Suffolk Birding (3 Viewers)

[GiG]

Been quiet on this Suffolk section lately!

Migrants have been slow to come in with this weather, still not seen or heard sedge warbler or common whitethroat on the patch, reed warblers have only just got in but are singing quietly. Lots of hirundines around the sewage works and over the fishing lake keeping low.

Carried out my first BTO Nightingale survey on Monday - had 3 singing birds.

Absolute highlight has been the osprey I found today on the patch, a species I'd hoped to see one day. Over the years there have been various records which I'd not managed to catch up with as they pass through and similarly finding old records in the Suffolk Bird Report. Even though it was raining I thought I'd check out the river and fishing lake as I'd seen there had been a number of arctics terns moving through the country and it was another species I'd hope to find on the patch one day. Instead I found an osprey that unfortunately didn't hang around as it was continually chased by a crow and they both flew off inland.

Gi

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Spring... ?

Superb work on the Osprey Gi.

Bit slow for me migrant wise too, both on me Needham patch & over Livermere. Still not had Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo, Whitethroat or Turtle Dove!

On the upside I have one Nightingale in on Needham Mkt patch & an astronomical visit to Livermere last night; 20 Arctic Terns then reducing to 15 as 5 went off high early evening. Plus a Livermere tick - Short-eared Owl!

The Owl was headed over quite hight getting mobbed by Jackdaw. A little more reflection on last nights festivities here.

Winds have turned to the south so maybe we'll get some more goodies in by the weekend? Weather still looks unsettled tho...

 

[GiG]

Superb work on the Osprey Gi.

Bit slow for me migrant wise too, both on me Needham patch & over Livermere. Still not had Sedge Warbler, Cuckoo, Whitethroat or Turtle Dove!

On the upside I have one Nightingale in on Needham Mkt patch & an astronomical visit to Livermere last night; 20 Arctic Terns then reducing to 15 as 5 went off high early evening. Plus a Livermere tick - Short-eared Owl!

The Owl was headed over quite hight getting mobbed by Jackdaw. A little more reflection on last nights festivities here.

Winds have turned to the south so maybe we'll get some more goodies in by the weekend? Weather still looks unsettled tho...

Cheers Jonny, it was a species that I've been hoping to get over the years, ironically I'd gone out hoping to find arctic tern as that's another species I've not had on the patch. Well done on the owl and the terns, Livermere is always a good place for them in Spring.

Gi

 

[GiG]

On the Deben at Melton this morning a lot of the black-tailed godwits seemed to have moved on up to Iceland. Last week a single ruff was present, only the second time I've come across the species on the patch. It was joined by a second bird yesterday and and today a third was with them.

Still no whitethroat or sedge warbler though!

Gi

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Needham Mkt patch - Hobby

Hi all,

1st Swift of the year back in this morning - feeding over the sewage works. But best going was 1st Hobby of the year.

Awesome birds :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[GiG]

Hi all,

1st Swift of the year back in this morning - feeding over the sewage works. But best going was 1st Hobby of the year.

Awesome birds :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

Nice to get hobby. With all the hirundines congregating and keeping low at the local fishing pits I've been on the look out for a hobby.

Did find my first sedge warbler on the patch yesterday - almost a month later than last year!

Gi

 

[lostinjapan]

Hi all

Been guilty of neglecting the Suffolk thread and birds in Suffolk of late, being away at sea and in Morocco.

Finally had a break in the weather today and went out listening ostensibly for Nightingale, but to no avail.

However a few other bits and pieces were forthcoming:

Alderton

Tawny Owl 2
Hobby 1
Swift 2
House Martin 10+
Swallow 2-3
Cuckoo

Bawdsey Cliff to Quay

Whimbrel 2
Brent Goose 5
Avocet 2
Barwit 5 (including 2 gorgeous summer birds)
Knot 12 (including 1 full breeding bird)
Ringed Plover 1 pair
Dunlin 100+
Whitethroat 5+
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 5+
Chiffchaff 3+


East Lane

Yellow Wagtail 1 female
Common Redstart 1 male showing nicely at times
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Sedge Warbler 2

Shingle Street

Pied Flycatcher 1 female-showed nicely, but elusive
Lesser Whitethroat 1
Blackcap 3
Chiffchaff 1
Sedge Warbler 2
Wheatear 1
Little Owl 1

Also had good views of Marsh Harrier, Buzzard,Kestrel and Sparrowhawk.

Mammal highlights were limited to Hare and Common Seal.

A few butterflies about, mainly Peacock but also Large White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Small Tortoiseshell.

Hope we see a bit more sun

Sean

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Needham Market Patch - migrants!

Hi all,

Lots more migrants pouring in over last couple days; now three singing Nightingale, up to three Hobby, singing Lesser Whitethroat & lots of Swift.

All great species that will be essential a week sunday for the Big Bird Race any gen for difficult species gratefully received over the next couple weeks. As would any donations :t:

Really looking forward to it - just hope the migrants keep coming

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[lostinjapan]

Hi Johnny

What would you class as difficult species?

Sean

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Hi Johnny

What would you class as difficult species?

Sean

Hi Sean,

To be honest (I think) we have identified locations for scarce / sensitive stuff. Its the less glamorous stuff like lingering winter wildfowl we need!

