing that, but my sightings will remain private, written up in some journal, for only myself to read. And I will still be birdwatching in the glorious county of Suffolk, I mean I do still live here, and I still think its still the best county for birds, no argument.</p><p>These will be the last words ever written by me on this blog, and if you've been following me then thank you very much, and if you are a casual reader welcome to the end of my blog. All things come to an end, and, as ever, good luck, and good birding!</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-43093932766287445182022-12-08T11:23:00.001-08:002022-12-08T11:23:14.227-08:00North Warren - 1/12/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMxvkfQod_m2_8oJUwmMrM-0HQeGx0TRbf_RkvdaXH5Ly2gLwqP1_r9hviWkmLuBDAMsxQhmki5uWn5ZItL-E_9rgc6tqXLXWqhFsL5wjiGvBmisoJjzGupUcDVZCPwHsFNNG9WEHD9Wer6z6GZU0JxCiXJPZJ6E240sUHg-lUf9j3sgvVt3YJtVj2g/s3863/IMG_3729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2765" data-original-width="3863" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMxvkfQod_m2_8oJUwmMrM-0HQeGx0TRbf_RkvdaXH5Ly2gLwqP1_r9hviWkmLuBDAMsxQhmki5uWn5ZItL-E_9rgc6tqXLXWqhFsL5wjiGvBmisoJjzGupUcDVZCPwHsFNNG9WEHD9Wer6z6GZU0JxCiXJPZJ6E240sUHg-lUf9j3sgvVt3YJtVj2g/w504-h361/IMG_3729.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Male PINTAIL are stunning birds, the most elegant of ducks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The huge numbers of wildfowl that used to come to our shores for the winter now seem to be a thing of the past. The recent mild winters have not provided favourable conditions for the birds to arrive, and now more birds are wintering on the continent, where conditions are more suitable. That's good for Dutch birders, but for us English ones its creating an eerie atmosphere of empty marshlands devoid of birds. That was the case with North Warren today, a place where even four or five years ago, thousands of ducks were present, but today they numbered just in the hundreds. It doesn't help that, despite recent heavy rain, water levels are still low for this time of year, and the grasslands just haven't flooded much, not providing the favourable conditions for the birds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjricdL8rbUzIP45El_yTyhPNvhuXcVdigefr693ttL7gGChELwpA4iWvMt-uWUG8TXWmKVaTlC52xuyUvg1FT-yzGtN5dKO8hjv94O2Nfjm7jvKI5DFSSIXqHZPaGRUxzbJ8QTS4hjW39vYDEUSERwtBIjGP1WptEzw9zYBQIOBbXa69HHvSoS81CrBg/s5184/IMG_3634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjricdL8rbUzIP45El_yTyhPNvhuXcVdigefr693ttL7gGChELwpA4iWvMt-uWUG8TXWmKVaTlC52xuyUvg1FT-yzGtN5dKO8hjv94O2Nfjm7jvKI5DFSSIXqHZPaGRUxzbJ8QTS4hjW39vYDEUSERwtBIjGP1WptEzw9zYBQIOBbXa69HHvSoS81CrBg/w503-h377/IMG_3634.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Marshland at North Warren</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>For a lot of the year North Warren is just a large area of grassland and is therefore not of much interest to the birdwatcher. But for a few months in winter, these grasslands flood, which in the past attracted large numbers of wildfowl. The reserve is famous for its wintering GEESE, often harbouring one of the largest flock of WHITE FRONTED GEESE in the country. With the recent mild weather, expectations were low as very few birds had been recorded so far this winter. I still thought it was worth a look though in the off chance something had turned up. The geese are usually encountered on the northern section, and looking from the viewpoint I was able to count 45 birds, the majority newly in from the continent. With them were two PINK FOOTS, my first sighting at North Warren of this species. In a more drier area was a large flock of several hundred BARNACLE GEESE, the majority of which will have descended from birds that have escaped from captivity on the continent. As geese do, they stretch out in a long line rather than forming any other kind of shape to their flock.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKdaT1cvhnxvysJf_oQ8pbTwhakCeFaxX2LO0DtmiOL2-qUoWQ-xiq6ELgBprI3bxrhkGwjH9SFosy9B7cEX6ynPWOlby8hlcp3nNn9trt-HKdAj8DtoGwvLcSJcHo6_ndtR1Xuj_vO8KmWxKYHEL12qB1QlqsOx6mEuTEyaZ39AGKA4EGJ0hdtwg4w/s5184/IMG_3752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKdaT1cvhnxvysJf_oQ8pbTwhakCeFaxX2LO0DtmiOL2-qUoWQ-xiq6ELgBprI3bxrhkGwjH9SFosy9B7cEX6ynPWOlby8hlcp3nNn9trt-HKdAj8DtoGwvLcSJcHo6_ndtR1Xuj_vO8KmWxKYHEL12qB1QlqsOx6mEuTEyaZ39AGKA4EGJ0hdtwg4w/w504-h378/IMG_3752.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A preening male SHOVELLER</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Of the flooding, most of it was on the southern section, and although duck numbers weren't particularly high there were good numbers of PINTAIL, as well as the usual WIGEON and TEAL. A JACK SNIPE was seen in flight from second viewing screen along from Aldeburgh. A female MARSH HARRIER also flew over, causing a few birds to flee, but in general they were blasé of the big raptor.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5EAFfNZ23DjH8gmtXbdJlJTb147mHmL3uOMNswcp4sXytJs0A9UHK_UaMUHR-z6hC7T3XOmrnLNb-7TWK70zLm-yjbR9RyP2yn6VDgWZvVe1dUCF_1obprynOreRCtwg4oc6NorkLa7EIFLeMP2pomBJqOzPoCBx7ISHR73NddQZ33b4fgvaJbIh2w/s3456/IMG_3780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5EAFfNZ23DjH8gmtXbdJlJTb147mHmL3uOMNswcp4sXytJs0A9UHK_UaMUHR-z6hC7T3XOmrnLNb-7TWK70zLm-yjbR9RyP2yn6VDgWZvVe1dUCF_1obprynOreRCtwg4oc6NorkLa7EIFLeMP2pomBJqOzPoCBx7ISHR73NddQZ33b4fgvaJbIh2w/w500-h375/IMG_3780.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A female STONECHAT</div><p></p><p>Mild conditions have benefitted STONECHATS greatly, these little birds get decimated by hard winters, and are fortunately one of the few birds that are doing well, in Suffolk at least. Three birds were present today as usual favouring a nice perch in full view. Large numbers of BLACKBIRD were about, no doubt birds in from the continent. Conversely only singles of REDWING and FIELDFARE were about, this doesn't seem to be a good winter for them, as with the wildfowl, probably down to the mild winter so far.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixotauMiByFuyK9ZyZtQwN4JDiIb1KLu3_YBE7jrzy0x1JIOcqqNunk2IdoYpVbse1cZSC9bHK4ReVB9LD6ibdPSrC-FMaZTVRn5U-jAWpJmG4KhZuJ3leVeyOFYQyBfF4ENNTbV_dCUqSvIVV3lD6s7VCI43WQEciqTBk56-ASoBFzc1EgtM-okHWiQ/s5184/IMG_3642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixotauMiByFuyK9ZyZtQwN4JDiIb1KLu3_YBE7jrzy0x1JIOcqqNunk2IdoYpVbse1cZSC9bHK4ReVB9LD6ibdPSrC-FMaZTVRn5U-jAWpJmG4KhZuJ3leVeyOFYQyBfF4ENNTbV_dCUqSvIVV3lD6s7VCI43WQEciqTBk56-ASoBFzc1EgtM-okHWiQ/w504-h378/IMG_3642.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An assortment of sleeping ducks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>So not really the best of days, but its good to see there are still birds out there in our countryside. The mild weather is really confusing a lot of our wildlife, and its quite eerie to see the leaves still on the trees in December. What we need is for a blast of coldness to bring in those hard winter birds, and then maybe the spectacle of thousands of birds inhabiting our wetlands will again be something we can still witness. </p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-58330721918690126622022-11-29T09:56:00.000-08:002022-11-29T09:56:27.495-08:00Hollesley Marshes - 24/11/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHnfUFMo_jG97B-ckD35LFcA0a04JoDsuZnq4kX5w37S4YzQbd1hye35V0GeuGYQwbu5MMl6wXzO0KdoctKuHEVtw7uKSF9H_Fegu5VphYi2_GWPAo7STDkdWlELa4DM7FGvTDgdW38yK-GwGr77hpUmzGD2GJLpLDg94B4oi-DHOMc5JCNULjKFgUg/s5092/IMG_3563.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3762" data-original-width="5092" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHnfUFMo_jG97B-ckD35LFcA0a04JoDsuZnq4kX5w37S4YzQbd1hye35V0GeuGYQwbu5MMl6wXzO0KdoctKuHEVtw7uKSF9H_Fegu5VphYi2_GWPAo7STDkdWlELa4DM7FGvTDgdW38yK-GwGr77hpUmzGD2GJLpLDg94B4oi-DHOMc5JCNULjKFgUg/w503-h371/IMG_3563.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The scrape with the Hollesley Bay Penal Colony behind</div><p></p><p>Hollesley is not perhaps the most famous of RSPB reserves, but among local birdwatchers its gaining a reputation of attracting some unusual birds, especially in winter. The reserve contains areas of flooded grassland, with drier areas on the higher grounds towards the back, but the centrepiece of the reserve is the scrape. This habitat is an area of water literally scraped out of the soil, lying beneath the shadow of the prison behind. This habitat consists of very shallow water with islands, set amongst grassland. This habitat attracts large numbers of birds to nest, as well as winter, in Hollesley's case, good numbers of waders. At this time of year the birder's mind wanders to thoughts of wintering geese arriving on our shores, but unfortunately so far with the mild weather, very few of those birds have turned up on the Suffolk Coast. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3UySEk6WcdaWIp81gg16xUFd6O9pyJzRoQJTjmJvIPrUje7arj85y8TXFkZ8E3vjrS5D679a1adgT7ARmdlMooVp_a-lnnOJfxFZtZd297iNkYatalpLGoijHRhqBNx0BSasAS6wJgSb73VY1D9MZ_TXYlZnFqxzDanLBiCljok1181iFAuE5QS-Yg/s5184/IMG_3573.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3UySEk6WcdaWIp81gg16xUFd6O9pyJzRoQJTjmJvIPrUje7arj85y8TXFkZ8E3vjrS5D679a1adgT7ARmdlMooVp_a-lnnOJfxFZtZd297iNkYatalpLGoijHRhqBNx0BSasAS6wJgSb73VY1D9MZ_TXYlZnFqxzDanLBiCljok1181iFAuE5QS-Yg/w502-h377/IMG_3573.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shingle Street in the glare. Hollesley Marshes is pretty poor for photography as the birds never get close enough to take a picture, and the landscape is pretty flat and uninspiring.</div><p>On approaching the scrape, things didn't look too promising, as the only birds present seemed to be a large flock of GULLS roosting on an island. In among this group there were many types of species, of various ages and plumages but with a bit of diligence I was able to spot three adult CASPIAN GULLS among the throng. Identifying gulls can be daunting at the best of times, and can be quite a headache for even a seasoned birder like myself. Caspian gulls are basically the type of herring gull to be found in the Black Sea area. At this time of year they can be easily be told apart from the similar herring gulls by a clear unmarked head (the herring gulls have a grey streaking to their head), in essence looking like large kittiwakes. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZZQF2h0PUFltbRTSavnC8ceY4BK5PTrbba2gxinF2upeWUbIqwmZ7RgDMON9dWxUdxg3nPW5ayZCudCpNaQOoodU9E1bz0AsLyLq8J0HALumJU5oIMKLzXgxMUIaezS-UgEmvYMDYGPBQFJyyVUuJDL8A-HpaML2b6LGuFesOjwz2xb7QgKLDI-Eqw/s3456/IMG_3551.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZZQF2h0PUFltbRTSavnC8ceY4BK5PTrbba2gxinF2upeWUbIqwmZ7RgDMON9dWxUdxg3nPW5ayZCudCpNaQOoodU9E1bz0AsLyLq8J0HALumJU5oIMKLzXgxMUIaezS-UgEmvYMDYGPBQFJyyVUuJDL8A-HpaML2b6LGuFesOjwz2xb7QgKLDI-Eqw/w503-h377/IMG_3551.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A male STONECHAT see along the path to the river wall</div><p></p><p>With a closer look more birdlife was revealed on the scrape, with lots of ducks tucked round the edges of the water. Wildfowl numbers were still fairly low, the mild conditions don't really benefit the large numbers you usually get with hard winters. As is usual for this type of habitat the largest number of ducks were of TEAL and WIGEON, with a decent number of PINTAIL also showing up. The small flocks of SHOVELLER were graced by a leucisitic bird, an almost all white duck, which has been hanging around for a while, and small numbers of GADWALL were also about.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZzgcN0Nx4ponnfTCvxVvpyhQ74nXTR7su7v6NGfXtRy_VnsBKn8ItmEIE4knUqh7kWAGSkVyk1hhdZoQHjaoXiMPFklK1ku-8h6GXSspCh_9_XDXUkdTriCNKbGojwgnt7Mg43AZH25p0Q-vawGbJYGD1d-nCUIcGQLI3B9tysuTPgHQAApJbEzZUw/s5184/IMG_3565.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZzgcN0Nx4ponnfTCvxVvpyhQ74nXTR7su7v6NGfXtRy_VnsBKn8ItmEIE4knUqh7kWAGSkVyk1hhdZoQHjaoXiMPFklK1ku-8h6GXSspCh_9_XDXUkdTriCNKbGojwgnt7Mg43AZH25p0Q-vawGbJYGD1d-nCUIcGQLI3B9tysuTPgHQAApJbEzZUw/w502-h377/IMG_3565.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The river wall heading north, with the pill box around a concrete fence, created in the Second World War.</div><p></p><p>Three MARSH HARRIERS were around, hunting the surrounding grasslands, all of them females. These graceful raptors are always majestic to see, and no matter how common they have become in this part of the country, I never tire of watching them. A pair of STONECHATS were in a bramble bush along the path to the river wall, as usual perched right on the very top, always posing themselves. On the estuarial river Ore the tide was up, and only a SEAL was about, with a few REDSHANK flying up and down river. This is close to where the river Ore meets the sea, and large numbers of CORMARANTS rest on the shingle banks of Orford Ness, drying their wings after successful fishing, in preparation of going back into the water.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebFeHBYGyG-_ugDYRAlXG19iWH5QXUv7dNmhuDyZKM6EXJ2PO_jKF3QbXbiAgnBln5QJg0RHASJhZrdq7hX4LpVTW39YmVD9yotG7nS-1q4Ba0g7NeVH7QnHBUOr3zUh0RA49Hk-a3FkQg1q2nAWo_1u9nYrSLKbJBtb_Nr8NQWXQkqQJTP1t_LjbSQ/s5184/IMG_3564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebFeHBYGyG-_ugDYRAlXG19iWH5QXUv7dNmhuDyZKM6EXJ2PO_jKF3QbXbiAgnBln5QJg0RHASJhZrdq7hX4LpVTW39YmVD9yotG7nS-1q4Ba0g7NeVH7QnHBUOr3zUh0RA49Hk-a3FkQg1q2nAWo_1u9nYrSLKbJBtb_Nr8NQWXQkqQJTP1t_LjbSQ/w499-h374/IMG_3564.JPG" width="499" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The river wall south to Shingle Street</div><p></p><p>This was a bit of a rush job today, I didn't really having the time to spend longer, or to visit anywhere else. That's the beauty of Hollesley, its small size means it can be done in a hour, and is also in close proximity to other reserves along the coast like Boyton, which you can visit briefly as well. To be honest I was only looking for the caspian gulls to add to my yearlist, as they are easier to identify at this time of year. Around the turn of the year our herring gulls lose the grey streaking and resemble caspians, meaning I will have to get into anal plumage details to tell them apart. Such is the fun of birdwatching.</p><p></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-50298310594360513922022-11-17T11:52:00.002-08:002022-11-22T10:04:00.097-08:00Minsmere - 10/11/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXBnP5L2PbAYkQyMLDeq9QedqsJXhFJeZp6PJXaRaLhXIMftRuCG2lvqrE4tdMaH66rrcwdkXYxxKL_PipQRr2sAZPdZ_bgI4sVEEx-pK8hCO1HqXIhj7w_iMSA4GJXB9DHTRQR_rZzNBmEms5s0K4ESVC44lpuVMrX2tcZuXFgD_ddpK45_USDIouw/s5184/IMG_3469.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrXBnP5L2PbAYkQyMLDeq9QedqsJXhFJeZp6PJXaRaLhXIMftRuCG2lvqrE4tdMaH66rrcwdkXYxxKL_PipQRr2sAZPdZ_bgI4sVEEx-pK8hCO1HqXIhj7w_iMSA4GJXB9DHTRQR_rZzNBmEms5s0K4ESVC44lpuVMrX2tcZuXFgD_ddpK45_USDIouw/w504-h378/IMG_3469.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">COAL TIT and BLUE TIT on the Visitor Centre bird feeders</div><p></p><p>November can be a strange month, Autumn is pretty much over and Winter is yet to come. As a result it can be a quiet time and is probably the month in which I have seen the fewest species. November is chiefly a month of wildfowl, when winter birds arrive after fleeing the cold weather on the continent. Minsmere is a good place to see the arrival of these winter birds, and having not visited for a couple of months decided to go have a look in the off chance something rare had turned up. The recent temperatures have been mild, which has resulted in only small numbers of winter birds turning up so far.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxArESSIBDldbERQ_tbGQsbwBRq28T-PRqAtNS_MIrvkQ8qXYtC-cIrHOok3D7kSmG1Xdl4rDB5wGRyIjgjwljBCzLfZa6rpAjQVLXd9xaN2oxvGEYQfek3Cv8VCmD8coIsZ28fuzHEuVHH3HA2tHUqJUdkEgWOWmq8eXnQzvmsmvgSe-mY_Q2EB2Qng/s5184/IMG_3392.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxArESSIBDldbERQ_tbGQsbwBRq28T-PRqAtNS_MIrvkQ8qXYtC-cIrHOok3D7kSmG1Xdl4rDB5wGRyIjgjwljBCzLfZa6rpAjQVLXd9xaN2oxvGEYQfek3Cv8VCmD8coIsZ28fuzHEuVHH3HA2tHUqJUdkEgWOWmq8eXnQzvmsmvgSe-mY_Q2EB2Qng/w503-h377/IMG_3392.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The empty West Scrape</div><p></p><p>Unfortunately wildfowl were low on the ground across the reserve. To preserve the large colony of breeding birds on the Scrape, a lot of maintenance work is needed to provide optimum conditions for them to nest on. This time of year is usually the time when maintenance work is carried out, so as to cause the least disturbance. As a result there has been massive disturbance on the Scrape, and only South Scrape held any birds, the other parts were empty. Reeds had been cut back from the edges, and the islands had been dug up to get rid of any vegetation on them, as most breeding birds on the Scrape need open areas to nest in. Usually if birds are disturbed from the Scrape, they usually fly to the Levels, the area of wet grassland in the south of the reserve, but with water levels still low there, the area was unable to sustain any birds. Island Mere, a place that is usually a good bet for ducks, was also pretty empty, the area of reeds in front of the hide had been cut back.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXu3BYzWb8Y0PjoiPxUrrOBiaaUhzMfUgcrb5sdHLVC-VXz8j-Ek-6z0Dn_nsVvx5_j0xYb_t6wM_36rAqsP8pw0b38iVTb8fKo7n3ipra1bPKEf3IJWEJaBO70MGItVMvUTlA3-iciXUCGnFIpMync_WmlEcp9b7JitPeJCOEXbs2pviZ_lpg9GwXg/s5184/IMG_3388.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXu3BYzWb8Y0PjoiPxUrrOBiaaUhzMfUgcrb5sdHLVC-VXz8j-Ek-6z0Dn_nsVvx5_j0xYb_t6wM_36rAqsP8pw0b38iVTb8fKo7n3ipra1bPKEf3IJWEJaBO70MGItVMvUTlA3-iciXUCGnFIpMync_WmlEcp9b7JitPeJCOEXbs2pviZ_lpg9GwXg/w505-h379/IMG_3388.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TEAL and LAPWING on South Scrape</div><p></p><p>There were still a few DUCKS and GEESE about though. Most interesting was a PINK FOOTED GOOSE, among a flock of GREYLAGS around the pool on the Levels. The Pink-Foot was a lot smaller than the greylags, and had a darker plumage, and also the bird had a dark bill, with a slight bit of pink on it. Although a common winter bird in Norfolk, its fairly unusual this far south in Suffolk, and this is only my second record for Minsmere. The usual TEAL, WIGEON, SHOVELLER and GADWALL were present on South Scrape, along with a female PINTAIL, a fairly scarce bird at Minsmere. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-2HPvkfveGiCgj0DZDI9e7TvcgYLTsn6Fi67gwU4u8n2uZxayD-ksgrt4QxORLF8gOO6OjWCp7EnSi39-BTJtyFW1PesUgKXr0_j7bLrm-UeyHJBasTOGL8MYs2-czgnCYM7AestncYWNsDt5XlrMIQEShTYAp_vf9Q5Fw_RjhdI9ea1FakqgR0vtA/s5184/IMG_3323.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-2HPvkfveGiCgj0DZDI9e7TvcgYLTsn6Fi67gwU4u8n2uZxayD-ksgrt4QxORLF8gOO6OjWCp7EnSi39-BTJtyFW1PesUgKXr0_j7bLrm-UeyHJBasTOGL8MYs2-czgnCYM7AestncYWNsDt5XlrMIQEShTYAp_vf9Q5Fw_RjhdI9ea1FakqgR0vtA/w505-h379/IMG_3323.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sizewell Nuclear Power Stations loom over the reserve</div><p></p><p>In the winter months WADERS are usually absent from Minsmere, and not much was about today. Two AVOCETS, and a TURNSTONE hanging out with the flock of fifty or so LAPWING on South Scrape. A YELLOW LEGGED GULL was a nice find on South Scrape, a bird almost identical to a herring gull, the obvious difference between these two birds are the leg colour, but it also had a cleaner head than the nearby herring's it hung out with. This bird is the form of herring gull found around the Mediterranean, and is a pretty common bird down there, occasionally wandering up to England. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2ofLELTEQkcgKbhMB510xwPZ2IP52wkcIsozINie8mghTSwPs7b4brueWRwqeYt_ZtpvRY8EHT0_xEKdekm0GCk4SHEkyQLxjnyp5eKwLMVs8KkkdcIKr0XfyEU1T8AIYaqAzmC2uR7q3cbOKQ2k7qVVtz0YyBfvy49mM66Uk5IHcMRnfX9_a32ybw/s5184/IMG_3333.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2ofLELTEQkcgKbhMB510xwPZ2IP52wkcIsozINie8mghTSwPs7b4brueWRwqeYt_ZtpvRY8EHT0_xEKdekm0GCk4SHEkyQLxjnyp5eKwLMVs8KkkdcIKr0XfyEU1T8AIYaqAzmC2uR7q3cbOKQ2k7qVVtz0YyBfvy49mM66Uk5IHcMRnfX9_a32ybw/w503-h377/IMG_3333.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">South Scrape</div><p></p><p>One of my favourite birds is the BULLFINCH, a very charismatic bird, beautifully plumaged, with a black cap, a rich rose chest, a grey back, and a big old bill, as well as its distinctive white rump when seen in flight. Its melancholy call is very distinctive and is a good way to look for them in the bushes they hang out in. Today two males were present, one in the North Bushes, and one in the Sluice Bushes in the Dunes, the typical bushy habitat of this bird. I often see them at this time of year, and the birds are probably migrants in from the continent. Minsmere is a very good place to see STONECHATS, and five were present today, one along the North Wall, and four on the Dunes, they are very showy birds, always perched on a bush, ready to be appreciated. An unusual visitor to Minsmere was a KINGFISHER which was briefly seen flying across the back of Island Mere, alighting on a reed before disappearing behind. At the visitor centre, the bird feeders are a good place to appreciate the huge numbers of the smaller birds that call Minsmere home. In among the large number of commoner birds there were plenty of COAL TITS, with singles of NUTHATCH and MARSH TIT. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRjS6t08lPmBVRMpzPxiwricT6sgRorqnIJt8aYv-dOwhUaRKDgYAvXZXs1VLAF5mKIROSMdxln262FYHUMvLVKMXDw1vbIeAO1c9JQX0dg3e3_6zFfj_KlQSXnwns8OiiwRCTRTtXpDwRVdfE72GwSBX_k_KCVj2ond1KyOLVjzdtrTnbAswGxoXLQ/s5184/IMG_3409.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRjS6t08lPmBVRMpzPxiwricT6sgRorqnIJt8aYv-dOwhUaRKDgYAvXZXs1VLAF5mKIROSMdxln262FYHUMvLVKMXDw1vbIeAO1c9JQX0dg3e3_6zFfj_KlQSXnwns8OiiwRCTRTtXpDwRVdfE72GwSBX_k_KCVj2ond1KyOLVjzdtrTnbAswGxoXLQ/w503-h377/IMG_3409.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The sea of reeds at Minsmere</div><p></p><p>A quiet showing at Minsmere made by disturbance caused by maintenance work on the Scrape. As a result birding was brief as a look in North, East and West Hides produced no birds, as the areas in front of them were empty. These things are bloody annoying, but in the end are necessary for the thousands of birds that make Minsmere home in the summer months, which create the spectacle us birdwatchers come for. A place as good as Minsmere needs an intensive upkeep to keep it so good, as intensively managed as any farm.</p><p></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-27841922581218317342022-11-12T11:05:00.002-08:002022-11-12T11:05:18.586-08:00Hen Reedbeds - 25/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhj6iCmzdOEdyeyGyL0lNUU7EKpffsJAuBXP-uMPv-XG0F4XvAeZiQa37G3XnYbqrQiwG5fwq-eqUaftDr2_8W7V4Q4a660ZsjV0EBQi9_dDMtQBC3UWKlCE61i_SbEasiS3bONiF7Xaq4-yqjt9WsWvGgc6S_PYHiUtfFeDW7iWyR86KjSjkmZLC7g/s3456/IMG_3303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhj6iCmzdOEdyeyGyL0lNUU7EKpffsJAuBXP-uMPv-XG0F4XvAeZiQa37G3XnYbqrQiwG5fwq-eqUaftDr2_8W7V4Q4a660ZsjV0EBQi9_dDMtQBC3UWKlCE61i_SbEasiS3bONiF7Xaq4-yqjt9WsWvGgc6S_PYHiUtfFeDW7iWyR86KjSjkmZLC7g/w502-h377/IMG_3303.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">LITTLE EGRET</div><p></p><p>Its been a quiet Autumn so far in Suffolk, with few rarities reported and very low numbers of the more common species. With nothing particularly around I chose to have a visit to Hen Reedbeds, just for the simple fact I haven't been there for a while. In the end it was a quiet day down there, the reed fronds gently swaying in the breeze. The reserve was created around the millennium when a river valley was allowed to grow into a reedbed, and borders the Blythe Estuary, providing some nice scenery and skies that go on forever.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6moDOntFGetuSxXUmxUoEGzK-y61nu4wjy1FJHoheXy-lUrfz3PSDmqmhuVD4iA_jtDS0zkgwYVpMatOq48vTkNpz410Glk_t_HbsLGyjgBu3X368AALYORHGffFA2p-zDJaMIcRcNqMs6Q1vaEjbTPtJ3paA8z9UGKYlX7thCdV5BN9TNjlxOcTmxw/s5184/IMG_3318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6moDOntFGetuSxXUmxUoEGzK-y61nu4wjy1FJHoheXy-lUrfz3PSDmqmhuVD4iA_jtDS0zkgwYVpMatOq48vTkNpz410Glk_t_HbsLGyjgBu3X368AALYORHGffFA2p-zDJaMIcRcNqMs6Q1vaEjbTPtJ3paA8z9UGKYlX7thCdV5BN9TNjlxOcTmxw/w503-h377/IMG_3318.