DAVID'S BLOG |

12 July 2008

The monthly Bishop’s Stortford Bird Group trip was upon us again. This time five people shared two cars for a ‘stint’ (no pun intended – though in fact we didn’t actually connect with one on this occasion) along the north Norfolk coast.

First port of call (unless one counts an all too fleeting encounter with a couple of fulmars at the usual Hunstanton site) was at Titchwell. The usual weekend masses were strangely absent here - whether this was weather related or a major ‘mega’ alert somewhere else wasn’t immediately obvious, though I think we got the answer soon enough courtesy of an exceptionally heavy shower and gale force winds virtually the moment we got out onto the reserve proper. Oh, it was good to be in Norfolk again!

Although the numbers of birds was somewhat disappointing, there were some compensations in the form of at least six second summer Little Gulls (always a delight to see), with a couple of Spotted Redshank; several Ruff, in their usual varying plumages; a singleton Greenshank; a pair of Little Egrets; and, along the dykes a couple of Bearded Tits showed well, along with several fairly confiding juvenile Reed Warblers. The coast was remarkably void of birds with the exception of some ‘dots’ on the sea which some claimed were either a Red-necked Grebe (which was known to be in the area) or an Eider/Scoter. Along the distant horizon a couple of Gannets and two Arctic Skuas were also seen. Along the beach a couple of summer plumaged Sanderling were of particular note.

At a very well known site not a million miles from Burnham Market (still on the official ‘secret’ list) two Ring-tailed Montague’s Harriers were seen at reasonably close range, before we sped off to Cley.

Cley, was very quiet (both in terms of the birds and human activity). Along the beach, many Little, Sandwich and Common Terns were patrolling the shore-line, whilst a touch further out a lone Razorbill ‘bobbed’ up and down between the waves. In the distance two more Arctic Skuas could be seen harassing terns. On Arnold’s Marsh from the North hide distant views could be had of at least six Spoonbills (the majority were in their usual ‘sleep’ mode). Several Arctic Terns were also seen (although as a novice to Tern ‘I.D.’ I had to work fairly hard to spot these amid the Sandwich and Common Terns), and a somewhat spurious claim of a Roseate from someone in the hide came to nothing. Marsh Harriers were active and gave good close views along the East Bank.

Marsh Harriers

Mark and Tony - two of the Birding Group at Cley

Oystercatcher

Yellow Horned-poppy

Last port of call was for an adult male Red-backed Shrike at Sea Palling along the coast. It was early evening - in bright, warm sunshine (a marked improvement on the morning) when we finally got to the site – a horse paddock along a tiny coastal road; but of course, the shrike wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and there were no birders around to seek info’ from. There was some sort of ‘organised’ rave going on in the adjacent field, though to be honest it seemed to us that the ‘partying’ masses weren’t exactly partying especially ‘hard’ and the music wasn’t especially loud; but that surely wasn’t the reason for the shrikes non-showing.

We waited around for quite some time - still ‘shrike-less’ - until the owner of the paddock arrived to feed his horses, apparently completely unaware that the birding multitudes had been seeing a shrike here for the best part of the past five weeks or so!! A local birder eventually arrived too, only too keen to impart the knowledge that it was he who first found the shrike at Waxham (a few miles away as the shrike flies) and he who located it here at Sea Palling; though regrettably, he was unable to impart the info as to where it could have disappeared to in the meantime. Undeterred, we waited around, hoping for a view, and it wasn’t until literally the last moment when two of our party had left to retrieve the cars from a nearby car park, when the shrike condescended to put in an appearance. And a lovely individual it was too, albeit somewhat distantly viewed it must be said – though scope views made that a mere inconvenience.

Finally, a brief and fruitless search for a reported Roseate Tern along the sea front - courtesy of the local birder we’d met at the paddock – netted several Kittiwakes, before we headed for home, reasonably content with the days birding.

9 June 2008

And so, on to Southwold, Suffolk where we’d planned a morning of general photography, followed by an afternoon of birdwatching, around Dunwich Heath and Minsmere. Well, it didn’t really work out like that because we found the area around Southwold so full of interesting subjects to photograph, that the birding had to take a back seat, with the result that we never made it to Minsmere until late afternoon.

I cannot readily explain why Southwold was so accommodating, but the weather - like the previous day in Norfolk - was absolutely superb. If anything, even by quite early in the day, it was really far too hot; but that in itself had its own compensations, because along the beach from the relatively newly reconstructed pier, right up to the river crossing for Walberswick, there were a myriad delights enough to sate one’s photographic appetite.

Those that know me already know my penchant for what is essentially candid photography; and whilst this doesn’t eclipse natural history in any way, shape or form, when I’m in the ‘candid’ mode so to speak, it is hard to detract me from it. And so it was that for most of the morning Gary and I were deeply immersed in finding new things to photograph. Yet Natural History subjects were still to be had, with the mainstay coming from the many gulls which inhabited not only the beach but also the riverine environment we found ourselves in along the coast at the Blythe estuary (opposite Walberswick) and where we ‘gorged’ ourselves on the array of boats, nets, boatsheds at our cameras’ disposal, which hopefully, the following selection of photographs will demonstrate.

Artist at work

Strolling along the beach

Rolling in the carcass of a gull

Southwold Beach

Anybody Home?

Boatshed (presenting a major problem exposure-wise).

Waiting for a catch

Black-headed Gull

Flat-coated Retriever enjoying a romp in the sea

Gary and me enjoying being non-birders for the day.

One photographic opportunity did however manage to elude us. We were having a nice cuppa and a piece of fruit cake – which of course attracted the usual hoards of gulls and starling quick to capitalise on the opportunity – when we were approached by a lady who asked us to identify a particular gull, she described as the ‘king of the gulls’ since it looked smarter than the usual Black-headed Gulls with its ‘jet black head’ and a ‘golden eye-ring’ as she put it, which she’d seen at this location recently. Well, it didn’t take a genius to realise that she was talking about a Mediterranean Gull! And lo and behold, suddenly there it was, as bold as brass, joining the throng of Black-headed Gulls waiting for a morsel or two to come their way. It wasn’t there for long, and unfortunately, although I got a stunning view of it perched on a nearby bollard, it was gone before I could train the camera on it! But what a stunning pristine individual it was, and it surely would have made a lovely shot had I been quick enough with the lens.

It was late afternoon when we ventured out from Southwold (after ending our time here walking through this extremely attractive Victorian township) and down to Dunwich and Minsmere. Regrettably, the Bee-eater which had been reported at Dunwich the previous afternoon, had long since disappeared; as had the Thrush Nightingale which had so blatantly gripped the birding fraternity the past few days with its fine song, despite sadly being extremely elusive to view – as only a handful of lucky observers can testify to. But at least I was kept busy trying to photograph the Little Terns – a colony of which had set up home on the beach behind Minsmere reserve. On the reserve itself, a Roseate Tern delighted with fairly close views - in simply appalling light into the sun (hopeless for photography) - from the East hide.

Little Tern

Roseate Tern

After returning to the coast at Aldburgh for a fish and chip supper, we headed for home, having enjoyed a super day out.

8 JUNE 2008

We were hoping beyond hope that the misty conditions would clear into the warm, sunny day that had been predicted; but as we made our way along the A14 in the direction of Upton Fen in Norfolk, it didn’t look good at all. Yet by 9.30 am suddenly here we were, in bright cloudy conditions, clearing rapidly into bright, warm sunshine; and our hearts lifted. We were after dragonflies and butterflies, and in particular Norfolk Hawker and Swallowtail butterfly which we were told were common here.

I could see the fen through the trees from the tiny car park (itself, tucked away very cunningly by the NWT) and right from the outset I knew I was going to like this fen; indeed it is very probably the most beautiful, serene reserve I have ever visited. As we entered the fen properly we were immediately faced with a dilemma as to which of the two trails we should take - we elected for the one to our right, though in fact both looked to be busy with literally scores of immature Four-Spot Chaser and Black-tailed Skimmer, and an occasional Norfolk Hawker.

Upton Fen

Four-Spot Chaser

Black-tailed Skimmer

To be honest – apart from the impressive numbers of dragonflies – there didn’t seem to be an awful lot here – but the stark beauty of the place had to be seen to be believed. There is a woodland area mostly to the left as one passes along the right-hand trail – with extensive sedge and reed beds opposite, again flanked by what I call ‘loose’ woodland; a host of plants and flowers in the wetland areas; reed and sedge fringed dykes all simply alive with the aforementioned dragonfly species and a sprinkling of damselflies too – mostly Azure and Blue-tailed Damsels. And it is as peaceful as one would imagine Paradise to be – though I guess the fact that the trails were extremely soggy and in places downright impossible to negotiate without getting a booty or two – might lose it half a ‘star’ in the overall ratings! But in my book this place deserves an undisputed 10/10!!

Apart from the dragonflies, the only species of real interest were a singleton Swallowtail (it transpires that the species is not in fact as common here as were we led to believe; indeed I now understand that it is apparently quite a rare sight); a pair of Wall Brown butterflies, and a weasel. But that didn’t matter an iota, because this place is an utter GEM, and is worthy of a visit even if one didn’t get to see a great deal in terms of its general flora and fauna. I was very glad we made the effort.

Strumpshaw Fen, by contrast was a real enigma, but mainly because of the surprising lack of dragonflies and damselflies (when usually it is so good). They were present of course, but not in any great numbers – and certainly nothing like the numbers seen at Upton Fen. The only saving grace on this occasion was that the Hairy Dragonfly was relatively common. But we didn’t see a single Norfolk Hawker (though I understand one immature was seen by one lucky individual), when normally the species would be locally common here at this time of the year. In addition Swallowtails actually on the fen were noticeable by their absence; the saving grace in this respect were the three or four adults seen at very close quarters, feeding on Delphinium and Sweet William in a private garden just outside the main fen complex, where the owner kindly allows public access......... for free! A Green Hairstreak and a couple of Brimstones were also seen here. In addition, a few Bee Orchids were of particular interest near the entrance to the reserve; and an adult Spotted Flycatcher was seen collecting insects (clearly, a breeding bird) at nearby farm buildings (used as an overflow car park) where we were initially told to park.

Swallowtail Butterfly

Spotted Flycatcher

Thankfully, the crowds weren't there especially to see the Swallowtails and/or Norfolk Hawkers, since the vast majority were attending a special 'Childrens' Day' organised by the RSPB - otherwise, I'm pretty certain we would have fled - probably back to Upton Fen!! But a return journey later in the year is definitley on the cards.

30 May 2008

Gary and I had decided to visit Woodwalton Fen in Huntingdonshire - a National Nature Reserve site managed by Natural England, known for its dragonflies and in particular one of the best sites for Scarce Chaser which is locally common there.

The weather was predicted to lift into sunny intervals, but was very grey and cloudy when we set off shortly after 10.15 a.m. It was till grey and cloudy when we arrived shortly before midday, with a hint of brightness in the sky, which boded well for the afternoon ahead.

A ‘brief’ chat with two other enthusiasts we met at the entrance set our pulses racing because they’d apparently seen many Scarce Chasers (a species which I’d seen for the first time just a week before at Fen Drayton) which were said to be very accessible and especially accommodating for photographic purposes, as well as several Hairy Dragonflies and a few Four Spot Chasers. So we set off with renewed vigour.

The reserve is an exceptionally attractive site, comprising huge areas of fen with interconnecting dykes and grassland and attendant reed, sedge and marshland flora. There are some areas of deciduous woodland, with small lakes. To the north-east is another huge wetland area – which currently is restricted access due to ‘sensitive species’ being present.

We started on a positive note with an immediate opportunity to observe and photograph a fairly newly-emerged Hairy Dragonfly; and it slowly degenerated from there, since - for at least the first hour or so - we didn’t even get a sniff of ANY other dragonfly species, let alone a Scarce Chaser. But by then the weather just wasn’t playing ball - the wind had got up and we had only intermittent sunshine - just not the optimum conditions for viewing dragonflies, or any insect species for that matter. It was very disappointing.

Hairy Dragonfly

And then suddenly, a glimpse of a couple of Four Spot Chasers, followed by a rapid fly-past by a singleton Scarce Chaser, its overall bright orange appearance suggesting an immature male. From then on it was all go, with immature males emerging from deep within the vegetation - mainly comprising reeds and sedge, with comfrey and similar plants - and tantalised by settling too far away for close observation; I thought they were supposed to be accommodating!

It has to be said that in order to get anywhere near them, we had to wade into the vegetation and as a consequence endured the ignominy of more than the odd booty or two. But needs must as they say!! Yet we hadn’t expected to have to do that, though we’d been warned by the two enthusiasts we’d met earlier that waders were an essential requisite! Nevertheless, it was worth it, because the Scarce Chaser – and the immature male in particular – is an exceptionally attractive insect.

Scarce Chaser - immature male

I guess we’d got it right after all, with sightings of between 20 and 30 individuals, almost all emerging from deep within the vegetation as we neared, and almost never allowing us especially close views. But we did feel kind of privileged despite failing to achieve little in the way of really close-up photographs; maybe that will be left to another occasion.

PS Having a closer look at the photograph of the Scarce Chaser it would appear to be missing part of one set of legs (the middle pair)!! But since these were the better shots, one hopes that the reader can ignore this fact. Assurances that they are genuine shots taken in the wild and NOT in any way of a captive insect, which might otherwise have been suggested.

29 May 2008

Every now and then something occurs on ones local patch which just stands out as being just a cut above the average. This morning was one of those occasions.

We all know that this spring hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, and even now local birding, butterfly(ing) and dragonfly(ing) just hasn’t taken off in the way one would have expected. And, Thorley Wash just hasn’t been the exception of late – although there are those amongst us that take the view that in fact it never has.

I’d been doing my usual rounds, in search of dragonflies/damselflies, and butterflies and was having a simply dreadful time – the only saving grace were two male Four Spot Chasers present at Rushy Mead, where I hadn’t seen the species at all for the past three years.

Four Spot Chaser

At Thorley Wash there were very few Banded Demoiselles; just three Red-eyed Damsels; two Large Red Damsels; a couple of Blue-tailed Damsels and Azure Damsels; absolutely no Common Blues; with butterflies being represented by singleton Speckled Wood; Small White; and a Red Admiral, with a smattering of Peacock and Orange-tip – hardly inspiring, it must be said.

Large Red Damselfly

Things improved marginally when I heard the faint reeling of a Grasshopper Warbler, although it was a very half-hearted affair and it didn’t last long. So I was feeling a tiny little bit dejected, when I crossed the bridge and took the footpath which divides the Wash. I’d gone no more than a few steps into the ‘open’ area halfway along the path, when my roving eyes (always conscious of a photographic opportunity) settled upon something in the grass, which to all intents and purposes looked like a withered leaf; and yet didn’t – if you get my drift. So I took a closer look.

This was a magic moment indeed, for I was staring at a species that was totally new to me…………….. a Eyed Hawk Moth – and this was a copulating pair!!

Now, I’m the first to admit that this wasn’t exactly earth-shattering in the scheme of things, because the Eyed Hawk Moth enjoys a pretty common distribution generally – though I’d bet my last dollar that not many of has actually observed the species………. certainly not a mating pair! So, as far as I was concerned, this was indeed a special occasion, which warranted the excitement welling up in me.

Having taken the time to actually observe the moths, I then turned my attention to photographing them – which wasn’t as easy as it might seem. For a start I had to be really careful not to disturb the surrounding vegetation …………… the moths were situated about a foot off the ground, in quite dense, long grass – which presented me with my second problem ………….actually getting down to photograph them (with my advancing years bending low to photograph anything was extremely difficult, if not downright painful). That done, there was the question of setting the right exposure for the subject ………… it goes without saying that the weather was closing in fairly rapidly and I’d already lost what little sunshine I’d enjoyed thus far. Luckily there was only a very light breeze, which was going to help considerably.

Eyed Hawk Moths

Eyed Hawk Moth

Eyed Hawk Moths in the grass

Given the conditions I didn’t do too badly; yet even then I made the wrong decision to set the camera for “automatic” exposure/speed – because with my particular camera, I would lose the “RAW” ability, thus restricting my options for making certain adjustments later on. Oh damn! Nevertheless, the resulting pictures were reasonable I guess. Hopefully, I would learn by this mistake ……………… though somehow, I doubt it!

24 May 2008

To be frank, the trip could so easily have been cancelled due to lack of interest …………………. not so much on the part of the participants (David A, our driver for the day; Tony, and myself - virtually the same as for last months trip, minus one who was nursing a sore knee) but by the birds themselves; it was THAT disappointing. But of course we weren’t to know that until later.

We began by making a visit to Fen Drayton in Cambridgeshire on the lookout for a female Red-footed Falcon which had been reported as being present the previous day (and for several days on and off prior to that); as well as a Black Tern. The whole area comprises of a series of gravel pits which is managed by the RSPB, and in particular favours water birds; butterflies; dragonflies and damselflies.

The presence of other birders right from the outset gave us some hope that the falcon was still around; yet interaction soon made it abundantly clear that nobody had connected with the bird today (nor indeed the Black Tern) since nearly everyone (barring the anglers of course) was walking around like headless chickens - looking this way, then that - waiting for the ‘call’ that just wasn’t destined to materialise. Most took a positive stance by actively looking, whereas one individual - who was there with his family - was being annoyingly overzealous to the ‘nth degree’ wanting to know precisely when and where the falcon was last seen (on what tree; branch even!) effectively wanting the bird delivered on a plate, which of course is just plain crazy! Yet, with all this enthusiasm, the falcon remained elusive, and in fact was not reported as being present all day.

There was arguably adequate compensation however in the form of damselflies and dragonflies, the former of which in particular were markedly obvious, along the nettle lined ditches and tracks. Not all were easy to identify however, and this was especially so with regard to the Variable Damselfly, which was present in some numbers, though which to the layman (we three included) were almost indistinguishable from the Azure Blues and Common Blues which literally poured from the vegetation as one passed. Luckily for us then that one particular birder who also displayed an extensive knowledge of Odonata, took time to appraise us of the differences – though it has to be said that even so one really needed a magnifying glass to hand to aid proper identification, unless one was an ‘expert’ at damselfly ‘jizz’ etc!! Large numbers of Blue-tailed Damselfly and small numbers of Large Red Damselfly were also seen, although we missed Red-eyed Damselflies and Banded Demoiselle which were apparently also present in good numbers.

Variable Damselfly - note the 'wineglass' marking on Segment 2 at the top of

the abdomen.

We were unlikely to face a similar dilemma with the dragonflies, since in reality we were only likely to see Hairy Dragonfly; Four-spotted Dragonfly and possibly Broad-bodied Chaser; yet we only connected with a few Hairy Dragonflies. But news from another birder that Scarce Chasers were also on the wing, galvanized me into action, and whilst two of my companions looked further for the Red-footed Falcon, I back-tracked a little and eventually managed to connect with two immature male Scarce Chasers, which were a new UK species for me. Regrettably, due mainly to time constraints and the fact that the chasers were very active, I wasn’t able to photograph the species. But I was delighted nevertheless.

Having caught up with my companions, we completed the walk around Elney Lake, where several Hobbies gave us false hope of connecting with the Red-footed Falcon, before we finally gave up the ghost and moved on to our next port of call.

Wicken Fen is a similar, though arguably more attractive environment, to Fen Drayton, and is also managed by the RSPB. It is remarkably peaceful too, and on a good day could be just the ticket to ease ones troubled mind from the stresses of modern day living. Yet, this too was to all intents and purposes extremely disappointing bird-wise (insect-wise too it has to be said) with only Little Egret and Hobby ‘saving the day’ so to speak.

The last part of the day was spent at Fowlmere - another RSPB managed reserve, also in Cambridgeshire - where we hoped to connect with good views of Turtle Dove, and maybe an Owl or two (though in reality, we were extremely unlikely to do so as we’d not planned to sufficiently late to capitalise on such species). But yet again, we were to be disappointed, since Turtle Dove - according to the volunteer warden on duty at the time - had not arrived in numbers; indeed I was the only member of our party to connect with the species (one particular ‘purring’ individual was extremely close, yet only gave me a tantalising glimpse as it flew off as soon as it saw us approaching). A perched-up Hobby was virtually the only other bird of interest here.

A Hairy Dragonfly and a probable Four-Spotted Chaser were surprisingly the only Odonata to be observed here; with evidence of breeding noted in the form of a couple of exuviae (the spent outer case remaining after emergence of the adult insect) which possibly suggested a ‘chaser’ sp had emerged recently; one such exuviae being retrieved from the reeds and packed carefully away in a suitable container, for later identification from published guides.

Finally, on the way home - and following a brief foray onto 'the chalk' where we successfully connected with Corn Bunting - we dared to venture into ‘hallowed’ ground as one of us was introduced to the sewage treatment works at Newport, where the ‘infamous’ Stephen Patmore (one of the Bird Group members, who was absent on this auspicious occasion, and whose ‘local patch’ this was part of) had previously recorded Siberian Chiffchaff; Firecrest and other goodies; and where several more common species were added to the day’s (rather disappointing) tally of species seen (something in the region of 75 in total). Hopefully, next month’s trip would be more rewarding.

Stop Press

Tony has established that the exuviae was that of Four-Spotted Chaser; easy really!!

15^th May 2008

The day after the Black Tern was found Stephen called with news of a Red-footed Falcon at Fishers Green in the Lee Valley Park, and excellent views were obtained as the bird - a first summer female – hawked for insects (presumably newly emerging damselflies and dragonflies) – along with up to 12 Hobbies at varying times.

It wasn’t without some confusion however. Many years ago, I did some of my birding at Fishers Green (recalling my first ever Long-eared Owl, which I’d ‘twitched’ by rail from my home in Romford); but then the part of the Lee Valley we were watching the Red-footed Falcon now in was apparently in Hertfordshire. Unbeknown to me, the boundaries had been altered (several times it seems); but NOW we were in Essex (which okay for Stephen since that was his home county)!! Yet I couldn’t be bothered to move a few hundred yards (or possibly more, depending on who you were!) just to get it on my Hertfordshire list! Don’t suppose the falcon differentiated in quite the same way thankfully!

There was another summer plumaged Black Tern here too (didn’t think it was ‘my’ bird though, as it looked slightly different plumage-wise to me).

14^th May 2008

I suspected that nothing much would come my way today, yet made the decision to at least try. So setting my course for Thorley Wash I took off shortly after 9.00 a.m. hoping for Small Heath butterfly or some Azure/Common Blue Damselflies; yet the breezy conditions made it abundantly clear that nothing like that was coming my way today.

I did Thorley Wash half-heartedly I must admit – the only bird of note (which probably demonstrates how desperate things were getting) was a drake Gadwall (!!) and eventually found myself at Spellbrook lock – with not a sign of a Grey Wagtail anywhere near. It was at this stage that I made the decision to try and get Yellow Wagtail on my local list for the year ………. to put right the lack of same the previous day when I was thwarted in my efforts following Stephen’s call to go for a Red-necked Phalarope (not that I am complaining about that of course).

Half an hour later - when the sun had finally given up the ghost for the morning and disappeared behind a large mass of cloud coming up from the south - I found myself at Trims Green, where, almost immediately, I was watching a pair of Turtle Doves, a species that I didn’t think I’d recorded locally in spring (and only once in the autumn) since moving to Bishop’s Stortford in 2002; magic!! Yet my Yellow Wagtails were proving markedly more difficult – which was surprising indeed, since they had been a relatively common breeding bird in the area over the past 5 years or so.

Deciding to take a footpath south towards Allens Green, I almost immediately connected with a pair of Grey Partridges, a species which is just about hanging on in these parts; then 3 Yellow Wagtails (at last!) and a Hare or two. A little further on – after attempting some pictures of the hares (one of which was very obliging), two male Corn Buntings were eventually seen after catching their jangling songs. Turning back northwards, a Common Buzzard could be seen circling over Matham’s Wood, as two Corvids harried it aggressively.

Corn Bunting

Hare

Now, for me, this was beginning to approach something of a ‘purple patch’ and although fatigue was beginning to set in (my Diabetes was having it’s effect and since I hadn’t actually planned to be out in the field too long, I hadn’t brought sufficient fruit with me to effectively ward off rapidly approaching tiredness) I was actually feeling a somewhat rejuvenated. It’s simply amazing just what a boost some good birds and mammals can provide!

Because of the tiredness, I very nearly decided to miss out looking at Mathams Pit, simply on the grounds that nothing had been there on my previous three recent visits. I’m very glad I didn’t though, because virtually as soon as the lake came into view I could see a tern of some sort wheeling around in the distance, and as I put the binoculars to my eyes I could see that it was a stunning, summer plumaged Black Tern!!

Now I realise that a Black Tern is hardly a rarity; but for me it really WAS something special because not only was it going to give me my best views EVER, but it was a goodie on MY local patch and I had found it; that is always guaranteed to give one a boost; and a boost is most definitely what I needed. And, it worked; I was very much rejuvenated!

Obviously I had to approach the lake with some caution because I was certainly aware that public access was unfortunately no longer tolerated here; but I was careful not to stray too far and kept to what I assumed was a public road (apparently that is not in fact the case – as Stephen found out to his cost when he viewed the bird later in the afternoon). Luckily the tern was more or less keeping to the western fringes of the lake, thus ensuring the best possible vantage for my viewing.

The tern was in super summer finery – gorgeous black head, neck and throat; dark grey wings; white rump, and was working its way back and forth north to south and back again, only occasionally dipping down to feed.

I was immediately on the mobile to Stephen and he in turn let the local birders know. Yet it wasn’t altogether surprising a record since there had been the usual spate of spring records nationally in recent weeks, and the lake was in a prime location; what was surprising perhaps was that someone hadn’t connected with one here – almost certainly however due to the lack of coverage as anything else. But I wasn't overly concerned with that as I primed my camera. I knew I wasn’t going to get any cripplingly good photos, since I only had a 70-300 mm zoom lens – but I didn’t let that put me off.

A great end to a petty good day for me; and hopefully others got to see the tern too.

Sponsors

13 May 2008

I had intended to trek over to Trims Green in the hope of seeing a Yellow Wagtail or two (a species which somehow had managed to elude me thus far this year), and possibly get a few damselflies and butterflies under my belt for the year.

I’d managed to see a Reed Warbler at St. Michael’s Mead – my first for the year on my local ‘patch’ – and was well on my way to Trims Green when the mobile reverberated into action. It was Stephen, with news of a Red-necked Phalarope at Hythe in Colchester………… and would I be interested in going for it?

End of local trip ……………….. the Yellow Wagtails would have to wait!

It was shortly after midday when we arrived at Hythe – a collection of shallow lagoons – virtually in the shadow of the Essex University complex; the phalarope – a female in full summer plumage (unlike the majority of species the female has a much more colourful plumage than the male) was nonchalantly ‘paddling’ in small circles in company with several Shelduck and a couple of Avocets – and a dainty bird it was too.

Initial views were against the light, so were not especially good, but a change of position to the rear of the pool gave us much better viewing conditions, and we were able to enjoy this enigmatic little wader – we had it to ourselves most of the time – for about an hour or so, before we were suitably sated.

8 MAY 2008

Gary fancied a day off from the traumas of work and suggested an outing to Aldeburgh, Suffolk where we could sate our appetites for whatever photographic opportunities were available, and finish the day off with some birdwatching at Minsmere.

Aldeburgh has its history steeped in fishing and boatbuilding, but like most communities of that ilk is a shadow of its former self – the ancient Tudor town having been lost to the sea centuries ago. Nevertheless, it still retains its ‘olde world’ charm, and is as picturesque a fishing and boatbuilding community as one is likely to find on the East Anglian coast, with a plethora of photographic opportunities.

So, a few pleasant hours were spent taking photographs of fishing boats, complete with a plethora of fishing requisites and a conglomeration of paraphernalia – which just about sums up the condition of some of the boats I guess; still, some interesting shots could be had here – assuming one has an eye for a photograph …………. and a an active imagination!

Also on show were flocks of gulls (mainly Herring and Lesser Black-backs) feeding on discarded cod (and the like); a variety of fishing vessels, some (well most actually) in varying degrees of dilapidation, and of course the interesting architectural delights of some of Aldeburgh’s buildings, a good proportion of which were exceptionally colourful in the dazzling morning sunlight, helped in no small way by the use of a polarizing filter.

After morning coffee with a slice of toasted fruit loaf, it was off to Minsmere, and hopefully some interesting birds, given that the spring migration was in full swing.

Regrettably, our visit had coincided with a ‘Big Watch’ – which was an event largely centred on schoolchildren (of which copious numbers were only too obvious) whereby interested parties could join ‘wardens’ on a hill behind the visitors’ centre in a mass bird watch. Needless to say, it wasn’t something that caught our particular fancy; so taking a hasty detour away from the hubbub, we made our way around the reserve, trying to avoid the school parties which occasionally fractured the often frenetic sounds of breeding birds.

News obtained via the internet previously as to which species were actually present here, suggested that we might see Black Tern; Wood Sandpiper; Curlew Sandpiper; Ruff; Knot; Bar-tailed Godwit, and a lone drake Garganey – but all except the latter eluded us; though we did have close views of Avocet; 70 plus Black-tailed Godwits; and four Whimbrel together with several more common waders; gulls, and terns. It was good to see so many Little Terns - one of my favourite birds (we saw at least 8 individuals), though a stunning adult Mediterranean Gull and the Garganey were markedly less conspicuous, but were nevertheless a very welcome sight (eventually!).

Avocet

A lovely Little Egret was seen as we traipsed towards the East Hide; fortunately the photograph belies the fact that it was partially hidden through the reeds. Later, the songs of Garden Warbler and Blackcaps reverberated all around the woodland areas, whilst an obliging male Nightingale sang his little heart out in the course of giving me at least an absolutely gripping view (and the chance of a reasonable photograph to boot).

Little Egret

Common Tern

Nightingale

The ‘booming’ call of at least one Bittern (though I thought there might have been two) was all the incentive we needed to climb into the clouds in the Bittern hide, where eventually we were rewarded with a brief flypast of one adult, albeit at some distance; and as we waited patiently we were entertained by several Marsh Harriers which glided occasionally tantalisingly near, whilst in the woods below (and back at ground level), a Muntjac was scurrying around allowing reasonably good views to those who, like me, ventured close.

Marsh Harrier

Reeves Muntjac

Despite missing out on some of Minsmere’s speciality species – such as Common Redstart; Spotted Flycatcher; Marsh Tit; Bearded Tit etc it was enjoyable afternoon’s birdwatching, with a total species count of 75.

We ended the day back at Aldeburgh and a tasty fish and chip ‘supper’ in quieter surroundings on the beach, before heading for home.

26 April 2008

April’s bird trip was an early spring outing (somewhat later than in previous years) with just three participants, Tony (our driver for the day); David A, and me.

Although there was a sprinkling of good quality general migrants there was nothing which (apparently) really warranted even a semi-long journey; and since Tony and David had only returned from a birding trip to Portugal the previous day, we plumped for Lackford, Norfolk as the first port of call and, we would take it from there.

In fact we began the days birding at nearby West Stow, but failed to connect with ‘Common’ Crossbill; only a distant heard cuckoo and the purring of a male Turtle Dove was of real interest here.

Regrettably, we didn’t fare a great deal better at Lackford with views of a singleton Little Ringed Plover and a lovely male Garden Warbler being the major highlights. Singing Nightingales and Reed Warblers failed to show themselves, despite being frustratingly obvious; but a few Sedge Warblers were marginally more obliging. A possible call for Wood Sandpiper gave us some consternation initially, but logic prevailed as we eventually settled on Green Sandpiper (I guess we should have known better really). A superb male Sparrowhawk briefly caused panic over Jason’s Pool and the Slough but relative peace was soon restored.

Garden Warbler

Then a text from Stephen (who was at home in Newport, carrying out Bird Census work on his local patch) soon got us twitching – as news reached us of 13 Dotterel currently present in a field in Acle, Norfolk. Energetic debate soon saw us on our way, and an hour or so later we’d arrived at the appropriate location ……………… only to see all 13 immediately take to the air and away to the north west and out of sight!!

What amazingly bad luck. But on a more positive note, at least we’d gained a glimpse – a carload of birders arriving shortly afterwards all the way from Titchwell were much less fortunate!! Regrettably, the flock - of Dotterel I mean - failed to return even while we stayed in situ for ‘lunch’. But that’s birdwatching for you; undeniably brilliant at times, and occasionally disappointing on others. This was one of the latter I suppose.

Not too far away a plethora of goodies could apparently be seen at Waxham, including a Black Kite; a Wryneck; a couple of Ring Ouzels, and a Blue-headed Wagtail. Yet our destiny lay in an entirely different direction. So, given that the decision was that we were returning to the Brecks, I suggested Santon Downham for Tree Pipit and Willow Tit. An hour and a half later, said Tree Pipits duly obliged with excellent views – two males displaying their prowess for a spiffing good tune, with in-flight parachuting thrown in for good measure. Willow Tits failed to materialise - well to be frank were never even considered - whilst a smart male Siskin was arguably a reasonable substitute. An immature Adder was seen briefly here also, but was too quick for my camera!

The RSPB reserve at Lakenheath was our final destination on this trip; and in fact certainly turned up trumps on this occasion.

The pair of Garganey, apparently present of late, eluded us; and even the promised show of Sedge Warblers failed to materialise (despite the bushes literally heaving with singing males earlier in the day, according to a keen photographer we’d met at Lackford). Suddenly, the faint song of a reeling Grasshopper Warbler could be heard – but of course, it remained unseen. Things began to look up again when a Hobby flew past, followed briefly by a Turtle Dove which ‘whizzed’ by without being seen by two of our party; whilst a stunning male Marsh Harrier gave very good views in exceptional evening light as it hawked over the reedbed. A pair of Stonechats; several Common Terns, and a Kingfisher were also seen.

We didn’t really have hopes of seeing one of the three Cranes said to be in the area, since we initially thought that involved an extremely long trek; but a passing couple of birdwatchers gave us positive news that one or two were showing periodically from one of the viewpoints over the reeds, so we set off with renewed vigour.

Immediately prior to our arrival at said viewpoint, some inner sense made me turn around, in time to see a bird in undulating flight coming in over one of the poplar plantations. Training my binoculars on it, my heart immediately started pumping heavily, as an excited shout emanated from within my lungs………………… ‘Oriole’!!

It was indeed a stunning male Golden Oriole – the birds canary yellow head, breast and belly, and jet black wings standing out in the evening sunlight as it flew directly in front of us - at poplar tree height (a rather tall one it has to be said) - and away to the north-west. What a bonus! Later, I reported the facts to one of the wardens who duly announced that it was the earliest ever record of the species at Lakenheath, although I have since learned that it has in fact equalled the previous earlier record of a male on 26 April 2004.

A young student waiting patiently at the Crane ‘viewpoint’ reported that he’d had three sightings on different parts of the marsh within the past 15 minutes, and this gave us renewed hope. But 40 minutes later or so only Dave A. had been lucky enough to witness a millisecond’s worth of activity as one Crane took to flight at reed height. Several Bearded Tits teased with fleeting glimpses as they flitted back and forth over a channel in the reeds, whilst Marsh Harrier activity was markedly more productive - and as the evening began to fade into dusk at least six, comprising two males and four females, could be seen hawking over the reedbed, with the occasional altercation with crows. A Bar-headed Goose came in from nowhere and was soon a fading memory, as several Grey Herons emerged from the reeds, initially recalling Crane, where our hopes were dashed somewhat.

We set ourselves a 7 o’clock deadline; and it was cutting it fine indeed, but as we were about to depart we all enjoyed a super view as a bona-fide Crane suddenly took to flight just above the reeds, and was in view for all of 20 seconds, which of course was sufficiently long to get the salient features. Whether that was one of the longest views enjoyed by birdwatchers that day we never got to find out, but it was good enough for us, given that the light by then was fading fast.

Daylight begins to fade over the Crane 'viewpoint' at Lakenheath

There was a final burst of song from a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, and the sighting of a Fieldfare before we gave up on the day. But I guess Lakenheath gave us the best spell of birding we’d enjoyed all day, with the highlight being one of the earliest recorded Golden Orioles. One surely couldn’t complain at that.

26 April 2008

April’s bird trip was an early spring outing (somewhat later than in previous years) with just three participants, Tony (our driver for the day); David A, and me.

Although there was a sprinkling of good quality general migrants there was nothing which (apparently) really warranted even a semi-long journey; and since Tony and David had only returned from a birding trip to Portugal the previous day, we plumped for Lackford, Norfolk as the first port of call and, we would take it from there.

In fact we began the days birding at nearby West Stow, but failed to connect with ‘Common’ Crossbill; only a distant heard cuckoo and the purring of a male Turtle Dove was of real interest here.

Regrettably, we didn’t fare a great deal better at Lackford with views of a singleton Little Ringed Plover and a lovely male Garden Warbler being the major highlights. Singing Nightingales and Reed Warblers failed to show themselves, despite being frustratingly obvious; but a few Sedge Warblers were marginally more obliging. A possible call for Wood Sandpiper gave us some consternation initially, but logic prevailed as we eventually settled on Green Sandpiper (and I guess we should have known better really). A superb male Sparrowhawk briefly caused panic over Jason’s Pool and the Slough but relative peace was soon restored.

Then a text from Stephen (who was at home in Newport, carrying out Bird Census work on his local patch) soon got us twitching – as news reached us of 13 Dotterel currently present in a field in Acle, Norfolk. Energetic debate soon saw us on our way, and an hour or so later we’d arrived at the appropriate location ……………… only to see all 13 immediately take to the air and away to the north west and out of sight!!

What amazingly bad luck. But on a more positive note, at least we’d gained a glimpse – a carload of birders arriving shortly afterwards all the way from Titchwell were much less fortunate!! Regrettably, the flock - of Dotterel I mean - failed to return even while we stayed in situ for ‘lunch’. But that’s birdwatching for you; undeniably brilliant at times, and occasionally disappointing on others. This was one of the latter I suppose.

Not too far away a plethora of goodies could apparently be seen at Waxham, including a Black Kite; a Wryneck; a couple of Ring Ouzels, and a Blue-headed Wagtail. Yet our destiny lay in an entirely different direction. So, given that the decision was that we were returning to the Brecks, I suggested Santon Downham for Tree Pipit and Willow Tit. An hour and a half later, said Tree Pipits duly obliged with excellent views – two males displaying their prowess for a spiffing good tune, with in-flight parachuting thrown in for good measure. Willow Tits failed to materialise - well to be frank were never even considered - whilst a smart male Siskin was arguably a reasonable substitute. An immature Adder was seen briefly here also, but was too quick for my camera!

The RSPB reserve at Lakenheath was our final destination on this trip; and in fact certainly turned up trumps on this occasion.

The pair of Garganey, apparently present of late, eluded us; and even the promised show of Sedge Warblers failed to materialise (despite the bushes literally heaving with singing males earlier in the day, according to a keen photographer we’d met at Lackford). Suddenly, the faint song of a reeling Grasshopper Warbler could be heard – but of course, it remained unseen. Things began to look up again when a Hobby flew past, followed briefly by a Turtle Dove which ‘whizzed’ by without being seen by two of our party; whilst a stunning male Marsh Harrier gave very good views in exceptional evening light as it hawked over the reedbed.

We didn’t really have hopes of seeing one of the three Cranes said to be in the area, since we initially thought that involved an extremely long trek; but a passing couple of birdwatchers gave us positive news that one or two were showing periodically from one of the viewpoints over the reeds, so we set off with renewed vigour.

Immediately prior to our arrival at said viewpoint, some inner sense made me turn around, in time to see a bird in undulating flight coming in over one of the poplar plantations. Training my binoculars on it, my heart immediately started pumping heavily, as an excited shout emanated from within my lungs………………… ‘Oriole’!!

It was indeed a stunning male Golden Oriole – the birds canary yellow head, breast and belly, and jet black wings standing out in the evening sunlight as it flew directly in front of us - at poplar tree height (a rather tall one it has to be said) - and away to the north-west. What a bonus! Later, I reported the facts to one of the wardens who duly announced that it was the earliest ever record of the species at Lakenheath.

A young student waiting patiently at the Crane ‘viewpoint’ reported that he’d had three sightings on different parts of the marsh within the past 15 minutes, and this gave us renewed hope. But 40 minutes later or so only Dave A. had been lucky enough to witness a millisecond’s worth of activity as one Crane took to flight at reed height. Marsh Harrier activity was markedly more obvious, and as the evening began to fade into dusk at least six - comprising two males and four females - could be seen hawking over the reedbed, with the occasional altercation with crows.

We set ourselves a 7 o’clock deadline; and it was cutting it fine indeed, but as we were about to depart we all enjoyed a super view as a Crane suddenly took to flight just above the reeds, and was in view for all of 30 seconds, which of course was sufficiently long to get the salient features. Whether that was one of the longest views enjoyed by birdwatchers that day we never got to find out, but it was good enough for us, given that the light by then was fading fast.

There was a final burst of song from a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, and the sighting of a Fieldfare before we gave up on the day. But I guess Lakenheath gave us the best spell of birding we’d enjoyed all day, with the highlight being the earliest recorded Golden Oriole. One surely couldn’t complain at that.

12 April 2008

An invite from Stephen to join him on a foray to Devon was too good an opportunity to miss, especially since the prime reason for going manifested itself in the form of an adult male Little Crake!

Whilst a Little Crake was a new bird for Stephen, it wasn’t for me, having seen one – admittedly a female – way back in 1985. Yet with the prospect of seeing not only an adult male Little Crake, but a new species (at least for me) in the form of a Falcated Teal (its origins have yet to be established but is believed to be a wild bird), together with several other goodies, I wasn’t going to let this get away.

An early start (2.50 a.m. from my house) and a smidgen over 4 hours later saw us at Exminster Marshes, near Exeter waiting for the crake to appear. It didn’t look good to begin with, but within the hour the bird had been located in a different part of the marsh, and soon fifty or so pairs of eyes were staring through thick brambles and into the sun to see it. Luckily, better views - occasionally restricted by reeds - were soon obtained by all when the bird eventually appeared in a more open part of the marsh.

A decision to return later on in the day was right on the ball, as excellent views were obtained at close quarters. By that time the crowds had dwindled somewhat – down to less than twenty – and the bird had moved to a much more accessible area next to the road. And what a stunner it proved to be, as hopefully these few pictures will illustrate.

Nearby, a male Peregrine was observed plucking at some unfortunate passerine from the vantage of the top of a pylon, which made a change from cliff-face views more traditionally associated with the species.

A brief foray - in heavy rain showers - to a sewage treatment works (?) at Countess Wear netted us the Falcated Teal, an extraordinarily attractive duck, which is believed to be of wild origin, and is thought to be the same individual seen at Topsham the previous year. Well, it’s appeared on most birders’ tick list by now, so why shouldn’t I do likewise!

At a hilly location above Exminster we saw a singing Woodlark (Stephen also heard a second) – I have to admit that a large stubble field is a most unusual site for the species; and a lone male Cirl Bunting – a species which is known to have bred in there previously. Several Buzzards were also seen, including one exceptionally pale individual, which from its plumage alone might have caused some to think initially of an Osprey.

Down at Dawlish, a scan of the bay from a hill overlooking the town failed to net the Surf Scoter which had been in the location for some months – only several Shags and another Peregrine (at the more traditional clifftop location) were seen from here. So it was down to Dawlish Warren to try and locate the Scoter from the seafront.

Whilst I sat in the car snatching at a sandwich, Stephen took himself down to the front, and within a minute or two he’d returned with positive news. But when we got down to the seafront the Scoter was nowhere to be seen. Now I don’t recall Stephen actually partaking of anything that might cause him to hallucinate; and although he might have been tired from the long drive down, he was as alert as ever; so I had to dismiss a hallucination from the outset. And knowing Stephen, he just wouldn’t jest – as he takes his birding extremely seriously. It could have been merely a case of mistaken identity, but those of us who know Stephen also know that this was extremely unlikely. And anyway, there was nothing around that he could have mistaken it for. A Great Crested Grebe; an Auk maybe? Absolutely not!

I guess he was thinking that his sanity - to say nothing of his reputation - was in question; and maybe - despite my absolute faith in his birding ability - I could have been forgiven for thinking the same. But luckily for him – although a longish walk along the seafront failed to net the scoter (a knot of Common Scoters; Common and Sandwich Terns; a Gannet or two; a pair of Mergansers; several Razorbills and a Guillemot were all that we could find) another scan from the initial viewpoint eventually allowed Stephen the sanctity of knowing that his skills had not in fact deserted him. His sense of relief was palpable; though I’m not entirely sure that distant views of a female Surf Scoter against the light were really worth all the hassle and worry!

During our first spell with the crake, Stephen was ear-wigging to the extent that he gleaned some news that something (we knew not what at the time) had been seen at a place called Dryham – which was a short excursion off junction 18 of the M4. Consequently an R.T.A. between junctions 17-15 on the way home was all the incentive we needed to make the said excursion.

We found Dryham village with no difficulty; as well as the telephone kiosk, and the relevant farm, but apart from a trio of cars parked off road, there was nothing to indicate that there was anything unusual around at all. We’d initially anticipated a possible breeding site for Cattle Egrets (the distinct lack of ‘open’ news leading us to believe that some sort of suppression was afoot), but the environment about Dryham just wasn’t consistent with that. Maybe it was a site for Red Kites; or maybe a White Stork had been seen. A brief walk along an established public pathway failed to produce any clue; and we remained clueless for the remainder of our time there. The only consolation was that the excursion had allowed sufficient time for the accident on the M4 to clear. It wasn’t until much later that evening that the news was ‘released’; but why should the presence of a Hoopoe and a Black Redstart warrant such secrecy? I guess we may never know the answer.

Despite our lack of connection with the Hoopoe - as was the case with several other west country specialities such as Raven and Dipper (although it was true that we hadn't actually tried for those as we'd initially anticipated) - it had been an excellent day – the undoubted highlight being that stunning male Little Crake ……………… and of course the case of that ‘missing’ Surf Scoter - Stephen’s reputation unscathed and in tact, much to his relief I’m sure!

30 March 2008

Gary suggested a visit to The Raptor Foundation near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire; and it proved to be an inspired choice – well worth the (almost) £5.00 entrance charge.

I guess one could be forgiven for thinking that this is a glorified zoo; but in fact the Foundation undertakes environmental/conservation research as well as giving lectures/flying displays, and in particular acts as a raptor sanctuary/hospital where many injured birds of prey are treated and – where possible – released back into the wild again after recovery.

Walking around the collection one can see over 40 species of raptor, including eagles; hawks; falcons and owls all housed in substantial well-protected cages; whilst others can be viewed at relatively close quarters on perches located immediately outside the cages. Flying displays are given three times daily in the summer months (weather permitting) and it is these which in my opinion are the most enjoyable aspect of the Foundations public facilities.

We stayed for two flying displays – one shortly after midday and the other at 4.00 p.m. Here are a few photographs to (hopefully) whet your appetite.