Brian's birding blog
"If you get out there you might just see something"
Thursday 18 April 2024
Wanstead Flats
Wednesday 17 April 2024
Minsmere RSPB
With another unexpected free day I arranged to take Dad and Jim to Minsmere today. We arrived at 7am and walked down towards the sea hearing a couple of Nightingale on the way. Bearded Tits flew across the reeds but dropped in quick on the back of a cold wind. At the Boardwalk we heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling and Jim got us focused on a distant Cuckoo too for our first year tick. At East hide we picked out our first Sandwich Terns of the year along with a drake Garganey, 2 Greenshank, 3 Ringed Plover and a couple of Turnstone. Med Gulls were present along with Blackwits, Dunlin, Knot and Oystercatchers.
Barnacle Geese |
Black-tailed Godwit |
Surf Scoter (last bird on the right) |
From the public hide we found a couple of Pintail and more Sandwich Tern and Med Gulls. The towers at sea held good numbers of Kittiwake and we found a few Whitethroat and Stonechat at the sluice bushes. A Yellow Wagtail in the pony field before a flyover Bittern and several Marsh Harriers. Buzzards and Sparrowhawks were next along with Kingfisher to wrap up our visit.
On Dunwich Heath we found three Dartford Warblers and a large group of Sand Martins with the odd Swallow and we then drove the six miles round to Walberswick and walked out along the beach to find the Scoter flock which contained a single Surf Scoter to give me not just a year tick but a Suffolk life tick too moving the Suffolk list to 278 and the year list to 200.
Our day total was 94 which for April is a decent haul.
Sunday 14 April 2024
RAINHAM RSPB
Blue Tit |
Cetti's Warbler |
Cetti's Warbler |
Gropper |
Gropper |
Short eared Owl |
Weasel |
Friday 12 April 2024
Frampton RSPB
Avocet |
Black Tern |
Black Tern |
Black-winged Stilt |
Bonparte's Gull |
Dunlin |
Lesser Yellowlegs |
Little Gull (adult) |
Little Gull (First winter) |
Little ringed Plover |
Ringed Plover |
Ruff |
Thursday 11 April 2024
Abberton and KGV
Yesterday saw me head up the A12 with Jim and Dad to Abberton where we found the Old Road alive with bird song, at Least six Nightingale were heard but we only had a very brief view of one bird. Blackcaps, Chiffchaff and Wren seemed to be calling from every bush and a couple of Treecreepers were prospecting for suitable nest sites. On the causeway we had our first Arctic Tern which was chased by a larger Common Tern. Another Nightingale was singing in the bushes at the end of the LB causeway but again didn't give itself up for views.
On the flood opposite Billets Jim eventually found two Little-ringed Plover to give us another early year tick before we found three Yellow Wagtails by the farm for another nice first for 2024. Three Lesser Scaup were reported but we didn't give that search much time from the screen before we headed off to the other causeway. On the drive round I found four Med Gulls in the field behind Garr House Farm and at the causeway we had our only hirundine of the morning with a single Swallow. Spoonbill are nesting again and a single bird was seen at the nest.
Mallard ducklings |
Yellow Wagtail |
Four year ticks before we headed home for me to keep to a caring obligation.
This morning saw Jim and I at KGV again at 7am where we walked the whole site adding just the single year tick with Sedge Warbler. Black Redstart, Common Sandpiper and Greater Scaup the only birds of note save an active pair of Raven and a couple of Willow Warblers. Sand Martin numbers are picking up but Swallows were in single figures and we've yet to see House Martin although others are reporting them daily. Species count of the day was 63.
year list now 186
Saturday 6 April 2024
KGV first
Popped over the reservoir with Jim this morning with Dad opting out due to a bit of man flu.
As we got up the slope at 7.30am Ian L tells us we've just missed a Common Tern which would have been a year tick. A Cormorant posed for a picture on the jetty and a pair of Osyercatchers were our own prizes on south basin. At the causeway we picked out a couple of White Wagtails and then Jim found a Curlew on the causeway which I think is a first for me at the KGV and a first in the patch I call Lee Valley (the reservoir to Holyfield lake) I certainly can't remember seeing one before and my lists back that up so it becomes bird 163 for the patch.
Common Sandpipers |
Cormorant |
Slav Grebe |
A quick chat with Neville before we headed on down North Basin where we found the Slav Grebe now in almost full summer plumage then a couple of Swallows with the Sand Martins before spotting a couple of Common Sandipers on the bank. A drake Scaup remains as do a few Goldeneye and we also saw Red Kites, Buzzard and nesting Raven to add to the day and Jim had a Wheatear on the farm fields too which I missed along with a single Sandwich Tern that Neville had on south basin whilst we were a mile or so away on the north basin.
year list now 178
PS. Also had a couple of Wheatear at Rainham in the week
Wheatear at Rainham |
Blackcap |
Monday 25 March 2024
Garganey at Lakenheath
Three Garganey (two drakes and a duck) |
Three Garganey and a Greylag |
Three Garganey to illustrate how difficult it can be to see them |
Two Garganey |
Great White |
Stonechat |