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hide overlooking the reeds</div><p></p><p>For some reason it was an exceptional high tide, and it was in, meaning there were few birds out on the Blythe Estuary. For some reason few birds were roosting on the marshes or surrounding fields, so I have no idea where they all were. There were a few TEAL and WIGEON on the pools but that was about it. A GREAT WHITE EGRET flew over, heading west, a bird that has pretty much conquered all the Suffolk Coast. Just the one MARSH HARRIER was about, and plenty of WATER RAIL were squealing from the reeds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_msK9nlB0BeXPjniqJqmKYJCQHc8ctOEiMex1InRJ0SVB1Aq4qx643riIoKu8q3LkYI1OsrJYgIeZgJvoC694y3LYrCzngPyBP42vMfanSLoLaRbSXdo5zxnBndy7i6TbF3HWgkpppu4U-6BKpE365p5Vo-W2yOqnSZNvGHJ02N6XnglQOK-DSQCsgg/s5184/IMG_3296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_msK9nlB0BeXPjniqJqmKYJCQHc8ctOEiMex1InRJ0SVB1Aq4qx643riIoKu8q3LkYI1OsrJYgIeZgJvoC694y3LYrCzngPyBP42vMfanSLoLaRbSXdo5zxnBndy7i6TbF3HWgkpppu4U-6BKpE365p5Vo-W2yOqnSZNvGHJ02N6XnglQOK-DSQCsgg/w504-h378/IMG_3296.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A pool among the reeds</div><p></p><p>A feature of this time of year is the large amount of BEARDED TITS usually heard but occasionally seen on the reserve. In a big reedbed like the one here, they nest in large numbers, and when October comes, these bird "erupt" from their home territory, the tits literally rising from the reedbeds, to go find wintering grounds elsewhere. The Beardies were everywhere twittering out there metallic "pinging" call, with the odd bird arising from the reeds, to be briefly seen. There were two STONECHAT about, as you would expect, and the mild weather brought some CETTI'S WARBLERS out to thunder out their song. Some REDWINGS were by the furthest hide, a bird I haven't seen much of so far this Autumn, but in general things were quiet.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwPnwkUzhxNEebvU7Kvl5LBvt9_MdDSzBjcGCb5lnb0kpdfJ3-NMgWkVBZrJsTnC1nIL6nD8-cUaa06hpbYGDnCTz-M5cxpQ7EFmcH6aQcZcYfyIwet-4FCLsXdsmkjl0hK-IJQwAd4JFlMWWUeqY168P3eS-lQQ8c25YBSvG3sQyAQ2khXxgBg4MAw/s5184/IMG_3297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwPnwkUzhxNEebvU7Kvl5LBvt9_MdDSzBjcGCb5lnb0kpdfJ3-NMgWkVBZrJsTnC1nIL6nD8-cUaa06hpbYGDnCTz-M5cxpQ7EFmcH6aQcZcYfyIwet-4FCLsXdsmkjl0hK-IJQwAd4JFlMWWUeqY168P3eS-lQQ8c25YBSvG3sQyAQ2khXxgBg4MAw/w504-h378/IMG_3297.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the horses grazing the reeds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>I don't usually check the rare bird alerts on the internet, but some birdwatchers I met at Hen Reedbeds told me there was a DUSKY WARBLER over at Southwold, just up the road. This bird is your typical Little Brown Job, but I hadn't seen one so I went to have a look. The bird was last seen on the north of the town, in a hedge next to the Boating Lake. When I arrived, there was just one birdwatcher about, and he hadn't seen the bird despite having waited around for two hours. It had last been seen in a hedge in a garden, and there were two DUNNOCKS around to add confusion. I hung around for a while, but the bird could have been anywhere, and I got bored of just staring into a hedge, so left.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-RYP-eq_E0MJUz-AFQzPCfKUZ9-wn689pO4VAnjyr2iTefYTRPNKGVx_HtVy9SWXzoasDiy4LL96AG_yHtIJM5hCCemLIqDcESflGJXruzQmqQEBVYTOB4fwN2zKoY8O6T_QFb2olafxgdOo3KC8ddHebRfU_NhafuifSp77OHg-zgnmh58I6GzSfw/s5184/IMG_3319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-RYP-eq_E0MJUz-AFQzPCfKUZ9-wn689pO4VAnjyr2iTefYTRPNKGVx_HtVy9SWXzoasDiy4LL96AG_yHtIJM5hCCemLIqDcESflGJXruzQmqQEBVYTOB4fwN2zKoY8O6T_QFb2olafxgdOo3KC8ddHebRfU_NhafuifSp77OHg-zgnmh58I6GzSfw/w504-h378/IMG_3319.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jetty on the Blythe Estuary</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Still with a hang over from the Isles of Scilly, this was a nice, gentle excursion into the wilds of Suffolk, to clear my head of all that pollution that civilisation pours out. It didn't help that it was an immensely high tide which didn't seem to drop no matter how long I was there, which resulted in few birds being around. It was just one of those days where nothing much was to be seen, one just to sleep through, and dream of rare birds to see some other day.<br /></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-89498742354414045802022-11-08T09:54:00.001-08:002022-11-08T09:55:05.618-08:00The Last Day on the Scillies & The Road Back - 15&16/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZEvtytR2V76P9GBulHuXPLHnQVHXBBgrR-7WRvSKLppA4k05GvpnnBH8nacn8hn2VgvblMWQCsAF_GJYmh6whMySbuSn2qQbKu-YlGryd1odI8CK4fOJKb6HsgsY6z2A139UPKve8Q9P-oydidzUr6YtqVqBALQY4ZsSRhPIKbl1e_mEQPOyuZy6zg/s5184/IMG_3115.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZEvtytR2V76P9GBulHuXPLHnQVHXBBgrR-7WRvSKLppA4k05GvpnnBH8nacn8hn2VgvblMWQCsAF_GJYmh6whMySbuSn2qQbKu-YlGryd1odI8CK4fOJKb6HsgsY6z2A139UPKve8Q9P-oydidzUr6YtqVqBALQY4ZsSRhPIKbl1e_mEQPOyuZy6zg/w503-h377/IMG_3115.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the twitch for the WILSON'S SNIPE, packed like sardines into a little hide</div><p></p><p>And so the last day on the Scillie arrived, and in the end the week seemed to go so fast. My time on the Islands ended in a blink of an eye, and soon all those places I had just discovered were now going to be behind me. It had been a busy couple of days, so much packed in and so many birds seen. Its strange sitting at my computer, in Ipswich, looking back to something that happened three weeks ago, it kind of makes me feel fairly nostalgic, wishing I was back there on the Islands.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2JEZgWccG4s5B7Q8JS-Ie0752kwH-hK5w3Ys0-ka1K6vtxLMi1oIxmzHb-r1V2qOHrqzhQHw8gRY0hk0cF3hbFsLS-5uhZar6oNAyixoaUzvJY2zxPfS-Wj0FLZteXEpuY4GaYCcYAdmmYABRQPr-DB_40JczgWxJtJzdDZYTqnAw1-ZDAcWPyc5DQ/s5184/IMG_3119.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2JEZgWccG4s5B7Q8JS-Ie0752kwH-hK5w3Ys0-ka1K6vtxLMi1oIxmzHb-r1V2qOHrqzhQHw8gRY0hk0cF3hbFsLS-5uhZar6oNAyixoaUzvJY2zxPfS-Wj0FLZteXEpuY4GaYCcYAdmmYABRQPr-DB_40JczgWxJtJzdDZYTqnAw1-ZDAcWPyc5DQ/w504-h378/IMG_3119.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Porth Hellic Pool</div><p></p><p>The Scillionian didn't leave until 16:15, which gave us plenty of time to have a look round the the main island, St Mary's. Happily after the blank drawn yesterday, a rarity had been called in today, and this was a mega, an extreme rarity: a WILSON'S SNIPE. Being the Scillies, this bird was from America, and its basically their form of our common snipe. Its pretty much the same bird, almost identical, except for some really anal plumage differences, like the number of feathers in its tail, and the colour of its primaries.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQc4rZzHyuAY3Bz9yYxiBYwiVxC8xPj62knUmkhqOl3CG2KlAT46vELo4kOt8I5EGvDnQsEV3UnBOuB53DII3wbP2YrBm5RPm5vclHLaNzP494wnPtIj_wHNS2s9KWCeFgi9or5ZGh6HNNY_VdEEXC93FRgZWa2WZ3qEFQkEIZ7Lqw81XNAn3vjeklFg/s5184/IMG_3114.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQc4rZzHyuAY3Bz9yYxiBYwiVxC8xPj62knUmkhqOl3CG2KlAT46vELo4kOt8I5EGvDnQsEV3UnBOuB53DII3wbP2YrBm5RPm5vclHLaNzP494wnPtIj_wHNS2s9KWCeFgi9or5ZGh6HNNY_VdEEXC93FRgZWa2WZ3qEFQkEIZ7Lqw81XNAn3vjeklFg/w506-h380/IMG_3114.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Where the WILSON'S SNIPE was seen</div><p></p><p>The bird was found at Porth Hellic pool, a lake by High Moors, among a flock of COMMON SNIPE, in some muddy areas on the margins of the water. The area was looked over by small rickety hide. Opening the door to the hide, I pushed into someone's back, and then was able to find a standing position. Around ten people were packed like sardines into the hide, scanning for the bird, with plenty of others waiting outside. And we would wait for an hour and a half of extreme discomfort for that bird to finally appear. The WILSON'S SNIPE decided to spend its time in a little channel, not to far away, but out of sight. Someone claimed they could see the bird from the beach a mile away, but they must have been telling fibs, or else they had superhuman vision.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEgBfWE9OjO-zQ9RS9N62MaPKh6hmNLXobm-ZhTabTffpe1_vqln01e7zhJS1hI5cfTUvGN9hhMDWDgFtuojMNu21yaeVQgFhgNQKxncb0ZZ-IopLdWjvlpjcYF0109wXcjdyJW6uvMBl9oOjhbMxz9DrRK1CTsYjv7IL9P-dchUCzNZkAaGqbefqzw/s5184/IMG_3129.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEgBfWE9OjO-zQ9RS9N62MaPKh6hmNLXobm-ZhTabTffpe1_vqln01e7zhJS1hI5cfTUvGN9hhMDWDgFtuojMNu21yaeVQgFhgNQKxncb0ZZ-IopLdWjvlpjcYF0109wXcjdyJW6uvMBl9oOjhbMxz9DrRK1CTsYjv7IL9P-dchUCzNZkAaGqbefqzw/w504-h378/IMG_3129.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Carreg Dhu Gardens</div><p></p><p>The bird finally emerged and despite what everyone said, was actually quite distinctive. It had a distinctive tear drop of white below its eye, and its plumaged was more subdued, the browns less vibrant, than the common snipes around it. This is a very rare bird in the UK, with a handful recorded in the country every year, so it was a decent bird to act as a send off from the islands. A KINGFISHER was also seen on the Pool, and there were a few WIGEON, GADWALL, TEAL and COOT on the water.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9IQmb4GtxT6UZojcMkKGDxP2ykoW98Ihh2xzw0nO-CvbTuu8SX_RumPMnMfb23VL-Z90rtNMuI6GygmNfugx8QXYL_V6gtOeN7DBFdgpLY2lzr3PXbjYcHT3bvr5rchaRMRU5P0480oATaKbNS-pCeavAM7sd0ifYzqaODFncJLS5t_SnseImqJYGg/s5184/IMG_3124.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9IQmb4GtxT6UZojcMkKGDxP2ykoW98Ihh2xzw0nO-CvbTuu8SX_RumPMnMfb23VL-Z90rtNMuI6GygmNfugx8QXYL_V6gtOeN7DBFdgpLY2lzr3PXbjYcHT3bvr5rchaRMRU5P0480oATaKbNS-pCeavAM7sd0ifYzqaODFncJLS5t_SnseImqJYGg/w505-h379/IMG_3124.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some FIRECRESTS were flitting about in the evergreens</div><p></p><p>From Porth Hellic Pool it was a short wander through the Holy Vale to Carreg Dhu Community Gardens. In among the exotic foliage several FIRECRESTS were flitting about in the tree tops, occasionally showing themselves. After that it was a short walk back to Hugh Town to get some lunch and to wait for the ferry back to the mainland.</p><p><b>The Scillonian</b></p><p>With some high winds feared, it was possible that the voyage back to the mainland might be cancelled, but it wasn't the case, and the boat sailed. As it was the journey back was pretty hairy. Gently leaving the calm of the islands the boat came out into the main sea. There it lurched from side to side on the waves and the rain came down, soaking us all. Most of us hardier types stayed outside, but there came a point where we had to go in, with all the sane people, as the waves undulated over the sea. Being so choppy, not many birds were seen but a GREAT SHEARWATER was a decent spot, low on the water and over to the horizon. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5HOGfNtB1fAPjTyYKd9Ma90Lnz-1sPuvScUGgCUrZtu_sO4NTq-Z5zY-KWg5rUaveb39tJs3badtkpwFpedyE_OmvFzMMtv1Tbhrym4r0cWdP30pE-k9cj8N7fSZeYpGqOaM6EnJ09esS-9x_nmVnPRgim_1_grPUYPFzAeXtjiekOO4-E6HyxeM7w/s5184/IMG_3136.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5HOGfNtB1fAPjTyYKd9Ma90Lnz-1sPuvScUGgCUrZtu_sO4NTq-Z5zY-KWg5rUaveb39tJs3badtkpwFpedyE_OmvFzMMtv1Tbhrym4r0cWdP30pE-k9cj8N7fSZeYpGqOaM6EnJ09esS-9x_nmVnPRgim_1_grPUYPFzAeXtjiekOO4-E6HyxeM7w/w503-h377/IMG_3136.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hugh Town Harbour</div><p></p><p>The boat docked safely and I stayed at the Dock Inn near the quayside overnight. The next day it was a simple train journey to Paddington, then from Liverpool Street back to Ipswich and safely home, leaving behind a world of adventure to reenter a world of routine.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNbeKEjxfQOwDRP1D1sE8K6I6eDRIOcaUhN_32O0TFDX8F9Se7HG82g0rQNqrv_MMuhUg3at2J1YzpL2y2bmNDXAB-7xCttNAjRXM2UMAVCYgK6IMwdH2ddLJUntvSkY8jpU0G7dn7XnJnmTqU9Ecqtsf8kIBu1ex6TB_CzuUXl4vQHAPo8AlY4wCTQ/s5184/IMG_3140.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNbeKEjxfQOwDRP1D1sE8K6I6eDRIOcaUhN_32O0TFDX8F9Se7HG82g0rQNqrv_MMuhUg3at2J1YzpL2y2bmNDXAB-7xCttNAjRXM2UMAVCYgK6IMwdH2ddLJUntvSkY8jpU0G7dn7XnJnmTqU9Ecqtsf8kIBu1ex6TB_CzuUXl4vQHAPo8AlY4wCTQ/w502-h377/IMG_3140.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The SCILLONIAN III docked in Hugh Town</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>In the end it was a successful adventure down to the Isles of Scilly, to discover a whole world of rare birds. For a birdwatcher new worlds are a thrill, to discover new ground, new birds, new people. What rarity could beat a BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER? Not many. There's nothing more satisfying than an adventure that worked out well, one where the actual outcome beat the planned one. I'll forget most things but there are a few memories that will linger, birds I might possibly never see again. And so its back to planning the next holiday, hopefully just as bird filled as this one.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-37571942955345879222022-11-06T11:14:00.000-08:002022-11-06T11:14:07.935-08:00A Quiet Day on St Mary's - 14/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMLpdhdp8-0Xgp1N5hAiOvaoY3KjolUjUPUKrpiBgvDyiwCEmOn7NcVDTY2H5tIY0D__FN00QB5uoJLn0XSdsES0jQzXEpQ6213NljHIdg_k15egPy68T_cQyhpDk8KEOcb4Vaf1siSaUtdcFoTwbmP7X74C1zSL_hkaTLea5z5FuzzGbZVxgXKaGFw/s3456/IMG_3098.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMLpdhdp8-0Xgp1N5hAiOvaoY3KjolUjUPUKrpiBgvDyiwCEmOn7NcVDTY2H5tIY0D__FN00QB5uoJLn0XSdsES0jQzXEpQ6213NljHIdg_k15egPy68T_cQyhpDk8KEOcb4Vaf1siSaUtdcFoTwbmP7X74C1zSL_hkaTLea5z5FuzzGbZVxgXKaGFw/w504-h378/IMG_3098.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">HERON at Porth Loo Beach<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p>A couple of days back we had a very quiet day on St Mary's resulting in us seeing very little, and so we had another one again today. Following yesterday's blackburnian warbler nothing exciting had been called in this day anywhere on the island chain. This can happen in birdwatching where the highs of a rare bird can be followed by the boredom of nothing, a void formed by all twitchers chasing the blackburnian and nothing else. There was some stuff today, but nothing too exciting compared to the mega of yesterday.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVm14A-Wi8AEf4oJElC0x-RJxtA5rRb2kAID-_qgSAH4giCfNsjGKc9ZAlv-Jqh68aXSDwaHngd1PA9eZPSrkCLYRwceAFxzwEURDOTtJ-kA8BQKNRCwFaycsYzyiKjFURK5iGki2YbzR9gjCNpFmZVggyqL1jMEWYEyVpmvwce8F7FF5LWO_jN8Baw/s5184/IMG_3075.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEVm14A-Wi8AEf4oJElC0x-RJxtA5rRb2kAID-_qgSAH4giCfNsjGKc9ZAlv-Jqh68aXSDwaHngd1PA9eZPSrkCLYRwceAFxzwEURDOTtJ-kA8BQKNRCwFaycsYzyiKjFURK5iGki2YbzR9gjCNpFmZVggyqL1jMEWYEyVpmvwce8F7FF5LWO_jN8Baw/w503-h377/IMG_3075.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>There were two twitches of sorts, minor ones really for some scarce but not really rare birds. A BARRED WARBLER was at Lower Moors and a MELODIOUS WARBLER at Higher Moors were about, but we ended up seeing neither of them. The barred warbler entailed us poking round a bushy field, while the melodious had us trained on a patch of woodland on the edge of the marshes. A very yellow WILLOW WARBLER, like the melodious, was present but the meldoious is a fair bit bulkier, with a flattish head.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxk-Ori2CpMnkPWJdi_xT_6NxiGQ8LyQCo1LeA1YFHGp23Q4S6rqgK__ERbPV2GI8uQiOf3qBW8-HKtj2BKL8sWlyR9CrVvkl3wBQ-AuldyLA7IjqAYQhJot7bpINBxHAE4x1cWUOx1_JKz10usKXbg7Kk65i0qwQIcz4FfF5m5_YYr3Sv0ZUIf34GA/s5184/IMG_2902.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaxk-Ori2CpMnkPWJdi_xT_6NxiGQ8LyQCo1LeA1YFHGp23Q4S6rqgK__ERbPV2GI8uQiOf3qBW8-HKtj2BKL8sWlyR9CrVvkl3wBQ-AuldyLA7IjqAYQhJot7bpINBxHAE4x1cWUOx1_JKz10usKXbg7Kk65i0qwQIcz4FfF5m5_YYr3Sv0ZUIf34GA/w504-h378/IMG_2902.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The wet woodland at Higher Moors. With the air being so clear lush growths of lichen hung from the trees</div><p></p><p>At High Moors there was a very obliging WATER RAIL, maybe around ten metres away in a patch of alders, while in the same area there was a YELLOW BROWED WARBLER in the tree tops. Near Toll's Island a pair of GREAT NORTHERN DIVERS were present, one in almost pristine summer plumage. The summer plumage of a great northern diver is sublime, a black head and neck with speckled black and white on its back, its pretty indeed. We went back to look for the olive backed pipit, as we did a couple of days ago, but again pulled a blank. It was just one of those days, nothing really happening.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcUzysMwOh1vTalJvOHfVWxiEpB8jTQhKRLmcg5y0986HaDwuIjmDBLtwZKCJiL59yS0lIDu7MaxhFqq55KqGP9mU-m-KyX1Hx34tcEHzmVnk8oeimxPQjI1028Gn0-OSzZnJs7FfVpw6y2b7Rfm662o18QCRtzVdDwx57ptFS8TgfbCBQXmNrfPhKQ/s3295/IMG_2927.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2481" data-original-width="3295" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcUzysMwOh1vTalJvOHfVWxiEpB8jTQhKRLmcg5y0986HaDwuIjmDBLtwZKCJiL59yS0lIDu7MaxhFqq55KqGP9mU-m-KyX1Hx34tcEHzmVnk8oeimxPQjI1028Gn0-OSzZnJs7FfVpw6y2b7Rfm662o18QCRtzVdDwx57ptFS8TgfbCBQXmNrfPhKQ/w502-h378/IMG_2927.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">LINNET having a well deserved bath</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The log at the Scillonian</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div>On the first saturday of the trip, the 8/10, they held the first log of the Scillies for several years. This was held at the Scillonian, a sort of working men's club, where a log was done of all the birds seen on the islands. So it was that every day a roll call was done of all the birds seen, species by species, called out loud and debated. Being in a bar it was a very boozy affair, and was pretty raucous. On a couple of occasions we were able to add our own records to the log, which is pretty satisfying, being outsiders. We went most nights and it as a good way of finding out what was around on the islands as well as meeting fellow birdwatchers.<div><br /></div>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-78092686062245745142022-11-06T10:59:00.000-08:002022-11-06T10:59:34.519-08:00BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER - 13/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWZp3-fnYmBvgaKt6p93rjWVnIAS589RARJX0puVIKjqIujxSfjhS8CNLDDH1TiD72fPW7Uq1hMItKHCspRFoKdlAfEPxUDtckxb1R8k8Y5quXnlebeiDYv-o1DyOTHgb0FEZZFp6MWcLN0q_8haXKpjjK9SnuIcZKvGXmXUyhFSR6yfyYdCv56UBrg/s1022/IMG_4303.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1022" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWZp3-fnYmBvgaKt6p93rjWVnIAS589RARJX0puVIKjqIujxSfjhS8CNLDDH1TiD72fPW7Uq1hMItKHCspRFoKdlAfEPxUDtckxb1R8k8Y5quXnlebeiDYv-o1DyOTHgb0FEZZFp6MWcLN0q_8haXKpjjK9SnuIcZKvGXmXUyhFSR6yfyYdCv56UBrg/w503-h313/IMG_4303.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, unusually for a rare bird, it was very pretty - photo by Andy Crawford</div><p></p><p>This is what birdwatching is all about, that search, and eventual sighting of that rare and elusive bird, the one that is so unobtainable that when that it does turn up everyone flocks from the entire corners of the country to see. So it was with the BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER on the Scillies, an extremely rare bird to the UK, a massive mega, and to boot one that was beautifully plumaged as well. I don't know how many twitches I have been to where the only glimpses of the bird I get are of that little brown job, which looks just like another similar looking brown job.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-VlOUG27bYrnt5YekBn8RtEshW3L5Hq4Ao3Z0_-VW5YrAVTxcVi4eQgWq-6_F1pA-ma_igAjlLdubcdbkkqO3WB0LCG2LfLQi2EBv2v4-S-5viu85hnVh1pabcyR4RAYaOj0dIzLpeZy4iQucZ4SykVimCshwvgb2TO6a1BsG-2fdKGdKuWiKawUpA/s5184/IMG_2701.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-VlOUG27bYrnt5YekBn8RtEshW3L5Hq4Ao3Z0_-VW5YrAVTxcVi4eQgWq-6_F1pA-ma_igAjlLdubcdbkkqO3WB0LCG2LfLQi2EBv2v4-S-5viu85hnVh1pabcyR4RAYaOj0dIzLpeZy4iQucZ4SykVimCshwvgb2TO6a1BsG-2fdKGdKuWiKawUpA/w502-h377/IMG_2701.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TURNSTONES on the jetty steps at Hugh Town</div><p></p><p>The day started off innocuously with a visit to the island of St Agnes. "Aggie" is a pretty little island, flat and sparsely populated. It was a land of rough grassland, scattered bushes, with some tended fields, and with little coves and beaches on the shoreline. On the boulders, there were plenty of ROCK PIPITS, and a sizable flock of RINGED PLOVERS was also seen. Some WILLOW WARBLERS were in the bushes, and a GREY WAGTAIL was found on the coast line. A lonely DUNLIN was the only one in the whole island chain. St Agnes is famous for its amazing ice cream from the dairy there, and no visit to the island would be complete without tasting a cone.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1030oskcGD8eG-nbvQ8NmXHNyEBDBVbQsH97S883QbJeKRHIcdNCCdGSVCvr_AmVk8p2xgcgKa2N2u6eUzYzU9YJa1ROEcLGvzJ_aDTGL02o4WYEMZ0VoiTSTNsf_r568Vx_JwYKYJlTkMwKumsDCotCnUSA1nV57YQY3Fp30EdT6MTMqiivK3v_NA/s5184/IMG_2705.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1030oskcGD8eG-nbvQ8NmXHNyEBDBVbQsH97S883QbJeKRHIcdNCCdGSVCvr_AmVk8p2xgcgKa2N2u6eUzYzU9YJa1ROEcLGvzJ_aDTGL02o4WYEMZ0VoiTSTNsf_r568Vx_JwYKYJlTkMwKumsDCotCnUSA1nV57YQY3Fp30EdT6MTMqiivK3v_NA/w502-h377/IMG_2705.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Near the dock at St Agnes</div><p></p><p>As we were on the island the news came in of the sighting of a BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER on the island of Bryher, and of course we had to go see it. That meant leaving St Agnes for Hugh Town on St Mary's, and getting a boat to Bryher where it was found. Bryher is next to Tresco so wasn't too far away. On the way to the docks out of St Agnes we paid a brief visit to a twitch of a raddes warbler but didn't see it so moved on to get the boat back to St Mary's.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9MFwhXIB2cg8X30fllbVp-hRLZtLBf8Jz4i3nVyB1DD_6ktcMNhIQEAiMB2yaydpgW3r5XwlLoiZmdhtyW3-aa9_lFVcrPPft4-NQTpvM3psH3d8WuB02YzpZt_bRlzQvWjgXsqvqN2LqukVXtKHe5FIGPJH748Hcg6vXQIajGoU0nsOaYIK7rr_Rw/s5184/IMG_2743.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9MFwhXIB2cg8X30fllbVp-hRLZtLBf8Jz4i3nVyB1DD_6ktcMNhIQEAiMB2yaydpgW3r5XwlLoiZmdhtyW3-aa9_lFVcrPPft4-NQTpvM3psH3d8WuB02YzpZt_bRlzQvWjgXsqvqN2LqukVXtKHe5FIGPJH748Hcg6vXQIajGoU0nsOaYIK7rr_Rw/w505-h379/IMG_2743.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The coastline of St Agnes</div><p></p><p>So it was we got off the St Agnes boat and onto the Bryher one, specially commissioned for the twitch. Of course it was busy, as every birder from the entire island chain had boarded it, and it was jammed full. Bryher wasn't far away, and then it was a quick dash to the bird. Never having been to Bryher before, it was a case of follow the leader, just walking after the person in front, who was probably following the person in front of him. The bird was located on the back side of the island to where we landed, so it was a fair slog to finally get there. Bryher is a lot less civilised than the other islands and is mainly large areas of rough grassland.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QNQcqFxKLeKCIelOnrpdIB2hheAghwOpXA2apPBp68hPu7bV0kdOtJqUKNbRPilB9t2XQaVtjbip9gurI10X5FhzYBLR0Q-Xi7ZW1l1ftA8jeAL7StsSfi0_RxBOOCh6nXYkQ0oP9xVPqStqNiKLBjvWjNXN6Gr3s6uFUxWHiG5ECVCta6rYd0c5lA/s5184/IMG_2895.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QNQcqFxKLeKCIelOnrpdIB2hheAghwOpXA2apPBp68hPu7bV0kdOtJqUKNbRPilB9t2XQaVtjbip9gurI10X5FhzYBLR0Q-Xi7ZW1l1ftA8jeAL7StsSfi0_RxBOOCh6nXYkQ0oP9xVPqStqNiKLBjvWjNXN6Gr3s6uFUxWHiG5ECVCta6rYd0c5lA/w504-h378/IMG_2895.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Every birder on the Isles of Scilly had turned up for the twitch</div><p></p><p>And so we got to the twitch, and there was a large group of people standing in a small grassy field surrounded by tall hedges. The general consensus was that the bird had been seen but not for a while. Then a murmur broke out and people moved, and bins and cameras were raised. Looking up to a part of the hedge, there was movement, and, yes, a brief glimpse of the bird.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PEoU7IcJuifLgxN6Ifi308HEGiLunXxGMne4nnNMkbPchXI7vq7narVJe7Sf9-d5rwiTlMCL_zrzHIRG6r1t9dUpwtpiCB7dY7i-tW1qsGhBCcIf22T3MbOebmSBtJ0ZBpRO8vCxwuGn3Ykr7vpzlyuf1qF2yc-o_ZkSdtywHFdUqPvOEOtSBjY9mg/s5184/IMG_2889.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PEoU7IcJuifLgxN6Ifi308HEGiLunXxGMne4nnNMkbPchXI7vq7narVJe7Sf9-d5rwiTlMCL_zrzHIRG6r1t9dUpwtpiCB7dY7i-tW1qsGhBCcIf22T3MbOebmSBtJ0ZBpRO8vCxwuGn3Ykr7vpzlyuf1qF2yc-o_ZkSdtywHFdUqPvOEOtSBjY9mg/w504-h378/IMG_2889.