Out and about, well?

 Call in at Somerlyton Staith and the first bird a RED KITE flew right over us and although brief it was the job. It was followed up with a very dark COMMON BUZZARD also was a very odd bird, with such a long neck and beak. But that was it except for WOOD PIGEON.

Home this am: Sat in the garden again. Two SWALLOWS flying South and a KESTREL on roof at the bottom of the garden. I also had WREN and Robin.

  

This Herring Gull was at Links Hill and was evidently privatly rung by the person who reared it.

Home: The start of the day with two SWALLOW  flying South followed by a KESTREL that was roof sitting. Before I could get my bin's on it, it was gone. Hopefully note the RFF. Also five CORMORANT and WREN, ROBIN, BLUE TIT and GREAT TIT. But the best again was a HUMMING BIRD HAWKMOTH.

Somerlyton Staith call in with a RED KITE  strait away. Followed by a COMMON BUZZARD.

 

Carlton SWT

 Species list for the day was 28, nothing remarkable but with still some lingeri9ng migrants. The best bird was a TREEVREEPER but small stuff flying with LAPWING was unidentifiable. Good to see just one SNI[PE and four REDSHANK. I suppose the real stand out animal was a BLOODY NOSED BEETLE. It seems that they cannot fly but hang around slow moving on the deck. No surprise that this is what this job was doing.

It's autume folk's.

 With the night's pulling in, things are on the change. Sure enough the first three GADWALL were back on sight, but as we consider this fact SWALLOWS, HOUSE and SAND MARTINS where feeding well over the lake. But with 23 species and a first CETTI'S WARBLER for the year we stand bacl and let the year move on.

So what is there to rant about? No dout there are big issues in regards to the enviroment and esspecially as some still hold there is not such a thing as CIMATE CHANGE. Well in my life I have seen things change. I suppose this is not considered as evidence byt my first sigting of GREAT WHITE EGRET was back in 1962 at Abberton Resevoir in Essex. Only today at Minismere nine were seen and last winter near my home in one night 17 GWT roosted. As for the amount of birds and the rarety level of some of the birds of the past is not realised. OK rare birds are seen more because of social media. Which gives so many people theoppotunity of seeing what turns up. Good or bad perhaps is not the issue. What is sadley is that what was common to me as a young man is not the case now. Of course there are many underlying issues. Farming, restrictive croping and pesticdes and general cutting and changes in farming must have influenced wildlife habitate. What will change, well govermennt will still build, not encourage change in farming practice. So as we wait we hold our breath and die.

Sad to see.

 From the garden: There are some things that are not understood about many of the things about us. In fact the more you see. the more you realise how little we realy know. In fact we never stop learning. So as for this STARLING I assume it is on it's last legs. Bird flue, botulism or a mental blackout. who can tell but it's activite was more than strange. I exspect that by now it has demised, but I fed it some maggots and it eat well. Flew of a few meters and came back again to feed three times. Unable to stand and lying as if it was sun bathing or eating ants. But none of these applied. So no easy answares. But as always "I done what I could".

To the ridicules.

 Once asked why do you watch birds. My reply I just like them. So after the RFF we come down to earth with a bump. Or is it a ball of fluff. No it's a HOUSE SPARROW.

The sublime

 It seems that this bird had taken up residence last Friday and had been miss identified. But not for long as it turned out to be a juvenile  RED FOOTED FALCON. To have such a bird so close to home is a gift but I made a decision that I would leave it till today as it is my birthday. So a call in was no disappointment. Of course this is no were near my first, not even for juvenile. But what a lovely bird to photograph. So I apologise for so many pic's.

 

Links Hill

 Call in with my mate and after weeks of no rain Links Hill car park had small pools of water. Earlier today a LITTLE GULL was seen North of Ness Point. So no surprise on arrival that the bird sat in a puddle. The bird would not look at me, perhaps there was something wrong with me. But evemtually it obliged. There was also 7 SANDWICH TERNS with one young bird being fed. Also a single MED GULL flew in but did not land. 

New visitor to the garden.

 Nature has a way of always giving and it happened again today. With the first ever SMALL COPPER which stayed long enough to get more than one pic. Which is unusual. It seemed to like my beetroot.

Carlton Marsh SWT

 Out again on very hot day with still no rain. When will it end. GWE and LE just couple of COMMON BUZZARD. The best was a late run SWIFT on its own and feeding well as was all the SWALLOWS and HOUSE MARTINS. Nothing out of the usual but a very confinding KESTREL as can be seen by the pic's belowe.

 

Pathways Care Farm

 And so the time keeps on moving on, heading now to Autum as change is on the way. It has been such a hot summer with little or no rain. The ground so parched and grass so dry, what can work through all this in the wild. We just dream of rain. But out on the lake was the sound of the tacking of  BLACKCAP and the calling and viewing of two KINGFISHER caryying fish I assume to the young. A pair of COMMON BUZZARD and four HOUSE MARTINS above the farm was a welcome sight. As for the MUTE SWANS things have taken a turn sadly for the worde. The young are well on but the parents have left. Three young still on the lake but three are missing. They are about the farm but not good, and although they are being returned there must be an issue in regards to feed. In fact if you look at the water it is clear and vegitation in it. Is it again a result of this very hot weather. More than likly.

