Brian's birding blog

Monday, 16 September 2013

Lesser Grey Shrike in Suffolk

I had one eye on the Lesser Grey Shrike reported in Suffolk yesterday when I left home this morning but decided to pay the Canvey Island RB Shrike a visit first as the light was great this morning.
I arrived early to find Dave Mo. already on site and searching and within a short while we'd found the bird.
The little star then put on quite a show coming too close for my 400mm lens at times as it chased insects along the fence line. I couldn't help but grab some shots despite last weeks encounter with another Essex bird of similar star quality.

Red-backed Shrike Canvey Marsh

Sparrowhawk

Swallow

A Sprawk flew through and the the reserve was alive with Swallows. Over head we had Green Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Blackwits and a single Wheatear flew across towards the river too. Also of note was a small Acro warbler that provoked some discussion due to it's liking for the thorn bushes and it's crooked shape. Reed or maybe somebody a little smarter than me might find enough to ID it differently.

Reed Warbler....or is it?

At 9am news came through that the Lesser Grey Shrike had stuck over night so my journey up the A130/A12 began and I arrived around 11am parking up in Leiston to walk to the cottages and along the bridleway behind the stables where I found a small group of birders (John R. Chris B, Nick A etc.) enjoying good views of what would turn out to be a lifer for me. The LGS hopped along the fence line feeding before catching a large Bee and taking it away deep into a bramble to feast giving me reason to depart.(274)

Distant record shot of my first ever Lesser Grey Shrike

Whilst I was now under the shadow of Sizewell I took time to walk the beach towards the outfall where I found a prize in the shape of an Arctic Skua which obliged with a photograph allowing quite a close approach which I'd tested by watching the dog walkers and how close they got before it took flight.

Arctic Skua at Sizewell beach Suffolk

All in all a very enjoyable day.

Saturday, 14 September 2013

Dipping at Dunge

We set off this morning intent on connecting with the rather shower Crake at Oare marsh but on route the pager bleeped into life with news that a Semipalmated Sandpiper was showing again on ARC pit at Dunge so we detoured for a potential year tick. Once at the viewing screen we quickly located six juvenile Little Stints and an Adult and it became apparent that the adult had been reported as the Semi P. Not only that but the bird seen yesterday was this adult Stint too so it was very likely that the Semi P had last been seen on Tuesday. We gave it a good slog for a few hours in Hanson hide listing, Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Sprawk, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Blackwits, Greenshank etc for our trouble. (Oh...and probably our last Swift of 2013)

Spitfire over Dunge

A Spitfire flew over entertaining the small crowd within the hide for a while before we moved on to the beach for a spot of sea watching.

We found several Arctic Skua very close in and some very nice light phase birds were seen. A few settled on the sea close in giving great scope views. A couple of distant Bonxie were added and a probable Pom also passed through. We had four Balearic Shearwater (273) fly first west before turning to fly back east and a single Auk was noted. On the patch we found several Black Terns and more Skua action.
A decent day of sitting scanning and plenty of chatting despite dipping at Dunge on a bird that more than likely left town a few days ago and we never found the time to go look at that Crake.

Monday, 9 September 2013

No apologies for a few more shots of the Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

What a star!

Sunday, 8 September 2013

More Red-backed Shrike

A few more shots of yesterday's little star,

Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike
In picture 2 the Shrike saw the bee and within a split second had caught and eaten it.

Saturday, 7 September 2013

Red-backed Shrike poser

Today started with a trip to Landguard where my predicted north easterly turned to a south easterly resulting in zero action.(Save a single Skua, 3 Wheatears and a Lesser Whitethroat)
We decided to head back to Essex and stopped off at Abberton before connecting with the star of the day in the form of a real poser of a Red-backed Shrike. The juvenile bird had stopped off in Essex on route to it's wintering grounds and put on a real show for us giving one of those rare experiences where nature just doesn't have that fear of man.

Red-backed Shrike

Abberton

Thursday, 5 September 2013

Targets as we move to September and the last four months of 2013

Well I sit on 272 different birds seen so far this year and my target was always to see if I could beat last years total of 279 so I need another 8 birds in four months with August delivering me no less than 7 ticks.
Of the 279 birds seen last year I've not seen 37 of them this year but only 13 of these were seen in the last quarter of 2012. Most of these were vagrants not migrants so finding any of them this year won't be easy.

So I need to find another 8 birds in the next four months but I'm now back at work so it's weekend birding for the rest of the year giving me 34 days to get out there and find the targets of which some will be easier than others. I'd expect to find Arctic Redpoll, Lapland Bunting, Shore Lark and a Skua etc but some of the above just won't be on our island again this year so I'm hoping for a few new birds to drop in again and surprise us. Remember too that I have the "soft" two hour rule restricting me from birds such as Bridled Tern and Needle-tailed Swift, Harlequin Duck and Pine Gosbeak to mention just a few of the this years big uns!

A week away in September (I know just back to work and I'm on holiday straight away..got to be done!)
might throw a couple of presents my way and with my 50th in November I have to be in line for something special that month so I reckon I'll beat last year but that's as far as I'm taking it.