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The bird was seen in a tall hedge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER is a very pretty bird, yellow front with a grey back and beige underparts, with some heavy grey streaking. Coming from America its a very rare bird here, this being the fifth record, and the first for England, its only ever been seen on islands. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaTzkGOvQkQcilLDXXD4KxYTvaj1iUEgDrZ3S9LKOXkTRsbueUeQ0ozMj1AolZoCFV8Kj-amAjJvL-8h-5PlyFQpPp6mzsSqZLg5xgZNPAvGMqw80AGw1kTS6Cy_SzsrGU7a8a2cur72imFN0SUeFQrnx51qFWxOxwWQfmoRYTEktxD-qnwDhWEJjkg/s5184/IMG_2801.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaTzkGOvQkQcilLDXXD4KxYTvaj1iUEgDrZ3S9LKOXkTRsbueUeQ0ozMj1AolZoCFV8Kj-amAjJvL-8h-5PlyFQpPp6mzsSqZLg5xgZNPAvGMqw80AGw1kTS6Cy_SzsrGU7a8a2cur72imFN0SUeFQrnx51qFWxOxwWQfmoRYTEktxD-qnwDhWEJjkg/w505-h379/IMG_2801.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ROCK PIPIT</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkUUfzACfd0hLKIi-_1la-pWk1PW9SnV0rzk1siFK0RdiWRlxM8Jd1aVV-ZqDIcx8iLyPblKRImGFnX3hKFr92bgmkj1VcIDvzdpzoJcz54vLWL_NBEGZg7cHjgjoQ5pZ9ZgfLzRMQDWaZRU_6Q8vCKk0KxrR8PjNMU4knHtYaIP6vt7sCCZp5P8-ww/s3153/IMG_2725.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2327" data-original-width="3153" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkUUfzACfd0hLKIi-_1la-pWk1PW9SnV0rzk1siFK0RdiWRlxM8Jd1aVV-ZqDIcx8iLyPblKRImGFnX3hKFr92bgmkj1VcIDvzdpzoJcz54vLWL_NBEGZg7cHjgjoQ5pZ9ZgfLzRMQDWaZRU_6Q8vCKk0KxrR8PjNMU4knHtYaIP6vt7sCCZp5P8-ww/w505-h372/IMG_2725.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SONG THRUSH</div><p></p><p>The next sighting, the bird flew into the air like a flycatcher, to grab a passing insect but missed it. I moved to the other side of the hedge, to a different field and there got better views. I saw the bird many times, and although the bird wasn't too showy, I had plenty of views. The bird mainly stayed in the tops of the trees, constantly moving around. In the back field where I was twenty people were present, in the field where I was first, three hundred. That's all the birders on the Scillies. It would be a while before people were able to arrive from the mainland.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14TFlxyfLj7GI7dJqWZW8xBjMY50ulIhLr-BPZBvldpMd0gO_KprMTGqYLy6Y9vhog38a0zdiCpAW2xwn_upfSBuxxMifvryKiw4bE62J2TfGTK-6Bnt88bXPOqNOHZfycNiZ_C1xveX68GJdhVZ50stuB84IUcWeQXBhlIr9kSfyeujomM0INzTRtA/s5184/IMG_2896.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14TFlxyfLj7GI7dJqWZW8xBjMY50ulIhLr-BPZBvldpMd0gO_KprMTGqYLy6Y9vhog38a0zdiCpAW2xwn_upfSBuxxMifvryKiw4bE62J2TfGTK-6Bnt88bXPOqNOHZfycNiZ_C1xveX68GJdhVZ50stuB84IUcWeQXBhlIr9kSfyeujomM0INzTRtA/w503-h377/IMG_2896.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>So for once in my life I attended a twitch where I was able to get good views of a small bird. This is the reason why I decided to come to the Scillies, for that rare enticing bird, that extreme mega. This is the sort of bird that most birdwatchers dream about, a once in a life time occurrence, the stuff stories are made of. Who knows when the bird will turn up in our country again, but I now have it ticked off on my life list and I'm very happy.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-45880633031430718722022-11-03T11:57:00.001-07:002022-11-03T11:57:38.286-07:00TWO BARRED WARBLER? - Nah, just a YELLOW BROWED - 12/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qoYyExyEza1OnOL-nKhOuws0_YtFEBuNjsnT2Ul-HEJlsFzORNoaX9bjvMy5ISzvpfvC1OY1AKnEMoOEH2PDmMuC4jBLuChWojyTU0-dn4tJ3Zkv16GXpWupGnGMIAj8LMTLTbUVLUCPlq9ZIyz0lfTHn676ctOCZphFpVbv86CJZk5O33GO1usqyA/s5184/IMG_2678.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qoYyExyEza1OnOL-nKhOuws0_YtFEBuNjsnT2Ul-HEJlsFzORNoaX9bjvMy5ISzvpfvC1OY1AKnEMoOEH2PDmMuC4jBLuChWojyTU0-dn4tJ3Zkv16GXpWupGnGMIAj8LMTLTbUVLUCPlq9ZIyz0lfTHn676ctOCZphFpVbv86CJZk5O33GO1usqyA/w503-h377/IMG_2678.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The enchanting sycamore tree I stared into for two hours</div><p></p><p>I don't know how many hours I have spent staring into trees, looking for that elusive bird, which doesn't show itself for hours at a time. All the excitement of a twitch can die off and you boredly gaze up at some branches and leaves in the hope of finally seeing that bird. As it was today, with a twitch for a TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER, I looked up into a sycamore tree for at least two hours with a hundred other people.</p><p>With all the excitement of the last couple of days, things quietened down on the islands. No new rarities had been called in, and it seemed to be the sort of day where you just wander around in the hope of finding something of your own. The decision was to spend the day on St Mary's, the main island, and to have a look for any birds that might have flown in. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74mjr2LoKkOY9nkVDXk3m1s_sE0krskYNu2aH7X5SsPUtoxCn_k3Kh9YjiYTkT1AovR6Ol1vSUN5kAqwhDx7vNWHDAnwpSk8NCBu3K_U0PQjJ9W0Kz8GToC4CImQ9XsTLsS-D5wk1nZuGhchOJPrl_hevnRTpPGSxZYQh4pJWTSYWMYKMyXQ4S8_tTA/s5184/IMG_2676.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74mjr2LoKkOY9nkVDXk3m1s_sE0krskYNu2aH7X5SsPUtoxCn_k3Kh9YjiYTkT1AovR6Ol1vSUN5kAqwhDx7vNWHDAnwpSk8NCBu3K_U0PQjJ9W0Kz8GToC4CImQ9XsTLsS-D5wk1nZuGhchOJPrl_hevnRTpPGSxZYQh4pJWTSYWMYKMyXQ4S8_tTA/w502-h377/IMG_2676.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><p></p><p>Maybe a mile or two down the road from where we were staying in Hugh Town was Carreg Dhu gardens a community area planted with exotic plants. After a good search we located a FIRECREST, in one of the conifers. And then news got out that a TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER had been discovered on Tresco, an island we had previously visited. Being an extremely rare bird it was decided to go for it, and head off to the other island.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5d_6FE6PDh5tA6NYL8xE2Lijn2HUgJKCRH0dhaLIXeEsXCCGKsXiom3E7wxlR0pAykz8fuyobyaupoxZj40YdjeyHtZa6XGmfs4Cs4IKDoj4epy7nwinBsmAUNzbN-Zcej3EpYQ8OK4yWBbrIq7hej6U6EZTn0P3jAsyOsMKwaAHkWjD5p6HCsY5Vw/s5184/IMG_2684.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5d_6FE6PDh5tA6NYL8xE2Lijn2HUgJKCRH0dhaLIXeEsXCCGKsXiom3E7wxlR0pAykz8fuyobyaupoxZj40YdjeyHtZa6XGmfs4Cs4IKDoj4epy7nwinBsmAUNzbN-Zcej3EpYQ8OK4yWBbrIq7hej6U6EZTn0P3jAsyOsMKwaAHkWjD5p6HCsY5Vw/w503-h377/IMG_2684.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hide overlooking Great Pool</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Cue a mad dash from Carreg Dhu to the docks of Hugh Town, with shouts of 'ten minutes to departure!' as we desperately rushed to catch the ferry boat. We bought tickets on the docks, and managed to get to the boat in plenty of time, a boat jam packed with other twitchers, heading for the rare bird. The boat took little time to get to Tresco, and once there it was a case of blindly following other birders to the location of the bird as I had no idea where it was.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyAq8YELDnoE1l5kXWktdAWc17xpGAqFB1pi8f8jL0XikXhIyar2leUJ3U4PrfbpjlgqhX1KxnNYIlH2CqkWWpdoYkGhldC-lU-hYKBsvDEwKc346OHofd_t1X0d_Bf5NLtCwtUzpMEZfIQFx0dnMVWBTKMkqzv7A07QOJ3lNm2-3vttYUzN7kHbK0g/s5184/IMG_2683.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyAq8YELDnoE1l5kXWktdAWc17xpGAqFB1pi8f8jL0XikXhIyar2leUJ3U4PrfbpjlgqhX1KxnNYIlH2CqkWWpdoYkGhldC-lU-hYKBsvDEwKc346OHofd_t1X0d_Bf5NLtCwtUzpMEZfIQFx0dnMVWBTKMkqzv7A07QOJ3lNm2-3vttYUzN7kHbK0g/w505-h379/IMG_2683.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ducks on Great Pool</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>I arrived at the twitch and things didn't look too good. Groups of people were stretched out along the road, which meant that the bird hadn't been located for a while. However I decided to stay with the largest group who were looking up into a sycamore tree. It was a busy road for Tresco, and the throng of people constantly had to move to the side of the road as they got out of the way of the golf buggy buses. This warbler we were all hoping to see is an extremely rare bird in the UK, with less than twenty records, so there was a sizable group of people present. Only in a hobby like bird watching could a large group of people spend hours looking up into a sycamore tree, for brief glimpses of a little brown bird. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NCfKqFqKcyytFpS5H_k16DMKFzxmB6873s6GEN7AUdbRxpcGLqYgzJ5svD1OVNWKsS21TxsjVVvMsZyPjk6fxhCoTbes6Xb33jBaJ5qBgyxELPY4qTW6zzAhm3w_lvw3GG9OSmZL-qollZamA6JRe4XiVk08XlqcTZ8oLjItNqJ92EEC1LkM0-G2Ng/s5184/IMG_2686.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NCfKqFqKcyytFpS5H_k16DMKFzxmB6873s6GEN7AUdbRxpcGLqYgzJ5svD1OVNWKsS21TxsjVVvMsZyPjk6fxhCoTbes6Xb33jBaJ5qBgyxELPY4qTW6zzAhm3w_lvw3GG9OSmZL-qollZamA6JRe4XiVk08XlqcTZ8oLjItNqJ92EEC1LkM0-G2Ng/w503-h377/IMG_2686.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>In the two hours twitching I saw the bird for maybe twenty seconds, enough time to see the distinguishing features of two bars on its wing, and yellow supercilium. It was about the size of a chiffchaff, a couple of which were also in the tree to cause confusion, and stayed in the very tops of the tree which is standard for this species, different types of warblers choose different parts of trees. Its amazing how even the smallest of places could hold birds for a long time without the bird showing itself, as did this bloody sycamore tree. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY7jwqipLxRgpzI1s76pmEXw8bMqj6oIzMGeBZ7lVslMV4fs9CnpL0kgaYaLlS9S1k89fGutcJ9enRqLm3WlYgjBa9DY-zopX42JfUHPwpTlne3n9Ai61_lsaQvn_KylLopu1WfsJGyVyWPzuLQSxdqwxpFBT8WVLHihXeI3UeiJlZXylhXKK_T1__A/s5184/IMG_2687.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIY7jwqipLxRgpzI1s76pmEXw8bMqj6oIzMGeBZ7lVslMV4fs9CnpL0kgaYaLlS9S1k89fGutcJ9enRqLm3WlYgjBa9DY-zopX42JfUHPwpTlne3n9Ai61_lsaQvn_KylLopu1WfsJGyVyWPzuLQSxdqwxpFBT8WVLHihXeI3UeiJlZXylhXKK_T1__A/w502-h377/IMG_2687.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><p></p><p>With the lack of activity, I got bored and moved off to have another look round the island of Tresco. I stopped off at the Great Pool, where a CATTLE EGRET was present on the mud at the back of the lake, but there was nothing different to the last visit, a couple of days ago. In a further wandering round the island I saw little, but did manage to get extremely wet in a brief but very heavy rain storm. That was it with Tresco, and headed back to the guesthouse wondering whether we had really seen a TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER, or some kind of imposter species.</p><p>The TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER was in the end never accepted, it was deemed to be a YELLOW BROWED WARBLER instead. It was decided that the primaries, the end of the wings, were the wrong colour. A shame in many respects, as it would have been a lifer, but I don't particularly care too much, it was a bird I saw briefly, one I saw for seconds and couldn't properly identify it. Its one of those birds that you have to be anal about to tell it apart from other similar birds, one that wasn't very exciting. But then that's bird watching, and I wouldn't do any other hobby.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-4038904139088839562022-11-02T10:15:00.001-07:002022-11-02T10:15:46.354-07:00A Poor Showing on St Mary's - 11/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9h8MOGsnPK0JC4vwlDNL-fraR9kflLjrdsgJcgTiwIac9D-G4teRIA6orOnSaeaViJIJuenBnndi7mGcUNojlDd97FUzCoXW6ztAfFQ1dLfbJUPJSQEVaPgmoE0QhMqaW2xRj5pbS9Xo-6LpV3tjFdWGAwRhn9zlTfOE6ND2TA2WBLQ7C9BVdeDaNxQ/s3456/IMG_2593.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9h8MOGsnPK0JC4vwlDNL-fraR9kflLjrdsgJcgTiwIac9D-G4teRIA6orOnSaeaViJIJuenBnndi7mGcUNojlDd97FUzCoXW6ztAfFQ1dLfbJUPJSQEVaPgmoE0QhMqaW2xRj5pbS9Xo-6LpV3tjFdWGAwRhn9zlTfOE6ND2TA2WBLQ7C9BVdeDaNxQ/w504-h378/IMG_2593.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A WREN</div><p></p><p>With all the excitement of the previous days, it was kind of taken for granted that today wasn't going to be the best. No new migrants had been called in, nothing to get the pulse racing, and there was no need to rush to some other island in the hope of seeing that rarity. As a result it was decided to have a look round the north of the main island of St Mary's, to see if we could find our own birds. We did a mighty trek around the north of the island, the main part of the island, but in the end saw few birds, it was just a brief time of quietness, in what would be a good couple of days later on. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuo-qmEQA3cn6c8NOvWEycHFfn8AppdV2KKsEM7t3jyiHGyTU3Iql9dSFrZZaI6o5mMv3__GFQ4fHCdAfzGyEEeUS94tXRT5t3xv-Y9sY4FjNF_xUQJJX1mLb8y4nc6lNYDiFPMBxWUKXjAvSON3gcI-d1vrZWPs9-86wkS6liQyNi4QOesCuJnljhpg/s5184/IMG_2631.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuo-qmEQA3cn6c8NOvWEycHFfn8AppdV2KKsEM7t3jyiHGyTU3Iql9dSFrZZaI6o5mMv3__GFQ4fHCdAfzGyEEeUS94tXRT5t3xv-Y9sY4FjNF_xUQJJX1mLb8y4nc6lNYDiFPMBxWUKXjAvSON3gcI-d1vrZWPs9-86wkS6liQyNi4QOesCuJnljhpg/w504-h378/IMG_2631.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>There was one twitch happening on the island, one in search of a RED EYED VIRIEO, a fairly rare bird with a handful seen each year in the UK. Having a coffee at Longstone Cafe, as well as trying to protect my cake from swarms of house sparrows, news got in of a sighting of this scarce bird. Gobbling down cake and slurping coffee, we rushed out to join an already large twitch, not too far away. Maybe a hundred people were there, but were stretched out over several miles, which is not a good sign as it means the bird hasn't been seen for a while. If a bird hasn't bee see for a while people get bored and move around to look for the bird in the general area, and so leave the last area it was last seen, in the hope of finding it elsewhere. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGYMt9p7wIeZj-ZgJNWeletWREFqBsd9mYDXiVnXRnZZjnVkm3p-70X4givH3KvR7PD0btblSPrhZicpfZ1YxYbSsWmeiDZaL5UTWjhhlRHVsZUJW4ufiNntGMJ6O956zqrjx__w7jroslsRe9SZtI4WGS6x-VWqiIvfyWtzUqdWkiIkEoZ15cfJdYQ/s5184/IMG_2624.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGYMt9p7wIeZj-ZgJNWeletWREFqBsd9mYDXiVnXRnZZjnVkm3p-70X4givH3KvR7PD0btblSPrhZicpfZ1YxYbSsWmeiDZaL5UTWjhhlRHVsZUJW4ufiNntGMJ6O956zqrjx__w7jroslsRe9SZtI4WGS6x-VWqiIvfyWtzUqdWkiIkEoZ15cfJdYQ/w503-h377/IMG_2624.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />The bird had been seen in an area of gorse behind some grass paddocks, but not for some time. Then a shout came and everyone rushed downhill, to look into a clump of trees. Someone called out and claimed to see the bird, but I didn't see it properly to get an ID. A large group of birders had assembled, telescopes, cameras, and bins trained onto a clump of trees in the hope of finding that rarity. But after several hours, nothing had been seen, just the odd CHIFFCHAFF, so I called it a day, and was right to, as the bird was never properly seen again. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVoZGpMjsP2Nnb7tnp8PE_pZdibPuTNFzKmv5qby5ZgIfnm-mK-QdsOcbt8LEyhJpZ2WJdCfcWMTX0_oPmPycdxnrOulrXZYnU9kQ873tejtQL8qUiof7n6JbDd4Z4_jGhQa85aEgGiDoB_yWv_iSDHcFrADmS4-_8VA33V3tFBQNPRXDeuDlJcDgyA/s5184/IMG_2587.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVoZGpMjsP2Nnb7tnp8PE_pZdibPuTNFzKmv5qby5ZgIfnm-mK-QdsOcbt8LEyhJpZ2WJdCfcWMTX0_oPmPycdxnrOulrXZYnU9kQ873tejtQL8qUiof7n6JbDd4Z4_jGhQa85aEgGiDoB_yWv_iSDHcFrADmS4-_8VA33V3tFBQNPRXDeuDlJcDgyA/w503-h377/IMG_2587.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Elsewhere on the island, there were two sets of three BLACK REDSTART, one at Porth Loo Beach and two at Can Vean in an arable field, a fairly standard October migrant which is surprisingly scarce in tis country considering how common it is on the continent. An olive backed pipit had also been reported on the island last seen from a little arable field, but on arriving the bird hadn't been seen since the morning, many hours ago. It had been located in an overgrown area, and there was little chance of finding it. As it was a woodland bird, we had a look in the nearby pine forest. In among the trees four BRAMBLING flew over, and a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER was seen, by far my latest every record and my first for October. The flycatcher did its characteristic launching into the air trick to catch some flying insect before settling down again on an exposed perch, in a patch of open woodland. And that was it really, there were plenty of commoner birds, but that was all there was for any interesting sightings today.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskiyjoF9p9eFYSH5nDMp6EPXUsela2Wo7Q-ubaT6KhlbGX9zDihG4JBzKV9FoXQK4pCUSRzFYxh6KJXzm_4e3640od3-GZazJIXeHwxdLwQ8zXN5rAaDZtNp3U7GnpRLEnyWq-zI-jZiGlrL_q3K3g-I2Al0zrre9vJUq6bJWWxp8HGK26W7AlCHprg/s5184/IMG_2637.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskiyjoF9p9eFYSH5nDMp6EPXUsela2Wo7Q-ubaT6KhlbGX9zDihG4JBzKV9FoXQK4pCUSRzFYxh6KJXzm_4e3640od3-GZazJIXeHwxdLwQ8zXN5rAaDZtNp3U7GnpRLEnyWq-zI-jZiGlrL_q3K3g-I2Al0zrre9vJUq6bJWWxp8HGK26W7AlCHprg/w504-h378/IMG_2637.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>So even an October day on the Scillies can sometimes draw a blank birdwise. These things happen and all you can do is soldier on, as you do with everything. This would prove to be the poorest day of the holiday, but things would pick up drastically in the later days. In some respects it was just nice to cover a large chunk of the island, to discover locations I had only heard about from rare bird reports. In a lot of ways birdwacthing is a means to explore new grounds, to see the previously unseen.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-76387724023191535552022-10-28T11:29:00.000-07:002022-10-28T11:29:25.006-07:00St Mary's - 8 & 10/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRab55r2QfpP8-GckytiyWxU7l0OZz8PYMgGr51aIVjjzgmOUGkfPsK6q3eK8NJNKCRJky5jrh_8Ea65TFx6BojBVWakdFM9HR7ThraxTZqDFqIaFidevZi7s16cceZUrRlUDCD9BUZDD0syHIpz2Aat0749edz24XekH4UFCwQ1-H4tBSx1XlaR1pWA/s3301/IMG_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="3301" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRab55r2QfpP8-GckytiyWxU7l0OZz8PYMgGr51aIVjjzgmOUGkfPsK6q3eK8NJNKCRJky5jrh_8Ea65TFx6BojBVWakdFM9HR7ThraxTZqDFqIaFidevZi7s16cceZUrRlUDCD9BUZDD0syHIpz2Aat0749edz24XekH4UFCwQ1-H4tBSx1XlaR1pWA/w503-h368/IMG_2468.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The BUFF BELLIED PIPT, note the lack of barring on the bird's back</div><p></p><p>St Mary's is the main island of the Scillies and the most populated and the most cultivated. The place is fairly civilised, a landscape of small fields with hedgerows, small copses, and rougher uncultivated areas. Like all the islands its a magnet for migrating birds, its variety of habitats providing shelter for weary travellers. At six square miles, its a small island, making it an easy place to walk around, any rare birds that turn up are easy to get to.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtn5yCJFxPbEgTxl6EEiIv4LZNPYuPPYGf_lnYt1UtFRSMabg1qNvM9Bw35rvsamG7PCrziEYzseWo4GjU5ugHnx_raVj_xgaxxlb0kqSmlxlfFCPkt-V_3LVR7hQ5DwjJ1I4q4FI60ULSU6hIXcME2zNG3M9wHVpcG4L0liU9IiVTpJx3UObA6ojyw/s5184/IMG_2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtn5yCJFxPbEgTxl6EEiIv4LZNPYuPPYGf_lnYt1UtFRSMabg1qNvM9Bw35rvsamG7PCrziEYzseWo4GjU5ugHnx_raVj_xgaxxlb0kqSmlxlfFCPkt-V_3LVR7hQ5DwjJ1I4q4FI60ULSU6hIXcME2zNG3M9wHVpcG4L0liU9IiVTpJx3UObA6ojyw/w504-h378/IMG_2409.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>On the 8th, the first day on the Scillies, we met the group for the first time, And after that we had a quick look around the local area. With Hugh Town being so small, it was easy to get out of, to find bird rich countryside around it. On the low ground just beyond the town was Lower Moors, a large area of marshland, mainly overgrown with reeds, with some tree cover. On a pool, overlooked by a hide, a JACK SNIPE was present. What was strange about this sighting was that the bird was out in the open, not far from where it was being viewed, which for a jack snipe is very rare. This was the best sighting of this species I've ever had, usually I see them in flight, when they've been disturbed by me. The bird was asleep, before waking up and doing some feeding, its distinctive bobbing when it moved was characteristic of the bird. After that we walked to Carreg Dhu community gardens, where a bit of searching got us the first YELLOW BROWED WARBLER of the trip, high up in the trees constantly moving and providing its distinctive two note call.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRVuvn7F2bK7Zgnq7jz94gQI4WIQppr6mhg4wOmgjy5Nj6mhdBL2ExJ7A5uzLwu2fJMYWWjb8V4J7vDQE2s_7vJ7--sl0qImb4UXZNGcND3G2Ok14LpNLNpfumXhrZ__g0ICugVs9UxWAA6cgbvlG6W8YoqWGbOPRtkRilT8uTk9cDelJfS--Qe2UJA/s5184/IMG_2326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRVuvn7F2bK7Zgnq7jz94gQI4WIQppr6mhg4wOmgjy5Nj6mhdBL2ExJ7A5uzLwu2fJMYWWjb8V4J7vDQE2s_7vJ7--sl0qImb4UXZNGcND3G2Ok14LpNLNpfumXhrZ__g0ICugVs9UxWAA6cgbvlG6W8YoqWGbOPRtkRilT8uTk9cDelJfS--Qe2UJA/w505-h379/IMG_2326.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDQX4ffC-yTQU8gTtRiLcC_p-OtkV7fHo_US2gzwqD7C9Kg60H2n6H-ovM1mkaUh4CcSH-4F1C95ZE8w758t1_Nf-2GtLGi6FAIe8s7q-WK3d3BAwQT8-waBRoGDhfuBsHiIVR2rcdeW1xyMweeA4bzzowJkXIefOW3x1z5wkkEFtl7QeqQVPnvv59w/s5184/IMG_2531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDQX4ffC-yTQU8gTtRiLcC_p-OtkV7fHo_US2gzwqD7C9Kg60H2n6H-ovM1mkaUh4CcSH-4F1C95ZE8w758t1_Nf-2GtLGi6FAIe8s7q-WK3d3BAwQT8-waBRoGDhfuBsHiIVR2rcdeW1xyMweeA4bzzowJkXIefOW3x1z5wkkEFtl7QeqQVPnvv59w/w503-h377/IMG_2531.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The 10th of October was the first time to properly look round the island. East of the island in the Porth Hellick area there was a bag of goodies, bird wise. Rarest bird of the day was the BUFF BELLIED PIPIT at Porth Hellick Down, a not particularly exciting bird, but rare, even if brown. It was in a paddock, among a flock of very similar MEADOW PIPTS. The main difference between the two species was that the BBP had no stripes on its back while the mippits did. There was not much difference between the two species and to look at the BBP was not a remarkable bird at all. However it proved to be a magnet for twitchers looking for this rare bird. and this unremarkable pipit brought them in, with a decent crowd looking at it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHunYNP_1nTV9WiifSNkhnok_8sdcqdAPto7cAM1gJDVcpFf1ZtGiRYReNtr5Eod-QpdlCCErjb2T_pmDdWuQ5VPXh1zIDTRvSYZX6RwWLBnldWHbDpNyeRa3H5-YrP66wjplKMzOLWsTpH2Qn4O5YxCb43BQUxH0L0nWovxEEBQfFglziG8prZC5yQ/s5184/IMG_2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHunYNP_1nTV9WiifSNkhnok_8sdcqdAPto7cAM1gJDVcpFf1ZtGiRYReNtr5Eod-QpdlCCErjb2T_pmDdWuQ5VPXh1zIDTRvSYZX6RwWLBnldWHbDpNyeRa3H5-YrP66wjplKMzOLWsTpH2Qn4O5YxCb43BQUxH0L0nWovxEEBQfFglziG8prZC5yQ/w503-h377/IMG_2332.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtvgkoGcMZkuY9ms-cEYMqJDqw6Kne6zgoImjXeg6Q8UCk7a7vKF3IY1NgSK4wf9bEiSYB6jfh--BIhmA6BmVLljuxRo3aNoa1JgdefctRcf47wMkkEozSeYxf9Mn5kvouyoqFwu5SKfBFte69qskxTSvOQMNiwhSwK4BjbQbGsnpDKCULOkpxJ99Jg/s5184/IMG_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtvgkoGcMZkuY9ms-cEYMqJDqw6Kne6zgoImjXeg6Q8UCk7a7vKF3IY1NgSK4wf9bEiSYB6jfh--BIhmA6BmVLljuxRo3aNoa1JgdefctRcf47wMkkEozSeYxf9Mn5kvouyoqFwu5SKfBFte69qskxTSvOQMNiwhSwK4BjbQbGsnpDKCULOkpxJ99Jg/w501-h376/IMG_2413.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>While twitching the BBP, news got out that a WRYNECK had been seen nearby. Wrynecks are a small brown woodpecker that used to nest in southern England, before coming extinct in late last century. Now they are scarce birds, every sighting attracting a small twitch. The bird was seen just downhill from the BBP, having shown on some rocks. When we got there it wasn't around, of course, but a brown bird flew out into a gorse clump. Most people, myself included, ignored it saying it wasn't the wryneck. However other people took an interest in the gorse clump, and would you have it, the bird showed, perching on a nearby rock for a while giving great views, before flying off down hill. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcK3v5w7u0qbrIz8tGHWZJTN5pU81jEGymWLCTcy2EyPwzxpsRKcnpK0jI2KM1Jdm0bR07B_aeCAguefLCE93L1sj2CXdJ8ChIJ-iZAl5Z_ZdBbaxiDY39elncCRZbT11ob3NuwvnG9d2Q4z77ZKkf8gjBhFB12iNvABB1TNTeQEwFoCxzwmbYY5UqQ/s5184/IMG_2415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcK3v5w7u0qbrIz8tGHWZJTN5pU81jEGymWLCTcy2EyPwzxpsRKcnpK0jI2KM1Jdm0bR07B_aeCAguefLCE93L1sj2CXdJ8ChIJ-iZAl5Z_ZdBbaxiDY39elncCRZbT11ob3NuwvnG9d2Q4z77ZKkf8gjBhFB12iNvABB1TNTeQEwFoCxzwmbYY5UqQ/w504-h378/IMG_2415.