Zitting Cisticola at Walberswick

I dipped a Zitting Cisticola (previously known as Fan-tailed Warbler) in Kent earlier this year so when news came out of one at Walberswick yesterday I was itching for the twitch but unfortunately I had already planned to watch my grandson play his first football match and by the time that commitment was met it was too late to make the trip up to Suffolk but I had already promised to take Jim and Dad to see the Black Stork at Boyton some 20 miles from Walberswick so I arranged with them to leave in time to be at Boyton for first light see the Stork and if news was positive on the Zitty we were well placed to go for it.

Dad struggled with the walk out to the Black Stork but his mood was lifted when he saw how well the bird was showing for us. 

A Tawny Owl called again from the copse in Mill lane and we encountered the usual suspects on the walk, Bearded Tits, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Avocet, Green Sandpiper, Ruff, Chinese Water Deer and Hares to name a few. Back at the car park we found a Little Owl but with news of the Zitty being seen we headed off with haste to Walberswick. Ringo took £3 off me for 4 hours parking and we started the half a mile walk down to the twitch. As we arrived the bird was heard calling and we managed to see it flying high in the clouds. This repeated every ten minutes or so and we managed to watch it flying low along the reeds along with one very brief view of it sat up. Spoonbill was the only other bird of note here but we left extremely happy to be adding Zitting Cisticola to the life list (452) the year list (223) and the Suffolk list (282)

The Zit is my second new bird of 2025 and has been a long time coming in this year of limited opportunity where I've added this and the Booted Eagle (which looks good to make the British list) and I've dipped just Song Sparrow now I've erased the dip on the Kent Zit.

Black Stork at Boyton marsh Suffolk

I've been watching news of the Black Stork in Suffolk since it arrived whilst I was at Butlins and the images coming through seemed to show the bird as showing particularly well too. I've had some car trouble since getting home from Butlins and had my car taken away for what looks likely to be a new cam belt so needed to get Suzannes car running again as she hasn't used it this year. It started with a jump pack and after checking oil, water and tyre pressure I gave it a run around locally yesterday. Roll on to this morning and after a night of broken sleep I woke before 3am and decided if the car started I'd run up to Boyton for the Black Stork. Needless to say it started and I arrived at Boyton for 5am to start the walk out along the sea wall. The walk out was about one and half miles. At the car park I had a Little Owl sat on the fence, the pool beyond the farm held a couple of Green Sandpipers with a few Avocet, Lapwing, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Redshank and Black-tailed Godwits. A Bittern flew over and a Tawny Owl called from the woods nearby. Bearded Tits pinged in two small groups in the reeds and three Chinese Water Deer were also seen on the walk out. There was no other birders present as I made it out to the area the Stork had been favouring and I quickly located it in the channel between the sea wall and the farmers fields.

I spent a couple of hours enjoying fabulous views and the bird and in the two hours I saw another four birders come and go. I've seen two Black Storks before in the UK but this youngster was the first to give goo prolonged close views with the other being fly over or distant scope views. The Black Stork is a Suffolk tick which takes my Suffolk list to a modest 281 species and takes the UK year list to 222.

On the way home I stopped at Abberton and enjoyed good views of the juvenile Wood Sandpiper from the causeway and a surprise Weasel that allowed a few images as it ran along the causeway. I walked out to Hide bay to see the Temminck's Stint but the hide was closed for maintenance so I didn't connect with the bird on this occasion.

A decent morning out with some good conversation along the way all helping to take my mind off my worries for a while.

Butlins bonus

I took the little ones to Butlins for the weekend which they thoroughly enjoyed of course. The bonus for me was stopping at Woolbeding on the way down to Bognor Regis and again on the way back.

On both visits I enjoyed several views of Honey Buzzard with a pair and what looks like a rogue male bird that's still displaying at the end of July. Some distant views and a couple of good scope views. A pair of Raven, several Red Kites, a few Common Buzzard and a distant Sparrowhawk made up the best of the rest. I visited the site in the spring and picked the only day the Honeys weren't seen so these sightings were very welcome and the time at the watchpoint a complete juxtaposition to entertaining the grandchildren.

The year list ticks over at 221

Honey Buzzard

Sprawk in the garden

Minding my own business when I hear the Magpies outside going mad so I get up thinking next doors cat is causing trouble only to find a female Sparrowhawk has taken one of the Starlings. Of course I grabbed the camera, pushed the kitchen window open a couple of inches and took a couple of shots in the gap between the gazebo and the olive tree as you do. The Magpies were making a nuisance of themselves hoping to get some scraps after the Sprawk had finished its lunch and she eventually decided on a take away being the best option. 

