Suffolk Birding (1 Viewer)

[Jonny Rankin]

Great Livermere

Evening All,

Pleasant visit to Gt Livermere earlier.

Hunting Barn Owl, at least 2 Common Sands and 5 species of goose!!

in addition I had a hybrid type I am unsure of, I posted a couple of pics over on the I.D. thread

Any ideas gratefully received :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Original PaulE]

hi all

finally got motivated to get out again by all the reports of wrynecks on the web
finally managed to connect with the one at minsmere this morning gave short but cracking views, earlier had good views of the red backed shrike and some whinchats and a little stint from east hide. add in 3 redstarts and a cracking lesser whitethroat an all in all was an excellent morning

cheers

 

[Jonny Rankin]

hi all

finally got motivated to get out again by all the reports of wrynecks on the web
finally managed to connect with the one at minsmere this morning gave short but cracking views, earlier had good views of the red backed shrike and some whinchats and a little stint from east hide. add in 3 redstarts and a cracking lesser whitethroat an all in all was an excellent morning

cheers

Superb work PaulE :t: that's a top selection - I am v jealous stuck in the office.

I've been taunted by all the reports of Wryneck this week too! Hoping one will stick till the AM... fancy a walk Sizewell along to M'mere

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Original PaulE]

Superb work PaulE :t: that's a top selection - I am v jealous stuck in the office.

I've been taunted by all the reports of Wryneck this week too! Hoping one will stick till the AM... fancy a walk Sizewell along to M'mere

Cheers,

Jonny

cheers jonny

not able to get out this weekend hence the day off today
wryneck was a cracker worth trip up on it's own

cheers

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Minsmere will be busy this weekend

Lets hope the rain is not too heavy saturday.

Home late because of a car fire on the A140 Ipswich Road near Norwich.
Still good birding to look forward to.

My current Minsmere reserve total is 199. Last site tick montagu's harrier. Any one of red-backed shrike, wryneck or barred warbler would be no 200!

The only distraction from Suffolk birding this weekend is an elusive arctic warbler at Holme Norfolk. My only Norfolk sighting back in 1993. Have not seen an arctic warbler since one was found at Corton in September 1996.

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Lets hope the rain is not too heavy saturday.

Home late because of a car fire on the A140 Ipswich Road near Norwich.
Still good birding to look forward to.

My current Minsmere reserve total is 199. Last site tick montagu's harrier. Any one of red-backed shrike, wryneck or barred warbler would be no 200!

The only distraction from Suffolk birding this weekend is an elusive arctic warbler at Holme Norfolk. My only Norfolk sighting back in 1993. Have not seen an arctic warbler since one was found at Corton in September 1996.

As RBS, Barred Wobbler & Wryneck are still present I think congrats are in order :t: well done on the two centuries Paul

You should let the reserve staff / RSPB know that an impressive total!

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Black-necked Greve, Livermere

Hi All,

Resisted the draw of the coast and kept it local - which proved a good choice as found a Black-necked Grebe! Seriously pumped 8-P

Attached a record shot & the bird was still present when I left @ 10. Will probs head back this eve as also a bit of a wader movement going on :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Still on 199!

As RBS, Barred Wobbler & Wryneck are still present I think congrats are in order :t: well done on the two centuries Paul

You should let the reserve staff / RSPB know that an impressive total!

Cheers but I plan to go to Minsmere tomorrow Sunday. Saw the Holme arctic warbler today and on course for a record Norfolk year list.

 

[Original PaulE]

Hi All,

Resisted the draw of the coast and kept it local - which proved a good choice as found a Black-necked Grebe! Seriously pumped 8-P

Attached a record shot & the bird was still present when I left @ 10. Will probs head back this eve as also a bit of a wader movement going on :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

nice find jonny good luck with yer waders

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Minsmere recent sightings updated to Sat 11 September

The recent (Minsmere) sightings page has been updated.

Wryneck elusive but seen well at times
Red-backed shrike easier to see.
Barred warbler very elusive. Nothing new then. Weather better Sunday for this bird (hopefully!)