Sadly we aren't currently planning on the Suffolk coast - but tracking up from West Suffolk to the north norfolk coast. Things like Barnacle Goose!, lingering wild geese (I think there is a Bean down Trimley?) and Swans would all be very welcome. Similarly a reliable Caspo or Med Gull in a roost would be a draw.

Its tricky balancing all the potential species with a timely route that gets us everywhere at the right times!

Of course if something very tempting turns up or if the possible ticks accumulate we may need to change our plans and head east

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Original PaulE]

great views of a short-earred owl on raydon airfield (near hadleigh) this morning on the way to work
cheers

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Suffolk birds...

Evening all,

Some superb birds in Suffolk today. Just read tonight's BINS entry - at least two Wood Warbler, Serin etc...

Looks like the weather has given migrants the break they needed & awesome to have at least one Oriole back at Lakenheath.

Hope the good run continues for Sundays bird bird race:

https://www.justgiving.com/BigBirdRace

Also had my 1st Turtle Dove of the year on my Needham Market patch this lunchtime. A timely reminder of the importance of Operation Turtle Dove:

http://operationturtledove.org

Awesome birds

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[GiG]

Saw the cracking wood warbler at Sutton Common on Thursday which didn't have a ring. Turns out the bird there yesterday did! Either the bird was rung y'day afternoon, although no known ringing in area, or more likely, amazingly, a second bird has taken over from the first one in exactly the same place. A scarce bird in Suffolk so quite a record!

Had a few waders move through along the Deben, the ruff reached three together and also seen whimbrel - max 3, bar-tailed godwit, 12 greenshank together, single common sandpiper and interestingly 5 ringed plover, which is unusual for this time of year there.

Gi

 

[Sharp Shin]

I also went to see the Wood Warbler at Sutton Common today - and had excellent views. I must admit that I also find it "amazing" that, given the rarity of this species in Suffolk, a non-ringed male replaced a ringed male in exactly the same location a day later! Could it be that the (mis-fitted) ring actually fell off?

Walking back to the car I had very close views of Woodlark, in a clearing close by the Sutton Common carpark.

Stewart

 

[GiG]

I also went to see the Wood Warbler at Sutton Common today - and had excellent views. I must admit that I also find it "amazing" that, given the rarity of this species in Suffolk, a non-ringed male replaced a ringed male in exactly the same location a day later! Could it be that the (mis-fitted) ring actually fell off?

Walking back to the car I had very close views of Woodlark, in a clearing close by the Sutton Common carpark.

Stewart

Hi Stewart,

The original bird did not have a ring, the following day it did. Did the bird you saw have a ring?

A singing bird was also seen/heard yesterday in Rendlesham Forest about 4km to the east!

Gi

 

[Sharp Shin]

The original bird did not have a ring, the following day it did. Did the bird you saw have a ring?

Hi Gi

Well, I didn't notice a ring. I'm afraid, that I forgot about all about this 'ring' controversy whilst I was there. In hindsight, I should have taken more particular note, but I was more focused on the other features of the Wood Warbler that are usually considered more interesting than the legs! Having said that, I guess that I'd have noticed if it did.

BINS reported that the bird seen on Friday didn't have a ring.

This story gets more curious - ring off, ring on, ring off. And, as you query, is there really (mobile) ringing going on those woods?

Stewart

 

[Sharp Shin]

Ah! A post-script on the Wood Warbler:

The BINS report for Friday says: "A singing male Wood Warbler different to yesterday's individual (ringed) was present". I think that I (and perhaps you) have mis-interpreted this. The word 'ringed' in brackets, perhaps refers to Friday's bird, not 'yesterday's' (i.e Thursday's) bird. Also, checking through John Richardson photos on Birdguides and BINS, the Friday and Saturday bird did have a ring. As, I hinted, the good views that I thought I had weren't focussed enough on the legs and I must have missed the ring!

This sorts some of the quandary out - though perhaps not all.

Stewart

 

[GiG]

Definitely more warblers in now, had been a distinct lack of whiethroats etc on the patch.

Interesting day last Monday with the weather drizzly and windy so fairly quiet at East Lane and Shingle Street. More at Boyton including a wood sandpiper and four yellow wagtail, one of which - a female flava sp - had us stumped. Fortunately took photos and consensus seems it is a female grey-headed wagtail. On BINS web it was also seen the following day.

The wood warbler is still present at Sutton where there were yellow wagtails in the area too but again windy and drizzly so no luck with redstart and tree pipit.

Did get to see my first odonata of the year yesterday with a few large red and and a single blue-tailed damselfly.

Gi

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Red-footed Falcon... ?

Hi all,

Gave the reported Elmswell Red-foot a look on lunch. No sign.

A Kestrel was very showy in the location given? Also, doesnt look very typical Red-foot habitat... I'd be happy to proved wrong tho

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Lightthiscandle]

Kingfishers

I'm meeting an old friend from Brighton at Woodbridge next week: he is desperate to see a Kingfisher!
I know reliable spots in Norfolk, but none in Suffolk...
Can anyone help? Is Melton a good bet? Or Orford?
Thanks in anticipation!