Foxton Wheatears

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
07 May 2012 16:55 - 18:46
Sunny after much rain 10C 10SE
Greylag Goose, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant (heard), Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Turtle Dove (heard), Green Woodpecker (heard), Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard), Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat (heard), Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Treecreeper (heard), Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer (heard), Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Orange Tip, Rabbit

Two Wrynecks at Minsmere!

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)
05 May 2012 06:45 - 18:23
Overcast with occasional light rain 10C 15NE
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Gadwall, Mallard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Cormorant, Bittern (heard), Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Ruff, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Willow Warbler (heard), Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Dartford Warbler, Sedge Warbler (heard), Reed Warbler (heard), Wren (heard), Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Redstart, Whinchat, Stonechat (heard), Wheatear, Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch, Greenfinch (heard), Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel, Red Deer

Wryneck at Minsmere

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.

Fowlmere

Now four Tufted Ducks (three male). Not a lot else in the rain.

Fowlmere
29 April 2012 12:14 - 13:00
Rain 14C 10E
Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Kingfisher, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark (heard), Swallow, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Willow Warbler (heard), Blackcap (heard), Sedge Warbler (heard), Reed Warbler (heard), Wren, Starling, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch, Linnet, Bullfinch (heard), Yellowhammer (heard), Reed Bunting (heard), Corn Bunting, Rabbit

Fowlmere

Ring Ouzel still present.

Fowlmere
28 April 2012 12:31 - 14:21
Rain 9C 9NNE
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Teal, Pheasant (heard), Grey Heron, Little Grebe (heard), Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker (heard), Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark (heard), Swallow, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Willow Warbler (heard), Blackcap, Lesser Whitethroat (heard), Sedge Warbler (heard), Reed Warbler (heard), Wren (heard), Starling, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Pied Wagtail, Chaffinch (heard), Linnet, Bullfinch (heard), Yellowhammer (heard), Reed Bunting (heard), Rabbit, Fallow Deer, Muntjac

Fowlmere

Three Swifts and three Tufted Ducks (two males).

Fowlmere
27 April 2012 10:53 - 12:08
Heavy showers 12C 9N
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Pheasant (heard), Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Woodpigeon, Swift, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler (heard), Blackcap, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler (heard), Wren (heard), Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch, Yellowhammer (heard), Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting, Small Tortoiseshell, Rabbit, Grey Squirrel, Muntjac

Fowlmere

A Lesser Whitethroat in.

Fowlmere
26 April 2012 06:44 - 07:39
Sunny with patchy cloud after much Tain 14C 22S
Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Teal, Mallard, Red-legged Partridge, Pheasant, Little Grebe (heard), Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Green Woodpecker (heard), Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark (heard), Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Willow Warbler (heard), Blackcap (heard), Lesser Whitethroat (heard), Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler (heard), Treecreeper, Wren, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush (heard), Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch (heard), Reed Bunting (heard), Corn Bunting, Muntjac