Suffolk Birding (1 Viewer)

[GiG]

Yippee ortolan bunting at landguard today missed a photo by seconds.....

Was a nice bird to see, I think it was you who came along when we were watching the bird at the point and you spoke to Chris from Ipswich RSPB.

Gi

 

[GiG]

Congrats on the Ortolan Steve .

Well a decision not to go to East Lane/Bawdsey early morning cost me a Pied Fly and a Wood Warbler.

So a late afternoon visit produced the following:

Hobby 1
Sandwich Tern 2
Common Tern 1 juv
Yellow Wagtail 2
Wheatear 1
Coal Tit 2 (Bawdsey church)


lastly the bunting from yesterday was in the same area and gave 2 brief views in vegetation on the clifftop. It was a medium-sized greyish-brown bunting but not much more could be discerned...but Ortolan sprung to mind.

Sean

Interesting bunting Sean, hopefully you'll be able to get an id on it.

Managed to visit Shingle Street and East Lane briefly yesterday.

Hadn't planned to do any birding as was with my family in town when I received news of the ortolan bunting and as it was found by a mate of mine (plus I hadn't seen one before!) got the ok to twitch!

Got home and picked up my gear and was at the bus stop (the 77 bus goes from Ipswich and stops right outside the observatory now!) when I got a call from a mate to see if I wanted a lift, so I walked round his and off we went. Met another mate at Landguard who hadn't seen it but said there were a lot of small birds towards the point, bumped in to a couple more SOG members and as we scanned the bird flock that contained numerous linnets with the odd greenfinch, pied wagtail, meadow pipit, whinchat and wheatear picked up the ortolan before it flew over the fence where it was dificult to pick up in the vegetation. More birders were about now and patience paid off as the flock flew back over the fence on to the short grass where we all got excellent views and I even managed a couple of pics with my mobile - more as a record shot for the finder - well done Dave!

My mate who gave me a lift had to get back so the other one said to you fancy popping up to Shingle Street - couldn't say no! Bumped in to two more SOG members here and we had a walk past the allotments - large blue tit flock, then took the path round and back to the martello tower and saw four whinchat, a couple of stonechat and in the scrub lovely views of cracking whitethroat and lesser whitethroat along with male and female of blackcap. With time pressing headed down to East Lane where we saw two garganey on the first lagoon, common sandpiper and a yellow wagtail flew around. A common tern was on a spit on the first lagoon and looked like some of it's innards was hanging out - not pleasant.
Several swallows and sand martins about and it was great to watch the swallows feeding low over the sea!

Below are a couple of pics of the ortolan.

Gi

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Ortolan...

Nice shots of Ortolan Gi :t:

They are fast becoming annual at Landguard

What on earth you reckon happened to the Common Tern? Sounds grim!

Could it still fly or was it fox feed?

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Duke Leto]

Was a nice bird to see, I think it was you who came along when we were watching the bird at the point and you spoke to Chris from Ipswich RSPB.

Gi

yes it was I, luckily I saw it when it was 1st sighted at the cottage before it went out on the wire. the worst thing was I was there 2 mins earlier and the gent who 1st saw it shouted across and asked me to get a picture, and bad timing or what, we're waiting for the bird to appear from a bush and the lady in the coastguard cottage comes through her gate and and flushed it, it then led us north along the beach before heading back and seeking refuge amongst the linnets......

did get a couple of cracking female Pied Fly images from where the crowd was watching the ortolan from

 

[lostinjapan]

Hi all

I saw that Common Tern, a youngster..but no sign of any innards.

I wondered why it was there for so long!!

I may head down this afternoon if the weather holds and try and see if I can rustle up that bunting again.

Sean

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Barred Warbler Felxistowe Ferry...

As per birdguides:

Barred Warbler Suffolk Felixstowe Ferry 10:08 one in brambles behind Ferry Boat pub

No further reports but I am hoping to gis it a look on lunch / after work :t:

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Barred Warbler Felxistowe Ferry...