 

[GiG]

Hi All,

Resisted the draw of the coast and kept it local - which proved a good choice as found a Black-necked Grebe! Seriously pumped 8-P

Attached a record shot & the bird was still present when I left @ 10. Will probs head back this eve as also a bit of a wader movement going on :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

Nice one Jonny!

No birding as such for me today, will be heading down to the local park as golden hoverfly has been refound there, but will keep an eye open for any migrants.

Gi

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Minsmere list now 201 with king eider late pm

The recent (Minsmere) sightings page has been updated.

Wryneck elusive but seen well at times
Red-backed shrike easier to see.
Barred warbler very elusive. Nothing new then. Weather better Sunday for this bird (hopefully!)

Followed up Saturday sightings

Arrived early at Minsmere car park, having passed three young red deer by the Canopy Hide. In the road for much of the time!

Minsmere 200 up with excellent views of an obliging wryneck at North Bushes.

Soon after a second reserve first with the red-backed shrike.

Walked to sluice bushes but no sign of the elusive barred warbler.

Had brief views of a lapland bunting on the deck by the beach / dunes opposite East Hide before bird escaped the photographers and flew toward the sluice.

Good raptors viewed from North Wall. Six common buzzards kettling together. Also hobbies seen. Picked up the silhouette of the probable red-footed falcon. Did not see enough to clinch the ID personally.

Two redstarts and a spotted flycatcher back at North Bushes. Wryneck showing well still.

Headed up to Kessingland where a king eider had been seen. No sign. Start heading home but made a U turn when the king eider refound off Minsmere North Wall.

I Suffolk ticked this bird from Dunwich cliffs.

 

[lostinjapan]

[

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[/QUOTE]

Good to know it was you Gi that reported that hippo sp. I'm guessing it was Icky or Melodius.

Think the ferry doesn't run in the winter.

I'm back in Bawdsey mid-week and will be birding there apart from an Essex cycling birdathon I'm doing on the 26th.

Hope the winds swing back round to the E, so I can catch up on all the local goodies I missed while offshore.

Sean

 

[GiG]

Followed up Saturday sightings

Arrived early at Minsmere car park, having passed three young red deer by the Canopy Hide. In the road for much of the time!

Minsmere 200 up with excellent views of an obliging wryneck at North Bushes.

Soon after a second reserve first with the red-backed shrike.

Walked to sluice bushes but no sign of the elusive barred warbler.

Had brief views of a lapland bunting on the deck by the beach / dunes opposite East Hide before bird escaped the photographers and flew toward the sluice.

Good raptors viewed from North Wall. Six common buzzards kettling together. Also hobbies seen. Picked up the silhouette of the probable red-footed falcon. Did not see enough to clinch the ID personally.

Two redstarts and a spotted flycatcher back at North Bushes. Wryneck showing well still.

Headed up to Kessingland where a king eider had been seen. No sign. Start heading home but made a U turn when the king eider refound off Minsmere North Wall.

I Suffolk ticked this bird from Dunwich cliffs.

Well done on reaching 200 species for Minsmere and catching up with the eider. Haven't managed to go for it yet but will be hoping it is still aorund tomorrow.

GI

 

[GiG]

Good to know it was you Gi that reported that hippo sp. I'm guessing it was Icky or Melodius.

Think the ferry doesn't run in the winter.

I'm back in Bawdsey mid-week and will be birding there apart from an Essex cycling birdathon I'm doing on the 26th.

Hope the winds swing back round to the E, so I can catch up on all the local goodies I missed while offshore.

Sean

Hippo was frustrating and couldn't give it more time as my bike was on the other side of the river and I had to cycle back to catch the train home. Yes the ferry stops in October.

Am going up the coast tomorrow for the eider but I think a lot of the recent migrants have moved on. Here's hoping for ome more easterlies soon!

Good luck on your cycling birdathon!


Gi

 

[GiG]

Got to see the king eider on Tuesday, showed well initially off Dunwich Cliffs though most of the time it had it's head tucked in. As it drifted south it would occasionally raise it's head and sometimes have a good wing flap!

Had a great couple of visits to the patch yesterday. A beautiful early morning
and decided to go north of Wilford Bridge, where I'd seen the whinchat the week previous, a couple of common sandpiper flew past and in the reeds three reed warbler. In the osier beds and in some scrub along the path I could hear chiffchaff and in the surrounding fields 20+ meadow pipit looking great in the sun. At first I thought there were only half a dozen but as I watched more came up from the field and flew around with some landing on the overhead wires.

Crossed over to the other side south of the bridge, a scan of the waders and found three snipe on the island with some lapwing, on the far side a group of seven greenshank and a green sandpiper flew up river. Heading towards the sewage works I could see a lot of swirling activity - as I got closer 300-400 house martin fairly low around the scrub and trees. An awesome spectacle to be so close and watch as they whizzed round me. A couple of times there would be maybe an alarm call and all would rise in a fairly close flock rising up in to the sky before coming back down. There is a tall poplar that they kept circling round and on a few occasions some would pick insects of the leaves as they flew past while some actually landed. In the scrub itself chiffchaff, reed warbler and blackcap. I had to drag myself away to go to work!

Went back down on my lunch break, the house martins had moved on while in the scrub a chiffchaff was singing and I could hear some blackcap subsong. Further round off Deben Mills Sluice checking the waders and in amongst the dunlin and ringed plover found a juvenile curlew sandpiper! I'd almost thought I would not get one on passage this year - I have for the previous five years.

Off to Southwold tomorrow for a SOG field trip - looking forward to that too!

Gi

 

[lostinjapan]

We'll been back a few days, but only been out a couple of times. Highlights included:

Shingle Street- wheatear 2, hobby 1, chiffchaff 3

East Lane - garganey 3, great spot 1, blackcap 2, chiffchaff 3, goldcrest 1

Alderton/Bawdsey - Spotted Fly 1, Buzzard 2, Marsh Harrier 1, Lesser Whitethroat 1,
Blackcap 1, Chiffchaff 4

Plenty of Mpipits, as well as 100's of hirundines on the move.

Hope the winds turn soon.

Sean

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Black Redstart - Lackford

Hi All,

Following reports of a Black Redstart in Lackford village I managed to relocate it on the edge of the SWT reserve this morning :king: it has showed well on and off since on the edge of the village / in the horse paddocks.

Record shot attached.

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[Jonny Rankin]

Bury St Edmunds RSPB Local Group - indoor meetings

Hi All,

The BSE RSPB local group has a programme of indoor meetings starting tomorrow evening.

The full programme can be viewed here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/burystedmunds/events/

I've been to some superb talks before (& some less superb) and tomorrows looks to be a goodun.

Hope to see some other Suffolk BF'ers there :t:

Cheers,

Jonny

 

[lostinjapan]

The forecast for the next few days looks promising, especially the Sunday/Monday forecast.

Been out a bit more this week, but nothing that hasn't already been reported elsewhere:

Red-necked Grebe 1 -Juvenile at East Lane
Grey Heron - 6 Boyton, 3 East Lane
Little Egret - 3 Boyton/Hollesley, 1 Bawdsey Quay
Garganey 1 - East Lane
Ruddy Shelduck 1 - imm Boyton
Hobby - 1 ad Bawdsey Quay, 1juv Hollesley Marsh
Buzzard - 4 Alderton, 2 Bawdsey, 3 Boyton
Marsh Harrier - 3 Boyton, 2-3 Bawdsey, 1 Alderton
Kestrel - Bawdsey 5, Alderton 3, Boyton/Hollesley 7
Snipe - 10 Boyton, 1 East Lane
Ruff - 1 Boyton, 1 Hollesley
Blackwit - 2 East Lane, 15 Hollesley
Avocet -3 Boyton
Dunlin -40 Boyton
Lapwing - 150 Boyton/Hollesley
Golden Plover - 32 Bawdsey Quay
Common Sandpiper - 1 East Lane
Cetti's Warbler - 1 singing Hollesley Marsh

There has been a strong steady passage of Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Goldcrest and an influx of Robin in the area over the last few days too.

Hopefully will find a Yellow-browed Warbler or some other little gem over the next few days.

Cheers

Sean