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>After the wryneck, walking downhill, to Porth Hellic Bay a female REDSTART was seen around a clump of bracken, which was my latest record for the species, and my first for October. Nearby was Porth Hellic Pool a large reed fringed lake overlooked by two hides. Not many wildfowl were present, but three GREENSHANK, and ten COMMON SNIPE were nice records. Nearby walking through the Holy Vale, an area of overgrown wet woodland, part of Higher Moors wetlands, a PIED FLYCATCHER was seen in a clearing and like the previous redstart my latest and first October record for the species.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6sgor0MIUqt4NquAtrujRt54qGewH7aWnXe8rTkHswtUJVfJ33bEzKFKXgAWGI8vdEemPIVt4h9LQGnwEADx5iv29VIZHjkeJpOio4ti9sYwomyQ1UAvTozcmHCWFvwycvlY6YCwCdrsR0qjtQ8nMUoaRaF1KLMuusfWBPc0fk6-qYtvLslwI9oQrw/s5184/IMG_2363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6sgor0MIUqt4NquAtrujRt54qGewH7aWnXe8rTkHswtUJVfJ33bEzKFKXgAWGI8vdEemPIVt4h9LQGnwEADx5iv29VIZHjkeJpOio4ti9sYwomyQ1UAvTozcmHCWFvwycvlY6YCwCdrsR0qjtQ8nMUoaRaF1KLMuusfWBPc0fk6-qYtvLslwI9oQrw/w502-h377/IMG_2363.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">COMMON ROSEFINCH in Hugh Town Allotments</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui-D0gFBS1xTgVzBqovUtoeNkhzcNfFCpyz-T46zgWLFoCe4B64XIZcXvNKH8YzuXn4VFbamUXuFp9uOW1O-2-1LCSIt5z3Yr4qpryusHFDj0Tnox8Z0xgYUGztHYyAGqyxpcVrGYhGkokEsiNj2GJiirQKUm8Ic87Dgw4BKIreRZupCoMJs0yAnHjA/s5184/IMG_2368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui-D0gFBS1xTgVzBqovUtoeNkhzcNfFCpyz-T46zgWLFoCe4B64XIZcXvNKH8YzuXn4VFbamUXuFp9uOW1O-2-1LCSIt5z3Yr4qpryusHFDj0Tnox8Z0xgYUGztHYyAGqyxpcVrGYhGkokEsiNj2GJiirQKUm8Ic87Dgw4BKIreRZupCoMJs0yAnHjA/w503-h377/IMG_2368.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Aside from the Porth Hellick area, things were fairly quiet. Being an island, even built up places can hold migrants. A COMMON ROSEFINCH was found in Hugh Town Allotments, along with a WHITETHROAT, and one of a small number of BLACKCAPS seen on the island. The rosefinch had been seen in a tree, but had become elusive but after a while the bird flew out to briefly expose itself in the open, looking a bit like a chaffinch I guess. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpbUFnyD7sCzlmaq4UXdvVkAZC0t6MnQSlZ7AtcltOdhzAyjAibbvD2L4jVwD9Bzi3xVwPul1gb6XX6ZagO_vEr1rjBKvt1ABofNhLXOCqbuoLJc_yzdMQwLJEmxu3gtaw5jWT79aLwbEkgTXpQu9k4pqWoOlcNmD0b6CzhMJr6emI96Lm5BA638XAQ/s5184/IMG_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpbUFnyD7sCzlmaq4UXdvVkAZC0t6MnQSlZ7AtcltOdhzAyjAibbvD2L4jVwD9Bzi3xVwPul1gb6XX6ZagO_vEr1rjBKvt1ABofNhLXOCqbuoLJc_yzdMQwLJEmxu3gtaw5jWT79aLwbEkgTXpQu9k4pqWoOlcNmD0b6CzhMJr6emI96Lm5BA638XAQ/w502-h377/IMG_2426.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Being October there was a steady trickle of SWALLOWS migrating, a bird which has become rare in Suffolk, with a few HOUSE MARTINS, and even a few SAND MARTINS passing though, again my latest records for the latter species and my first for October. Aside from that a SANDWICH TERN was in Porth Loo Bay, this big tern is one of the first migrants to arrive and one of the last to leave, making the most of the English summer.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjib3OGbf_j5u1BiLc7dubY5faptKo123nFlW5m0TQU2N_fkZWNsSFUxIlrjrnWuucTNbEi3kc_yT-xlEL7wlPkSICfbeFNOcM1XCIHWXBcL66B7Qdo0YngeZ8dwyAUT5HbfSpMc4ur5uvrOEETygqMhv_FAb6-J5TAsl3sv4apVW2t4K9gmxbujRUxZg/s5184/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjib3OGbf_j5u1BiLc7dubY5faptKo123nFlW5m0TQU2N_fkZWNsSFUxIlrjrnWuucTNbEi3kc_yT-xlEL7wlPkSICfbeFNOcM1XCIHWXBcL66B7Qdo0YngeZ8dwyAUT5HbfSpMc4ur5uvrOEETygqMhv_FAb6-J5TAsl3sv4apVW2t4K9gmxbujRUxZg/w502-h377/IMG_2557.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Porth Loo Beach</div><p></p><p>One small area, Porth Hellic proved to be a fertile area for sightings, which happens, when a lot of birders are concentrated in one place, meaning there's more coverage, more eyes searching the countryside, and as a result something else that's rare usually gets found. However aside from that the island was fairly quiet, and a lot of walking didn't produce much. It just seems that there are few birds around at the moment, probably a result of massive declines in their populations, with the sad truth that our countryside is just getting quieter and more empty.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-8299500087222672762022-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:002022-10-25T09:27:06.147-07:00Tresco - 9/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9NzLfdzDEDSn_rmYuUDYTso91j8VnVhk5PyZ2EO-wIJl2uk8onGAAMu5Wi1fXvuowWU6A5r5Se10tDSuIhxvb_tutwLeiMoSkICCpljcKLQ_hPdTel-C_LpF9YOqX1bhHnLQQz_YvoAeiEznEQZFx-_A53MVSqYXw0iCDuq9gnQFZ3cVLRsooZRWqA/s5184/IMG_2303.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf9NzLfdzDEDSn_rmYuUDYTso91j8VnVhk5PyZ2EO-wIJl2uk8onGAAMu5Wi1fXvuowWU6A5r5Se10tDSuIhxvb_tutwLeiMoSkICCpljcKLQ_hPdTel-C_LpF9YOqX1bhHnLQQz_YvoAeiEznEQZFx-_A53MVSqYXw0iCDuq9gnQFZ3cVLRsooZRWqA/w501-h376/IMG_2303.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">RED SQUIRREL</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Although St Mary's is seen as the main island in the Scillies, the most populated and cultivated, Tresco runs that island a close second. The island is famous for its garden, which being on a birdwatching holiday I didn't visit, but also for its ability to attract rare birds. Another avian draw is the population of GOLDEN PHASANTS, which live in its conifer plantations, the last wild birds left in the UK.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IuEIWzapDzZNcp7xk0NdIu60pYSpwfD-MyJ9mKJdya0PBgErA5u6ZSS1LRA0jsndPeLumDStjO46aRKWTaAewXw3_PM-OcldJGDeyu7JlUSRNtXU8rmnvInzl1LUHbSqrGV7skxNj-SJ-hLiJ74k5IzXZadXSApiUVcXHqzk5-HKLNTnHNM5odM2wQ/s5184/IMG_2192.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_IuEIWzapDzZNcp7xk0NdIu60pYSpwfD-MyJ9mKJdya0PBgErA5u6ZSS1LRA0jsndPeLumDStjO46aRKWTaAewXw3_PM-OcldJGDeyu7JlUSRNtXU8rmnvInzl1LUHbSqrGV7skxNj-SJ-hLiJ74k5IzXZadXSApiUVcXHqzk5-HKLNTnHNM5odM2wQ/w502-h377/IMG_2192.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Our first full day on the Scillies, led us to our first off island excursion, specifically to see the SWAINSON'S THRUSH that had been hanging round for a couple of days. A small bird, it looks like a song thrush, and this little bird is quite a mega - a very rare bird to the UK, with maybe one record a year for the entire country. It originates from America, so what its doing on the Scillies is anyone's guess, maybe blown here, or got lost, but sadly will end up dying here. Its the sort of bird that attracts twitches, but has been in the area for a couple of days already, so people are already blasé.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietKkXgKirvHVSRIaFrUSS79408Pjg-Fw9oVxZdkM4RBgDjb84eOzBOYoYefPRzqpjbrirAJ1IdiLBes4iv7yFLl0yc0KArp0MwEj0pmo8aYT_jd36p4kRInFBSMVWxsDH4ryPwPCswcWf6-kAZ-mVmCN_ra3XmJWwCkfWEoAIcz4O6__O-8s7L_BqhQ/s5184/IMG_2185.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietKkXgKirvHVSRIaFrUSS79408Pjg-Fw9oVxZdkM4RBgDjb84eOzBOYoYefPRzqpjbrirAJ1IdiLBes4iv7yFLl0yc0KArp0MwEj0pmo8aYT_jd36p4kRInFBSMVWxsDH4ryPwPCswcWf6-kAZ-mVmCN_ra3XmJWwCkfWEoAIcz4O6__O-8s7L_BqhQ/w504-h378/IMG_2185.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Meridian, the ferry boat to Tresco</div><p></p><p>Expecting something more, the ferry boat was quite a surprise, a little passenger boat, rammed full of people who were mainly twitchers. The boat journey was swift, maybe fifteen minutes, the islands are close in together and the passage was fairly calm. The boat landed at a desolate pier, and it was a strange walk along a tarmac track through rough grassland, kind of following the other boat passengers. Looking down on a bay, a MEDITERRANEAN GULL was of interest. The desolate landscape softened gradually until signs of civilisation appeared with an airfield. In a close by field, cropped short, there was a goody bag of birds. In among a large flock of MEADOW PIPITS, was a WHINCHAT and a WHEATEAR, the whinchat particularly good as its my latest ever record, the first for October. The large amounts of rough grassland on Tresco meant that STONECHATS were common, as they were over the entire islands, one of the few birds to be doing well at the moment.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT01BFjBo_vO0vuZu-6QPKZsIn7fS3rXwL846YjG5QnPY543E1z0frf7CdWbuC7-amRyAkjgYj32Qn9OJ1b0lSx-fHPhz7oozVwo43Zr_08j4T6EkEA-lYwcfYmGOPVDlq2Z0szK0g9o6UeGVCWSuh6Xwahmw4Vb3wEBSTgGYfbBW8Qnl-c3pqMgy3MA/s5184/IMG_2237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT01BFjBo_vO0vuZu-6QPKZsIn7fS3rXwL846YjG5QnPY543E1z0frf7CdWbuC7-amRyAkjgYj32Qn9OJ1b0lSx-fHPhz7oozVwo43Zr_08j4T6EkEA-lYwcfYmGOPVDlq2Z0szK0g9o6UeGVCWSuh6Xwahmw4Vb3wEBSTgGYfbBW8Qnl-c3pqMgy3MA/w506-h380/IMG_2237.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Great Pool</div><p></p><p>The first signs of habitation was the Abbey Gardens, but as we weren't going in we took a detour, round it, passed Abbey pool, a small lake, where two BLACK TAILED GODWITS were a good sighting for the islands. Perhaps the main habitat feature of Tresco is the Great Pool, a large lake that almost cuts the island in half, the main body of water on the entire set of islands. It is a large lake, reed fringed and looked over by two hides. On the water there was a small flock of GADWALL and COOT with TEAL on the fringes. With the drought we've been having, some mud had become exposed,, where a CURLEW SANDPIPER was a good find, while a WATER RAIL was also about, attracted out from the reeds, running down the side of the lake, while finally two BLACK TAILED GODWITS were here, different to the ones on Abbey Pool.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJHW4NoewHWqaUjzb-QWAjKLcbwPA55yp7XjFIhPPIo_Eair3hlcEoFdHF0bdot86xLa5RY4zo0Z9puS6fn2Rl2mI0KMj-16uOyb7ZyWZiL_QOAscVGEBM9qtd8Ww5DJMrf4VvAx8veTbup8jWxXe6_YzDESi3_lKUGHr52i1wPTwk9GFQj6kdIn8VA/s5184/IMG_2224.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJHW4NoewHWqaUjzb-QWAjKLcbwPA55yp7XjFIhPPIo_Eair3hlcEoFdHF0bdot86xLa5RY4zo0Z9puS6fn2Rl2mI0KMj-16uOyb7ZyWZiL_QOAscVGEBM9qtd8Ww5DJMrf4VvAx8veTbup8jWxXe6_YzDESi3_lKUGHr52i1wPTwk9GFQj6kdIn8VA/w502-h377/IMG_2224.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Great Pool from one of the hides</div><p></p><p>With no room in the tiny hide overlooking Great Pool, some of the party had split off. My party was in Old Grimsby, when the call came out that the SWAINSON'S THRUSH that had been in the area, but had been lost, had been refound. The news got out to other birders in the area, and there was a mass rush uphill to where the bird had been found. It wasn't there immediately, but had been seen in a palm tree, in a small quarry, before flying off into some bracken, where it had disappeared.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWPOQGwKgxd3NcIplYtYSsnCyNYmp_1WhPesauxMX0lMevXtCWEinoILAFHxGUlSXd_8wdd7g5LdV3lhtXXHafgo1WE7Wd76kQja8_4o8ntAk5jlZhofXZgHSqJoZ8uQzj7h6dcpOlqMM4aHUNUoHvlT7vZtRthzTZPmAcTP5Q90ggD1SbHZ-uXEsHQ/s5184/IMG_2235.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWPOQGwKgxd3NcIplYtYSsnCyNYmp_1WhPesauxMX0lMevXtCWEinoILAFHxGUlSXd_8wdd7g5LdV3lhtXXHafgo1WE7Wd76kQja8_4o8ntAk5jlZhofXZgHSqJoZ8uQzj7h6dcpOlqMM4aHUNUoHvlT7vZtRthzTZPmAcTP5Q90ggD1SbHZ-uXEsHQ/w502-h377/IMG_2235.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Twitch for the Swainson's Thrush</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_psx54DnfjzzIMWrW-Vif5yFZBq_Y_jqEFyj0V7xSPKuoT8NTQbbJm0VvSKiUd1psvnj3pywBezsLlGSjcFGCza9KFhklCwkrobr3SSXVYFIeuMxcpN8wULg7i5p04EdPUSWjR99bw7MxBCOxgjaLUGmwSgEZYWYI9EFGsELLubaRyp7c2Z_BVH_Xpg/s5184/IMG_2233.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_psx54DnfjzzIMWrW-Vif5yFZBq_Y_jqEFyj0V7xSPKuoT8NTQbbJm0VvSKiUd1psvnj3pywBezsLlGSjcFGCza9KFhklCwkrobr3SSXVYFIeuMxcpN8wULg7i5p04EdPUSWjR99bw7MxBCOxgjaLUGmwSgEZYWYI9EFGsELLubaRyp7c2Z_BVH_Xpg/w506-h380/IMG_2233.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>There was a hush as around thrity people waited beneath a palm tree waiting to get a sight of an elusive rare thrush. Cameras and binocluars were raised at every brief flicker of wind, every birder anticipating the bird showing itself. Doubts were rampant as to whether the bird was still about, or if it had gone to ground in the surrounding dense scrub. Some people walked up the road, but most waited. And then there was a movement, a bird flew into the palm tree, binoculars and cameras were raised, and lo! the bird appeared for a brief time, then moved out of view, before appearing again, for maybe thirty seconds, but good views were got. And that's all that mattered.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPTNavOFBhO5UU0czoUBGdH7Ap_58z4OdiTNIweAb1WwrneAeupmWvd0paqhf1glKQDA4UdwTwB4Tje0km-kznHbUaOhPFEFikzWesC62b_4gDiXaVd6Y-Ocx2wR7CwAAsL2ENeROe1cwC8LZB5gbTbDBnhjT1lK1gYkdZOwUq-e_An8wALaFd-nQUQ/s5184/IMG_2187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPTNavOFBhO5UU0czoUBGdH7Ap_58z4OdiTNIweAb1WwrneAeupmWvd0paqhf1glKQDA4UdwTwB4Tje0km-kznHbUaOhPFEFikzWesC62b_4gDiXaVd6Y-Ocx2wR7CwAAsL2ENeROe1cwC8LZB5gbTbDBnhjT1lK1gYkdZOwUq-e_An8wALaFd-nQUQ/w503-h377/IMG_2187.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>It wasn't a looker, the same plumage as a song thrush, except it had no striping on the breast, and it was small, the size of a robin. And that was it, but that was all that mattered, a tick, a sighting. Like a football match you don't necessarily go for the score, but to enjoy the atmosphere, which good twitches always supply, no matter the result. Twitches are always a good event, people are always friendly, and that is often what its all about. However this bird was a lifer, a bird I have never seen before, a bird I can tick off my list.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgET4g2lYkvSL7FbejJ4ExGf5mSFp-HJx0vG_hyE8DFTMTy6b3ICMmKmft4dnarxM61HHywqqzRhRaQmpxCKYb1sagjbhkVsB-5wQZKLmh50_xjEDlbiK6lFhXOBDflKhyldKA8lc7wlgm8UoEGG9Em-MW8FHJAr-bCDFwwgc_FXi_bEOJ-KuzRz9hzdw/s5184/IMG_2245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgET4g2lYkvSL7FbejJ4ExGf5mSFp-HJx0vG_hyE8DFTMTy6b3ICMmKmft4dnarxM61HHywqqzRhRaQmpxCKYb1sagjbhkVsB-5wQZKLmh50_xjEDlbiK6lFhXOBDflKhyldKA8lc7wlgm8UoEGG9Em-MW8FHJAr-bCDFwwgc_FXi_bEOJ-KuzRz9hzdw/w503-h377/IMG_2245.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GOLDEN PHEASANT</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>After the twitch a group of us went to the south of the island to the large alien conifer woodlands, to look for one special bird of Tresco, the GOLDEN PHEASANT. This bird is a native of the Far East, but some birds were introduced to this country, for some reason, and self sustaining colonies were established, with the result it became accepted as part of the British bird list, which means it was officially classed as wild. However over the years most of these populations died off, with the result that Tresco is the last place in the country in which they survive, the last place where you can add them to your list.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X49lqNoy8JwbS-1KRSZjKge75cstMhUuuNOLgLUTsIph_fp1HcY9qV1GjA4kaCS8APCebNfDs5PxRtgwwAZfWxoq9NGIVXzbPxR9JNhc3PcrjjJX5rzWx5pBvG1VEXsBRaO2SIu1z8jVifXcqLsc1UsXUz8e2cnocA90e6fJIoCtef4fC_6ge8d3iw/s5184/IMG_2189.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2X49lqNoy8JwbS-1KRSZjKge75cstMhUuuNOLgLUTsIph_fp1HcY9qV1GjA4kaCS8APCebNfDs5PxRtgwwAZfWxoq9NGIVXzbPxR9JNhc3PcrjjJX5rzWx5pBvG1VEXsBRaO2SIu1z8jVifXcqLsc1UsXUz8e2cnocA90e6fJIoCtef4fC_6ge8d3iw/w500-h375/IMG_2189.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>We only found the one bird, a stunning male, mostly red with a golden crown, a very gaudy bird that seemed so out of place in the British countryside, over plumaged like a mandarin duck. The bird was very comfortable with us and allowed us to get very close, within a couple of metres. This strange bird was a lifer, one I have never seen before. There was a population in Thetford Forest but they died out around the millennium. On the way back, we passed they Abbey Gardens where a RED SQUIRREL ran across the road in front of us. A small population of this rare mammal has been introduced to Tresco to provide a viable population in the south of England where it is now extinct. After that it was a walk to New Grimsby, to take the ferry boat back to St Mary's, after a very satisfying day.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPf4rTJL4i2t71bCOhD0c_LPn6PX_oe7RiFnFmp6OCWqInpdjGKb8hN_oilMlU4bzS8C0vrVumZByxLYatuE0bgWPHC4V4CASRJDcUgThlV9A7RcT8yhXmmrPVXxrKil4zLJ1vLr5TSE8ewVItyzDrRxREk7laixSYbxDGji86kjCa7hsWRhwmHQS3g/s5184/IMG_2193.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPf4rTJL4i2t71bCOhD0c_LPn6PX_oe7RiFnFmp6OCWqInpdjGKb8hN_oilMlU4bzS8C0vrVumZByxLYatuE0bgWPHC4V4CASRJDcUgThlV9A7RcT8yhXmmrPVXxrKil4zLJ1vLr5TSE8ewVItyzDrRxREk7laixSYbxDGji86kjCa7hsWRhwmHQS3g/w503-h377/IMG_2193.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second day of my holiday in the Scillies, and a good one. The problem with birding holidays is that the first couple of days can be intense, you see a lot of birds, and then things peter out by day three or four. Only time would tell if that happened on this holiday, but two lifers wasn't bad.</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-87305891819720608062022-10-21T10:52:00.000-07:002022-10-21T10:52:26.160-07:00Travelling to the Scillies -6,7 & 8 October<p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdAA44vbSzVP4baUb4wArXuKonLeBHpCbzHF1IIrPjMdz34MwqMwVwX5TufyBx83L9sqC0Wrh2FB2gbrafBWf116CW3HIeXmPyJj_XgNz3Dyau2UVs2790GVTLjB2iy6ci02iTG9rm0Z1VrLE3oZq8QmX03JPwFg0AqvmnuVfWyC-KY0YKh1sUk3avg/s1656/IMG_9530.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1559" data-original-width="1656" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdAA44vbSzVP4baUb4wArXuKonLeBHpCbzHF1IIrPjMdz34MwqMwVwX5TufyBx83L9sqC0Wrh2FB2gbrafBWf116CW3HIeXmPyJj_XgNz3Dyau2UVs2790GVTLjB2iy6ci02iTG9rm0Z1VrLE3oZq8QmX03JPwFg0AqvmnuVfWyC-KY0YKh1sUk3avg/w502-h472/IMG_9530.jpeg" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the COMMON DOLPHINS following the boat - photo by Andy Crawford</div><p></p><p>The most annoying thing about the Scillies is how difficult they are to get to. Distant islands far off the Cornish coast are a remote destination to a boy from Ipswich. To get all the way to them meant travelling a long, long way, both difficult and time consuming. If you're a conscientious traveller like myself, and don't want to drive and instead taking public transport, then it can be very difficult. The sheer number of things to take into account is bewildering. Another factor to throw into it all was the annoying hassle of train strikes, which happened on the 6 and 7 of October. That meant the journey I would have completed in one day by train, was now split into two when having to take a coach. Even in the 21st century, a time when we should be having holidays on the moon, things are slow. We have not advanced for fifty years at least.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZv3Qps6Hgi-gHjRKTsAVfQLMKKt9e0orfbKKksrmHCtLv4J-_6UXD9ZTVIJpke-Qyg1CPMmCLqV2cXOmwG-0FbEtiyHi55AG9CD3861z7j9lhYkwGssFq2-iKdRxYsahgon6hETn5B9kqh1cEcs6T1sJj8LoXmM0r5Abc19PJbYZrIDmOUzuPtMVhyQ/s5072/IMG_2094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3734" data-original-width="5072" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZv3Qps6Hgi-gHjRKTsAVfQLMKKt9e0orfbKKksrmHCtLv4J-_6UXD9ZTVIJpke-Qyg1CPMmCLqV2cXOmwG-0FbEtiyHi55AG9CD3861z7j9lhYkwGssFq2-iKdRxYsahgon6hETn5B9kqh1cEcs6T1sJj8LoXmM0r5Abc19PJbYZrIDmOUzuPtMVhyQ/w501-h369/IMG_2094.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">London Victoria</div><p></p><p>The first day was the easiest, a journey from Ipswich to London. Because I had an early morning coach journey on Friday 7, I got a coach the day before to Victoria on the 6th. On that night, in London, I got a "pod" in a local easyhotel. With not much to do I walked the streets, of the area, Vicotria and Chelsea and I got a RING NECKED PARAKEET for my effort, a first for the year, and a real London specialty. There is a pair in Ipswich but I managed to miss them this year.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f3FE-MnbYLrkDyjGlJyEJO-4KrJ5EQLeX3eahvO9m51OK_EOUSXKOAL8qjYwuQNyry_U_3ah6Zlz8At8PL2_b3fTnsI9iTzM_S_yc-QxUZl47K4Ac4zUpCCuvBRt4LQlHodWhhND_SAfPOqqXJ_Cl_0QPRlzuY_BNz_uJU0CLSP7e68963pheZdqcg/s5184/IMG_2103.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f3FE-MnbYLrkDyjGlJyEJO-4KrJ5EQLeX3eahvO9m51OK_EOUSXKOAL8qjYwuQNyry_U_3ah6Zlz8At8PL2_b3fTnsI9iTzM_S_yc-QxUZl47K4Ac4zUpCCuvBRt4LQlHodWhhND_SAfPOqqXJ_Cl_0QPRlzuY_BNz_uJU0CLSP7e68963pheZdqcg/w505-h379/IMG_2103.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">St Michael's Mount</div><p></p><p>Friday loomed, which meant a ten jour coach journey down to Penzance. Now this seems really, really long, and it was, but it really did take that amount of time to get there. Getting out of London, we hit RED KITE country, there were simply loads, I'm not used t that sight in Suffolk, but it'll soon get that way. It took five hours to get to Plymouth, straight down the motorways where we stopped for half an hour. It then took another four and a half hours to travel to Penzance, going through all the windy Cornish lanes, and old towns not made for coaches. Along the way several RAVENS were of interest, again a bird that has exploded in population but is still scarce in Suffolk. When I eventually arrived into Penzance, tired and bored, I stayed at Hotel Penzance, which was cozy, but unbelievably hot.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iwzll8KyYNxRCx-S1OnFyTo-81as2ZL1AFyRZvyxf6Nmf6H8AZWP10KhCSOEWDCGrwdgsggc0XmYzcbqwaWLdp1IuWtr6XGSNJbrHQDZYQ3giu0vHXmSnjDD90eLH3CJLjV07k7XY7zyYaw-Erz8rkXmvdcrZ1cWJfL3UHTvrsV4HtBMfW7WemQyuA/s5184/IMG_2154.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iwzll8KyYNxRCx-S1OnFyTo-81as2ZL1AFyRZvyxf6Nmf6H8AZWP10KhCSOEWDCGrwdgsggc0XmYzcbqwaWLdp1IuWtr6XGSNJbrHQDZYQ3giu0vHXmSnjDD90eLH3CJLjV07k7XY7zyYaw-Erz8rkXmvdcrZ1cWJfL3UHTvrsV4HtBMfW7WemQyuA/w504-h378/IMG_2154.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Scillonian III, the boat to the Scillies</div><p></p><p>Onwards to the third day of travel, it probably would have been quicker in the 19th century. An early morning dawned, as the sun rose behind St Michael's Mount, getting up early to get the ferry, the Scillionian III, which left early at 9:15. Thankfully, the sea was as still as a millpond which made the journey hassle free. On the boat, the majority of tourists were birdwatchers, dressed in greens and browns, with a pair of binoculars and maybe a telescope for those more dedicated. Like me they were heading to the fabled lands of the Scillies, on the hope of capturing that epic lifer. It also meant bird watching was good from the boat, as there were many eyes, and there was usually someone shouting out what was seen.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOwBFNanIoQLVRndd-ihs4ZvRfggKzEpf6N_zhgVShHFLg4cywGGNPX54BMJHE1arGsAeZyE4_5R028CZlXBVtnweFL56cjXRkeyMYoefPQvP1V_ihyEKoXwe4Vkxn-Slr1Pasp3Pe5iTCPKdbor_p0NsDNgDWW1qjciC6gzFnsX_r_mjCsTbCABllw/s2342/IMG_9519.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="2342" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOwBFNanIoQLVRndd-ihs4ZvRfggKzEpf6N_zhgVShHFLg4cywGGNPX54BMJHE1arGsAeZyE4_5R028CZlXBVtnweFL56cjXRkeyMYoefPQvP1V_ihyEKoXwe4Vkxn-Slr1Pasp3Pe5iTCPKdbor_p0NsDNgDWW1qjciC6gzFnsX_r_mjCsTbCABllw/w504-h356/IMG_9519.jpeg" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A younger DOLPHIN in the pod - photo by Andy Crawford</div><p></p><p></p><p>With the water so calm it was a good time to observe the sea birds, ones that had left the mainland to spend the winter out at sea. Numbers weren't particularly high but there was a good variety. Of note were a pair of POMARINE SKUAS, one a pale bellied the other dark, and a pair of MANX SHEARWATERS kept pace with the boat for a while. A single tiny GREY PHALAROPE was left behind in the ship's wake, a little dot in the great ocean. The most numerous bird was the GANNET, such a majestic bird, and the sight of them dive bombing into the sea is a something I can never get tired of. There were big flocks of GUILLEMOTS and a single PUFFIN was of interest, as its my first ever October record. A single male EIDER was seen at Penzance, where TURNSTONES and ROCK PIPITS were seen in the harbour.