A Garden Warbler singing by the Shep early this morning.
That was it, but then. Western Orphean Warbler at Hartlepool. So made the journey and saw a not very well bird as well as a couple of town nesting Kittiwakes.
Fowlmere
Early evening stroll with Michelle. Usual stuff. A family party of Mute Swans were on the Shep. The male refused to let us down the path, but we eventually got past and I snapped the female and youngsters on my phone.
The mixed singing (i.e. Chiffchaff) Willow Warbler was seen tonight. Returning for its 4th consecutive year?
Fowlmere
Several butterflies and the first dragonfly (Azure Damselfly) at Fowlmere today, as well as hearing the mixed singing Willow Warbler for the first time this year.
Also a Holly Blue in the garden.
Fowlmere
Eventually got out on a cold Sunday afternoon and decided to head to Amwell. A Hobby near Fowlmere airfield and a pair of Yellow Wagtails along the Barkway/Buckland road were seen en-route.
Amwell held several good birds in nice plumage: Three Black Terns, two Dunlins, a pair of Redshanks, an Oystercatcher (apparently there is a pair with young), a Ringed Plover, and one fledged Lapwing chick. Black-headed Gulls appeared to be sitting on the tern rafts, along with the expected Common Terns.
Along the dragonfly walk (too cold for dragonflies), Early Marsh Orchid and Southern Marsh orchids (I think) were out.
Amwell
Starlings still around demolishing yet another supply of fat-balls. Think they are still spending the night in the loft; something is, and I don’t think it’s the Swifts, though they are flying around it.
Fowlmere quiet apart from 50+ Swallows. Fowlmere Road still has two Wheatears and a nice male Yellow Wagtail.
Fowlmere
Two Stock Doves over the garden before going to work. Still two Wheatears along Fowlmere Road this evening.
Fowlmere Road
A sunny day at last, so spent most of it in the garden. The Starlings left their nest in the loft for the first time (a good job as the Swifts are now trying to get in). They fed mainly around the cherry tree all day and the four youngsters and two adults demolished my feeders and fat balls.
The Great Tits are actively feeding chicks in the apple tree, returning every minute or so with a insects. A male Blackbird is using a song post is right next to the nest. The chicks fledged a few days ago (we found the nest last week in next door’s shed with the female sitting.)
And then the twitch! Early evening Mathew Mellor gave me a call to say that he possibly had some Dotterel along Fowlmere Road, though never having seen Dotterel before wasn’t entirely sure as they were very distant. Of course, they were. Six birds in the far field (three females and three males). Quite a find. After a brief look I returned to get Tom. Three Wheatears, a Yellow Wagtail, and three pairs of Grey Partridges were also present, as well as six Hares. An hour or so later I went for an evening stroll with Michelle and Sam, and joined a growing but disappointed crowd as, although nobody saw them go, they had almost certainly flown.
Fowlmere Road
Cuckoo calling at Fowlmere. That’s it. Four Wheaters (2 males) still along Fowlmere Road. Possibly Greenland from size and brightness.
Fowlmere
A sub-adult male Marsh Harrier nest building at Fowlmere tonight.
Cambridge Botanic Gardens
Two Hobbies in a quick lunchtime walk today at Fowlmere. Early evening, a scan of Fowlmere Road produced yesterday’s two Wheatears, plus two Yellow Wagtails, and a Spotted Flycatcher. Three great birds for Foxton.
The field along Fowlmere Road currently looks great for Dotterel, so I decided to scan it. No joy, but two Wheatears present. Also two pairs of Grey Partridge and a pair of Red-legged Partridge.
On to Fowlmere where there were a good number of Hirrundines (including a single Sand Martin) and the first Turtle Dove was heard.
Fowlmere
I started a full day’s birding at 6:30, on my own, around Dunwich cliffs. Not a lot of migrants unfortunately in a fairly strong and cold northerly wind. Returning to the campsite to awake Tom (if that’s the right word, none of us had really slept), we went for a coffee before heading to Dunwich Heath to look for Dartford Warblers. We were later joined by Celia, David, and Eliot, who brought Sam along with them, before we all headed on to Minsmere.
Here, we all had views of the Wryneck by the visitors centre and then walked around to the North hide and the beach. It was not possible to do a full circuit as the recent rain had flooded the paths. With no waders on the flooded scrape, myself and Tom decided to carry on towards the flooded fields near the sluice whilst the others went back to the campsite.
Rather disappointingly there was little of interest and so we decided a coffee would be the best idea. However, just as we were leaving a probable Wryneck flew into an isolated bush on the sea wall. I quickly called Tom over who was carrying the scope and we got onto it. The bird was motionless and very difficult to see but was obviously a Wryneck (which had been a new bird for Tom only the day before!) I tried to get a bit closer to it in order to get a photo but it soon flushed towards the more sheltered sluice bushes below. Over the next hour and a half we managed another six very brief sightings. It responded to playback once (we had no idea if the bird was present or had headed inland) and sounded like a male.
The bird was very flighty and I’m sure it was a new arrival in-off the sea, even though I didn’t see what direction it had come from. There would have been no reason for it to be in the exposed bush on the sea wall and once in the sluice bushes remained loyal to those.
A great bird to find on an otherwise quite day but we did have time for a few nice padders on the way back: First a superb male Redstart at the start of the sea wall, and then a male Ring Ouzel and Whinchat just outside the reserve, as well as several good looking male Wheatears.
Minsmere (Includes Dunwich cliffs and Heaths)
Popped into Minsmere on our way to Dunwich cliffs where we where myself and the boys were to spend two nights camping with Fowlmere RSPB Young Explorers. Got the Wryneck near the visitors centre.