Well I'm trying hard to reclaim so me time and it seems to be going ok. I'm still there running around for the kids and the grandkids when they need me. Still looking after Suzanne and still providing care almost daily for her Dad but in between all that I'm finding time to treat myself with some decent birding time.
Today I woke early (out early, home early strategy) and popped over to pick Jim up before we headed up the A12 to Walton on the Naze where a Red-backed Shrike and Wryneck had been seen for a few days. Last night the sky was clear and we accepted there was a chance the birds could have moved on but we had a lovely surprise when we quickly picked out the Red-backed Shrike. I enjoyed the Shrike for a while as Jim went off to search for the Wryneck but once I'd grabbed a few images of the Shrike I joined Jim in the search. Two Garden Warblers, two Lesser Whitethroat, a female Common Redstart, Common Whitethroat, a Sedge Warbler and a few Chiffchaffs were encountered as we searched but we failed to find the Wryneck. A large flock of House Martins flew along the ridge above us and a few Turnstones moved along the tide line below us whilst in the car park we encountered a flock of Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipits on the grass before leaving and heading for Shelley in Suffolk where a juvenile Purple Heron had spent a few days.
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| Walton on the Naze |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Lesser Whitethroat |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
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| Red-backed Shrike |
We parked up and walked back along the road to view the lake from a gap in the hedge. There were four other birders here and they hadn't seen the Heron but had a fly over Osprey just before we got there. Two Hobbies were hunting constantly and both Buzzard and Red Kite flew over. Out on the water with the Swans, Geese and Ducks we counted a Green Sandpiper, Two Snipe, Two Ruff, Lapwings and a Black-tailed Godwit and then the Purple Heron stuck it's head up out of the reeds and we all managed to see it as it gave great Scope views.
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| Gifford's Flash Shelley |
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| Gifford's Flash |
I even got home in time to sort a late lunch for my father in law and Suzanne to keep the team on board with my drive for more birding.
Year list now 235 (officially now and remarkably not my worst years total) oh and the Purple Heron was my 280th species in Suffolk.
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