Bird was on show when I arrived at c13.35 and showed very well again twice... both time on top of the brambles.

A thousand thanks to the chap that let me have a look through his scope

Bird is a very pale grey juv. Really striking :t:

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Needham Mkt patch - 100th year tick

Hi All,

Peregrine Falcon over the patch today, a long expected patch tick and the 100th sp for 2010!

Otherwise a great day with 3 late Swifts early AM, Grey Wagger, Spot Fly and juv Kezza.

Off topic a friend was down Fexlistowe Ferry earlier for the Barred Wobbler and had a Northern Red Bishop!! I didnt know what one was so googled it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Red_Bishop

Probably an escapee then

Cheers,

Jonny :t:

 

[GiG]

Hi All,

Peregrine Falcon over the patch today, a long expected patch tick and the 100th sp for 2010!

Otherwise a great day with 3 late Swifts early AM, Grey Wagger, Spot Fly and juv Kezza.

Off topic a friend was down Fexlistowe Ferry earlier for the Barred Wobbler and had a Northern Red Bishop!! I didnt know what one was so googled it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Red_Bishop

Probably an escapee then

Cheers,

Jonny :t:

Nice one with the peregrine, great to get on the patch!

I know I was chuffed when I saw the first on mine - interestingly a day or two prior to seeing it, the waders on the estuary were uncharacteristically nervous and flighty and when I saw the peregrine, realised why. The same again happened this year, with the behaviour of the waders etc. I was sure a peregrine was about and sure enough it was!

Gi

 

[GiG]

Good SOG trip to Dower House, Aldringham Walks and Sizewell yesterday. Started with a seawatch, with numerous gannets seen plus other bits and bobs. The plan was to do a couple of hours sea watch then go for a walk around the Walks. So just after 9.00am we move on and back at the car park get a message that a cory's shearwater had just gone north through Sizewell - we must have missed it by a couple of minutes - why didn't I say just one last look like I always do!

Around the Walks few passerines, was hoping for more with the easterlies - it is a good place to see redstart etc. Did see a few warblers, yellowhammer and a stunning juvenile hobby that put on an a really close hunting display! Fantastic views!

Headed to Thorpeness caravan park but again very quiet, did hear just one chiffchaff! Back along the coast to Dower House for a second seawatch, this time more productive with arctic skuas and a long-tailed skua along with more gannets.

After lunch we continued walking up the coast to Sizewell to give the outflow area a look, decided to sit on the shingle ridge which was a good idea as saw another arctic and then a pomarine skua. Several little gulls just offshore and the odd common tern and gulls when we noticed a commotion and a pale phase arctic came in chasing stuff before landing on the sea giving excellent views. Every now and again it would do a little sortie before back on to the sea - sometimes it did this with not much enthusiasm and seemed to give up quickly!

Finished off with four black redstarts at the power station.

Gi

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Barred warbler yes icterine warbler no

The Felixstowe Ferry barred warbler showed well in the afternoon from the brambles etc behind the pub. Scoped gorging on blackberries. (Picking only those which were ripe.)

At Landguard no sign of the icterine warbler but two yellow wagtails adult and juvenile.

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Barred warbler yes icterine warbler no

Overdue Suffolk tick. 29th warbler species for Suffolk

 

[ed keeble]

the flash at Cattawade rather nice at the moment- no surprises, but 10 Green Sand, 2 Common Sand, 2 Redshank, 2 Snipe all on the same little pool and about 30 Pied Wags

 

[GiG]

Overdue Suffolk tick. 29th warbler species for Suffolk

Well done on the barred - still a species I've yet to see in Suffolk!

Will be heading down to Landguard tomorrow as the weather looks great for migrants!

Gi

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Elusive greenish warbler Thorpeness old caravan park

Overdue Suffolk tick. 29th warbler species for Suffolk

Well done on the barred - still a species I've yet to see in Suffolk!