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ-o0YkayfIP-Ar9kIRAUqbePBvdd_F_twQ3a1QhCaYM9NTNeCYzTAhUlM5Lz9AHAoyrAuFP6jHPJzBk_UKwheEPZzoxTJhFZgjn7N8X-3vztsvC3Pxg4bd4hW5RifGHWaLZ4v-DApzZJESYA0RV_A-HSlo8-nIVROPnNUWXLSsX_lsTlCTI5m-zQtw/s1679/IMG_9515.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1679" data-original-width="1629" height="511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJ-o0YkayfIP-Ar9kIRAUqbePBvdd_F_twQ3a1QhCaYM9NTNeCYzTAhUlM5Lz9AHAoyrAuFP6jHPJzBk_UKwheEPZzoxTJhFZgjn7N8X-3vztsvC3Pxg4bd4hW5RifGHWaLZ4v-DApzZJESYA0RV_A-HSlo8-nIVROPnNUWXLSsX_lsTlCTI5m-zQtw/w495-h511/IMG_9515.jpeg" width="495" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo by Andy Crawford</div><p></p><p>Although the birds were good the most exciting sightings were the several pods of COMMON DOLPHINS, breaking the waves, with several jumping fully out of the water, easily seen from the boat. There was a shout of 'minke whale!' but I didn't see it.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmRsQy-FOT5IxEOgvUnWQ9iHtvswHFLeCuju-j9DzML5d9Ep5uHVV73imfU4WvyCRLHMhd3V3IZoYNnh4NNsJT7HJpKFgXl6gL_RZF33UHZdL643N2W5vfvDxYaiqsCEUmT_C0Y0b-wuTau8chAQ0xdTz99_vrIExc1RQd-PCaSglCBUh5xLHw6AOnw/s4283/IMG_2159.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2852" data-original-width="4283" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmRsQy-FOT5IxEOgvUnWQ9iHtvswHFLeCuju-j9DzML5d9Ep5uHVV73imfU4WvyCRLHMhd3V3IZoYNnh4NNsJT7HJpKFgXl6gL_RZF33UHZdL643N2W5vfvDxYaiqsCEUmT_C0Y0b-wuTau8chAQ0xdTz99_vrIExc1RQd-PCaSglCBUh5xLHw6AOnw/w501-h333/IMG_2159.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A SHAG drying it wings, they were a common bird on the shores of the Islands</div><p></p><p>The Scillies came into view, gradually, with some people pointing out the garrison, with plenty of SHAGS drying themselves on the rocks. We arrived at Hugh Town, the main town on the Scillies at midday, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous, like a summer's day, shorts weather even, it felt like an English paradise. Collecting baggage dumped on the quayside, I made my way to the guesthouse, a walk to the edge of town, ten minutes at most. Arriving at the guest house I had to stop to admire the views from the there which looked across the circular, boat strewn bay to the main part of Hugh Town, a view that was breathtaking.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_tYhaBS9POJSAPo7NExM0Cyib5cqjB1GUlPMMJ5VzZuL9fdPQjpBV_JA0Gp7xj4K0gIz7QuNsmpGIy0OQ53LB3kgbv5Mmjwxofl7ZPf2z2tcIX8yRT5kpWZWnX8AZDixdEKwnMmhSFX8br44shqmc9IbAR5FdG-0ticCCdDVXNr2J8ylpmLUmlglAA/s5184/IMG_2170.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_tYhaBS9POJSAPo7NExM0Cyib5cqjB1GUlPMMJ5VzZuL9fdPQjpBV_JA0Gp7xj4K0gIz7QuNsmpGIy0OQ53LB3kgbv5Mmjwxofl7ZPf2z2tcIX8yRT5kpWZWnX8AZDixdEKwnMmhSFX8br44shqmc9IbAR5FdG-0ticCCdDVXNr2J8ylpmLUmlglAA/w500-h375/IMG_2170.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view from the guesthouse across the bay to Hugh Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><p></p><p>The guesthouse was called the Mincarlo and things were pretty laid back, there was no one to greet us and we just let ourselves in. I had a nice little single bed with again great views from the little window. We all met up at half three to finally see who was with us on the trip. It was a pretty decent group of people, but as per the rules of my blog I will now write about people, only about birds, the countryside, just nature in general. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PxQgPpeD3fgOwOBcUgTaj8NIAMQoVjpeE_KCtAsl7a-qNPeQ11SX3gkqmGXW6QnF-tp1bYHxmdN8r_6nfA-4qDoKp4F0r7FzBsWbKWemt-H_scEa89Dt75Xtt2TCVeFrJYpUTfO5zYUnE4FFk_hgUFqnMmB3oV7g3q47DQ8EruIpFTesvRGZ6r7Xtw/s5184/IMG_2308.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PxQgPpeD3fgOwOBcUgTaj8NIAMQoVjpeE_KCtAsl7a-qNPeQ11SX3gkqmGXW6QnF-tp1bYHxmdN8r_6nfA-4qDoKp4F0r7FzBsWbKWemt-H_scEa89Dt75Xtt2TCVeFrJYpUTfO5zYUnE4FFk_hgUFqnMmB3oV7g3q47DQ8EruIpFTesvRGZ6r7Xtw/w501-h376/IMG_2308.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A rather confusing statue on the cliffs above the guesthouse</div><p></p><p>So all the hard work was over, and now I was on the Scillies, I could finally relax and just enjoy the holiday, which I did, very much. Be prepared for some very thorough posts of my trip to these fabled isles later on.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-84759799074970948612022-10-19T10:12:00.004-07:002022-10-19T10:12:50.916-07:00The Isles of Scilly - 6-16/10/2022<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHFtC5nmj9CWprvsv-doUUj4vU-FoQqT8TZx69IgwuX6ZOGU2QHgwmTKX_27CCQ_4O0iRfU3dv4RJV2ceVv00hYf6wIZ5cezr4mJiZ-HyJ810vfk7miEpUlNlsZaMrsxpVYt-R_Kn91Fi5SJNOg6Ul3_nklNjmcBCZEsZ3VzZxbbIT17uAzMWkQIJYw/s4147/IMG_2261.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2876" data-original-width="4147" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHFtC5nmj9CWprvsv-doUUj4vU-FoQqT8TZx69IgwuX6ZOGU2QHgwmTKX_27CCQ_4O0iRfU3dv4RJV2ceVv00hYf6wIZ5cezr4mJiZ-HyJ810vfk7miEpUlNlsZaMrsxpVYt-R_Kn91Fi5SJNOg6Ul3_nklNjmcBCZEsZ3VzZxbbIT17uAzMWkQIJYw/w502-h348/IMG_2261.JPG" width="502" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">GOLDEN PHEASANT on Tresco</p><p style="text-align: left;">There are certain areas of the country that are legendary for birdwacthing, places like the Suffolk and North Norfolk Coast, but there are few places that are so fabled as the Scillies, a mythical place to visit, especially in October. The roll call of rarities that pour into the islands makes anyone with an interest in birds salivate in the mouth. The Isles of Scilly just seems to attract the unusual more than anywhere else in the UK. So where better to spend a week's birding in October 2022 than those famous islands. And boy were they good.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqhpma96z7PSEHSSm7pddhauLdzRpqfuFb9_y9GHJEsRSBqoefMFJzMdwkU989j-y_Rd4UeJ0whxFzec0XCKCAMY7EwnlhDgQsf8-RblxTqhZOG9b0jplSUAsjKpo-KUaNiVGyy4-FUC_-OlCCeNDgGBl97XPHSNhOZv6JD7wJDUFXfaoCmkIImKK6g/s5184/IMG_2558.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqhpma96z7PSEHSSm7pddhauLdzRpqfuFb9_y9GHJEsRSBqoefMFJzMdwkU989j-y_Rd4UeJ0whxFzec0XCKCAMY7EwnlhDgQsf8-RblxTqhZOG9b0jplSUAsjKpo-KUaNiVGyy4-FUC_-OlCCeNDgGBl97XPHSNhOZv6JD7wJDUFXfaoCmkIImKK6g/w504-h378/IMG_2558.JPG" width="504" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Porth Loo Beach</p><p>The Isles of Scilly are situated off southern Cornwall, a two and a half hour boat journey from Penzance on the mainland, and being outlying islands attract the unusual birds. Rare birds turn up due to difficulties in their Autumn migration, strong winds blowing them off course or just getting lost, and so they end up on these islands somehow or other. Being so far off land, lying so far south and west, they attract birds not seen on the mainland, birds that might get lost at sea, often American. The Scillies are small and sparsely populated, a group of islands that huddle close to each other, the distance between them short. The islands are small, only a couple of miles long, so are easy to get around, walking roads and footpaths, the distance between things short. Places are not far from each other and in many cases areas where there are birds follow on to other ones, making it handy to do several twitches in one day, even making it easy to travel to other islands fairly rapidly for a mega twitch.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFkHCX8HHHwoESjOWx8qlalIuc7xSDLVP0MrqKAyz4svOybTCjael02-1L9PgAn-27vcJVqK12DrwJkecNOMoafGNWGeCi4-Rh8EDPMLNdIfSWqIfc71goerCas5zFW56mnTHpBViqlqsJ8pFNnPLI6hhU6QQgw9ghQ1c2Ogti77j1XQotz5a22qVSw/s5184/IMG_2706.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoFkHCX8HHHwoESjOWx8qlalIuc7xSDLVP0MrqKAyz4svOybTCjael02-1L9PgAn-27vcJVqK12DrwJkecNOMoafGNWGeCi4-Rh8EDPMLNdIfSWqIfc71goerCas5zFW56mnTHpBViqlqsJ8pFNnPLI6hhU6QQgw9ghQ1c2Ogti77j1XQotz5a22qVSw/w502-h377/IMG_2706.JPG" width="502" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">The dock at St Agnes</p><p>Being my first time and travelling myself, I decided to go through a tour company, Birdfinders, run by Vaughan and Svetlana. This was a new company for me, so I was a bit concerned, but I liked the style, things were laidback and fairly easy going. A lot of tour operators are rigid, you go out and do this and this without any change, but with Birdfinders anyone could leave and do whatever they want. There were around ten people joining me in the tour and for a change there were people of my age in the group, not so many of the grey brigade, some coming back to the island, others like me arriving for the first time. It made for a good atmosphere, something different from my more usual, lonely birding, so unusual to share this strange past time with other people. It was also good to get some expert knowledge of the islands, Vaughan and Svetlana were well known birders there, to actually know where the places were and more importantly where to find the birds.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywVzonMm5eSmoGUZhgZSuSxlvqee6ZlFwiCBxe0kr6SDL1dQGVtwNzg4JbM7z1KzG7pTAeO4TlJ2GEhtGiZZxF75ku81DNlckR6fcl2O-W4LJb1CK0wxvr2VqnCNNj7AOvR-pAMVtPsFMn9pCxQhygbqejB68bOdN8mf4oDid5KrGopd6ZK7dPuoJzg/s5184/IMG_2170.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywVzonMm5eSmoGUZhgZSuSxlvqee6ZlFwiCBxe0kr6SDL1dQGVtwNzg4JbM7z1KzG7pTAeO4TlJ2GEhtGiZZxF75ku81DNlckR6fcl2O-W4LJb1CK0wxvr2VqnCNNj7AOvR-pAMVtPsFMn9pCxQhygbqejB68bOdN8mf4oDid5KrGopd6ZK7dPuoJzg/w500-h375/IMG_2170.JPG" width="500" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Hugh Town</p><p>It took me a couple of days to get to and from the islands, its a hard place to get to, especially with train strikes, believe me. I stayed there for a week from the 8/10 to 15/10, staying in Hugh Town on St Mary's, going to the islands of Tresco twice and St Agnes and Bryher once. St Mary's is the main island, more populated and cultivated, with mainly small grassy fields bordered by hedgerows, the other islands are rougher and wilder, less kept by man. Hugh Town is the largest settlement, where the ferry alights, a small settlement that winds around a circular bay. Its a delightful place, small, with maybe a thousands people, but is handy, with a bank, a post office, a coop, several pubs and some tourist shops. I stayed in a guest house called the Mincarlo, which had absolutely amazing views across the boat strewn bay to the other side of the town, which in the brilliant light reminded me of something more exotic. The islands feel like something different to what you usually expect of the UK, they are almost like a different country in some respects, yet at the same time there is a comfortable familiarity of being around British people.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4nsWVCo9qe4CFYxe4URY0suiKYuEqXTD2wk8mJXkS651kZKWJDaUFrqNEbWO086X4ZlKhTk0cAIQr9siTEAlBZmF7-u3Rei9_ChIVPHUp9WOUk-_g7MORG8cYDak5p1jvX2bwRypm0j7aFUs5SW5OiRWtPD7uG8iV2Tkg0AXu7s9FwnvWtf7Kahw5g/s5184/IMG_2998.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4nsWVCo9qe4CFYxe4URY0suiKYuEqXTD2wk8mJXkS651kZKWJDaUFrqNEbWO086X4ZlKhTk0cAIQr9siTEAlBZmF7-u3Rei9_ChIVPHUp9WOUk-_g7MORG8cYDak5p1jvX2bwRypm0j7aFUs5SW5OiRWtPD7uG8iV2Tkg0AXu7s9FwnvWtf7Kahw5g/w502-h377/IMG_2998.JPG" width="502" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">What happens to unguarded cakes in the Scillies</p><div>Another reason the Scillies attract so many birds is that the islands offers up plenty of habitat to find the birds in, a mix of favourable countryside that attracts a good range of species. As is happening with the rest of the country bird numbers were low, there just aren't that many birds left in the countryside to migrate to other countrysides, big flocks of birds are becoming things of the past. On the plus side certain species were very common. HOUSE SPARROWS and STARLINGS were present in huge flocks at times, especially around habitation, villages and towns, kind of giving the idea of what numbers used to be like on the mainland in the distant past, before their populations crashed there. At Longstone Café sparrows were a real pest, with a large flock pestering you, nipping at any unguarded cakes, swooping down like vultures on any scraps fed out to them. BLACKBIRDS and SONG THRUSHES were also present in good numbers, both resident and migrants, and the flight of a ROBIN often got me excited, dreaming of rarer birds than the little red breast. However in general there weren't any big flocks, birds were usually present in ones or twos, a sad indictment of the state of our countryside.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81FgQgaZqEH-UfvfwS7kgsfFj8ZjnZ4i68s0fHvXJ_rFeDdE_EYjPkbw4g8I-tYZJ-DHOp7jAXLqYANFB1UM4PtKN4zKIUgwLneIGXDvNeoqUtVerpC_f49_e3PLmYXs-uusIVhSlaZd7b3Hr8QU6ro6KTFgUkxDbvinB_dn-zEmszAmJhY5XBqfP_Q/s5184/IMG_2678.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81FgQgaZqEH-UfvfwS7kgsfFj8ZjnZ4i68s0fHvXJ_rFeDdE_EYjPkbw4g8I-tYZJ-DHOp7jAXLqYANFB1UM4PtKN4zKIUgwLneIGXDvNeoqUtVerpC_f49_e3PLmYXs-uusIVhSlaZd7b3Hr8QU6ro6KTFgUkxDbvinB_dn-zEmszAmJhY5XBqfP_Q/w503-h378/IMG_2678.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A twitch for a TWO BARRED GREENISH WARBLER that never was</div><div><br /></div><div>Being such a magnet for rare birds, there were plenty of birdwatchers on the islands, outnumbering any other tourist by a great deal. When a rare bird turned up there was a "twitch" where birders flock together to tick off another rarity, and there were a few of them on the Scillies. Many people like me came over for the week, and a lot of the time the same people turned up to each twitch and you got to know a lot of the birdwatchers on the island. Rarest bird for me this week was a BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, an American stunner, only the fifth for the country and the first for England, which brought out a huge crowd over several days. Other lifers included SWAINSON'S THRUSH, GOLDEN PHEASANT, BUFF BELLIED PIPIT and WILSON'S SNIPE, some pretty rare birds, coming from all over the world, all ending up on the Scillies for whatever reasons (although the pheasants were introduced, but still count).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kkt8waeKk9RMmidT6n0ZmRrbYREH_cao-ifbQrVpU52YuFfeyMkc87zhhKFZSQFRXthHzrCZGof92BnYajX-3JloJqGg95Nh79fCwidoZyGOHKv7uDRfR25S7EFDO8YE00GVpk6KZu49w8TMV2cHGThhKg64i4Ma5jVs893nfZOO_8nji8mvPfMC5g/s5184/IMG_2688.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kkt8waeKk9RMmidT6n0ZmRrbYREH_cao-ifbQrVpU52YuFfeyMkc87zhhKFZSQFRXthHzrCZGof92BnYajX-3JloJqGg95Nh79fCwidoZyGOHKv7uDRfR25S7EFDO8YE00GVpk6KZu49w8TMV2cHGThhKg64i4Ma5jVs893nfZOO_8nji8mvPfMC5g/w501-h376/IMG_2688.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dock at Tresco</div><div><br /></div><div>Quite surprisingly, the terrain of the islands were mainly undulating without being hilly, but there were lots of walks uphill, which after a long day got irritating. St Mary's was the most civilised of the islands with a lot of small pastureland broken up by small hedgerows, a pleasant landscape, without being particularly remarkable. In the lowlands there were wetlands, providing good birding, particularly Higher Moors and Lower Moors (only a short walk from Hugh Town) on St Mary's, and Great Pool on Tresco, a large lake that's brought in the birds. On the remoter islands things were less cultivated, much wilder, and as a result there were large stretches of rough grassland, lots of areas of bracken, open country, where birds lurked in the scattered bushes. Also around the islands there was plenty of wooded cover, especially on Tresco (although it was mainly hostile pine plantation), and because of the warm climate a lot of the vegetation (especially on St Mary's) was comprised of non native succulents, introduced from South Africa. Around the edges of the islands, the shoreline was rocky and uninviting, with small sandy beaches, but there were no estuaries or mudflats, so wader numbers were limited.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKRqKhEWQ_UQkdjmQU67L1ikfbCuVs4YvA8ttxITN63i3TA0o0DWc1MQ-RO2VAlkcmFCtsw_1Is4RacrTaM_4TVTtFQjlDhlMQ9uXwVzRYTveBSPv2-Qg98qw9AYxTCi-ANe1pmOu6OZrubXq-NSnqmUJaRp5t_B_mgvX7xgFLDHJznBcAA0Cz4lhpg/s5184/IMG_2337.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKRqKhEWQ_UQkdjmQU67L1ikfbCuVs4YvA8ttxITN63i3TA0o0DWc1MQ-RO2VAlkcmFCtsw_1Is4RacrTaM_4TVTtFQjlDhlMQ9uXwVzRYTveBSPv2-Qg98qw9AYxTCi-ANe1pmOu6OZrubXq-NSnqmUJaRp5t_B_mgvX7xgFLDHJznBcAA0Cz4lhpg/w500-h375/IMG_2337.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><p>Visiting the islands in October the mainly marine environment meant that the weather was often a mixed bag, changing daily, often hourly, something you could never predict. When I first landed on the islands it was like a summer's day, it felt like beach weather, and it felt so glorious to have finally set foot on such hallowed birdwatching grounds. For the rest of the trip the weather stayed fairly mellow, but on Tresco I once got caught out in a heavy rain storm, and got completely drenched, deciding it was a good idea to go out on an exposed walk on the north of the island, one of those soakings where everything got wet (my poor phone gave up the ghost after that). At the end of the stay waiting for the return ferry, some people told me that it stays so warm right into December, a place so unlike the rest of the UK, a completely unique place. I'm sad to leave it behind.</p><p>This post was a brief introduction to the Islands, if you would like a more detailed description, please read further posts. Its going to take a long time to write this blog, but its a labour of love and I will enjoy every moment, reliving the time I was out in the Scillies.</p><p></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-61378185080855249922022-10-01T12:27:00.004-07:002022-10-01T12:27:51.781-07:00Martlesham Creek - 1/10/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q7O1HQwjIK03u9fcoULQtRaa4lmR0m8lkUMbqUebCWt5kSKBdGi42mfxHJen-sEknuHpsnAEcm1CMMvho2Sha-BsO1AlxnAiQbrbXzixWCEErbejVsoqJVoiCUHcOmHmhVxtgoesJFjfthGsXm4klopQuYiI-ExWWozHdKtT87AWhVVYm9mfPQs3pw/s3456/IMG_2026.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q7O1HQwjIK03u9fcoULQtRaa4lmR0m8lkUMbqUebCWt5kSKBdGi42mfxHJen-sEknuHpsnAEcm1CMMvho2Sha-BsO1AlxnAiQbrbXzixWCEErbejVsoqJVoiCUHcOmHmhVxtgoesJFjfthGsXm4klopQuYiI-ExWWozHdKtT87AWhVVYm9mfPQs3pw/w506-h380/IMG_2026.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GREENSHANK and a BLACK HEADED GULL</div><p></p><p>Occasionally even the most lonesome of birdwatchers needs company and so today I joined a group activity, a collective birdwatch at Martlesham Creek. Group birdwatching is a different activity to the lonely one. Groups work at a much slower pace, you end up standing in places for a long while, and where the individual would crave quiet, with more people there is a quiet chatter. Under the guise of the Suffolk Bird Group, this morning was a saunter around a nice section of the Deben estuary. Martlesham Creek branches off the main river estuary and provides good views of waders, and the occasional osprey, and although there were none of the latter, there were plenty of wading birds to see.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReMaNObrkrSLmsLWGuedRrOHNX_LI4V9kJDxIFuj2_ZEVvbogItgGrFmtRtrWPJI9I0wmqKuNmxeiZWTMgGIgr2QF0mcyYX_M4_jd-BHZqwdjkbzbGuMX4Buq5OXQUoKrOpccL7zJisP6EsC0cq-X3wGUXpYh3sFuR6G2Nao04mulkjqu20uUoJjvyA/s5184/IMG_1905.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReMaNObrkrSLmsLWGuedRrOHNX_LI4V9kJDxIFuj2_ZEVvbogItgGrFmtRtrWPJI9I0wmqKuNmxeiZWTMgGIgr2QF0mcyYX_M4_jd-BHZqwdjkbzbGuMX4Buq5OXQUoKrOpccL7zJisP6EsC0cq-X3wGUXpYh3sFuR6G2Nao04mulkjqu20uUoJjvyA/w504-h378/IMG_1905.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The marina on the Creek</div><p></p><p>Being an estuary WADERS were the order of the day, and although numbers weren't high there was plenty of variety. The tide was very low on the estuary, providing lots of mud to attract the wading birds, and with the Creek being narrow in places, birds were quite close. On the first stretch, the very end of the Creek, coming out by the small marina, two SPOTTED REDSHANK, were around, now moulted out of their jet black summer plumage, more grey and white now, more elegant than the COMMON REDSHANK, the most numerous wader on the creek. A RUFF was present as well, and there were several GREENSHANK, a bird that was found in decent numbers along the Creek. Further along the Creek, there were small numbers of GREY PLOVER, BLACKTAILED GODWIT and CURLEW in singles along the tidal edge. Where the Creek ended and joined the main body of the Deben, two RINGED PLOVER were on the mud, but we were strangely missing common birds like dunlin today. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUCYnwmg6ma_fQdzj136B_sKlJ-NRYb_FhUi5_ejrfl7yxfoe7UziycAIK3ExH4csib0y040-Foynla_KtArheGrBruZLaWuK27MarTLu6GDW69MIpISjnCgWpVbQpMaFtkyxnfUQTYPLmg49UDwtfCY9uVqCsX4IzaEpfoITf6aE9pN_qDDFVUjWTg/s3203/IMG_1909.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2382" data-original-width="3203" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUCYnwmg6ma_fQdzj136B_sKlJ-NRYb_FhUi5_ejrfl7yxfoe7UziycAIK3ExH4csib0y040-Foynla_KtArheGrBruZLaWuK27MarTLu6GDW69MIpISjnCgWpVbQpMaFtkyxnfUQTYPLmg49UDwtfCY9uVqCsX4IzaEpfoITf6aE9pN_qDDFVUjWTg/w505-h376/IMG_1909.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SPOTTED REDSHANK</div><p></p><p>Apart from waders, there were small numbers of other water birds about. A KINGFISHER was a brief bullet of sapphire, flying across the river wall to land in a dyke the other side, where small numbers of REED BUNTING flitted about among the reeds. LITTLE GREBES were plentiful, little round shapes in the main channel, while small numbers of TEAL were pretty much the only DUCKS around. By the marina there was a small herd of MUTE SWAN, resting on the edge of the channel, and there were a few LITTLE EGRETS stalking the shallow water.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oncoHrDrqpksPywCNy1iXtJVhu8Kbl5JJgAd_07tJqU7oz0tEGSWxz75SCQaEgpyMxjcEXNsscNl6Ucm5-ejfxzZF5TRcEEp1D-0-T9inPp-0NosWumSqdlbwWGxFEIIDUjHI4LtCFYTHJmHI5BlGIHzFi8ZxfRU60DdtBuJfeBbWQNrFgAojMnGkA/s5184/IMG_2087.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oncoHrDrqpksPywCNy1iXtJVhu8Kbl5JJgAd_07tJqU7oz0tEGSWxz75SCQaEgpyMxjcEXNsscNl6Ucm5-ejfxzZF5TRcEEp1D-0-T9inPp-0NosWumSqdlbwWGxFEIIDUjHI4LtCFYTHJmHI5BlGIHzFi8ZxfRU60DdtBuJfeBbWQNrFgAojMnGkA/w503-h377/IMG_2087.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Red House where the Creek meets the main Deben river</div><p></p><p>So not a great deal seen in total, but plenty enough to keep a party of birdwatchers interested. I don't know how many more group days out I'll attend, most of them are on a Sunday when I have to work, so there wont be any for a while. But maybe, when there is a suitable Saturday, and when I'm feeling sociable again, I'll attend another outing.<br /></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-76979234900655432342022-09-28T11:36:00.002-07:002022-10-04T10:42:18.192-07:00Cavenham Heath & Lackford Lakes - 22/9/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2gormWhG6lv8pDk0TLjuIQ8ST4iChwdAjooE_3aeDzdjPTQrspFYqtPKMxUbM7rHfxNq_VyIGoGSss0G806KHzGYp9Vz-a3GAyseSGDvcVIvElHWTTZ2eKEInjriB0nFBG3Nd58HOsc-AD_igihG12EBDlaxJ0w0TTO8K6jy0LWuUM31lBAfEkpLcw/s5184/IMG_1725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2gormWhG6lv8pDk0TLjuIQ8ST4iChwdAjooE_3aeDzdjPTQrspFYqtPKMxUbM7rHfxNq_VyIGoGSss0G806KHzGYp9Vz-a3GAyseSGDvcVIvElHWTTZ2eKEInjriB0nFBG3Nd58HOsc-AD_igihG12EBDlaxJ0w0TTO8K6jy0LWuUM31lBAfEkpLcw/w505-h379/IMG_1725.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GREAT TIT</div><p></p><p>Although the best reserves in Suffolk are found mainly on the coast, there are a few good birding places further west, inland. Cavenham Heath and Lackford Lakes lie on the edge of the Brecks, an area of multiple habitats that was originally heathland. The area is a good place see those scarce birds of heathlands, the best place in the country for finding stone curlews.</p><p><b>Cavenham Heath </b></p><p>Cavenham Heath is one of the few remnants of Brecks heath existing, an area of acid grassland with scattered growths of heather. Managed by Natural England (the government conservation body), the place is off the beaten track, a little area of wilderness in the Suffolk countryside, found at the end of a series of quiet roads.