A Strange Trip to Suffolk

With nearly 2 weeks of annual leave from work booked for March of this year I had originally planned to head off abroad somewhere but decided instead to visit family in Suffolk - very fortunate really as we would probably have ended up stuck somewhere unable to get back to the UK with transport systems crashing due to the Corona virus shutdown.

We travelled up to Ipswich by train on Monday 16th March and it was a strange experience with the trains, underground and London being eerily empty and quiet. The lock down of the UK began that night with Boris Johnson beginning his daily news conferences and as the week progressed the restrictions grew but we were fortunately able to get back to Plymouth on the train on Friday 20th March with the trains, underground and London being even more deserted.

The weather while we were in Suffolk was mostly grey and dull but fortunately dry and with people being asked to self isolate and socially distance themselves we decided to get out into the countryside to enjoy the fresh air while avoiding people and crowds.

Our train journey to London on Monday 16th March provided the usual sightings of Red Kites between Swindon and Paddington and Herbert the Slavonian Grebe was seen off Cockwood on the River Exe.

Tuesday 17th March and we visited the Beth Chatto Gardens near Colchester, somewhere we haven't been before, and we had a pleasant wander around listening to a singing Chiffchaff and I finally saw my first butterflies of the year - Peacock and Brimstone - flitting about.

Peacock, Beth Chatto Garden, Essex

Wednesday 18th March and we visited Ampton where the Tree Sparrows were easily found around the bird feeders although they were very nervy and skittish. A couple of Red-legged Partridges were seen in the fields with lots of Pheasents but the highlight were 3 Grey Partridge feeding in a stubble field.

Tree Sparrows, Ampton, Suffolk

Tree Sparrows

Grey Partridge, Ampton

Onwards to Risby Barns and 3 Red Kites were seen soaring overhead along with numerous Buzzards while in the fields  more Red-legged Partridges were seen along with Hares and Muntjac Deer.

After a quick look around the antiques centre and lunch at Mums cousins cafe we drove to Lackford Lakes for a walk, only my second visit here. Chiffchaffs were singing away despite the cool breeze and grey skies but a Kingfisher showed very well right in front of the hide along with Snipe, Shoveler, Teal, Pochard, a Little Egret, Greylag Geese and Reed Buntings.

Kingfisher, Lackford Lakes, Suffolk

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Snipe, Lackford Lakes

Thursday 19th March and Mum decided to head to Sainsburys to do some food shopping as it was over 70's only from 8am to 9am, a move instigated by Sainsburys due to the stripping of food from the shelfs in supermarkets, something we had experienced already on a brief look in both Tescos and Sainsburys on out travels the previous few days. Mum managed to buy what she needed including toilet rolls which bizarrely are like gold dust at the moment but there were apparently some ugly scenes in the aisles and Mum was harrassed and harangued by a belligerent old lady who didn't believe she was over 70 and felt she should be kicked out of the store (my Mum is nearly 74!).

After Mums shopping adventure we headed off to Minsmere where I had 3 hours to myself - the visitors centre and cafe had been closed but the nature trails were open and I made full use of my limited time there.

Bitterns were booming, Bearded Tits were pinging, Green Woodpeckers were yaffling and Water Rails were squealing but I didn't see any of them. Marsh Harriers showed very well quartering over the reed beds and I did get a brief view of a Cettis Warbler singing in the undergrowth. 2 Red Deer were a surprise sighting out in the open before they entered the water and disappeared into the reeds.

Marsh Harrier, Minsmere 

Red Deer, Minsmere

Red Deer

The Scrape held the usual birds - Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Lapwing, Gadwall, Teal, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Shoveler were all seen along with a flock of (feral) Barnacle Geese and lots of Gulls - Great Black-backed, Herring, Common, Black-headed and Mediterranean. I also found a 3rd Calendar year Yellow-legged Gull preening away which was briefly joined by a 3rd calendar year Caspian Gull which it took great umbrage to and attacked causing it to fly off.

Yellow-legged Gull, Minsmere

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull - yellow tinged legs

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Yellow-legged Gull

Herring Gull and Yellow-legged Gull

Herring Gull and Yellow-legged Gull

Herring Gull and Yellow-legged Gull

Herring, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls

H, C and YL Gulls

Herring, Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls

YLGull sees Caspian Gull

YLGull attacks Caspian Gull! 

The sea was quiet but the dunes held a pair of Stonechat and Linnets and I almost stepped on 2 Adders curled up together out of the wind before they slithered off into the gorse.

