Catching a few ticks in Tuddenham

Saturday saw me going solo down at Elmley while the Jims enjoyed Vange Marshes Stilts.

I had good but brief views of a day flying Barn Owl, a Peregrine hunting the marshes with several Buzzards and Marsh Harriers. Hares were putting on a show and the mating rituals of Lapwing and Redshank were in full flow.

Redshank fight

Red

Hare

On the drive home I picked up a year tick with three Swallows in Barking.

Sunday morning saw an early meet up with the Jims and a short drive up the A11 to Tuddenham.
On the heath we enjoyed good scope views of a pair of Stone Curlew before picking out a couple of Wood Larks to give the boys a year tick. A surprise came when we first heard then enjoyed good views of an early Cuckoo and then on the drive out picked up decent views of a pair of Grey Partridge. Another year tick came in the form of a couple of Willow Warblers singing their hearts out.

Cuckoo

Cuckoo

Grey Partridge

Whilst in the Brecks we made a short detour to Santon Downham where after a long walk down river we eventually heard a Lesser Spot call to add to the drumming heard on a previous visit and giving a "heard only" year tick. The trees along the route held good numbers of Brambling, Redpoll and Siskin but a fly over Goshawk took top spot. Again Wood Larks displayed in the clearings and seem to be thriving in the Brecks.

Wood Lark

Skylark

Year list now 190