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVwvXzuGhty3LjzGUvPBewXzWW6roFqQebj9cnEl61T1Vj5dSgjQVqhtZTTeCD0-bJKbsnWd3v0uEApq_uT7in6Gbrm0CGOqCO0_Ea-O6I_lrgb0pGJIblyKAQVqxnp7FjAqnpk7UCInFwqZ4BpBXoleEUSKCace5ieTzunAk6H1mDadyCLREh0-k5A/s5184/IMG_1607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVwvXzuGhty3LjzGUvPBewXzWW6roFqQebj9cnEl61T1Vj5dSgjQVqhtZTTeCD0-bJKbsnWd3v0uEApq_uT7in6Gbrm0CGOqCO0_Ea-O6I_lrgb0pGJIblyKAQVqxnp7FjAqnpk7UCInFwqZ4BpBXoleEUSKCace5ieTzunAk6H1mDadyCLREh0-k5A/w503-h377/IMG_1607.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cavenham Heath an area of acid grassland with scattered heather and birch trees</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The heath is famous for STONE CURLEWS, both as a breeding site and as a place where they congregate before departing for migration. It was for the latter reason, the birds depart in October, that I decided to have a visit. Looking for stone curlews is tough, they hate people and keep well away. They are also very well camouflaged and can disappear into any tussock of grass, the birds tend to run along the ground rather than fly. Cavenham is vast, and finding any stone curlews is hard. Walking along the road which cuts through the centre, I scanned the sheep grazed grass for a WAILING HEATH CHICKEN, and I was eventually successful. Down by the very edge of the reserve, by the river Lark, I had a brief view of one, before it disappeared. The birds are a tan colour with a big yellow eye and a straight, yellow beak, distinctive looking without being particularly attractive. It appeared briefly before disappearing into the tussocky grass of the heath.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-cYPQZAPCfyh60iL8gt3AgKdj1A1501VYvaDHv1cdwCyOOSRg1mvBkKjzsTBhgATbE6uAx6EkDl_grzthKHczvDThIquUAiOzhOv3gvMMZ1J4UIPSlww7sDW3qb7CHA028fAVAKtt1v9A67Cy0by8xvbysomCzz9RiPJc7ozRpSntymWXOoaZiPwpQ/s5184/IMG_1610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-cYPQZAPCfyh60iL8gt3AgKdj1A1501VYvaDHv1cdwCyOOSRg1mvBkKjzsTBhgATbE6uAx6EkDl_grzthKHczvDThIquUAiOzhOv3gvMMZ1J4UIPSlww7sDW3qb7CHA028fAVAKtt1v9A67Cy0by8xvbysomCzz9RiPJc7ozRpSntymWXOoaZiPwpQ/w504-h378/IMG_1610.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Near to the stone curlew, a GREY PARTRIDGE, stretched its neck above the grasslands to watch me. Formerly a very common bird of the countryside, they are now rare and hard to find, mainly due to habitat loss. Being a heath, STONECHATS were common, with plenty of birds perched on a fence or gorse. A GREY WAGTAIL was down by the river. A BROWN HARE was also about, grazing among the smaller rabbits. However, being a heath in September, in general it was fairly quiet.</p><p><b>Lackford Lakes</b></p><p>It was a quiet day down at Lackford, as it usually is at this time of year. The lakes were quiet, some wildfowl about, but no big counts. Despite there being plenty of habitat the reserve is poor for waders, and despite there being plenty of mud, nothing of this type of bird was seen. With the recent drought, parts of the Slough had dried up, but as a whole most of the lakes held water.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiIWzWSOqXJDcmyx21orRog2Ckv801D3xKs1Ct0gXHFei0pxaCluwDkQOcYnFmcux8yfrIRQbwcy9ZW12Lmiqt0DlxgCY1IoFAMMKWrtJgAlRAris3Oly4pwgOFODyZfqZGhoZ1IbJQEDDzcvjO11XjNb39FpCH7y3DOYRZ7jo8sBa7COgcL9dFUfNg/s5184/IMG_1695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdiIWzWSOqXJDcmyx21orRog2Ckv801D3xKs1Ct0gXHFei0pxaCluwDkQOcYnFmcux8yfrIRQbwcy9ZW12Lmiqt0DlxgCY1IoFAMMKWrtJgAlRAris3Oly4pwgOFODyZfqZGhoZ1IbJQEDDzcvjO11XjNb39FpCH7y3DOYRZ7jo8sBa7COgcL9dFUfNg/w507-h380/IMG_1695.JPG" width="507" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">GREAT TIT on the Stump</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>As usual at Lackford, there were plenty of DUCKS about. Most common were TUFTED DUCK with close to a hundred present. There were also plenty of GADWALL and TEAL about with around fifty of each around, with single figures of SHOVELLER and POCHARD. The Slough held the largest number, the birds congregating around the central part of the lake. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJmUkbmotVpMGni7BR0BS-lWTduJdASlaq30oyN5OYft9RyP-tvu626Xvg5T86bqwo_7ZCF0uhU9pLIjNOsvfNU6MGS_axvo6h_9oBO0sgWszPiIG_w_QBQUTJGqjCBxYOc4twdFKjqwF0lieOKWeZas9vYgBrrhHHDqGC1VtHU5gAV5sudKKD7s8yw/s5184/IMG_1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJmUkbmotVpMGni7BR0BS-lWTduJdASlaq30oyN5OYft9RyP-tvu626Xvg5T86bqwo_7ZCF0uhU9pLIjNOsvfNU6MGS_axvo6h_9oBO0sgWszPiIG_w_QBQUTJGqjCBxYOc4twdFKjqwF0lieOKWeZas9vYgBrrhHHDqGC1VtHU5gAV5sudKKD7s8yw/w506-h380/IMG_1613.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Slough</div><p>A HOBBY flew over the trees behind the Slough an acrobatic display of the freedom to be a bird. Small birds were hard to come by, a few CETTI'S WARBLERS had started singing, god knows why in September, belting their song out from an overgrown area. Down by the Stump, a few TITS and DUNNOCKS were about, but nothing much else of note really.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bk7LjVdEK04kRapL9j-AP47C99uzpBV8R4NqTR3Ukosikp58tgGOkUMreOQbap9aC4YSh36vzYM-p-OzO1_DwRGCCH0XbwEe18UdIXH-tghnv275_VOywiVCoRtbo0nJKno4MlB-MBteIeBcf8P9j_TQ6VOJTJj6lawnFRPGCBiwGp4uPciqo24Azg/s5184/IMG_1667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bk7LjVdEK04kRapL9j-AP47C99uzpBV8R4NqTR3Ukosikp58tgGOkUMreOQbap9aC4YSh36vzYM-p-OzO1_DwRGCCH0XbwEe18UdIXH-tghnv275_VOywiVCoRtbo0nJKno4MlB-MBteIeBcf8P9j_TQ6VOJTJj6lawnFRPGCBiwGp4uPciqo24Azg/w505-h379/IMG_1667.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A DUNNOCK and GREAT TIT</div><p></p><p>In all a quiet visit to west Suffolk, but I came away with the bonus of finding a stone curlew, the must see bird of the day. Its been a very uneventful Autumn for me with little passing through, I haven't seen anything really of note in the county. Maybe something will drift in but I don't hold up hope. What is really concerning is the lack of common migrants, with no swallows or hirundines seen today, despite it being peak migration. Bird numbers are crashing, as is most of nature, an apocalypse we can ignore, but shouldn't.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-8364609415123568002022-09-17T10:59:00.000-07:002022-09-17T10:59:55.363-07:00Dingle Marshes - 15/9/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3mGeog-8bh08smG-CeFCpvgLc2HDVDR4TtqO_ab0iP5u5EUJuGJlzmMBX9LSuqcrphx-6xGgDy33YDLHT7LAAGFI5qZhfFTFytZbubWEaJqEt_fO-z3ReG4tdWRI-Tc33e71W1aQ7DYgY5UMUv67e8xC7ZljCTvOxVybnkzx0CBVSYxbGProCrepUw/s5184/IMG_1569.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3mGeog-8bh08smG-CeFCpvgLc2HDVDR4TtqO_ab0iP5u5EUJuGJlzmMBX9LSuqcrphx-6xGgDy33YDLHT7LAAGFI5qZhfFTFytZbubWEaJqEt_fO-z3ReG4tdWRI-Tc33e71W1aQ7DYgY5UMUv67e8xC7ZljCTvOxVybnkzx0CBVSYxbGProCrepUw/w503-h377/IMG_1569.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fishing boat at Dunwich</div><p></p><p>Its been a fairly underwhelming Autumn so far on the Suffolk coast with little of interest moving through. So with not much about I chose to visit Dingle Marshes on the off chance that I might find something of interest. Alas it wasn't to be, as although there were a few interesting birds about there was just nothing truly rare to see.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzli9zzkLWNfys-5YFOr7z3nARVNQtFMZskjKGCKnISN5GtRE9YX9KbrblH_6JatpYf9kNpGgH6tWCVYOJ7l-sImly7kmzZ7F12A5dp74ZEPY6tAb6aBZde49GyO1_FfH-mTlmbY67EPFMe1YBzU8eMZlf1nZy-bpX0l05N4l1p5okZmA5NRsItQJDzw/s5184/IMG_1497.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzli9zzkLWNfys-5YFOr7z3nARVNQtFMZskjKGCKnISN5GtRE9YX9KbrblH_6JatpYf9kNpGgH6tWCVYOJ7l-sImly7kmzZ7F12A5dp74ZEPY6tAb6aBZde49GyO1_FfH-mTlmbY67EPFMe1YBzU8eMZlf1nZy-bpX0l05N4l1p5okZmA5NRsItQJDzw/w504-h378/IMG_1497.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">LITTLE EGRET on one of the shore pools</div><p></p><p>The walk around Dingle Marshes starts at Dunwich car park, walking north along the shingle beach, moving inland at the reed beds of Westwood Marshes before heading back south through Dunwich Forest. The Marshes are a mixture of grassland and reeds with a couple of shore pools, and the huge reed bed of Westwood Marshes, which is part of the Walberswick reserve. I spent some time around the area, three hours, giving it a thorough going over, checking all the available habitat so nothing could escape my searching gaze.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCVMVHoSXXVMXC2AsyqMHj7PKBWPT7sV9gSFoq-OC04fUND0zqKKIJxBB6QaatC2r7XXm6sYin9v4QVUwJTEJ1C9OUNXSdYbMaCRHaBf6fSUJ70y1wgpo8HKTMqBuUVeL98EohoDB8mFo1N0KX0hQ31JUSXRg57steKMdc8hkmvcgTpTzyZi1pPZN3A/s5184/IMG_1500.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCVMVHoSXXVMXC2AsyqMHj7PKBWPT7sV9gSFoq-OC04fUND0zqKKIJxBB6QaatC2r7XXm6sYin9v4QVUwJTEJ1C9OUNXSdYbMaCRHaBf6fSUJ70y1wgpo8HKTMqBuUVeL98EohoDB8mFo1N0KX0hQ31JUSXRg57steKMdc8hkmvcgTpTzyZi1pPZN3A/w505-h379/IMG_1500.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The huge skies that dwarf the marshes here</div><p></p><p>The shore pools on the marshes are pretty good for WADERS which are attracted to the shallow brackish water. The highlight today was a flock of five SPOTTED REDSHANK, a fairly common wader at this time of year, but for some reason they have been rare on the Suffolk Coast this Autumn. Its similar to a common redshank, but is more elegant, with a light grey wash plumage, and black on its bill. A WHIMBREL was present, as were two AVOCET, six DUNLIN, seven GODWITS and a COMMON SANDPIPER. Numbers of Teal had built up with 130 present, mainly asleep on the edges of the pools. Also around was a GREAT WHITE EGRET, mixed in with the LITTLE EGRETS, Dingle Marshes is the best place on the Coast to see this increasing species. A flock of seven RINGED PLOVERS were on the beach, often flying up and down when scared by a passing dog walker.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OyDu97PWGJzGN-KtQSA8vjiS4JEV5WGFUaofZp_d93kqCztQyOCMMwLN3GAqObGErYmlysJ1zSTUJfG3R6pLkLTRkKO9-jIBB7M7Oa6kDOanjV9B5YP536dFN-17z_kAnlHdKZNSqqLeBxdsRUSdBNWdB2M-WZ1JcodUGBktuLr0Ne4MtMlFRwSJFA/s4998/IMG_1554.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3626" data-original-width="4998" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OyDu97PWGJzGN-KtQSA8vjiS4JEV5WGFUaofZp_d93kqCztQyOCMMwLN3GAqObGErYmlysJ1zSTUJfG3R6pLkLTRkKO9-jIBB7M7Oa6kDOanjV9B5YP536dFN-17z_kAnlHdKZNSqqLeBxdsRUSdBNWdB2M-WZ1JcodUGBktuLr0Ne4MtMlFRwSJFA/w505-h366/IMG_1554.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The abandoned mill at Westwood Marshes</div><p></p><p>Walking through the reeds at Westwood Marshes, a KINGFISHER flew down one of the dykes, a bolt of sapphire shooting across the water, moving so quickly before disappearing for good. The reeds were full of BEARDED TITS, their metallic "pinging" call echoing among the tall stems, with the odd bird rising up to be seen. This is the time of year when they "erupt", when flocks of the birds emerge from the reeds, leaving the larger reed beds where they nest to winter elsewhere. WATER RAILS could be heard calling, a squealing pig sound coming from the reeds, this is a fairly common bird that is so hard to see, hidden in the reeds, but announces itself every so often. Several WHEATEAR were around the shingle bank, while a STONECHAT was seen in the grassy slope that rises from the marshes.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7oJUGzX9nxbiV4xnV7zUdRxU1aTbhokhcmqnLPkRNyKlRHKt3NLx853dw7hGUf4_hQasV5z0zL-YGDHwhDyftiH8IsLFtK-wclcPs7LrEwzGysLYkouAJqbQwRK51-Klb20oGmWFtQMP1Jb16e8V7CZ89YFT34NZ3b8_EQU_OJg9ipE43BNFDRLNwA/s5184/IMG_1529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg7oJUGzX9nxbiV4xnV7zUdRxU1aTbhokhcmqnLPkRNyKlRHKt3NLx853dw7hGUf4_hQasV5z0zL-YGDHwhDyftiH8IsLFtK-wclcPs7LrEwzGysLYkouAJqbQwRK51-Klb20oGmWFtQMP1Jb16e8V7CZ89YFT34NZ3b8_EQU_OJg9ipE43BNFDRLNwA/w504-h378/IMG_1529.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">MUTE SWAN on a dyke in the marshes</div><p></p><p>In the end it was a fairly standard day's birding down at Dingle Marshes with nothing much particularly of interest. I was hoping something of note might have turned up, but it wasn't to be. Its alright, its nice walking territory, and I enjoy visiting other places that aren't Minsmere. Its probably not the best place to visit on the Suffolk Coast, but worth a look every so often.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-23210276980093066232022-09-06T09:58:00.000-07:002022-09-06T09:58:07.147-07:00Minsmere - 1/9/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc2RrVQy3Yzwi4SlvsR_mbCrPekhkjwUsEgGh2-DHVJKixd3mJkF6vxlWDNb-MoUhYD982HqC4v4Rs9awfGhSpULWV_DuuDITuNKciMgbKvzJTwgCeaDX0JMOS6SAdUs7B2nyT-v3qY2JPDGZ3a6brzRO0ut0Ck9zzJspmLbfOOlmVZ6Vrtra_ljYpQ/s5184/IMG_1149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc2RrVQy3Yzwi4SlvsR_mbCrPekhkjwUsEgGh2-DHVJKixd3mJkF6vxlWDNb-MoUhYD982HqC4v4Rs9awfGhSpULWV_DuuDITuNKciMgbKvzJTwgCeaDX0JMOS6SAdUs7B2nyT-v3qY2JPDGZ3a6brzRO0ut0Ck9zzJspmLbfOOlmVZ6Vrtra_ljYpQ/w504-h378/IMG_1149.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Water measuring stick in the dried mud</div><p></p><p>With the extreme drought conditions we are facing (there hasn't been any significant rainfall this year) everywhere is drying up and wet places are hard to come by. In the nearly thirty years I have visited Minsmere I have never seen the reserve so dry. East Scrape has completely dried out, and there were only large puddles left on West Scrape. This really bodes ill, as if there is no rainfall soon, places may never recover, our green and pleasant land turned to a desert.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZAeUIuQXuOkrSUTL6VwmbDI6rqDTYwzTAVHTrpKzkQi_NTyjeuA7cmbprVp9izc9a-alaq8X-UztL3bB7rA6koat1nFmA-XBc40AeySDeD5aQt1mvwXdBFmt64umtiujmmT8ecrq9OQasVnmW89PiyVZ0TVqYOjNkDwzPp7d1QK3uenjXD6CuTCbhQ/s5184/IMG_1148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZAeUIuQXuOkrSUTL6VwmbDI6rqDTYwzTAVHTrpKzkQi_NTyjeuA7cmbprVp9izc9a-alaq8X-UztL3bB7rA6koat1nFmA-XBc40AeySDeD5aQt1mvwXdBFmt64umtiujmmT8ecrq9OQasVnmW89PiyVZ0TVqYOjNkDwzPp7d1QK3uenjXD6CuTCbhQ/w503-h377/IMG_1148.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">East Scrape is now a desert.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>With the Scrape mainly dried out, water birds were hard to come by. Most of the water had been pumped into South Scrape, and the levels were still high there, with some TEAL and SHOVELLER there, and a few lingering AVOCET. WADER wise it was very quiet, six SNIPE and four DUNLIN on West Scrape was paltry numbers. A flock of twelve SANDERLING were disturbed from the beach and flew down the coast.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBD0zSwTHEAfwmK9ma1ZWAjK9sI_pVqSNXNRRwQqty3oUdhI7urZfShCcI3yknA5VMJZO2hHNyeaE_lUKSGcGgvmY0rFvODRZ6KvxrbRaFYlDwmzT5ax9UdheeoWVtovIiN8qh8iVbAoShYV0cTZgXRzxANSUf6oJiNPq8Ol6vda4mLcgS2sf9ZzDkHw/s5184/IMG_1166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBD0zSwTHEAfwmK9ma1ZWAjK9sI_pVqSNXNRRwQqty3oUdhI7urZfShCcI3yknA5VMJZO2hHNyeaE_lUKSGcGgvmY0rFvODRZ6KvxrbRaFYlDwmzT5ax9UdheeoWVtovIiN8qh8iVbAoShYV0cTZgXRzxANSUf6oJiNPq8Ol6vda4mLcgS2sf9ZzDkHw/w504-h378/IMG_1166.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All the water had been concentrated on South Scrape</div><p></p><p>A few lingering MARSH HARRIER were around the reedbeds, while a GREAT WHITE EGRET was seen to fly around the reeds before going down again. On Island Mere there were more ducks GADWALL, TEAL, SHOVELLER and TUFTED DUCK, with a few GREAT CRESTED GREBES as well.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTMJWntgRggE3vmV8A7vwEPn3SJgW-7pvD2mKKNGM4e3Vjs1EvQCsAksRtKXQr3mhQK67dLVpC4H0e4XdCbZVvrqgV_NhyXsQL8q3Bq5yWKZafX-fLAlQl0yHDmy4EKHSFaUQOVQlnNpfSrp_jbobuwPLlj8p-ItzSEt5NKCczHpZ3EYvl8MDhcvpQw/s5184/IMG_1168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTMJWntgRggE3vmV8A7vwEPn3SJgW-7pvD2mKKNGM4e3Vjs1EvQCsAksRtKXQr3mhQK67dLVpC4H0e4XdCbZVvrqgV_NhyXsQL8q3Bq5yWKZafX-fLAlQl0yHDmy4EKHSFaUQOVQlnNpfSrp_jbobuwPLlj8p-ItzSEt5NKCczHpZ3EYvl8MDhcvpQw/w504-h378/IMG_1168.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A few puddles remained on West Scrape</div><p></p><p>Near the Konik Fields a flock of five BEARDED TITS erupted from the reedbeds and flew across the path, with another one lingering in the reeds. Only one STONECHAT was in the Dunes, a juvenile, the nesting birds have moved on and migrant birds have yet to arrive. Other wise small birds were keeping very quiet.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCMbpJFEf_b1x6hOBMG2575UNrq8IUJKMLGiZ-py5XMXsF1gRhx7L8tXWsfZOAXieDoDs_oLRpz241bUHtfjSnJm9gzpAYceG3XAPVzWCrMj-1hPTPn7AckagppxUKgo1nV7TIkODkisVRu2ZVhth-14t_WEoy6tGARAulNwkYBbTrI0wzWKWaiRoiQ/s5184/IMG_1167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCMbpJFEf_b1x6hOBMG2575UNrq8IUJKMLGiZ-py5XMXsF1gRhx7L8tXWsfZOAXieDoDs_oLRpz241bUHtfjSnJm9gzpAYceG3XAPVzWCrMj-1hPTPn7AckagppxUKgo1nV7TIkODkisVRu2ZVhth-14t_WEoy6tGARAulNwkYBbTrI0wzWKWaiRoiQ/w502-h377/IMG_1167.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The anti-tank blocks facing Sizewell B, on the Dunes</div><p></p><p>So probably the quietest day's birdwacthing I have ever experienced at Minsmere, there was just so little about. Water is the source of life and with so little of it about there were so few birds. If it doesn't rain, where does the water come from? A climate emergency is happening now, right in front of our eyes, yet nothing is being done to address it. Things have been started but not enough is being done now. What we need now is a deeper connection with our environment so we can understand just what is going so wrong with our world.<br /></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-34719645255673409882022-08-23T11:21:00.000-07:002022-08-23T11:21:40.363-07:00Havergate Island - 20/8/2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBQcuLo3nxVg5dl6S0Kpf-IphmSnLNzRG4I5w6d10VOVTktIY2bGjQnMKsO_BMC78zHrU2jkbVRbQwNRluZYvM77NQyc1eQnPzCZZKPke986439JHopwQE7g_etQq_wc7DjXNMbW72Ia7xSlG9J417Mm9JirJsjoh-kVapXcY2yxH6pQ5UK3ImEFAbQ/s5184/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBQcuLo3nxVg5dl6S0Kpf-IphmSnLNzRG4I5w6d10VOVTktIY2bGjQnMKsO_BMC78zHrU2jkbVRbQwNRluZYvM77NQyc1eQnPzCZZKPke986439JHopwQE7g_etQq_wc7DjXNMbW72Ia7xSlG9J417Mm9JirJsjoh-kVapXcY2yxH6pQ5UK3ImEFAbQ/w503-h378/IMG_1038.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The main tidal lagoon, which was full of birds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />The only island to exist in Suffolk, Havergate, is a strange concoction of tidal lagoons, shingle stack and saltmarsh. Its an RSPB reserve, originally bought for the then rare AVOCETS that nested there. Today I saw several hundred, they breed and winter in the area in large numbers, but back in the 1940s they were so, so rare, the first breeders for 150 years.<p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVWXlXM8fNS5jZk-MVTHVz6zsj0jiQnRiPwW0MJ4d2mE-Ly89H5tMqpgziptKVshgqdvvoi-IfSfv7po2c3zD2bW57zbnGaCCSp3ViVu9-7u3nOMEQGick-6t9frdrSqueL7Jb_GvQewQikamEK3Rt8HVYJiJG_4IQCiOj3-8tTTiHRQenlB97Buq6Q/s5184/IMG_1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVWXlXM8fNS5jZk-MVTHVz6zsj0jiQnRiPwW0MJ4d2mE-Ly89H5tMqpgziptKVshgqdvvoi-IfSfv7po2c3zD2bW57zbnGaCCSp3ViVu9-7u3nOMEQGick-6t9frdrSqueL7Jb_GvQewQikamEK3Rt8HVYJiJG_4IQCiOj3-8tTTiHRQenlB97Buq6Q/w504-h378/IMG_1049.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The jetty among saltmarsh</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Its a hard place to get to, closed for much of the year, but today the local RSPB group was holding an open day. As I haven't been down for four or five years I decided to have a visit, taking the October Storm from Orford Quay, and arriving on the Island around midday. In the end the visit was only for a couple of hours, we only visited two hides, missed a couple more, didn't really get time to truly take in the site, but it was a good taster session. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LT5TZBLoZ-_P097RtEuUxG7vUycJZyA6FC-4LN1JWNFhvNZVCqr7GVJYm0V943wR4yTmONqleMnP8DSnoVcQtaIV0KObkNQRWzfSpcBtrRN0RUIyqDmPx6tEVnqAIlkaIdfzXznC5kfi0uUSEaEmC-_2aMmlPvxeO9KZIdF0de3YdVYXriwX34ODGQ/s5184/IMG_1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-LT5TZBLoZ-_P097RtEuUxG7vUycJZyA6FC-4LN1JWNFhvNZVCqr7GVJYm0V943wR4yTmONqleMnP8DSnoVcQtaIV0KObkNQRWzfSpcBtrRN0RUIyqDmPx6tEVnqAIlkaIdfzXznC5kfi0uUSEaEmC-_2aMmlPvxeO9KZIdF0de3YdVYXriwX34ODGQ/w505-h379/IMG_1048.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another snapshot of the tidal lagoon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The Island is an a confluence of the River Ore and the tide was fairly high, with little mud available, but with the amount of human disturbance, whether from speed boats or wind surfers, there weren't many birds about. Many yeas ago I did some voluntary work on the island creating a screen to stop disturbance when visitors walked up to a hide. Within a couple of years the screen was washed away by heavy floods, making the work frustratingly futile.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8P8C2vMghk7Wgf2AuvKqGohq-4sX1LMWfmXJdZ81H35wTVUibrzxr0lrWiTtffv7hMMAFD0tYyks6TEwgtBvAXLw1Y3MhwDmTC7jBnFmjSFiRWbPG1V7gqMzlHK-qCO9cccWJI0m0yYlT0wf4G-tcyCbtkh4Q3rLld13x7R3GkzO0J6yV236q72Of0Q/s5184/IMG_1054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8P8C2vMghk7Wgf2AuvKqGohq-4sX1LMWfmXJdZ81H35wTVUibrzxr0lrWiTtffv7hMMAFD0tYyks6TEwgtBvAXLw1Y3MhwDmTC7jBnFmjSFiRWbPG1V7gqMzlHK-qCO9cccWJI0m0yYlT0wf4G-tcyCbtkh4Q3rLld13x7R3GkzO0J6yV236q72Of0Q/w505-h379/IMG_1054.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There were plenty of AVOCETS on the lagoon. When the reserve was first bought in the 1940s, they had started to breed for the first time in 150 years</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Birding was good on the tidal lagoons, full of birds disturbed from the busy estuary. Large flocks of DUNLIN, RINGED PLOVER, AVOCET and BLACK TAILED GODWITS were about, whilst the GREY PLOVERS were still looking dapper in their costumes of black belly and silver grey back. Much rarer for the area were a single KNOT and BAR TAILED GODWIT, while a SPOTTED REDSHANK was a good find, as they have been rare on the Suffolk coast this year. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAvyh40bcH6bofq9jwZCb9f3-S9IjWCTA1-lkMEl4Kavq9_RtF0BaMbHcymqlrOk4TQqs__cUzSJ5DwzljUh3TMDcCpCgjnnXpuFR6BqHoQoz0eP0Kq1YthozcJSEngtB3AraJCrRdI9WW9VTMX5HzAM41n6Q-KRFDwtKBIgme9zn3rkVEjmfjaCG_Q/s5184/IMG_1051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAvyh40bcH6bofq9jwZCb9f3-S9IjWCTA1-lkMEl4Kavq9_RtF0BaMbHcymqlrOk4TQqs__cUzSJ5DwzljUh3TMDcCpCgjnnXpuFR6BqHoQoz0eP0Kq1YthozcJSEngtB3AraJCrRdI9WW9VTMX5HzAM41n6Q-KRFDwtKBIgme9zn3rkVEjmfjaCG_Q/w504-h378/IMG_1051.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Belper's Lagoon, a smaller lagoon than the first</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>There were good numbers of SANDWICH TERNS about, over a hundred on a large island in the tidal lagoon, with some COMMON TERNS feeding on the river. Some DUCKS were about, MALLARDS and TEALS, but not in particularly high numbers. A feature of Havergate Island in recent years has been the establishment of a SPOONBILL colony, the birds started nesting a couple of years ago. Today fifteen were present, a decent total, but they were asleep at the back of the island, next to the giant artificial nests created for them to breed in.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsIlKCULo7bI_rVz010Vbj5CjE_Hg3-sQWYDhSfWROjlpNrW9WR6uY-vuqKKyAyiAG5gUtlJHqKPrR8zTHREVla0Uq7By1P4XA3Z2D3cItrKOhb_q0yqNjCMCfp1xjLrEJTquC7BpaEQuvu3ffJ0Nb5EvVYyR0EpguoWM3k1UTDyBV9dB0Wc-48QGNw/s5184/IMG_1058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsIlKCULo7bI_rVz010Vbj5CjE_Hg3-sQWYDhSfWROjlpNrW9WR6uY-vuqKKyAyiAG5gUtlJHqKPrR8zTHREVla0Uq7By1P4XA3Z2D3cItrKOhb_q0yqNjCMCfp1xjLrEJTquC7BpaEQuvu3ffJ0Nb5EvVYyR0EpguoWM3k1UTDyBV9dB0Wc-48QGNw/w502-h377/IMG_1058.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The old living quarters on the island</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Today was a brief taster session, a good snap shot of the reserve. The only annoying thing about the place is how difficult it is to visit, trips there are so few, the island is closed to visitors in the summer due to rare breeding birds. Eventually I will get around to getting on one of those rare boat trips to the island, preferably in Winter when the wild winds blow down the estuary and the tidal lagoons fill with birds.