Adders, Minsmere

Adder, Minsmere

On the journey back to Ipswich we stopped off briefly at Snape Maltings where I had a quick look along the river and was very pleased to find a very lovely looking Spotted Redshank along with 4 Avocet and quite a few Black-tailed Godwits including a bird with coloured leg rings.

Spotted Redshank, Snape Maltings, Suffolk

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Black-tailed Godwit, Snape Maltings

Black-tailed Godwit with leg rings

The train journey back to Plymouth on Friday March 20th was uneventful with more Red Kites seen between Paddington and Swindon and I also saw quite a few Roe Deer out in the fields and a Snow Goose with Canada Geese at Powderham along the River Exe.

And so a great time away in what is fast becoming a very strange time. Next week I return to work, entering the lions mouth of Derriford Hospital and who knows what which will mean my wildlife watching choices will likely become much more limited.

Autumnal Wildlife

Autumn continues to arrive with birding now becoming the main focus of my activities instead of butterflying but with Mum and nephew Jack arriving for a few days stay at relatively short notice, work and the usual ongoing family issues I've not had much time to get out and about.

Mum and Jack arrived on August 19th and the following day we headed off to Hope Cove for a wander around and some lunch. It was very busy on a warm and sunny day but Jack and myself managed to get away for a quick walk along the clifftops to South Huish Marsh for a brief look around. With a wood sandpiper reported on the marsh the previous day I had a good scan around but only managed to find a ringed plover hunkered down at the waters edge and the only other birds of note were a sand martin hawking over the marsh with swallows and house martins and a flyover raven and kestrel.

Wednesday 21st August and it was off to Bude for the day despite the cool breeze and mostly cloudy skies. We had a great day there and I managed a brief look at Maer Lake too where 2 spotted redshanks and 4 flyover yellow wagtails were the highlights along with 10 black-tailed godwits, a small tortoishell and a peacock butterfly.

Spotted Redshank, Maer Lake

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank 

Spotted Redshank 

Spotted Redshank

Friday 23rd August and with Mum and Jack having departed for home we caught the ferry across to Mount Batten for a walk where the highlights were painted lady butterflies and a Volucella zonaria hoverfly which looked very large and very orangey/yellow amongst the other hoverflies and bees feeding on the ivy flowers.

Painted Lady, Mount Batten

Volucella zonaria

Volucella zonaria

After working all of the August Bank Holiday weekend I headed off to Wembury on the bus on Tuesday 27th August for a walk on a warm and mostly sunny morning. From the bus I saw autumn ladies tresses flowering in the grass verges by Laira Bridge and on arriving at Wembury there was a very autumnal feel in the air and I had a very enjoyable walk.

There were 3 rusty dot pearl moths on the outside window of the toilet block and  2 oak bush crickets inside (1 unfortunately squashed on the floor and the other caught and released outside) and along the walk I also found a Jersey tiger, a hummingbird hawkmoth and a faded Pyrausta despicata.

Oak Bush Cricket, Wembury

 Hummingbird Hawkmoth

 Hummingbird Hawkmoth

 Pyrausta despicata

Pyrausta despicata

Waders were on the move and amongst the oystercatchers along the beach I found a short billed whimbrel, 2 curlew, 2 dunlin, 2 redshank and a good count of 7 turnstone. 3 little egret, a grey heron and a pair of mallard were also seen while offshore in flat calm conditions I picked up a couple of adult gannets and a fulmar.

Redshank

There were many chiffchaffs flitting about in the bushes and trees with a few birds heard singing, always sounding mournful in the autumn, and there were also good numbers of whitethroats and 2 male blackcaps seen. 3 wheatears were feeding in the horse field with Alba wagtails and linnets while stonechats were very noticeable along the walk especially at The Point. The usual nervous and flighty cirl buntings were also seen flitting about in the now harvested wheatfield and surrounding hedges.

White Wagtail

Small whites were very noticeable along the walk and I also found 2 small coppers, a red admiral, a meadow brown, 2 speckled wood, 2 painted lady, male common blues and a small tortoiseshell. The highlight though were 2 clouded yellows, an all too brief flight view of one dashing past and a slightly less brief view of an hellice form female flying past being chased by an amorous small white.

 Small Copper

 Painted Lady

Meadow Grasshopper

I had a good search for wryneck and yellow wagtail along my walk but with no luck before David and mother-in-law duly arrived to pick me up for lunch at the nearby Otter Garden Centre, a nice end to a pleasant late August walk.