Will be heading down to Landguard tomorrow as the weather looks great for migrants!

Gi

Cheers, the long-staying barred warbler did unblock my Suffolk list and no doubt others too.

Greenish warbler identified by call but hard to see, moving around the trees at the old caravan park north of Thorpeness. Only my second greenish for Suffolk.

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Nice one with the peregrine, great to get on the patch!

I know I was chuffed when I saw the first on mine - interestingly a day or two prior to seeing it, the waders on the estuary were uncharacteristically nervous and flighty and when I saw the peregrine, realised why. The same again happened this year, with the behaviour of the waders etc. I was sure a peregrine was about and sure enough it was!

Gi

Hi Gi,

Sadly, I havent got any waders as an early warning & I think the rooks were too tardy to notice it still v pleased with it.

Now awaiting the Osprey... should be back by now really?

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Icterine Warbler - Landguard

Hi All,

Icky gave great views perched on the river side fence of the cottage this lunch time :king:

Only a very brief visit, but also managed Pied Fly a 1st for the year.

Things really hotting up now with two juv Black Terns and a 1st winter Med Gull @ Lackford last nite too. Pic of Med attached :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[GiG]

Hi All,

Icky gave great views perched on the river side fence of the cottage this lunch time :king:

Only a very brief visit, but also managed Pied Fly a 1st for the year.

Things really hotting up now with two juv Black Terns and a 1st winter Med Gull @ Lackford last nite too. Pic of Med attached :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

Well done on the icky Jonny. I got to Landguard 1st thing and had a willow warbler at the customs house, hobby over and 3 whinchat on the common nearby. Lesser and common whitethroat in the scrub and a pied fly on icky ridge with two more willow warblers. Out on the common was told about the icky so headed to the garden and watched it for over an hour, had great views down to 10ft! Also a redstart there. Elsewhere on the common loads of wheatear.

Headed down to the Ferry but no sign of the barred warbler, so decided to hop on the ferry and go over to Bawdsey. Very quiet to start with but did find a cracking male redstart and a couple of willow warblers. Heading back to the ferry came across a tit flock, some on the other side of the fence and some in the tamarisk by the path. Got on to a chiffie with them when I got a brief view of a hippo sp. Waited for another 45-50 mins with no further sightings before going back to the ferry!

Gi

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Hi Gi,

Shame hippo didnt show again :C

Sounds like you had a top visit to F'stowe. Wish I'd had more time - but I'd snook out on me lunch!

I've never taken ferry across to Bawdsey - is it frequent? Oh and do they let dogs on?

Mite give it a go Sat AM :t:

 

[GiG]

Hi Gi,

Shame hippo didnt show again :C

Sounds like you had a top visit to F'stowe. Wish I'd had more time - but I'd snook out on me lunch!

I've never taken ferry across to Bawdsey - is it frequent? Oh and do they let dogs on?

Mite give it a go Sat AM :t:

Hi Jonny,

That's birding for you! Did have two whinchat on the patch today - the first time down in the valley - I had an inkling the site had potential for them and with stuff on the move, the hunch paid off!

The ferry runs all day between 10 and 6, I thought it was til 5 but that is in October. Not sure about dogs but I would have thought so - you can take bikes across. It is £2.50 return as foot passenger. I do have a phone no. on me but I think it is out of date as I looked on the web for info and could only find this site - Felixstowe-Ferry it has a pdf leaflet at the bottom from 2006 with contact no.

At the jetty if the boat is not in, it will be on the opposite shore or sometimes up river, you need to wave a bat for attention!

Once on the Bawdsey side, turn right across the end car park and follow the shingle past the building and follow the fence line. You will see a footpath symbol marked, passing through tamarisk, which is where I had the warbler. This opens out in to an area with bramble, holm oak and tamarisk and open ground, while on the other side of the fence (grounds of Bawdsey Manor) are larger trees - all great migrant habitat. You can see the coast line north with Bawdsey Cliffs up ahead.

Gi