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-54990480386064539412022-08-20T13:23:00.000-07:002022-08-20T13:23:08.212-07:00The Local Patch - Summer 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia0hrz4FeXycERUiSlOFcrTOjCpOgPEO80QVsWoGhdJ1r22a1qMwqK5DGBOAamXH-5dhARNSlTRP9hVdozQHpjS5fV3X5fPNeLGKr9woM6QyG3UZcvpUEonUZyqnBS_xvA0i2YWDi1XFQsOmoFQcTrnujWvGFPTLM7PHnFjam5lhw-708Ef9GmxxVWw/s5184/IMG_6237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia0hrz4FeXycERUiSlOFcrTOjCpOgPEO80QVsWoGhdJ1r22a1qMwqK5DGBOAamXH-5dhARNSlTRP9hVdozQHpjS5fV3X5fPNeLGKr9woM6QyG3UZcvpUEonUZyqnBS_xvA0i2YWDi1XFQsOmoFQcTrnujWvGFPTLM7PHnFjam5lhw-708Ef9GmxxVWw/w503-h377/IMG_6237.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pair of COLLARED DOVES</div><br />With climate meltdown upon us the Patch has groaned under the weight of both drought and high temperatures. The vegetation turned brown, water dried up from the ground and the crops nearly failed. When a green and pleasant land is forced to bear the weight of this hardship, then something must be wrong with the world. I don't think there was any rain in this period, just oppressive heat, which has taken its toll on the area. How much time we have left until things become serious, I'm not sure, all that is evident is that something bad is happening <i>now</i>.<div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0XCJXGXXeYrM_8WDTNO2w-REkNhCM__Z6Sro_bTy5SjFp1d8b83CRHEjySn2gm6WNJAR49JA4OAT83q_WvCVjuVn09Ie-euGzshS_EWT0mkQGdCILyZd_RTA3g_xVwYDpfRCsOCREGd9nssHuP64BWQNBXsi1E25q4EQVvt7Q8AIZkV0aLN5aLqwtg/s5184/IMG_8717.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw0XCJXGXXeYrM_8WDTNO2w-REkNhCM__Z6Sro_bTy5SjFp1d8b83CRHEjySn2gm6WNJAR49JA4OAT83q_WvCVjuVn09Ie-euGzshS_EWT0mkQGdCILyZd_RTA3g_xVwYDpfRCsOCREGd9nssHuP64BWQNBXsi1E25q4EQVvt7Q8AIZkV0aLN5aLqwtg/w502-h377/IMG_8717.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the Prairie Fields</div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Patch waxes and wanes with the seasons, and this Summer was like others before hand, yet different, birds taking a backseat to wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies. The land face the problems of urban edge agricultural land facing the usual pressures affecting our countryside and the intense burden we put upon it. Our countryside is too precious and yet we treat it so poorly at times, it is evident its not coping well. It won't be long before we have a meltdown on our hands. But not all is lost, the countryside is very good at recovering if we just give it room to breathe.<div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG7rdMtzS3DTtxvPpzRuadYM2JyFsZoToClq2y1Rm94zefAJsl0zzaTNPnRG3Ml8XL7jjq38Z55dcnli-xF9QozqSm3OLU3HTUCVUxikXdclWqj120VsmLvqNE2RIAZ9nCqeVUBaz80TGUFZvrUhJVwhE-LNhki2VgBsi52NopKnkE6hTcoCquV7Edg/s5184/IMG_8724.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUG7rdMtzS3DTtxvPpzRuadYM2JyFsZoToClq2y1Rm94zefAJsl0zzaTNPnRG3Ml8XL7jjq38Z55dcnli-xF9QozqSm3OLU3HTUCVUxikXdclWqj120VsmLvqNE2RIAZ9nCqeVUBaz80TGUFZvrUhJVwhE-LNhki2VgBsi52NopKnkE6hTcoCquV7Edg/w504-h378/IMG_8724.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Stream, really a glorified ditch, has dried up to a stagnant puddle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bM-RKRBEL3yOroFnYpJGP6y4Wskxe6eVHpHhEz3OCyejfe70yhG6RIfAIByarBO_m3iQI18QNcfCzx19oZUoCRgUd8arGlHjh4Xl85hgYDVGDOXr8zHcie7zPx6cfTO6Unq7aTJg7MhnlZoVayBUzZ6rVxt0U9kty44L6Q2TTGAAkmQFovb4PBxB9g/s5184/IMG_0822.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6bM-RKRBEL3yOroFnYpJGP6y4Wskxe6eVHpHhEz3OCyejfe70yhG6RIfAIByarBO_m3iQI18QNcfCzx19oZUoCRgUd8arGlHjh4Xl85hgYDVGDOXr8zHcie7zPx6cfTO6Unq7aTJg7MhnlZoVayBUzZ6rVxt0U9kty44L6Q2TTGAAkmQFovb4PBxB9g/w504-h378/IMG_0822.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>A permanent feature of the Patch are the resident pair of BUZZARDS in the Suffolk Punch Field. Close by were a pair of CROWS. Both are big birds at the top of their food chain, and both sets of birds would tussle in the air whenever the other came close to their breeding area. I don't think the buzzards were successful in breeding this year, as I didn't see any young. This doesn't matter too much as they are long lived birds, so are able to raise many young over their lifetime. Every time I visit they are always there soaring over the fields with their broad round wings, kings and queens of all they survey.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTCxx0X74Y2xVOF3uidz_w_e5m2GB8xZOIE73W-lBRsW8bqC80L53zBicbbEO0Uk7j1KwEgk3x8LKtawMaiRZ9lMenXSw1SrlW0r1rGxYsyscaGpmc9ECgywVHcetUEPBZK1x6SWg3_ECTfacFJr8vk36Dgu-aTTPE7o0yQOcev8N5oDOkRhCigUBgQ/s5184/IMG_6280.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTCxx0X74Y2xVOF3uidz_w_e5m2GB8xZOIE73W-lBRsW8bqC80L53zBicbbEO0Uk7j1KwEgk3x8LKtawMaiRZ9lMenXSw1SrlW0r1rGxYsyscaGpmc9ECgywVHcetUEPBZK1x6SWg3_ECTfacFJr8vk36Dgu-aTTPE7o0yQOcev8N5oDOkRhCigUBgQ/w503-h377/IMG_6280.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The same view two months away, the top in June, the bottom in August</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGFoIdZ-o7X4xHmpmfyW4MxdCjXjEFD_juiquwi9rB5_O5CS-WVyVF494swGglS2QugfDp8c00wL5n0czq-jD13KqjrNa_IFw670r6FcZKuSMSwHhXnZy2iMqhD7HNsLpIwEvKrBLBdvMIk5QfYWMgQzUKuByf1MysvB-TmhYX1mpS6AI7t7745U3CQ/s5184/IMG_8706.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGFoIdZ-o7X4xHmpmfyW4MxdCjXjEFD_juiquwi9rB5_O5CS-WVyVF494swGglS2QugfDp8c00wL5n0czq-jD13KqjrNa_IFw670r6FcZKuSMSwHhXnZy2iMqhD7HNsLpIwEvKrBLBdvMIk5QfYWMgQzUKuByf1MysvB-TmhYX1mpS6AI7t7745U3CQ/w504-h378/IMG_8706.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Bird-wise nothing unusual was seen on the Patch, just the usual breeding birds, those found in the general countryside. One of the important birds of the area are YELLOWHAMMERS, beautiful, chubby yellow birds, with their "little bit of bread and no cheese" song. Large flocks used to winter here, but none have done for a while, and this Spring there were few. However over the Summer six territories were found, which is only one less than last year, which is fine, not a large drop. This is still a common bird of the countryside, so they can easily recolonise form elsewhere, but I would still like to see them on the Patch.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfqqGK2p4ndMkgHUjlAruo_fjQNtPevAVWeV8AZdo9jWvtXy9O8noDjL2eD-cuk2zVRmTMeU13_upEcS4bBmvVm_X56gqIBRi3D-PH0oPPuTWlGmDpX7IiWYZlK_rYavuRW17lxw0gam5VpLeQ21zjXxsFg5MOQjdEjLUgVZoXyfrb_3kV_Z0A5irIw/s5184/IMG_8687.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfqqGK2p4ndMkgHUjlAruo_fjQNtPevAVWeV8AZdo9jWvtXy9O8noDjL2eD-cuk2zVRmTMeU13_upEcS4bBmvVm_X56gqIBRi3D-PH0oPPuTWlGmDpX7IiWYZlK_rYavuRW17lxw0gam5VpLeQ21zjXxsFg5MOQjdEjLUgVZoXyfrb_3kV_Z0A5irIw/w503-h377/IMG_8687.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BLACKBIRD, a bit moth eaten by this time. It will moult again over winter</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyljYH9K2v6LbqY9hLo3wRwElAeXNYwz9l736AeWN9W2bqfW7-LtfqObfx2iqqIAwDrvxDlRd8InjsSdOKYNedKqAv1AC3PuPy9gVINsgp8aKGtzlWP2E4ortNe6YjciGql56DfrbGV8K-oUDmpeo-a4er4yl0VG5XuoTIr-hbEATn9CDBxLv8ApnrQ/s5184/IMG_0825.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyljYH9K2v6LbqY9hLo3wRwElAeXNYwz9l736AeWN9W2bqfW7-LtfqObfx2iqqIAwDrvxDlRd8InjsSdOKYNedKqAv1AC3PuPy9gVINsgp8aKGtzlWP2E4ortNe6YjciGql56DfrbGV8K-oUDmpeo-a4er4yl0VG5XuoTIr-hbEATn9CDBxLv8ApnrQ/w503-h378/IMG_0825.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Entrance to the Suffolk Punch Field</div><p></p><p>Despite the oppressive weather it seems to have been a good breeding season, and by the start of July TIT flocks were in evidence, with young birds in abundance. A young SONG THRUSH was in River Meadow, young WRENS in several places and on the Reservoir a brood of three ugly MOORHEN chicks were in evidence with their attentive parents. Quite unusual, as there aren't any shooting estates in the area, was a brood of RED LEGGED PARTRIDGES wandering down Old Norwich Road, a bird that waxes and wanes, the first evidence of breeding for me for four or five years.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_otCOSeNTqKbrzSWrF2FGC8qrAYIsaTQWaRclDZbDTFZyDbfSI3uQwRDFQeLFh1dyN0Jn6SQYySfyuhgc3pNUk26PEp8z_EFjivoHC34uF25YmUMhc9P0MBzv3qK-q0P8ThqhnS5-JmzotiMkHcAww7hykHmuZeyOpgGUuzP9y3Ga5puNYaN_eXJb5g/s5184/IMG_8603.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_otCOSeNTqKbrzSWrF2FGC8qrAYIsaTQWaRclDZbDTFZyDbfSI3uQwRDFQeLFh1dyN0Jn6SQYySfyuhgc3pNUk26PEp8z_EFjivoHC34uF25YmUMhc9P0MBzv3qK-q0P8ThqhnS5-JmzotiMkHcAww7hykHmuZeyOpgGUuzP9y3Ga5puNYaN_eXJb5g/w502-h377/IMG_8603.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Reservoir</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfm84rmxI8GiDN5DRcuEBdRkue3wvXTGWnti8wLUTcIAWlBG9lfGlHot7f8M8YZ2kgGl_43e2R96Z4745NAhbCUFHHb1hucAp5RtL03Wma9M-mlFfJL98Mq_8PtVI6V4Jj7E1XVOjfLaiU3kaf8NS5W5VStE7_0O8NIVcdPCo358w2xMonG0Gb3fiNQ/s5184/IMG_0828.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfm84rmxI8GiDN5DRcuEBdRkue3wvXTGWnti8wLUTcIAWlBG9lfGlHot7f8M8YZ2kgGl_43e2R96Z4745NAhbCUFHHb1hucAp5RtL03Wma9M-mlFfJL98Mq_8PtVI6V4Jj7E1XVOjfLaiU3kaf8NS5W5VStE7_0O8NIVcdPCo358w2xMonG0Gb3fiNQ/w503-h377/IMG_0828.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Two of the twenty GREYLAG GEESE that visited the Reservoir in August</div><p></p><p>A feature of the Patch in bygone years was the flock of resident GREYLAG GEESE with eight or so present by the Pond, but never breeding. These birds disappeared several years ago, but on 9/8 twenty were present on the Reservoir, the first for several years, but a week later had gone. CORMORANTS are quite rare so one on the Reservoir on 13/8 was a nice record, primeval looking birds, they are truly the descendants of dinosaurs.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn2KaDqKKlbJNpj5NiYpR8oXHWjGFHvJf0vXQea5UOdw-dPLYuXbgpw4uOFXcPa16212KycVDoGIEiAx75jnPIZsltvCuMM81YWEcAnUX0Kj39DuEzEh57xs1dKG-lcXsTNTwkyoUJzyGhmxWxWaLVzU5FVjpd3lvPKcmg6jLjU-7GK6ApQ6111uK6w/s5184/IMG_6706.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUn2KaDqKKlbJNpj5NiYpR8oXHWjGFHvJf0vXQea5UOdw-dPLYuXbgpw4uOFXcPa16212KycVDoGIEiAx75jnPIZsltvCuMM81YWEcAnUX0Kj39DuEzEh57xs1dKG-lcXsTNTwkyoUJzyGhmxWxWaLVzU5FVjpd3lvPKcmg6jLjU-7GK6ApQ6111uK6w/w503-h377/IMG_6706.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BROAD BODIED CHASER by the Stream</div><p></p><p>The Reservoir is a good place to see the SWIFTS and HOUSE MARTINS that nest in the the nearby Rise Hall and farm buildings, hawking high over the water to catch an unwary insect in the air. Its good that they still cling on here as they've become nearly extinct in nearby Ipswich, the skies becoming silent.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4I0G_kEQOrJWEA6n5WEHqeQ7FPFVwZ3PAF86e7zEyxYqCTHRhMEnt9ApjJrDXM9VSlW2yGG6qXttVPrvWXHdN1YWUNot3U_guAlyy_7gZWrGU7SZ3I9q0aFp5WB8OEgxtUiZXcbS0h54B1tazuG8DlSiqvOfIdBNa2wNgHbHSBpkZG8fbVfAVGpfHZA/s5184/IMG_6492.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4I0G_kEQOrJWEA6n5WEHqeQ7FPFVwZ3PAF86e7zEyxYqCTHRhMEnt9ApjJrDXM9VSlW2yGG6qXttVPrvWXHdN1YWUNot3U_guAlyy_7gZWrGU7SZ3I9q0aFp5WB8OEgxtUiZXcbS0h54B1tazuG8DlSiqvOfIdBNa2wNgHbHSBpkZG8fbVfAVGpfHZA/w502-h377/IMG_6492.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">PYRAMMID ORCHID in the First Field</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNbD0ApDsihZf6NZDwY1sBZqlaGsVDVN2H9s53je0n3NpJmU-4-8MIhayZUepFidWuJR2w8kZJuRQsNHVrPmjIVt-bsGHzxbWMqKqlwVQJXjbyNXFTmU7ohtymTslYobvHOftLa_pbSWs5Nfa_-UP9ljHP1N6vV3t5Ejln0MZtgU4zjANjkmzgosb9A/s5184/IMG_6508.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNbD0ApDsihZf6NZDwY1sBZqlaGsVDVN2H9s53je0n3NpJmU-4-8MIhayZUepFidWuJR2w8kZJuRQsNHVrPmjIVt-bsGHzxbWMqKqlwVQJXjbyNXFTmU7ohtymTslYobvHOftLa_pbSWs5Nfa_-UP9ljHP1N6vV3t5Ejln0MZtgU4zjANjkmzgosb9A/w502-h377/IMG_6508.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The colony has grown to over two thousand flowers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbS30875810pqOt6PTbFdl1z3xDC1RW3darOkvont1SwziWHydxRH20i4kVis5Qrk2ikvtuDM35p6Qxgo1PXTBP5-QcH9dQ4UTOyEJWS9fCAwJWYTCWn5CDuri780d36lFbX0JIFuqoYg0D7p00PsSmN6duiq0Wr3VvWVZMX7l9OwbD6UgHfpKRlZcw/s5184/IMG_6512.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbS30875810pqOt6PTbFdl1z3xDC1RW3darOkvont1SwziWHydxRH20i4kVis5Qrk2ikvtuDM35p6Qxgo1PXTBP5-QcH9dQ4UTOyEJWS9fCAwJWYTCWn5CDuri780d36lFbX0JIFuqoYg0D7p00PsSmN6duiq0Wr3VvWVZMX7l9OwbD6UgHfpKRlZcw/w502-h377/IMG_6512.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This colony has grown on set-aside and is less than four years old</div><p></p><p>Over the Summer the flower I most delight in experiencing is the PYRAMMID ORCHID, with two colonies on the Patch. In the First Field the colony developed on set aside, left fallow four years ago. Since then it has grown from strength to strength with at least two thousand spikes in flower this year, and the colony is spreading into the main field and expanding. The only problem is that usually when a farm field next to buildings is left to go fallow it means the field is going to be built on. To lose such a large colony when our countryside is so lacking in a friendly environment is a sad thing indeed. The other colony is smaller, but has been there since I started visiting the Patch ten years ago, I call it the Orchid Patch, and this year it also had a good crop. Also in the First Field there is a small stand of VIPER'S BUGLOSS, a tall blue flower, with truly a great name, it flowers there every year, ten or so plants sticking above the surrounding grass.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCsfpR3QMlk1xGN0UDo2yWaqeNlhEUU1ZAyLFt2HYV9rXkpd4P5jLNL31leFk05eEfqwqMl71-zXFFWiNSCB9REb22rRaMij8Yu5AFr7HaoshbKTLHpK20EDqV-P8prhV94yBLmapecmjaMbHYb3hd6SH5LEP57BnKvStdE9noNr78HlzUUL-ZKEfvw/s5184/IMG_6251.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqCsfpR3QMlk1xGN0UDo2yWaqeNlhEUU1ZAyLFt2HYV9rXkpd4P5jLNL31leFk05eEfqwqMl71-zXFFWiNSCB9REb22rRaMij8Yu5AFr7HaoshbKTLHpK20EDqV-P8prhV94yBLmapecmjaMbHYb3hd6SH5LEP57BnKvStdE9noNr78HlzUUL-ZKEfvw/w504-h378/IMG_6251.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">POPPIES growing along Old Norwich Road</div><p></p><p>Otherwise wildflowers are finding it difficult to find a foothold on the Patch, relegated to the field edge, the area of rough ground that escaped the plough. Its been years since there's been a poppy field, the only flowers are those found on the grass verge of Old Norwich Road. The meadows are full of grasses but not many flowers, poisoned by herbicides sprayed by disinterested keepers of the land.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSlEZM-jshDJFj_mbyOLARJGANXGckpIhGZ3xR5qzg44g-gcfAGXBLlXFvgI99AhCTosE1WatwkvspXTec0iXsxuQqRI1duTLcMp_MCJyoTOHljNPVHj8A8enT5ohNM5asxERoeM2sYzRqyAWXoECIwxqwEBOq4b5s6QUVT_fMloN7HGd7mYElB0Vow/s3456/IMG_8495.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSlEZM-jshDJFj_mbyOLARJGANXGckpIhGZ3xR5qzg44g-gcfAGXBLlXFvgI99AhCTosE1WatwkvspXTec0iXsxuQqRI1duTLcMp_MCJyoTOHljNPVHj8A8enT5ohNM5asxERoeM2sYzRqyAWXoECIwxqwEBOq4b5s6QUVT_fMloN7HGd7mYElB0Vow/w503-h377/IMG_8495.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">SONG THRUSH. A few pairs can be found on the Patch, with at least one successful this Summer.</div><p></p><p>By the end of the period all the crops have been harvested, the meadows mown. The Pond has been excavated, making it deeper, as pretty much the entire year it has been bone dry, due to the drought. The stream, a long drainage ditch, has by this time rune dry to a stagnant puddle. So the only bit of water is the Reservoir, used for irrigation, surrounded by trees, its home to large carp that occasionally break the surface in little ripples.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_zfuGf0R0eehG_36N8Le0VX3pvYKPMw4K5YYvFimf9JgZrlZLF9n1xR49z4BRW8wxS3KJrnwRWc8dMIMy3tPgooShVZusXoFRwWBbLTYS7X-EOVjXlcKMzFO9ViR4yTXm_R2LgE956Kb3n75SwrUZRC5mL8WuXxqZhOj9wHZ46Tv8k8or1X_V0JfTg/s5184/IMG_6611.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_zfuGf0R0eehG_36N8Le0VX3pvYKPMw4K5YYvFimf9JgZrlZLF9n1xR49z4BRW8wxS3KJrnwRWc8dMIMy3tPgooShVZusXoFRwWBbLTYS7X-EOVjXlcKMzFO9ViR4yTXm_R2LgE956Kb3n75SwrUZRC5mL8WuXxqZhOj9wHZ46Tv8k8or1X_V0JfTg/w503-h377/IMG_6611.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">River Meadow, looking towards Suffolk Punch Field and the Sentinel of the Patch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the end a rather uneventful Summer on the Patch as the days move on and seasons change. Birds have remained fairly constant in the area, populations change, come and go, but there's not too much that gives concern. The appearance of the orchid colony has really added to the Patch, something important to an area not particularly species rich. The Patch is really important to me, and although not much is really seen on the average visit, this is my main access to nature, the world beyond the human, giving me something intangible, something beyond money and profit. And for that the Patch is truly special.</div><p></p></div></div></div></div>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-45112420793902952222022-08-13T12:22:00.001-07:002022-08-13T12:22:45.662-07:00Alton Water - 11/8/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tX5pjDZ8MVLllvH5Li6Zc1wc6uvDP2ZpH31Na1uOpsp8CWI2uz4NsfzMs0SnhwpQW_-XxrPvrCO-09-D6GOA9aRwM64416Ykp8ltv-7K-N8Ov2C70UcfbhRXbJPCWXmbsAACELedikLTShPPWtfkDNjv_tqYf_TFUTATDpOdADouNFEVS8rNgf08sA/s5184/IMG_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5tX5pjDZ8MVLllvH5Li6Zc1wc6uvDP2ZpH31Na1uOpsp8CWI2uz4NsfzMs0SnhwpQW_-XxrPvrCO-09-D6GOA9aRwM64416Ykp8ltv-7K-N8Ov2C70UcfbhRXbJPCWXmbsAACELedikLTShPPWtfkDNjv_tqYf_TFUTATDpOdADouNFEVS8rNgf08sA/w504-h378/IMG_0947.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Being the largest body of freshwater in Suffolk, Alton Water can be a magnet for some rare and interesting birds. On the other hand you can get days when you slog round the vast reservoir and see nothing except the odd coot. Today's visit was like the latter, a fairly fruitless attempt to try and pickup a somewhat underwhelming August so far for birds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D3OexquXpgn2jPDdvlsQdbvT9MMadj1zR2Xuw4z8ClAqUgjd0BQsIDF097b_28Z23cXRpqEUtraHGxO4rNxZ5Kc0_fk8KYfKXVmDNdwxGT9FmOSRizLU_NRtzWD4MHr1mwJOTK_JTM8wccTPEwCOnnqzm9KA9JgYOf9YzA3zqJsdCrOXTv512pO24Q/s5184/IMG_0874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D3OexquXpgn2jPDdvlsQdbvT9MMadj1zR2Xuw4z8ClAqUgjd0BQsIDF097b_28Z23cXRpqEUtraHGxO4rNxZ5Kc0_fk8KYfKXVmDNdwxGT9FmOSRizLU_NRtzWD4MHr1mwJOTK_JTM8wccTPEwCOnnqzm9KA9JgYOf9YzA3zqJsdCrOXTv512pO24Q/w504-h378/IMG_0874.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view from the Northern Hides, Part 1: Plenty of mud, but still plenty of water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Being August, and the hottest August in recent history, birdwatching was going to be difficult, a dying landscape, with all the birds sheltering from the intense heat. So with that in mind I decided that areas of water would be the best bet to find birds, and one place where it will still be wet was Alton Water. Despite large areas of mud, especially on the Dog's Tail, there was still large amounts of water left, even if, in the end, not many birds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HESLVXk37KwRX4LIvugU_zQpP4sB4lNhduqCY3rnHVaYhv4tGffdUAFX-FfYkSybszCixyiZT6AuWJP6h5nRiRlPZOjh8RCLPWsq44MAIpxJBn_BLNpHHbqwYCjo5H3P00kzW2BoL79x_WrNVLripw64RwiJuIKtMAoSq4Pe0pD_3Ie5WaoKJr8NKg/s5184/IMG_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HESLVXk37KwRX4LIvugU_zQpP4sB4lNhduqCY3rnHVaYhv4tGffdUAFX-FfYkSybszCixyiZT6AuWJP6h5nRiRlPZOjh8RCLPWsq44MAIpxJBn_BLNpHHbqwYCjo5H3P00kzW2BoL79x_WrNVLripw64RwiJuIKtMAoSq4Pe0pD_3Ie5WaoKJr8NKg/w504-h378/IMG_0924.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A HERON from the Northern Hides</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>With all the mud about I thought that maybe some WADERS may be attracted, those birds that feed on muddy margins. However, only two COMMON SANDPIPERS by the Northern Hide, and a GREEN SANDPIPER on the Dog's Tail was about it. Similarly, August can be a good time to see DUCKS, as they become flightless and seek deeper water as they moult their feathers. Again only a handful of TUFTED DUCK and POCHARD were about in a small flock near the causeway. For some reason Alton Water is pretty poor for ducks, I never see any big flocks of anything there, which you would think is surprising for such a large body of water.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUuIiBXfCGvMc7--UarBi1IcLilGVKDDXcwv5K4sEyxgEPI5k-jMb4ir7xFSF2WcBrRGfsSkyP4fsKBgwFatRn1ijdTKtrjfgY84E1XGdRNLNQwpiuxbIKWll5QqRKVovr2sb4GRjqzIjTomosoPmCWml8L4soundcYOSV_HFfswYaP9f1P1u4tDb7Q/s5184/IMG_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUuIiBXfCGvMc7--UarBi1IcLilGVKDDXcwv5K4sEyxgEPI5k-jMb4ir7xFSF2WcBrRGfsSkyP4fsKBgwFatRn1ijdTKtrjfgY84E1XGdRNLNQwpiuxbIKWll5QqRKVovr2sb4GRjqzIjTomosoPmCWml8L4soundcYOSV_HFfswYaP9f1P1u4tDb7Q/w504-h378/IMG_0953.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">View from the Larchwood Hides (the southern ones)</div><p></p><p>On the various rafts on the water, Alton is the site of Suffolk's second COMMON TERN colony, but although successful, the whole colony upped and left last week, for no reason. This was according to a local birder, and as a result of this only a couple of birds were about. Other hawkers of the air were over the water, as small numbers of SWALLOWS and SAND and HOUSE MARTINS passed through, dipping and corkscrewing through the air in pursuit of some flying lunch.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzV6f6IqTRxEAEL6AMoL6bY0FwQyWcZ_FMm9JwpYsQFnsTmtoo4xTDmZvUJOdPLTGM2CI7y91SVoi7SCOFeWtt0KtcP--vjVFm7OdHOTStPO8mNrEChZDDxlo4clqF_M0KKCkCgBR7aBlXi6Esqax1yLw8-c7ccDME2CVBn-lpems8V9ApDhf5Xj7CA/s5184/IMG_0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzV6f6IqTRxEAEL6AMoL6bY0FwQyWcZ_FMm9JwpYsQFnsTmtoo4xTDmZvUJOdPLTGM2CI7y91SVoi7SCOFeWtt0KtcP--vjVFm7OdHOTStPO8mNrEChZDDxlo4clqF_M0KKCkCgBR7aBlXi6Esqax1yLw8-c7ccDME2CVBn-lpems8V9ApDhf5Xj7CA/w505-h379/IMG_0862.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Birding at Alton Water means bored looks through hundreds of geese</div><br /><p>As you would expect, large numbers of GEESE were about, with around a hundred EGYPTIAN GEESE here, I wonder where they all come from, as I have never see any nest here, never any goslings. These birds are bucking the trend and increasing in plague proportions, there are now so many about, on most bodies of water.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4_utFDFTVeYP4DXvgz-yLaJcB93piE5vbHRPoeeylpl2XetwegTua0uYEZgLaLnTRWJ2OEWSfHVompkOUgI0P3mr8fVzTxHeMWOZH7MU9G0GR6G1ztGWed9ghXfSeeJHbSZvsdiyBejRMkGgpZXLkJQLS_EMPcNSq_zaNVG4wM2gnHpdEDav5SaJkQ/s3456/IMG_0933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4_utFDFTVeYP4DXvgz-yLaJcB93piE5vbHRPoeeylpl2XetwegTua0uYEZgLaLnTRWJ2OEWSfHVompkOUgI0P3mr8fVzTxHeMWOZH7MU9G0GR6G1ztGWed9ghXfSeeJHbSZvsdiyBejRMkGgpZXLkJQLS_EMPcNSq_zaNVG4wM2gnHpdEDav5SaJkQ/w501-h376/IMG_0933.JPG" width="501" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A FOX on the Dog's Tail, old and dishevelled he was of no threat to the nearby wildfowl</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Out on the mud of the Dog's Tail, a FOX slinked around, old and dishevelled, he was of no interest to the nearby resting ducks who nonchanontly watched him saunter past. Nearby a SLOW WORM, slithered passed, in the thick undergrowth. Although they look like snakes, they are really legless lizards, and they are hard to see, as with all animals in a human controlled world they are used to disappearing quickly.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gW1QwBPtPSy39M81eJR-JUjpm2oXw9JKSrHaWyxXGSlU3Qklh2imKAc-TYD8n5_HdN13KiFbrUSBsXpDlBNz_FpO05fTutq-A9l9vUNUtrQqB1G6Ub7smhCwltUaDyPDbtzMdXtILJ63NXMzCmC_SOcMPT5TLxZNOJOksCcV0Yj_eQOYhX7BRo3frQ/s5184/IMG_0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1gW1QwBPtPSy39M81eJR-JUjpm2oXw9JKSrHaWyxXGSlU3Qklh2imKAc-TYD8n5_HdN13KiFbrUSBsXpDlBNz_FpO05fTutq-A9l9vUNUtrQqB1G6Ub7smhCwltUaDyPDbtzMdXtILJ63NXMzCmC_SOcMPT5TLxZNOJOksCcV0Yj_eQOYhX7BRo3frQ/w502-h377/IMG_0875.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">View from the Northern Hides part 2: One of the tern rafts, in June this is a thriving colony, but had now been abandoned</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>A fairly underwhelming show from the big blue. It can be hard work watching Alton Water, as there are so few observation points on such a large place, which means anything can escape observation. However its still a decent place to go bird watching, I've seen interesting birds here (gull-billed tern for one), and I'm still going to keep visiting, because under the shade of the trees, with the water lapping on the reservoir edge, its still a great place to spend some time.