Not the best images I've taken of Sprawk in the garden but these encounters always make for a diary entry here on the blog.

Night Heron at Rye Meads RSPB Herts

Sitting around in doors dwelling on things and news broke of a Night Heron down the road at Rye Meads so I called the Jims to let them know and headed off up the A10.

The bird was showing distantly from Tern Hide and it was overcast with heavy rain as I walked out to the hide. On arrival the hide was pretty full and I had to find a seat at the far end where the view was obscured by overgrown weeds. Later a position further down the hide became available but I soon found out why as the rain poured in only on this window and I got a bit wet but at least I could now see the bird and managed a few distant shots of it. A Common Sandpiper dropped in during the heaviest rain but soon moved on.

The Night Heron is a year tick and also my first ever in Hertfordshire.

It was good to get out again

year list now 220

Weeting Heath

I'm dealing with some difficult sad and stressful news which we've stressed over for a few weeks but was finally confirmed with a proper diagnosis on Monday. Not me but a very close family member that I love very much and I'll be there helping and supporting all the way as they face their personal battle.

On the back of the Monday's awful news I needed to get out for a while to process the news and clear my head a bit so I headed up the A11 to Weeting Heath thinking it would be quiet there and give me some time to deal with the sad news. On arrival I found just one other birder and in the three hours there I only saw two other birders one of which I stopped to chat to in what transpired to be a bit of an impromptu therapy session for both me and him, funny how we can find this unload easier with complete strangers whilst also appreciating a shared interest in birds.

Anyway I did clear my head a little and enjoyed views of a pair of Stone Curlew with a chick and another bird that appeared to be still on a nest but more distant. The summering Spotted Flycatchers have successfully fledged their young and being mobile now they took a little finding but I eventually located a pair still feeding two youngsters. Whilst watching them I was surprised to find a female Lesser-spotted Woodpecker feeding high in the tree tops which gave me an unexpected year tick.

A Fircrest was also present among a tit flock containing Goldcrests, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit and Blue Tits. Nutchatch and Treecreeper added to the day list before I left for home appreciating how good the outdoors is for my own well being. I'm fully committed to doing all I can to support the family as we hit the latest challenge head on together and whilst the blog and the hobby seem a little unimportant right now I'll try to keep it ticking over in the diary format if I can. 

Lesser spotted Woodpecker 

Spotted Flycatcher

Stone Curlews

Dipped the Fan-tailed Warbler in Kent

I've continued to struggle to find much time for myself but did manage a couple of hours at Ouse Fen last week where I dipped the Collared Pratincole. Whilst at the fen I saw five Crane which may or may not have been the two birds trying to breed there just moving back and forth. I'm told the pair keep laying infertile eggs so maybe some new blood is required if they're to breed. The Fudge duck was seen whilst scanning intently for the Pratincole along with LRP's Green Sandpiper and Ruff. Marsh Harrier, Red Kite, Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrow hawk and Hobby all visited. A Hoopoe was heard just before I arrived but not after and I counted no fewer than five Great Egrets to make for a reasonable day list just adding the "dodgy"Fudge duck for a year tick. (I say dodgy because hybrid hasn't been ruled out nor an escapee)

Sedge Warbler

The failed breeders (Cranes)

Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

Buzzard

Move on to yesterday and news of a Fan-tailed warbler being found at Foreness point late into the evening but seen as probably going to roost. I called Jim and we decided to head down to Oare and tick the Bonaparte's gull and if positive news arrived we'd move on to Foreness. This plan changed when the Warbler was reported at 5.17am so we simply pressed on to Foreness arriving ten minutes after the bird flew high over the houses. We spent the next three hours walking the point in the vain hope the bird might have returned unseen but to no avail so we ditched the twitch and moved back to Oare where we quickly connected with Napolean the Bonaparte's Gull. The reserve is as dry as I've ever seen it and we didn't see much else save Blackwits, Lapwing, Avocet and LRP. 

Napolean the Bonaparte's Gull

Napolean has now been summering at Oare for 13 years and I'm lucky to have seen it in most of those summers. We left for home only for a Caspian Tern to be found as we drove up the M2 by which point I didn't fancy the u turn so we missed that opportunity for another year tick.

Year list now 216

So far this year I've lost no fewer than five birds off the life list (following IOC update which we have now agreed to follow in Britain) I've added one new bird with the Booted Eagle but dipped the Song Sparrow and now the Fan-tailed Warbler.