North Duffield Carrs

 

Just after 11am when I arrived, and not a bird to be seen on the scrape.

In the distance you may just about be able to see a patch of water. Mute swans, black-headed gulls, shelducks and mallards.

Craig and Duncan drove around in the pick up truck and lots of birds took to the air.

Duncan posted on bluesky (@duncbye.bsky.social)

1 Ruff, 1 Little Ringed plover, 2 Egyptian geese, 6 redshank, 1 water rail.

Duncan came into the hide while Craig mowed the grass along the footpath, He showed me where the Egyptian geese were but we could not relocate the ruff or plover.Craig popped into the hide after mowing, then he and Duncan left.

A Whitethroat was singing as it was perched on the top of some brambles to the right of the hide. It then flew into a hawthorn bush in front of the hide, but landed on the far side. It then flew left out of my sight and started to sing again.

It repeated this behaviour several times an hour for the 3 hours that I spent in the hide. Not once did it perch in view when on the hawthorn bush!

This is a view of it on the brambles.

Robin, dunnock and sedge warbler also used the same patch of brambles. Lots of swifts hunting insects, 3 sand martins and a single swallow. This deer came close to the hide.

It then walked in front of the hide. When it reached the field to the left of the hide it came across another deer, which it chased around.

A pleasant end to my stint in the hide and 34 birds on my day list.

Woodlark and Stone-curlew

 On our last full day we spent the morning on Dunwich Heath.

We were hoping to see Dartford warbler but were unsuccessful. However we did have a couple of bonus birds. First was a distant Woodlark.

Second was a very distant Stone-curlew.

We then returned to Carlton Marshes  where we hoped to see the Red-footed falcons.

However the weather was very cloudy and cold, so not many insects about. We had good views of a hobby and only a brief glimpse of a falcon.

Minsmere Part 2.

 Wednesday May 14 was our full day at Minsmere.

This is the view from Dunwich Heath, looking towards Sizewell C.

Not much activity on the sea. The area where nightingales had been heard singing was closed.

A Lesser Black-backed gull from the East hide.

When it flew off Kittiwakes landed on the rail.

A Little egret from the North Hide. After lunch we explored the woodland area. Cranes were flying in the distance.

A pleasant day at this flagship reserve.

Hickling Broad boat trip

 Hickling Broad was the venue for our day on Thursday May 15th. We had booked a two hour boat trip, so after a very friendly and informative briefing in the visitor centre we walked to the boarding point.

After putting on life jackets we climbed aboard the electric boat.

It was a cloudy day and a little on the cool side as we entered the broad.

We had not been in the boat long when a Bittern flew across the broad, in front of the boat.

We visited three hides, which are only accessible by boat.

The hides have thatched roofs, which last about 30 years. The last hide we visited was a 60 foot tall tree hide. To gain access we had to cross this bridge.

which the boat man had to unlock.

These are the views across the area.

A hybrid carrion/hooded crow.

After our bot trip we returned to the visitor centre for lunch and explored the rest of the reserve in the afternoon. The highlight was watching Hobbies hunting dragonflies.

Dunwich Heath and Carlton Marshes

 Whilst waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, I decided to spend the morning at Dunwich Heath, which is just north of Minsmere.

I was hoping to see a Dartford Warbler so I set off along the red route. I was walking slowly, scanning the heath on either side. After about 5 minutes a Dartford warbler landed on the footpath in front of me. It was hunting for insects and soon found one and flew off. About 15 minutes later, a chap caught up with me and asked if I had seen any warblers. I told him what I had seen. He lived in a static caravan nearby and visited the reserve daily. He had not seen a warbler, just as he walked off, one flew across the path and landed on the top of a gorse bush. I shouted to him, but the bird had flown off by the time he returned. He then walked off. I continued my slow paced walk.

I did not see any deer, nor hear any birds. As I was walking along the path that was leading back to the car park, I heard a warbler singing to my right. I scanned the area but was unable to find anything. A short distance further along the path, I then saw two warblers on top of a gorse bush close to the footpath.

A group of people were walking along the path and they disturbed the birds. I remained still in the hope that the birds might return and they did.

I was facing the sun, hence the poor photos. I had just returned to my car when Tracy rang to say that she was near Carlton Marshes, so I drove there to meet her. Tracy had spoken to people in the visitor centre so she knew where to go to see the red-footed falcons. On our way we heard and saw a whitethroat.

Shortly afterwards we saw a bittern.

We heard but did not see a cuckoo. Shortly afterwards we saw a red -footed falcon hunting for dragonflies. We saw 5 in the air at one time. Hobbies were also hunting.

We saw this Egyptian goose on our way back to the car park.

Minsmere part1

 

Day one of a 5 night stay in Suffolk. After the long drive down this morning, I spent the afternoon at RSPB Minsmere.

The second bird I saw was a Bittern flying over the reedbed. 

I walked to the beach and spent some time watching Sandwich terns fishing. Some of them were on the island on the reserve along with Common terns.

This Shelduck had chased this female mallard and her ducklings out of the water.

This Oystercatcher was on its nest, well camouflaged, while its partner had a preen.

There were about a dozen Black-tailed godwits feeding and then this Bar-tailed flew in to join them.

A steady 5 mile stroll, with a day list of 40 birds, including 2 year ticks. Returning to the reserve on Wednesday.