Breydon Water and Lound Lakes

Just a quick call in on a clearing day with West wind.

Breydon:     Reported CASPIAN GULL was just about visible from the South bank, as the tide was high and the bird was on low marsh on North side. The only benefit in the tide being high was that the bird was forced to keep flying which was a first for me as the previous two that I have seen have all been at rest. So as my third bird in life of this species it was a different view.

Lound Lakes:  As for birds the only area of interest was the noisy pair of OYSTERCATCHER that flew over. CHIFFCHAFF still to be heard with MALLARD  and a single L-B-B-Gull. blue tits flying through with young ones.

I also came a cross a spider which it seems is a  GREEN ORB WEEVER SPIDER. Rather thin for this species but this is what it was. Needed a fly I think.

Home

Here is the latest pic of Harry and Sallies latest addition. He has yet to be named by the grandchildren.


Unlike the Lesser on next doors chimney, as they lost there only young bird to a Sparrow Hawk that removed it early this morning. It could not hold it and despite trying very hard it lost it while in flight at about 40 ft. No sign of the young bird and it is very quiet on the roof.

Minsmere and Dunwich

Late evening walk out before storm meeting up with WBC.

 

Birding from the East hide saw a very dodgy looking CASPIAN GULL which was trying to clean itself up without much joy I might say. Perhaps the best bird for me was the black plumaged male SPOTTED REDSHANK. This bird was in just as good condition as the Caspian wasn't. Other stuff on view included a HOBBY  which was running, if not flying up and down the dunes along beach. RINGED PLOVER, REDSHANK, LAPWING, COMMON TERN, SANDWICH TERN, AVOCET, BARNACLE GOOSE. MARSH HARRIER, MED GULL. BLACK TAILED GODWIT.

 

 

 

Dunwich Heath:  A walk out on to the heath for an evening walk to catch up with KNIGHTJAR, no disappointment here with three male birds chasing each other until they were so close. With bins fixed the colour and white was so good to see. The other birds we caught up with was three DARFORD WARBLER and STONECHAT including a young bird. Also a calling CHIFFCHAFF which flew as did a calling COMMON WHITETHROAT. A GREEN WOODPECKER flew around but the main disappointment is that there was no meadow pipit. Question here is a major why.

Home

Spent the last few days getting over the few days before that. I feel knackered and no way to make outside in the real world yet. What with putting in concrete in the garden and surface water drainage it gets no easier.

Again HOLLY BLUE  a female this time getting some feed from the apple tree. How I have no idea but above me I had two BUZZARD flying West late afternoon. Both birds were amazingly high, being almost out of sight. Also many SWIFT feeding high but only viewable through bins.

Home

Bright and everyone else has rain but none here. What went wrong?

Nothing amazing but how good to see seven LINNET in the garden. A pair have been hanging around so perhaps they have bone the job. GOLDFINCH about and one PIED WAG over. PERI'S are kicking off again in the morning. Male and female BLACKBIRD on the table today as well as COLLARD DOVE, MAGPIE and WOOD PIGEON.

Carlton Marsh, SWT

Overcast after heavy rain and storm.

Carlton Marsh:  Walk out was only a short time but to see three CUCKOO flying and calling is very unusual. They seemed to circle the whole area from the scrape to Spratts and past the centre and Fisher Row and back again. Ending up with all birds on there own. A BARN OWL was viewable for short time and the other surprise was the fly through BARNACLE GOOSE. A single SHOVELORE was on the scrape as was MALLARD, REDSHANK, and some LAPWING which are growing fast.
MEADOW PIPIT 6 birds and two pairs. CETTIS WARBLER, SEDGE, REED, REED BUNTING and one GREY HERON.  Two COMMON BUZZARD were engaging each other in mid air conflict. I only had one SWALLOW, HOUSE MARTIN 3, SWIFT 1.
Asda:    Peri on perch and 8 SWIFT high in the air.
                                                  Cuc....oooooooo or something like that.

Ness Point and Loathingland Lake.

Still and overcast.

Ness:    With nothing out at sea only 7 KITTYS and the usual GULLS in LESSER and HERRING. A small flock of STARLING around twenty birds in all with some young birds. 3 PIED WAGTAIL and a fly over CROW. There was SWIFT obviously moving South and low flying. Just one HOUSE SPARROW shew itself from bushes behind wall.

Silo:  The PERI was intent on giving a feral pigeon some grief after it strayed to close. Also a bird in the box but not clear enough to id.

Bunny or a Rabbit, id is always difficult but I think its a bunny.



Home, Hen Reed Bed, Cove Bottom.

Overcast day but at 14 degrees it does seem  warmer.

Home:    Again the COMMON WHITETHROAT was showing off and chucking for the first time in the Buddleia bush. Also GREAT TIT and HOUSE SPARROW showing well with definitely more of these about. The regular male BLACKBIRD called in but no sign of a female for weeks. Harry the HERRING GULL is a dad again, after the noise yesterday a young bird could be seen between the chimney pots.
Hen Reed Bed:    Called in for 30 minuets with views of HOBBY which flew through and a KINGFISHER which sat very uncomfortably on reeds fishing. Viewable REED BUNTING and 2 REEDLING as well as a pair of LAPWING protecting young. A SHELLDUCK flew in a disappeared down a bunny hole. Obvious use here, but will struggle to get them to water. LITTLE EGERET and COMMON BUZZARD as well as a male MARSH HARRIER. SAMD MARTIN flying low and SEDGE WARBLER as well.
Cove Bottom: Three CANADA GEESE flew over and two LITTLE OWLS calling as was a COMMON PHEASANT. A male MARSH HARRIER flew in with a bunny and disappeared into reed bed. There was also a female MARSH sitting tight in reeds and a fly over GREY HERON.

Home...

Bright day again today with still a North breeze... I heard that people went on the beach today and left as soon as they arrived. Good old East coast.

Home:  Worked all day in the garden finishing of the new soil pipes to take water away surface water to the new soak away. Opportunity to bird in my small patch. Best bird again today was the COMMON WHITETHROAT that must be nesting somewhere around here but I am scuppered as to its location. Also much noise from the PERI nest for over an hour. I understand they were rung a week ago so what the kick of was I do not now but they could be getting ready to go. HOUSE SPARROWS are a real encouragement here with numerous birds flitting through and feeding well at the table. Both male and female let alone young birds. LINNETS also persist in settling in Buddleia bush with both sexes. Goldfinch to keep flitting in. At 11:30 am a the gulls started to kick of and a COMMON BUZZARD ran the gantlet heading West.

Somerlyton:  Watched Jonathan in his cycle race from Somerlyton Green so an opportunity to watch with 1 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER , 4 SWIFT,1 HOUSE MARTIN,  2 BLACKCAP, 2 CHIFFCHAFF and 2 SONG THRUSH. Several CHAFFINCH calling and along Market Lane, Somerlyton. three YELLOWHAMMER calling with one viewable.

                               Common Buzz over house this am and all day Peri fly over.

This is Harry and his wife Sally has been sitting on eggs for the last two weeks. He is still holding his territory and is fed three times a day.

Lound Lakes, Suffolk.

Bright and warm at last.

 

Lound Lakes:  Best bird in my terms was a single GREY PARTRIDGE on the East side of Mill Lane. It was lying low in a recently harvested crop of what looked like sweet corn from last year. Picture not to good due to the heat haze but then it was a way off. It was also a good day as I managed a male LESSER WHITETHROAT  which was collecting food for young and kept returning to the nest site. Other birds of interest were a SONG THRUSH singing well. BLACKCAP 4, CHIFFCHAFF, WILLOW WARBLER 2, STOCK DOVE 1, KESTREL 1,        Cinnabar Moth..... 8 in all.

 

 

Home:  First thing this morning a single GARDEN WARBLER in the garden but only briefly when it flew South. Also the first fledged BLUE TIT and also male BLACKBIRD had his first bath, must have been very black.

Carlton Marsh:  Late call in after the locating of a BLUE WINGED TEAL. Caught the bird in good light as the sun was going down. But distant shot only, but a lifer for me if accepted bas wild. No ring as far as can be seen so as good as it gets really. Also a BARN OWL, MEADOW PIPIT, CETTI'S WARBLER and REED BUNTING showing well on scrape.

                                                     Not the best pic but a record shot.

 

 

 

 

Gunton Football Field.

Wind still blowing and dull, we live in hope.

Heard of a GREENISH WARBLER at the above in what was said to be the North West end. However info on the twitter said East, so at 10:30 am I was in place finding seven other people trying to find this very elusive bird. I was told that it had been singing and within a few minuets I had not only heard it but glimpsed it, but to say I had viewed it is far from the truth. But I did see it four times in all and only for a few seconds each time. It held good cover in the blackthorn and you had to be careful in the wind not to mistake the bird as there was other stuff flitting about.  I managed to find BLACKCAP, COMMON WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT. SWIFT flying and very active with just one JAY.
What I found interesting was the very distinctive call, I was surprised at how it could be heard especially in the strong wind. It could be heard 50 feet away and for some who were viewing it was a learning curve which I helped to turn.