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-12487840127691683992022-08-11T12:35:00.000-07:002022-08-11T12:35:31.056-07:00Minsmere - 4/8/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTUeg4N4Y0cUyW4hl-ciDjHTHGOhksddqLFbqGYMcglxou2WkF7towipt1wf65jVKvU9cItQRZHuCW6X4AETMHxAzXjXjXx-7qDjl25PVQ4IFb64p2dq5avuwv8MlVfrxN1bjYx3mE7K2xAxSr8M9QpJhylXASpfC-fltFuneG8ZzbgPm9oLs-FPx5g/s5184/IMG_0599.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTUeg4N4Y0cUyW4hl-ciDjHTHGOhksddqLFbqGYMcglxou2WkF7towipt1wf65jVKvU9cItQRZHuCW6X4AETMHxAzXjXjXx-7qDjl25PVQ4IFb64p2dq5avuwv8MlVfrxN1bjYx3mE7K2xAxSr8M9QpJhylXASpfC-fltFuneG8ZzbgPm9oLs-FPx5g/w504-h378/IMG_0599.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Where's all the water gone? A LITTLE EGRET stands on some dry mud on the Scrape</div><p></p><p>I don't really like birdwatching in August, its just too hot and uncomfortable, the birds are keeping their heads down, and migration is only slowly getting going. The main thing of birdwatching at this period is the WADER migration that is gearing up, and where better in Suffolk to find them than Minsmere. However this reserve, like everywhere else in the country has suffered from the heavy drought that is occurring at this time, and the Scrape, the centrepiece of the reserve, was turning into a puddle.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bZs-dwcp4YlYLqSUMABtR3k8lX7pAxeyqMTPgm2rC5TLbg7xJ4FZUVn9ObSMumhvf06xE_PZa75ZYP0AX92mVwMz6zkuhBw1-rC2J7lD1NiSRMgSyPuv290ZsPnSyV0_6thwOmPeJpl4dQ0KOTGp9T3OaTtMPeG0p12okx_XtFKKplbVcvFTGHjeVw/s3456/IMG_0529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bZs-dwcp4YlYLqSUMABtR3k8lX7pAxeyqMTPgm2rC5TLbg7xJ4FZUVn9ObSMumhvf06xE_PZa75ZYP0AX92mVwMz6zkuhBw1-rC2J7lD1NiSRMgSyPuv290ZsPnSyV0_6thwOmPeJpl4dQ0KOTGp9T3OaTtMPeG0p12okx_XtFKKplbVcvFTGHjeVw/w502-h377/IMG_0529.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A WASP SPIDER, a vibrantly coloured arachnid perched on his spider web in the Dunes</div><p></p><p>WADER number and variety was decent without being spectacular, and nothing unusual was seen today. During Autumn the water levels on the Scrape recedes and the resulting mud is highly desirous to the type of birds that like to probe the mud for food. But with the drought we are constantly having the water had pretty much dried up with East Scrape practically empty. At least five RUFF were about across the Scrape, although most had now moulted out of their fantastic summer plumage, and were now just plain brown.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CXuw0_hTglBXGcMIRQNHKiKkNIbFV1IP79IIpI9PpjUuSreMOK5HaHAtq6M_DkFVETk_EK8o-MqLG2IKB37zg0vsmA4Ue_Jmme9z23_lzpSDKLB5ECCV3IHqk5cJqRlX7T5sP-q0O6LQP24bvjev0avQkCyo9Uxhydfxu5m6e9lOHv8MqRNQ1i0hWQ/s5184/IMG_0587.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CXuw0_hTglBXGcMIRQNHKiKkNIbFV1IP79IIpI9PpjUuSreMOK5HaHAtq6M_DkFVETk_EK8o-MqLG2IKB37zg0vsmA4Ue_Jmme9z23_lzpSDKLB5ECCV3IHqk5cJqRlX7T5sP-q0O6LQP24bvjev0avQkCyo9Uxhydfxu5m6e9lOHv8MqRNQ1i0hWQ/w504-h378/IMG_0587.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">North Hide overlooking not a lot on the Scrape.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Small flocks of DUNLIN were about, RINGED PLOVERS, SNIPE, GREEN and COMMON SANDPIPERS were all standard birds for August. The fading red of a KNOT on South Scrape was nice, a bit unusual for Minsmere. Usually at this time of year a feature of the Scrape is the migrating spotted redshanks, moulting out of their black summer plumage, with double figures usually to be expected, but today there were none, which is unusual.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OVT2jfdfGD6YNVj7GNueSnUvriSOcF94ARKwQgFP7kJX8HwcandZt0v7zEuGkPfPoSSXaTI1W0HmikUrsiibvg9pWkprmzaEazz4JIp99oL4egIWkPKYru43dGP9SGe6u7cTwU_0oFaF2LiSoiJu43njmtiPJz8iGjiQjUhEontBOi3W72R8Adl_PA/s5184/IMG_0675.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OVT2jfdfGD6YNVj7GNueSnUvriSOcF94ARKwQgFP7kJX8HwcandZt0v7zEuGkPfPoSSXaTI1W0HmikUrsiibvg9pWkprmzaEazz4JIp99oL4egIWkPKYru43dGP9SGe6u7cTwU_0oFaF2LiSoiJu43njmtiPJz8iGjiQjUhEontBOi3W72R8Adl_PA/w506-h380/IMG_0675.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A STONECHAT, one of this year's crop</div><p></p><p>COMMON TERNS had all nested, reared young and left, with only a few stragglers left behind. Two LITTLE TERNS were about, an adult feeding a youngster, so breeding has been successful on the Scrape, which is good for a declining species. A moulting adult LITTLE GULL on East Scrape was dwarfed by the accompanying BLACK HEADEDS, this bird is a feature of this time of year, the birds summer here without nesting.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJAZ8KlUBOpb5QZAJ0t9PuOiqW6gaBjl8-vzPvnPTjRBmElTRtIDnqdHKtpkoVy9onhkBJrFMvOwIe76XGnMkW-atKNriIakrDFqsjNsb4e7QgU_oz0DIWEkWgskda2YjZGnMWQhLTBbJfl8llDWJHO4MeADHusQPgdewAh3IXJZtVkUSy_MwWr_S9g/s5184/IMG_0747.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJAZ8KlUBOpb5QZAJ0t9PuOiqW6gaBjl8-vzPvnPTjRBmElTRtIDnqdHKtpkoVy9onhkBJrFMvOwIe76XGnMkW-atKNriIakrDFqsjNsb4e7QgU_oz0DIWEkWgskda2YjZGnMWQhLTBbJfl8llDWJHO4MeADHusQPgdewAh3IXJZtVkUSy_MwWr_S9g/w503-h377/IMG_0747.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A bit more water on West Scrape</div><p></p><p>With water levels so low, DUCKS were virtually non-existence, a few TEAL on the Scrape, and not much on Island Mere. Two pairs of GREAT CRESTED GREBE had raised families on Island Mere, a GREAT WHITE EGRET flew over and several late nesting MARSH HARRIERS flew behind over the reeds.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpBesZVI2C49pMePnLoSh-iEMaQrdy7B5qibj9qDrFtX3UycNFsU9m7YZi07LQCdJDn-cb43G-vH3I_XqQjGIUgK6DD5Upie65UDeQjge7Jf-EQXrDI9IUoPJG6tSk6RYOTbcY2JuQTZ15OoXRCQpp1W7WQYKUn8um9e5rKCctWOIPqArJptE51hFOQ/s5184/IMG_0757.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpBesZVI2C49pMePnLoSh-iEMaQrdy7B5qibj9qDrFtX3UycNFsU9m7YZi07LQCdJDn-cb43G-vH3I_XqQjGIUgK6DD5Upie65UDeQjge7Jf-EQXrDI9IUoPJG6tSk6RYOTbcY2JuQTZ15OoXRCQpp1W7WQYKUn8um9e5rKCctWOIPqArJptE51hFOQ/w499-h374/IMG_0757.JPG" width="499" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Looking towards Island Mere and the vast sea of reeds, from Whin Hill</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The Dunes are always a good spot to see STONECHATS, there's always usually a group of birdwatchers admiring a bird perched on the top of a gorse bush. There were five birds seen today, probably local birds, the heaths of Suffolk are a national stronghold for this beautifully plumaged bird. An unusual bird for Minsmere was a KINGFISHER perched on a tree, seen from Bittern Hide, but annoyingly just in too much cover to be photographed. In all the time I have been watching at Minsmere I have had only single numbers of sightings of this beautiful bird. The SAND MARTIN colony in the old car park has really done well this year, birds were still nesting in the holes in the sandy cliffs, possibly raising a second or third brood while they can. In general though the oppressive heat of August keeps the smaller birds under cover in the sweet, sweet shade.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihJ9ZdBLVUMnkpe2hpU6DRMRAheMFsx2i-Vx9jOnU1FVRA95wAF-0dXD7HKli_jAXgLGWzLb7hCgTe_rz1-F6UfsN6PId5fffGEgP3WqdeySS95kYr-j12yQkVfysGfKhgwilPUTccME2cvQDBBuCXzDrITDI4xIiSIH-Pe9waSC-r-DKbqThf1houw/s5184/IMG_0751.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihJ9ZdBLVUMnkpe2hpU6DRMRAheMFsx2i-Vx9jOnU1FVRA95wAF-0dXD7HKli_jAXgLGWzLb7hCgTe_rz1-F6UfsN6PId5fffGEgP3WqdeySS95kYr-j12yQkVfysGfKhgwilPUTccME2cvQDBBuCXzDrITDI4xIiSIH-Pe9waSC-r-DKbqThf1houw/w503-h377/IMG_0751.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some roosting wildfowl on Island Mere</div><p></p><p>In the end it was a fairly poor showing at Minsmere with nothing of particular interest. Usually after each visit to this uber reserve I usually have a nice year tick, a new bird record for the year, but there was nothing today. Everything is wilting under the intense heat and there has been no prolonged rainfall this year, so the vegetation was bone dry. Nature is really feeling the brunt of this weather, everything is brown, groaning under the weight of the August heat. I pray for rain.</p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-67062576872803325762022-08-11T11:12:00.002-07:002022-08-11T11:12:46.679-07:00The River Gipping Lakes - 30/7/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47NPhgI9Yr0c0sIGpzE3o7OlmghOkiaotio4Jhb-fMEt3ge9Xz_AHqzI_BkUyWO9YowkyRVGk87M6yDUhrD8ZRiWsHv2OqsSyLYXQvAnPS6iq0kS-wKwEj75zNTGpz_ZhgtyH7W1o9DR8GcZb7QmXBV0etSF59An_4o7fTzD_vD7x434du_thSTDXIw/s5184/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg47NPhgI9Yr0c0sIGpzE3o7OlmghOkiaotio4Jhb-fMEt3ge9Xz_AHqzI_BkUyWO9YowkyRVGk87M6yDUhrD8ZRiWsHv2OqsSyLYXQvAnPS6iq0kS-wKwEj75zNTGpz_ZhgtyH7W1o9DR8GcZb7QmXBV0etSF59An_4o7fTzD_vD7x434du_thSTDXIw/w503-h378/IMG_0441.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pair of CANADA GEESE in the cow field between Shamford Mere and Causeway Lake. Look how brown the grass is from the recent drought</div><p></p><p>With some time to kill on a nice quiet Saturday, I decided to visit one of my local patches, some of the lakes that stretch along the River Gipping. I don't visit this area often enough, the last trip here was in April, so it was time I had look. The area is good to reach, as it flows along a bus route, so I can visit different areas hassle free. I started with Shamford mere and Causeway Lake, near Baylham, travelling south to Barham Pits near Claydon, a journey of several miles.</p><p><b>Shamford Mere and Causeway Lake</b></p><p>These are a pair of lakes along the middle part of the River Gipping that stretches between Needham Market and Ipswich. They are small bodies of water, no more than four or five acres in extent, so aren't huge, but being fairly off the beaten track are not that disturbed so often attract some wildfowl.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAd1o7_9bU7IqkpP0HLnIKleRCjegc9NUCrtLlNRhP10t_vlO-jn-LJ_zwd6ZfvXc-rbD7YzwzdX39U6GjgeSj09i8SWiFqTBv6BUuWVI-Ts561NgU1unkihaQt1GUqLugWpiIYLFztfG2mGaWWnhwhQ6mqxwswX8txxKppttrmnY43P83QM-dhm04OQ/s3456/IMG_0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3456" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAd1o7_9bU7IqkpP0HLnIKleRCjegc9NUCrtLlNRhP10t_vlO-jn-LJ_zwd6ZfvXc-rbD7YzwzdX39U6GjgeSj09i8SWiFqTBv6BUuWVI-Ts561NgU1unkihaQt1GUqLugWpiIYLFztfG2mGaWWnhwhQ6mqxwswX8txxKppttrmnY43P83QM-dhm04OQ/w503-h377/IMG_0465.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">JAY on the fence along the Gipping</div><p></p><p>The star bird was at Shamford Mere with an eclipse male RED CRESTED POCHARD on the water. This is mainly an introduced species, although I have seen birds I'm certain are wild. Being a bird that likes gravel pits they are quite rare in Suffolk, I have only a couple of records from this county. Also about were eleven TUFTED DUCK, this lake is usually the best in the Gipping area for this bird, they'll be moulting ducks going into eclipse.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNO8tmHREAGudSanitLpK9Pu4WesUDyiYGZpNqbjriYfOzaZgV0yX-CQPZVvhFb4tsnYs4Cv3JdVZ9HNX4MDaMg6cBdNwxEMts32mSncas6-7uf9KQoW5P_vqfUAcbs12NnHmsxsy6zjXFr-pc6B3jtvBDN3wRl4hR4qdHH2BdyRh24ipgCPzD9HfBw/s5184/IMG_0424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNO8tmHREAGudSanitLpK9Pu4WesUDyiYGZpNqbjriYfOzaZgV0yX-CQPZVvhFb4tsnYs4Cv3JdVZ9HNX4MDaMg6cBdNwxEMts32mSncas6-7uf9KQoW5P_vqfUAcbs12NnHmsxsy6zjXFr-pc6B3jtvBDN3wRl4hR4qdHH2BdyRh24ipgCPzD9HfBw/w505-h379/IMG_0424.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">RED ADMIRAL butterfly</div><p></p><p>Further along the river, just beyond a cow field, is Causeway Lake, a similar body of water, but this one is fished, although no one was about at the time. Again there were some moulting wildfowl, with twenty MUTE SWAN, and thirteen COOT about.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgu8XzwoD436mpKmNTklHyea30alWD9VM1MBRittypKXlQgxEa6BOKIMKMkudc9V5qkZDMS20jqtwtjYrERSr0hGzEMFqX9dcOhrG4dy_ZgiWYUf7m97V631yw9GBpkY48ZIUMXDk5jZ3V2aFrNrin_ogWiFcYa45ysXzrZlRpQRtNMyyoBzA0fuEDA/s5184/IMG_0490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgu8XzwoD436mpKmNTklHyea30alWD9VM1MBRittypKXlQgxEa6BOKIMKMkudc9V5qkZDMS20jqtwtjYrERSr0hGzEMFqX9dcOhrG4dy_ZgiWYUf7m97V631yw9GBpkY48ZIUMXDk5jZ3V2aFrNrin_ogWiFcYa45ysXzrZlRpQRtNMyyoBzA0fuEDA/w505-h379/IMG_0490.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Greta Blakenham weir, an unnatural barrier to wildlife on the Gipping</div><p></p><p>Following Causeway Lake it was a short walk down to Barham Pits, along the river Gipping. Because of the drought we are presently experiencing water levels were low, the weirs along the river barely flowing over, a good reason to get rid of them and let the river flow naturally again.</p><p><b>Barham Pits</b></p><p>The bottom lakes along the Gipping are Barham Pits a series of fishing pits, much disturbed and with not many birds. Being close to where I live I visit them often, but haven't really seen anything of interest there.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG3DlWrXpFgo-r_sXVS--8LpoERNjoyEZlo6vOn9UOrs4_OEOQpxmh46Xg6NNYYqfal5MNby6dcDbnKaRRP_NjZgpxKir9qpQl8_I9d-74e910p_rHi_8_X7oZuNMcOhIpL6tFq8kjC6i20M8ZHxL9JseklThGGyNl-6l39u3A2yE5E0QZ_dK9fzNBg/s3197/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2370" data-original-width="3197" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG3DlWrXpFgo-r_sXVS--8LpoERNjoyEZlo6vOn9UOrs4_OEOQpxmh46Xg6NNYYqfal5MNby6dcDbnKaRRP_NjZgpxKir9qpQl8_I9d-74e910p_rHi_8_X7oZuNMcOhIpL6tFq8kjC6i20M8ZHxL9JseklThGGyNl-6l39u3A2yE5E0QZ_dK9fzNBg/w504-h373/IMG_0517.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Female TUFTED DUCK on Barham Pit B</div><p></p><p>On the top lake, Meadlands, GREAT CRESTED GREBE had successfully raised a family, with some old fledged young hanging about. Below that, on the exotically titled Pit A, COOT had successfully raised a family. Pit B, the largest lake along the Gipping, held thirteen COOT and two TUFTED DUCK. Pit B held three pairs of GREAT CRESTED GREBE this year, a pair with two young being the last of the season.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx098H4aAxAiPqOkV_X71A_hTJHEgTrWFyLV4z6HM10mZQw5GaKXvbsEgQQf1UsFvINnmRlTPZAeVx4O5WVGn6TewQd4dqEYRhz3vSiCbtKsyXMLvoQqrmktghP_M6i3r5DP-3anl0drAYqIUKgImi2vthTOVLBejPOZoUa21j8_qs7wGBm3P6FDtJdA/s5184/IMG_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx098H4aAxAiPqOkV_X71A_hTJHEgTrWFyLV4z6HM10mZQw5GaKXvbsEgQQf1UsFvINnmRlTPZAeVx4O5WVGn6TewQd4dqEYRhz3vSiCbtKsyXMLvoQqrmktghP_M6i3r5DP-3anl0drAYqIUKgImi2vthTOVLBejPOZoUa21j8_qs7wGBm3P6FDtJdA/w504-h378/IMG_0494.JPG" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Barham Pit A</div><p></p><p>As always local patch birding is hard work, a lot of time for not very much. But being my patch, I feel its my responsibility to keep visiting, as I'm pretty much the only person who will, I have never met any birdwatchers here. Hopefully this will result in some sort of record for the area, something important for the time I put in. I hope.<br /></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3311200438588383942.post-87182003175128370472022-08-09T12:16:00.000-07:002022-08-09T12:16:20.413-07:00Beadnelle Bay - 21/7/2022<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo-xyi2uuN9pWOUotI9ZpWUeZONLXl-c2lDJlJ4cWLGQx6HqpwLN0TUd9HsNHTXg-sUO7CMjsXmQxQ_iT8YqGCiVvORhX9KzD6bU6wtKgI7cOz5MO0gSRu2dgo6021jKySO8e2_Jut8yQS74Iu5YwwjqmlWSx2w75J1ee52E4h55de4UFDnkQHUpHlw/s5184/IMG_0325.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo-xyi2uuN9pWOUotI9ZpWUeZONLXl-c2lDJlJ4cWLGQx6HqpwLN0TUd9HsNHTXg-sUO7CMjsXmQxQ_iT8YqGCiVvORhX9KzD6bU6wtKgI7cOz5MO0gSRu2dgo6021jKySO8e2_Jut8yQS74Iu5YwwjqmlWSx2w75J1ee52E4h55de4UFDnkQHUpHlw/w502-h377/IMG_0325.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Male STONECHAT</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The coast of Northumberland has some nice attractive walks and Bedenelle Bay with its combination of long sandy beaches and rocky breaks inbetween, is very picturesque. Although it doesn't have the rugged cliffs of other parts of the coast there was more of a refined beauty to the place. Its also a good place for birdwatching and I saw a lot decent spots including a new (sub)species.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5bGs6ui6EY91VzIQTi5vTzBR8Y6yfawfB3L1CpQEEMcAdZQyT0R9lEe26ZqBjXAJzYF7pFVAXB7FJr5jYV3gD0lovBcl33eBs-L3nmcCn878vPYWs59AyTHm4lnFxsijQwgYCISIEVm36UJjcngcmYk2RVl1TZpRhrb8fLJ8nCoKUuAxFe17rQlvQA/s5184/IMG_0190.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5bGs6ui6EY91VzIQTi5vTzBR8Y6yfawfB3L1CpQEEMcAdZQyT0R9lEe26ZqBjXAJzYF7pFVAXB7FJr5jYV3gD0lovBcl33eBs-L3nmcCn878vPYWs59AyTHm4lnFxsijQwgYCISIEVm36UJjcngcmYk2RVl1TZpRhrb8fLJ8nCoKUuAxFe17rQlvQA/w503-h377/IMG_0190.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A lame KITTIWAKE on the beach, hurt or avian flu, who knows? I'm always unsure what to do with them as wild birds carry lots of diseases.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I took the bus to Beadnelle, north of the Bay, got lost and eventually found my way south. The beach of the Bay spreads out long here to distant rocks. As it was busy with people nothing much showed for a long while. The only bird I did find was quite disconcerting, a KITTIWAKE on the sand, a bird that couldn't fly, and was obviously in distress. As it was a wild bird, I didn't want to touch it, but it may have had avian flu, which has decimated the bird colonies of the coast here. I made my way along the beach, until I hit a river channel, cutting the beach in half and I moved into the dunes to cross it. The dunes were full of colour, the rich purple of BLOODY CRANESBILL, and the delicate blues of the HAREBELL. There were many STONECHATS among the dunes, with a decent number of young ones meaning that it seems there was a successful breeding season for them, always such characterful birds, they are always happy to perch at the top of some bush. On the other side of the river, laid my target, the TERN colony that resides there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-Iy23i4FsyPwoye1jbX_iJFeQ5Eua9wkCNDirvNG4HPtgFU_Pqqb7QWvzvkvKCAbJFo7ojOaPUhKODA4s_T3ut3xrqXLmz_EZuc5L_Po5dWXaMmoQCgU5siu7T0FCB72-pIIJvSxTfLep63Fq09FPtKNcqASqVkBsGnOVUcJ-frRvjdg_2H3SL6LNg/s5184/IMG_0226.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-Iy23i4FsyPwoye1jbX_iJFeQ5Eua9wkCNDirvNG4HPtgFU_Pqqb7QWvzvkvKCAbJFo7ojOaPUhKODA4s_T3ut3xrqXLmz_EZuc5L_Po5dWXaMmoQCgU5siu7T0FCB72-pIIJvSxTfLep63Fq09FPtKNcqASqVkBsGnOVUcJ-frRvjdg_2H3SL6LNg/w505-h379/IMG_0226.JPG" width="505" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The dunes were a riot of colour, the delicate HAREBELL providing a delicate blue.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A small reserve, owned by the National Trust looks over a TERN colony, just off the beach. There was a target bird I was after, an AMERICAN BLACK TERN which had spent a large chunk of the summer here, associating with the other tern species. Surprisingly it was very easy to find, resting with the ARCTIC TERNS on the beach. It was much smaller than the arctic's with a fully black body, but was moulting so had white around its face. Black terns have always been a favourite species of mine, when I used to birdwatch at the local Tring Reservoirs, they were always the spring migrant I wanted to see the most. The American variety is only a subspecies, but will be what they call an armchair tick, as in the future it may be declared a species in its own right. This was my first record of this subspecies, and a delightful one to have.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQGhwu7u12-xkDKdmFInNMfmNvB78wgHtSVP7PGMk6kLGMANQUwmaK8GEt7ltUNZLFIN8zTsLjD6MOI-ei2B14bjS6sl6ndD-ebFeZtdgDu8QFzDrtzeolmfDOTnyH7_MqZR_us0BsMn6R-hQ5mpRFD-uxouiBl-KB8NpsrpCpv0S9EZsplZ143wEHg/s5184/IMG_0261.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQGhwu7u12-xkDKdmFInNMfmNvB78wgHtSVP7PGMk6kLGMANQUwmaK8GEt7ltUNZLFIN8zTsLjD6MOI-ei2B14bjS6sl6ndD-ebFeZtdgDu8QFzDrtzeolmfDOTnyH7_MqZR_us0BsMn6R-hQ5mpRFD-uxouiBl-KB8NpsrpCpv0S9EZsplZ143wEHg/w502-h377/IMG_0261.JPG" width="502" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ARCTIC TERN, there was a large colony of them at Beadnelle Bay</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ARCTIC TERN colony seemed to be going strong, nesting in the marram grass just behind the beach. A dedicated team of six rangers looked after them, mainly on naughty dog patrol, as although the colony is roped off, it can still be fairly easily entered, by unwitting beach goers. This quiet part of the beach was a good spot for sand loving WADERS, with over forty SANDERLING, and good numbers of DUNLIN and RINGED PLOVER, not having to worry about any disturbance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2eB59Lq5j3VYG95JkV6fPxKNDPlmKnqZ0sbBpk-fgYkNLJJWNX4Rt3fk2n5pwQVKstIVZi6stNmzyzeqVWZVl5jVRZr9a3UcSgL5i7-66Y9CZBRnhP7wL4B7LqkXjZg9yNvJ16IHFM3yv3WPTaF9W8D17B_XDEXExM8Fb-VGy2FOCRZ-i2d8t6oRbw/s5184/IMG_0334.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2eB59Lq5j3VYG95JkV6fPxKNDPlmKnqZ0sbBpk-fgYkNLJJWNX4Rt3fk2n5pwQVKstIVZi6stNmzyzeqVWZVl5jVRZr9a3UcSgL5i7-66Y9CZBRnhP7wL4B7LqkXjZg9yNvJ16IHFM3yv3WPTaF9W8D17B_XDEXExM8Fb-VGy2FOCRZ-i2d8t6oRbw/w506-h380/IMG_0334.JPG" width="506" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Embleton Bay, with the runs of Dunstanburgh Castle in the background</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I walked down until I hit the south side of the Bay, and the village of Low-Newton-by-the-Sea, and moved inland to a little wetland, just below. By a shallow flood in a field a pair of AVOCETS were busy guarding a brood of four nearly grown youngsters, while a YELLOW WAGTAIL fed on the muddy edges, nowadays a difficult bird to find. Further down, a hide overlooked Newton Lings, a small lake, but nothing was of interest. Walking south of the hide, there was an extensive wetland, overgrown with masses of MEADOWSWEET, fields the colour of rotten teeth, interspersed with the odd purple of PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vsqY62JDLcvNo69-LiPCjbepeKaa85UWEo-mbWvP9ar6QhRW8OkasDsyW1LLBFcEyoEvddNQblLDxF79UX7DUpPlrfvYVga_CLUs1R6ahYggY3QAOcYagEQqsFkkhmyJOARGiEGqwOwgZJFM5xd9NdwNb2LFbHsT_Ac3mxx5pt5fPm5FJsHvLaHkNg/s5184/IMG_0351.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4vsqY62JDLcvNo69-LiPCjbepeKaa85UWEo-mbWvP9ar6QhRW8OkasDsyW1LLBFcEyoEvddNQblLDxF79UX7DUpPlrfvYVga_CLUs1R6ahYggY3QAOcYagEQqsFkkhmyJOARGiEGqwOwgZJFM5xd9NdwNb2LFbHsT_Ac3mxx5pt5fPm5FJsHvLaHkNg/w500-h375/IMG_0351.JPG" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Newton Lings wetlands were overgrown with creamy MEADOWSWEET, PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE, and ROSEBAY WILLOWHERB on the higher ground at the back</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hit Embleton Bay, another large stretch of beach, sand flowing all the way to the remains of Dunstanburgh Castle on the far horizon. From here I went inland, following the path to Embleton to catch the bus there. The large fields had recently been harvested, the barley sorted into bails. It was whilst walking along one of the footpaths that I flushed a GREY PARTRIDGE, another bird that used to be a quintessential bird of the countryside, that is now so very, very rare. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfIOAIxEHIzlawxGP2FjZoNtilCKrkMFPjB2h-P3_eWvx9gz4RsmymCL7GU4HHby5Wa1yg7f948PAwFGpxFmbO9azYvguX5p83aAQYgz1rKW_uiebIxsJkDT7RhcIdbeKNHwFFIWrw7BXHr5zt-2mmO9RM6Kx6K0a0Bl1zFvOnE3H5cw9TlQT_6o7mw/s5184/IMG_0353.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="5184" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfIOAIxEHIzlawxGP2FjZoNtilCKrkMFPjB2h-P3_eWvx9gz4RsmymCL7GU4HHby5Wa1yg7f948PAwFGpxFmbO9azYvguX5p83aAQYgz1rKW_uiebIxsJkDT7RhcIdbeKNHwFFIWrw7BXHr5zt-2mmO9RM6Kx6K0a0Bl1zFvOnE3H5cw9TlQT_6o7mw/w503-h377/IMG_0353.JPG" width="503" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Harvest time in the interior</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My last birdwatching walk of my holiday in Northumbria, and a lovely one exploring some beautiful countryside. One of the things I love with birdwatching is that it gives the excuse to visit these places that are so off the beaten track, places that feel so virgin, that feel like I am the first to ever walk them. I shall miss this area of the country, as I don't know when I will be back next, but I know I shall have many good memories of Northumbria.</div><p></p>keith hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01009155840905852164noreply@blogger.com0