Carlton Marsh SWT

 The usual four hours out talking to folks out on the marsh. With nothing out of the usual but still very enjoyable to see scarse birds in the wild. The best was the very lonly CATTLE EGRET which is intent on staying around and also a very short but close necounter with a CETTI'S WARBLER. Also managed a serise pf photo's of a CLOUDED YELLOW BUTTERFLY. 

It turns out that this a variety of the species. The white back fore wing is only found in one in five hundred of females. Which makes it a HELICE version of the same.

A near thing.

 A garden bird turned up the other day and who would ever dare to say. So we use the word "Type". But it not at all common around here. But as we all know after a time of breeding these birds always revert to type. So what we are looking at is a bird with several distinguishing features that reflect it's true past. The won that ever looked anything was a pair in the nest that I found on a rock face in County Sutherland. Yes I did claim it as the genuine artical, but not this one. But how good to look at the features that make up such a bird. So let's start.

1.    White rump.  2.   Two dark wing bars.    3.  Black end to tail. 4 .White under wing. 5. Black edge to forwing underneath and trailing edge. 6. Cere white. 7. Black bill.

Just a good thing to challenge us all and a ROCK DOVE. Well who can really tell.

 

 

Also a flyover HOOBY gavve a good showing as it flew East.

Something to talk about at last.

 After a protracted silence its time to come out and have something to say. No difficulty when you have seen some realy good stuff. A trip South to see me sister in Colchester took us down to Colchester and a ride out to Abberton Resevoir. Thinking of the time here I sat with Bill Oddie, with the words "Hello mate". It was hello again from the birding world with the first bird locked onto. The photographer next to me had no idea what he was looking at. So I put him in the picture, joke. RUDDY SHELLDUCK mate. To which he replied I know very little about wildlife and some time as a photographer. I exspect my pic's are nothing like his. But at least I new what I was looking at. As for anything an eclipse POCHARD and WIGEON and a flock of 10 SPOONBILL are always a good to watch. So enjoy the pic's.

 

Carlton Marsh SWT

I strugle to keep this blog running. No real reason, just me. I still keep out there but putting it out on this blog. Today was hot again and no water.  But a good few hours in the wilds of Suffolk. What more do you want. Best bird was an engagement of a RED KITE amd a HOBBY. Nothing really out of the ordinary but just a lovely day.

Carlton Marsh SWT

fter a long spell of good weather we have been inundated with rain and storms. Today was not much different. With a strong wind ranging from the East to the South. So wildlife was rather thin on the ground. Although it seemed that SAND MARTIN and SWALLOWS seemed to be feeding well over the reed bed. The only real surprise was the call of an AVOCET from Lookout hide. Which is very unusual, for I have never seen this bird from here. A young CHINSE WATER DEER strayed very near, as you can see in pic. Also took a distant pic of a male MARSH HARRIER which was orange wing tagged, but no id.

Update

 My regular walk around Pathways Care Farm, saw only the second RED VEINED DARTER for the site. Again a very good record. There us also on site 15 BEE ORCHID'S  which is again another first for Pathways. Surprisingly I noticed them way back in December and dispite some being eat ny MUNCJACK DEER  we manged to protect and raise enough for a good view. Our MUTE SWAN after over 50 days managed to get severen  cygnits of which is the most we have ever had. There was also a an influx of MALLARD with 13 young in all. 

Lodge Lane, Walberswick.

 

The sound of migration with Cuckoo, Nightingale, Whitehroat and Chiffchaff.

Carlton Marsh SWT

 First day back after a long winter with of course new migrants in attendance. It was just good to get out there, so thank you SWT. Went round with a good friend and the birds turned out as well. 49 Species  in an afternoon is not at all bad. With the best being a male HEN HARRIER which flew against a COMMON BUZZARD for five minets. Also MARSH HARRIER male and RED KITE.  CETTIE.S WARBLER, SEDGE WARB, BLACKCAP and CHIFFCHAFF. Several MEADOW PIPIT and BEARDED TIT.. Also a LAPWING nest sitting.

 

Out and About

 Yesterday from home the highlight was a pair of OYSTERCATCHER that flew low over the house heading for Lake Loathingland. In the afternoon spent two hours on the beach with the family. Again good to see the kitty's on the Clairmont Pier. With few ringed birds, one in pic below rung as adult in 2015. 

Pathways: Sorted it out with firsts with SWALLOW, WHITETHROAT, BLACKCAP with of course the regular CHIFFCHAFF. Still only one LITTLE GREBE, same again in GADWALL. Nest still occupied by MUTE SWAN. In many respects  a fly bye YELLOW BRIMSTONE, and also a TORTASHELL.

Today unusual visitor.

I spend hours these days in my small town garden and over the years it has produced beyond any expectation. Mine and many others can't believe the sightings that I have had. The thing is there are other surprises and one is that I get very few sightings of CHAFFINCH. This year has seen an exception with three sightings of these birds and today three birds. With two male and a female, they seem to be visiting next door for some reason and the only reason I can give to this, that being that there is children's sand on the floor. But the photo's do not support this as the tip of the beak is black. 

Now that the six trees near by are growing well, after being cut back three years ago. We are seeing return of interest. The main one being that a pair of MAGPIE'S are part way through building a nest, but they can be rather fickle in this process and already local CARRION CROW.S have been giving them grief, So we wait and see which way it goes. I have had no COLLARD DOVE all year in the garden and in general there are not many about at all. The family of local HOUSE SPARROWS are starting to draw in close to the house again. I have also befriended a WHITE DOVE which has taken two weeks to feeding from hand. Don't know if this is a good idea or not.