Sparrows Nest to North Dene's

The day was overcast to begin with but eventually brightened up. S/N proved very sparse but did manage 2 CHIFFCHAFF, LONG-T-TIT and one JAY came on in close. Plenty of calling WREN'S and DUNOCK. I still wonder about the so called conservation of this area. The undercutting may well open up the canopy and take all the rubbish away but it does mean there is no where near so much cover. Perhaps my views are to short term.

Flycatcher Alley:  Another 4 CHIFFCHAFF and  several WREN and ROBIN here all calling as where several GREENFINCH and BLACKBIRD.

North Dene's: Best birds of the day here with two fly over MEADOW PIPIT and 3 WHEATEAR flitting about. Managed a pic which is a good change as sometimes these early run birds are a bit in the air so to speak. Also another 6 MEADOW PIPIT near caravans and 23 TURNSTONE in the air.

 

Home

It's not everyone who can live in a town centre and still be blessed with seeing some of Britons best birds. Today was just one of those days. I had picked this birds up earlier in the day but was unable to see it as it was sitting in the sun. But this time I heard it call and new that it was a BLACK REDSTART. Sure enough I picked it up, ran inside the house and below is the only shot I got. The other pic's are from yesterday at the Ness.

Home

Early morning site down in the garden brought in a  PEREGRINE and SPARROW HAWK. While having the car fixed up Norwich Road the pair of PEREGRINE where sky dancing in total unison. Something else to see in life is symmetry performed by the natural world. Something else which I have never seen before was what I believed my regular visiting pair of MAGPIE at it at the entrance to Charlie's yard. There was a ten foot mound of earth and both birds where at the top. They where only 20 feet away and where not at all perturbed by my presence. Of course there was other things on there mind. She went onto a near by wall literally feet away and spread her wings and he hoped on beside her and there mounted the poor old dear. From what I could see he did not manage it. But then what do I know.

Carlton Marsh

Again bright but a certain chill in the air. Wind from the  South West.

Best bird was a Bullfinch which was at Spratt's Water. Was not the first for the year but defiantly the best looking bird being male. I also had a good view when I flushed a single SNIPE from of the track. 4 LITTLE EGRET, 50 LAPWING with a few around scrape and some on the low sandy soil ready to breed. 1 COMMON BUZZARD and ! female MARSH HARRIER. 4 CETTIS WARBLER and & REED BUNTING, 1 calling CHIFFCHAFF and 4 KESTREL. 1 SPARROW HAWK. with several SKYLARK singing well. I also had a few fly by LINNET and GOLDFINCH as well as CHAFFINCH.

Home.

When I did manage to climb out of bed I had my morning coffee in the garden only to find a calling TREE PIPIT across from the house in the top of a tree in Denmark Road. managed to gain a good view through scope but not long enough to gain a pic. Mind you the following two are not bad for a fly over either. Not taken by myself but by Jonathan who heard the gulls kicking off.

Ness Point and Silo

Called in towards dusk and picked up on 32 GANNETS all heading North with just one RED-THROATED-DIVER the other way. A PIED WAGTAIL kept me company with his two friends. Also one seal put his head up.
At the silo the resident PEREGRINE was sitting low for a change so the following was worth a few shots. Plus video.    http://youtu.be/giHF6UkI8ew

Blythburgh, Suffolk.

Bright but that north east has a way with it.

Best was not a bird but a lovely PEACOCK butterfly. This is my 3rd species of the year.

The birding started with a soaring BUZZARD just short of Wrentham, it was moving toward the village and putting on a real display. The first bird on the Bly was a LITTLE EGRET one of two seen on the walk. It was with a a pair of OYSTERCATCHER. The gull flock was a mixed bunch. but I could not pull anything out of it. But it was lovely to hear the sound of several SKYLARK singing well up in the sky as well as a few on the deck. I also had about 7 MEADOW PIPIT feeding with CHAFFINCH in low ground and close cut grass. LONG-TAILED TIT and BLUE as well as GREAT TIT all on show. Calling and viewable WREN and ROBIN as well. I also put to flight two RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE. Several CROWS over the marsh with 32 BAR-TAILED-GODWIT and 53 AVOCET. It seems that WIGEON have not left us yet as there must have been 200 birds out there in mixed flock I was surprised to get a lone GADWALL however and about 30 TEAL holding up out of the wind. OYSTERCATCHER and REDSHANK in good numbers as where the SHELLDUCK about 90 birds.

 





Abberton Resevoir and West Mersea

Spent two days with sis in Colchester so of to the res for some birding.

Best bird was distant but in realy good nick that being a GOOSEANDER with around 50 POCHARD and several hundread TEAL as well as 1 GREY HERON and that was it except for several SKYLARK singing high.

 

At Mersea a few CURLEW but best was the amount of BRENT GEESE getting ready to head of. I also had a flock of 35 GREAT CRESTED GREBE well out in the channel. As well as 3 RINGED PLOVER. I also gain a short glimpse of a COMMON BUZZARD well out on the marsh. I also had one at Rushmere St Andrew rubbish dump on the way home and another two pairs at the Woodbridge turn of on A12.