Lifer at Languard

Common Blue Butterfly

With the old fella laying in his bed Jim and I headed up to Languard in Suffolk to see if any migrants had landed. We arrived at 7.30am and searched the bushes along Icky Ridge before arriving at the observatory. Our search rewarded us with a couple of splendid Lesser Whitethroat, a juvenile Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a couple of Blackbirds...fair to say it wasn't what we'd hoped for.  We found ourselves sitting on the beach for a while were we hoped to find Jim a Black Tern. We spotted four Common Tern fishing and a single Sandwich Tern flew over. Lot's of Gull activity and a couple of Cormorants came by. Then a little excitement as two Barwits flew past and we noted a few Gannets further out. Hundreds of Starling were feeding around our feet with good numbers of Linnet, three Mipits and a pair of Wheatear. We heard Chats but didn't see any and lot's of Sparrows were viewed in the vain hope of finding the record breaking Spanish Sparrow reported here a few days ago.

So it'd be fair to say it's an average day until that is a Long Tailed Skua came flying towards us filling the scope as it came right up the the shore and around the harbour before flying off south.
Fantastic views and a lifer for me and for Jim.


We had a celebratory coffee at the beach hut before making our way back to the car.

Languard observatory with Felixstowe dock behind

A quick stop at Layer Breton Causeway on the way home gave us Marsh Harrier, Ruff, Green and Common Sandpiper, Yellow Wagtail, Red Crested Pochard and three Red Breasted Geese
 (of questionable origin) We had hoped to catch a Black Tern for Jim again here but it wasn't to be.

A nice day out with a butterfly count of seven species which included Painted Lady and bird 257 for 2012.