Due to health issues and family problems I needed to travel to Suffolk (also a Tier 2 area) for a few days and so Friday 4th December saw us driving up to Ipswich. It was a cold day and there was snow in the distance on the moors as we drove around Marsh Mills roundabout in Plymouth and there was also snow on the ground and on rooftops along the A12 in Suffolk.
Red Kites showed well along the drive between Stonehenge on the A303 and the M25 with at least 15 seen soaring over the carriageways along with Buzzards and Kestrels.
We stayed in a hotel across the road from where my parents live in order to follow the Tier 2 COVID rules as much as possible and it was a pleasent stay and quite convenient although a little weird.
Saturday 5th December and we managed to get out for a walk at RSPB Lakenheath Fen on what was a cold and still day with occasional sunny spells and there were still patches of snow on the ground around the reserve.
We only had a short time (90 minutes) but I did manage to see some good birds. The highlights were a pair of Bearded Tits which showed very well and very close before "pinging" off deeper into the reed beds, a distant female Marsh Harrier perched on top of a small tree amongst the reeds, a lone Whooper Swan sleeping on the lake and looking a little poorly and 2, possibly 3 Great White Egret (a distant bird flying over the reed beds and later a bird flying away downriver with another bird feeding around the lake).
A male Reed Bunting, Gadwalls, 2 Shelduck, a squealing Water Rail heard from deep in the undergrowth and a male Brambling on the bird feeders at the visitors centre were also noted.
Sunday 6th December and we managed to get out for a walk again, this time to Snape Maltings on the River Alde. A Tundra Bean Goose had been reported in the area with 11 European/Russian White-fronted Geese but I only managed to find 5 of the White-fronted Geese which did show very well in the sunshine.
2 Avocets out on the mudflats amongst the feeding waders and a small group of noisy and mobile Bearded Tits in the reed beds were also seen.
We also had a quick look around at nearby RSPB North Warren near Aldeburgh and out on the marshes in the fading light were a large mixed flock of White-fronted Geese and Barnacle Geese along with Pintail, Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Greylag Geese.
Heading back to Plymouth on Monday 7th December and it was cold and very foggy and so there were no Red Kites seen this time but it had been a nice trip away despite the strange circumstances and weird COVID times.
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