This morning we walked from our very comfortable and marvellously appointed holiday bungalow in Walberswick down to the Dingle Marshes. We walked along the beach a little towards Dunwich but we were heading into the cold wind and so we turned around and walked back to Walberswick.
Birding highlights: Little Egret, Redshank, Kestrel and Stonechat.
Other highlights: an excellent lunch and a pint of Adlams bitter in the Anchor.
After a day of visiting churches and cathedrals in Suffolk (there’s only one cathedral in Suffolk) it was good to get back to some bird watching at RSPB Minsmere. Weren’t we lucky? A mainly sunny day and not too cold. And loads to see…
A spectacular display of 8 Marsh Harriers (even though they were quite a long way away) and a Bittern at Island Mere. A quick stop at the Bittern Hide to see more Marsh Harriers (can’t believe they are quite a rare bird) before going along the North Wall (Bearded Tits but too quick for photos) and a good stop at a the East Hide where we saw the Minsmere flagship Avocet. Teal looked great in the sunshine and Redshank, Godwits, Shelduck, Shoveler, Dunlin and Lapwing all paraded in front of us.
A murky grey day but quite mild and dry.
Not a great day for photos but lots to see and we spent a good 5 hours wandering around RSPB Minsmere.
Highlights: Song Thrush, Marsh Harrier, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, huge number of Lapwing, Redshank, lots of Teal, Shoveler, Shelduck, Stonechat, Siskin (very poor photos), Great White and Little Egret.
200+ Black-headed Gulls, 2 Great Black-backed Gulls, 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, split between frozen lake (where they were struggling to cope) and adjacent playing fields. One cat looking for a golden opportunity now all the ducks have moved to the river and a squirrel.
Super views of Great White Egrets at Chew and Blagdon (flyover), also Little Egrets, Teal, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Sandpiper, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorants, Grey Heron, Pied Wagtail (it’s there if you look closely).
No Blyth’s Pipit though!
A couple of hours at Chew Valley Lake this morning before the rain came in and we had to shelter in the pub and have fish and chips – why wouldn’t you as it’s Friday after all.
Started well with a male Kingfisher at Herriot’s. Also Mute Swans, a Little Egret, a Grey Heron, Tufted Duck, Shoveler, Grey Wagtail, Black-headed Gulls and Heron Gulls. Then on to Herons’ Green with a Great White Egret, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe and a Goosander of interest.
The lake was frozen at Eastville Park and all the ducks had moved to the River Frome. There was still room for a Dipper and I managed to follow it for a while down the river. Plenty of Long-tailed Tits and Great Tits and a single Coal Tit.
Not the one in the USA just Pennsylvania near Marshfield – in fact the field opposite the Tollgate Café on the A46: thousands of Golden Plover chased off by a micro-lite and the threat of 3 Buzzard.
Such a short walk around Eastville Park was not enough really to repair the excesses of the festive period. Nonetheless it was good to get the camera clicking again. Goldfinches, Grey Wagtail, Cormorants, Long-tailed Tit, Grey Heron, Great Tit and a Robin.
First trip out for two weeks (definite case of man ‘flu) and only a quick trip across the road to Stoke Park.
Worth the effort though with a pair of Stonechat, some Goldfinches, a Buzzard and two Raven (very poor photos) and a very lonely Wigeon in the middle of the field.
Managed to take a few bird shots while staying with friends in Pembrokeshire.
Redshank and Curlew on the Taf Estuary at Laugharne on the way down; Tufted Duck in Pembroke Dock; Buzzard and Goosander at Stackpool Estate; Teal, another Buzzard and Curlew and Redwing at the Welsh Wildlife Centre at Cilgerran near Cardigan. Robins everywhere.
It was a black and white world at New Passage on the Severn Estuary this morning but it was quite mild and I enjoyed getting out.
500+ Black-tailed Godwits had been reported there on Monday and, as far as my counting skills go, they must have been all there again today. In fact, the same source (Paul Bowerman – www.severnsidebirds.co.uk ) reported 5000+ birds on the foreshore this morning and indeed there was a huge number and variety of birds.
I walked along by the pools and saw the 200+ Lapwing but the foreshore was by far the more interesting aspect of my walk as the very high tide receded.
Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos 