A Trip to Suffolk

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.

RSPB Lakenheath Fen

Lakenheath Fen

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).

Whooper Swan

Great White Egret

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.

Brambling and Blue Tit

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. 

White-fronted Geese, RSPB Snape Marshes

White-fronted Geese

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.

New Year in Devon - Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egret

A few days of annual leave after the Christmas and New Years Frenzy was just right for winding down after all the festivities and a chance to get out birding properly with kids back to school and adults back at work.

Monday 4th and on a walk to the allotment to pick some veggies for dinner a male blackcap was feeding in the ivy by the small pond behind the aquarium, a brief view before it disappeared into cover but a nice find.

Tuesday 5th and we headed off to Burrator for a walk on a sunny but breezey day. With all the recent rain the reservoir was full and overflowing the dam and the ground saturated and boggy but at least the walk around the reservoir on the road was easy going and dry and mud free. A male goosander, a cormorant, 2 little grebe, 2 Muscovy duck and 3 white feral geese were on the water with the mallards and a treecreeper circling up a moss covered pine tree was a nice find. A photographer at the top car park was tempting birds close to his lens with some seeds and nuts and amongst the coal, blue and great tits were a few marsh tits and nuthatches. 2 roe deer feeding out in the open close to the road were a surprise and totally unfazed by the cars and people passing by.

Roe Deer, Burrator Reservoir

Wednesday 6th and it was off to see the new Star Wars film (very good) but before heading off to Vue a quick walk around Plymouth Hoe in the sunshine and flat calm conditions revealed the little grebe still on Sutton Harbour, a distant great northern diver in Jennycliff Bay and a brief view of the black redstart at Rusty Anchor.

Oystercatcher, Rusty Anchor

Thursday 7th and a walk from Thurlestone village to South Huish Marsh and back was very invigorating in the sunshine and strong winds with rough seas and waves crashing onto the shore. Thurlestone Marsh continues to be trashed as it is converted into arable land but South Huish Marsh was totally flooded, the first time I have seen it like this. Searching through the birds and I had a brief view of an orange head before it disappeared in the sedges and presumably belonging to the long staying ruddy shelduck. My other target bird was much more accomodating, a juvenile glossy ibis feeding amongst the flooded grass and looking stunning in the strong sunlight with beautiful green and purple irridescent feathers but a face only an ibis could love.

 Glossy Ibis and Teal, South Huish Marsh

 Glossy Ibis, Black Headed Gull and Teal, South Huish Marsh

Friday 8th and it was off to Topsham on the train, £9.90 for a single after 09:00 but a staggering £17.30 before 09:00! I arrived at the hide at Bowling Green Marsh just after 11:00 to find the Marsh too was well flooded and covered in wildfowl - mostly wigeon, teal, mallard and Canada geese but amongst them I found gadwall, shoveler, pintail, 2 male pochard, a pair of tufted duck, a coot and greylag geese. The tide was low so the only waders on show were lapwing and curlew with a flyover greenshank and redshank. Unfortunately I couldn't find the wintering American wigeon amongst the wigeon flock but it was reported as being present that day - never mind.

 Pair of Wigeon, Bowling Green Marsh

Male Wigeon, Bowling Green Marsh

Walking to the viewing platform and a large flock of brent geese were feeding in the grassy field by the path giving some great views, the first time I have seen them here. From the platform a spotted redshank showed very well with redshank, grey plover and dunlin also seen. A large flock of avocets were seen downriver but they were distant and a few distant red breasted mergansers were diving in the river. A large flock of black tailed godwit were resting out on the mudflats, again distant views, and 2 adult common gulls were feeding amongst the black headed gulls.

Spotted Redshank, River Clyst Viewing Platform

Daffodils, Topsham Goatwalk

After meeting David and having lunch in The Lighter Inn we walked over to Darts Farm. The light was fading and it was difficult to scan through the large finch flock feeding in the stubble as they were very mobile and flighty, not helped by the attentions of a male sparrowhawk. I eventually found a juvenile reed bunting and a female brambling amongst the chaffinch, greenfinch and goldfinch before they were lost amongst the moving flock. A few redwing and fieldfare were very skulky in the trees before flying off and a great spotted woodpecker was equally evasive, maybe due to the ongoing prescence of the sparrowhawk.

The highlight though was a cattle egret feeding in the field in front of the hide with little egrets, presumably one of the birds I saw at Teigngrace in November last year, and a nice end to a good day out.

Cattle Egret between Little Egrets, Darts Farm

Caspian Gull in Suffolk

Wet, warm and windy weather of late has precluded any real birding with the only thing of note being my first 2 little grebes of the winter on Sutton Harbour on November 19th along with 7 mute swans - the RSPCA had caught and relocated the mute swans in the harbour in the spring due to concerns about pollution and lack of natural food availability but it looks like they are slowly migrating back.

November 22nd was a pleasent contrast - cold, clear and calm - but my planned trip to Wembury for a walk went out of the window when I realised that there are no buses to Wembury on Sundays since Stagecoach took over from First Bus. Instead I caught the train to Dawlish Warren and had a very enjoyable wander around. It was low tide when I arrived so I concentrated on the sea and land instead of the estuary and as the day progressed it became pleasently warm - it was still a surprise though to see a swallow flying along the beach towards Exmouth, my second latest sighting ever.

On a flat calm sea I managed distant and heat hazy views of a great northern diver and a red throated diver with much better views of 2 female goldeneye with 2 female red breasted mergansers closer to shore. A flock of around 20 common scoter were flighty and mobile around the bay and a flock of around 30 teal roosting on the sea was a surprise. 2 great crested grebes were also seen and I eventually found another red throated diver close to shore, this one was a juvenile with a duskier head and neck than the adult I had seen earlier and with a buffy coloured throat patch.

It was quieter on land with 2 chiffchaffs in the trees around the main pond, water rails heard squealing in the waterside reeds, a pair of stonechat, a great spotted woodpecker and a female reed bunting being the highlights.

On checking the bird sightings in the evening on November 26th and a yellow browed warbler was reported in Beaumont Park, right on my doorstep, but unfortunately the next morning I was due to head off early on the train to Suffolk to visit my parents. I had a quick walk around the park before heading off to the railway station but didn't find it although I did find 2 coal tits, 2 goldcrests, long tailed tits, a flyover grey wagtail and a calling nuthatch, my first in the park.

The train journey to London was uneventful although 30 minutes late into Paddington and I had some brief and distant views of red kites between Westbury and London on what was another grey and windy day.

The following day and my Mum had to work and so we had the use of her car for the day. I wasn't sure where to head too, my plan to visit Minsmere was ditched when I realised I had left my membership card and free visitors pass at home and I wasn't going to pay £16 for the 2 of us to get in. A red necked grebe at Alton Water, not far from Mums house, was an option but I eventually decided to head to Ampton near Bury St.Edmunds instead to look for tree sparrows that are frequently reported in the winter on the Suffolk BINS website. I wasn't sure where to look for the tree sparrows and searching the internet for more information gave few clues but it seemed that the birds were mostly seen on bird feeders in the village gardens. Google Maps highlighted the few houses with gardens in the village and so I was able to narrow down my search area. I also found some reports of yellow legged gulls and Caspian gulls at a nearby pig farm and so decided to include a visit there on my walk.

David dropped me off in the village before heading off to look around the antique shops at Risby, giving me around 2 hours to explore the area by myself. It was a grey and windy day but dry and I wandered off checking out all the gardens for any sign of tree sparrows. Eventually I found an isolated row of cottages surrounded by trees and hedges and there they were, a flock of around 50 tree sparrows, noisey but skulking in the vegetation and regularly flying around - very nice to see as I rarely see them and have never seen them here in Devon.

 Tree Sparrow

 Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrows

Also seen with them were blue tits, great tits, chaffinch, goldfinch, a male yellowhammer, redpoll and at least 3 bramblings, while in the nearby fields there were lots of pheasents and red legged partridges.

Male Brambling

I then headed off towards the pig farm, walking along the road in a flat and open landscape. Nearing the farm and I could see lots of large gulls roosting amongst the pigs but I made the mistake of stopping to scan them with my binoculars and they all took to the air. Fortunately they quickly settled again but further away and so I headed to a small wood by the road where I would be less obvious and this time the gulls didn't take flight again as I stopped to look at them. Scanning through them and I instantly found what I was looking for - a smart 1st winter Caspian gull, its white head and underparts standing out like a beacon amongst the herring, lesser black backed and black headed gulls and a life tick for me too.

1st Winter Caspian Gull - top right

As I watched it a nearby shooting party began blasting pheasents and red legged partridges out of the sky and all the gulls took to the air again. I watched the Caspian gull fly off and noted its white rump and black tail band before it landed again nearer to where I was standing. I then had some good views of it before a tractor came rattling along the road putting up all the gulls again and off it flew, never to be seen again, but I was very pleased to have seen it.

 1st Winter Caspian Gull - top left

 Caspian Gull

Caspian Gull

After all the gull and sparrow and finch excitement the rest of the trip was uneventful and so it was off to Cologne for a few days on Monday 30th to eat and drink too much on the Christmas markets. Birdwise it was quiet but I did see collared dove, woodpigeon, feral pigeon, magpie, carrion crow, greenfinch, blackbird, starling, blue tit, black headed gull, fieldfare and ring necked parakeet from the hotel room window, not bad for the centre of Cologne. I also saw buzzard, mute swan, Canada goose, coot and jackdaw on our train journeys and arriving back in the UK on Saturday 5th December I saw a single ring necked parakeet flying over the M4 on the drive back to Plymouth, a nice end to a busy week away.

 Cologne Christmas Market

 Aachen Cathedral

Aachen Cathedral

A Trip to Slimbridge and a Surprise Yellow Browed Warbler

January 25th and it was time to head off to Slimbridge on my annual coach trip with the Plymouth RSPB Group and my mate Mavis. At least it wasn't cancelled this year and the weather wasn't too bad, with sunshine before wind and rain moved in later in the day.

We headed straight to The Tack Piece and the Martin Smith Hide (the infamous hide where due to the sloping and worn smooth window shelf my camera was damaged beyond repair and my binocular doubler lens was broken costing me £100). No damages this time but Mavis spilt hot coffee everywhere as her coffee cup slid off the window shelf, luckily she was OK.

The view from the hide was amazing, there were birds everywhere on the flooded fields sounding and looking resplendent in the strong sunshine. 5 common cranes were seen, part of the Great Crane re-introduction scheme, and they were noisy and mobile around the reserve all day with birds doing their courtship dance and 1 bird checking out the reeds in front of the hide where they attempted nesting last year.

Nest Prospecting Common Crane in front of The Martin Smith Hide



Wildfowl and waders were everywhere - Bewicks swans, white fronted geese, 5 ruff, black tailed godwit, wheeling flocks of very skittish golden plover and lapwing being the highlights with redshank, dunlin, wigeon, teal, shoveler and pintail also seen, an amazing sight and it was difficult keeping track of everything going on.

 Pair of Pintail

 Sleeping Male Pochard

Pochard



Other birds seen around the reserve were 2 stock doves, 4 fieldfare, 4 avocets, a lone Brent goose with the feral flock of barnacle geese, a peregrine, a sparrowhawk, a great crested grebe and a large flock of jackdaws coming in to roost in the trees at dusk. Not a bad days birding despite being cold as usual, I swear Slimbridge is one of the coldest places on Earth!

 Bewicks Swan at the Rushy Pen

 Bewicks Swans at The Rushy Pen at Dusk

Bewicks Swan



Wednesday 29th and we headed off to Topsham for a walk. I headed off to the recreation ground to look for the water pipit and black redstart that are still around since my visit back in December. The tide was out and the sun was shining but there was no sign of either birds. I did see a grey wagtail, 2 male and a female reed bunting and an adult lesser black backed gull amongst the roosting and bathing gulls along the river. I was just about to leave for Bowling Green Marsh when I found the water pipit on the pebbly island in the river channel where I saw it before Christmas. It showed very well as it bathed and preened and was quite aggressive towards a grey wagtail bathing nearby while ignoring a bathing pied wagtail.

The female type black redstart then gave a brief flight view near a white upturned boat on the slipway, its usual haunt, but when I saw it in December it was in the trees near the community centre. It flew in to the nearby garden and so I discretely watched over the hedge where I got another brief flight view and eventually it gave itself up and showed very well.

While looking for the black redstart in the garden I caught sight of a small bird flitting about in the vegetation and was expecting it to be a goldcrest. I got my binoculars on it for a second before it flew off and was shocked to find it was a yellow browed warbler! I scanned around again, doubting what I had seen in my one second view and eventually it showed amazingly well, down to a few metres at times, as it moved around the garden. I managed to get 2 passing birders on to it as well as I could not believe what I was seeing and it was a life tick for the pair of them. A beautiful bird with quite orangey looking legs, a yellow brow and 2 yellow wing bars and my third but best sighting ever. Also seen in the garden was a female blackcap and a redpoll with some goldfinches - I was very glad I hadn't left for Bowling Green Marsh after all!

Deciding to miss out Bowling Green Marsh and after some lunch we headed off to Darts Farm where a large flock of Brent geese were feeding in fields right by the side of the road. From the bird hide there were a few teal and wigeon with Canada geese while on the feeders I managed to find my target bird, a very smart looking female brambling amongst the chaffinch and greenfinch. It swooped down to the ground under the feeders, flying off with a seed to nearby trees before flying off and out of sight, a lucky sighting indeed and a great end to a great day out.