Thursday 30 July 2020

Pathways,

Took a walk down the new path on the West side of the land. Give it a few years and it will be absolutely fantastic. First young Chiff of the year, one of three in lake corner. We sat on the new seat and watched the first RUDDY DARTER I have found on site. Also BLACK TAILED SKIMMER, GREEN EMERALD, also a seen but no photo of a fratilary butterfly.
Also WREN, SWALLOW 4, HOUSE MARTIN 1.







Tuesday 28 July 2020

Pathways,

Regular call in with a box of bird books for a service user. To see his smile means I am his friend for life. It's just great to someone who has been identified with a care need able to enjoy the same things that I do. How great is that. He was even more impressed when I picked up on a RED KITE that flew through. Only one SWIFT and also the first LITTLE GREBE chick well fledged. 9 MOORHEN, and a SPARROWHAWK male again flew through.
Also a female COMMON DARTER and a mating pair of COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLIES.
Links Hill Car Park:   14 COMMON TERN on groynes with a loafing juv KITTYWAKE.





Monday 27 July 2020

Ness Point, Lowestoft.

 A one hour call in saw a single COMMON TERN and two GANNET. Strong South winds called for the KITTYWAKES to fly hard. The adults were making there usual headway, but the young ones were starting to struggle. I also had just two TURNSTONE and 3 HOUSE SPARROW.
                                                              Juvenile Herring Gull.

Friday 24 July 2020

Hen Reed Bed, Suffolk.

Had a HERRING GULL overnight as it had been hit by a car. It's wing was low, but by the morning it was normal. I opened the shed door and within minuets it was out. Came down the garden and took one look at me and turned round. It went to the pond and had a drink so I game him some bread and he fed well. Then went back in the shed. I then placed it in a box and freed it on the Bly.



Best bird was a female BULLFINCH which I saw as I left the reserve. With so many BLUE TIT young the car park was full of them. It was also good to get a good view of a COMMON TERN. About 7 BAR TAILED GODWIT, 30 GREY LAD GEESE, 9 LITTLE EGERET, 7 AVOCET, 50 REDSHANK, BEARDED TIT heard but not seen. Just one REED WARBLER and a single MOORHEN and 2 CORMORANT.



Friday 17 July 2020

Worlingham Marsh.

Surprisingly this is the first time I have actually walked this track all the way through to the river Waveney. But well worth the saunter, as that's all I can do now. The days of long walks is gone I am afrais. But still able  to keep out there which is the main thing. 
Plenty of butterflies including many PEACOCK, RED ADMIRAL, COMMA 5, SMALL COPPER 7, MEADOW BROWN, The surprise was when I was sitting by the river I thought the angler on my left was pulling his float in, but I then realised it was a GRASS SNAKE swimming towards me. Never be surprised at nature. Also some young REED WARBLER with adult over the river. Higher up there where three COMMON BUZZARD circling high. BLACKBIRD 2 ROBIN, 2, WREN 2,
But best of all was the FOUR SPOTTED CHASER that stayed long enough to pic. Something I had never seen before was a dragonfly which had caught a PEACOCK BUTTERFLY.





Thursday 16 July 2020

Corton Old Sewage Works

Just the circular walk with very few birds, but insect life well above average. So many RINGLET butterflies I just gave up counting. But what with SMALL COPPER, SMALL SKIPPER, COMA, RED ADMIRAL, PEACOCK, MEADOW BROWN, LARGE WHITE, COMMON BLUE both male and female. Also a male SOUTHERN HAWKER in Corton Church yard.








Saturday 11 July 2020

Spratts Water, Carlton Marsh.

Seemed very few SEDGE WARBLERS about and only one REED WARBLER. Also picked up on another pair of STONECHAT. Also found a female REED BUNTING clinging well to a reed. Also a MARSH HARRIER flew low with the biggest inder carriage I have ever seen. Catch was at least a foot long. Also one COMMON BUZZARD  flew low over Spratts Water.

Links Hil and North Dene's

Raining when I arrived so sat in the car and waited till it was over. With the first COMMON TERN on the groyns for the summer. A couple of CROW and two MED GULLS at rest in the car park. So of for a walk around circular walk while the sun was out. 5 GREENFINCH flew out off wild rose bush. A single GOLDFINCH over and 4 LINNET. But at first bramble up poped an adult WHINCHAT at 10ft away no mistaking this little ditty. When on the next bramble just fledged STONECHAT I think there may have been three in all. But found an adult pair nearby. There must have been at least a dozen COMMON WHITETHROAT.







Monday 6 July 2020

Pathways

The regular weekly visit brought in the sighting of a LESSER WHITETHROAT the adult was tacking lower down and out of sight. But the young one was feeding furtively higher up and spent all its time hiding. So just snapped away at the bush, so the photo below has a lot to be desired. But at least its there.
Also had 2 LITTLE GREBE and a really yellow CHIFFY which was calling qith a hewit call and an of Chiffchaff. The photo of a COMMA is good and no complaints. 9 SWIFT, GREENFINCH. as well as 2 EMPEROR DRAGONFLIES.



Saturday 4 July 2020

Ormesby Broad, Thurne, Stocksby.

Had a stop over at Ormsby, with the best being a BAR-HEADED-GOOSE more than Likly from Thrigby Hall Gardens. A KINGFISHER heard but not seen. COMMON TERN, GREAT CREASTED GREBE, EGYPTIAN GEESE, SWIFT, SWALLOW, KESTREL, GREY LAG GOOSE. A GARDEN WARBLER was singing near the toilet block snd sldo s BLACKCAP could be heard. But the other surprise was that I saw a WREN fly into a tree trunk and sure enough a nest.
Stocksby: SWALLOWS were flying in and out of the bank collecting mud and green weed to daub around nest.  A single SEDGE WABLER took to flight over reed bed. A single COMMON BUZZARD as we left was heading into wind



Friday 3 July 2020

Ashby Dell, Near Fritton.

Circular walk to Ashby, St Marys Church.
The best find was a pair of LITTLE OWL, mind you one could have been a young bird. But at distance who can tell. These birds where sheltering out of the strong wind. It looks like the birds may roost on church tower in view of the amount of poo on sills.
A KESTREL flew low in front of me carrying a large vole, but only one singing YELLOWHAMMER. as for WHITETHROAT I had 4 birds singing. A COMMON BUZZARD was harrying everything around the wood over Fritton. A single PIED WAG and CHIFFY. The verge by the church was a delight.








Wednesday 1 July 2020

Walberswick,

Birthday bash with family after lock down. Physically distant, brain out of kilter.

A very worrying and out of character BLACK HEADED GULL. showing some very odd plumage. To start with an adult head which means in its second year. But the odd back end in the tail trailing edge is black. Also the tail seems long. But the bird shows some of the odd marking in the wing with the P9 and P10 showing black fringing. Not very often seen and always a second look required. Movement of SWIFTS off the water.
One MEADOW PIPIT parachuting down from 50 feet. With young SWALLOWS and four OYSTERCATCHER, Two overflying REDSHANK and one GODWIT. The family of CROWS had an issue with each other.