Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Black Terns, KGV Reservoir

I was home this morning when seven Black Terns were reported at the KGV Reservoir. I was keen to make the trip, but Brian was busy dropping the grandkids off at school. After navigating the traffic, he picked me up, and soon afterwards, I was unlocking the reservoir gates.  We walked up the ramp to scan the south basin. We picked up the Black Terns straight away. All seven were flying together along the western edge. We had been watching them for twenty minutes when they suddenly gained height and drifted northwards. They would not be seen again.  A Lesser Whitethroat was heard singing from behind the sailing club huts and Dad added another year tick when three Common Sandpipers were seen feeding along the edge of the causeway.





Looking north from the south basin










Monday, 28 April 2025

A day trip to RSPB Minsmere

This morning we had the opportunity to go birding, so we decided to spend it at Minsmere. We arrived shortly before 7am, having already had good views of Stone Curlews before entering the car park. We walked out along the North wall, hearing a Nightingale singing. Scanning the scrape from East Hide, we added Kittiwake and Sandwich Tern to the year list,  Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers were all seen. A Little Gull was also seen, and a Wood Sandpiper dropped in briefly; luckily, we all managed to see it before it took flight and wasn't seen again. Brian found a pair of Garganey feeding along the front of the distant reeds while scanning from the Public Hide. A single Spoonbill was seen flying overhead and bearded Tits were "pinging" from the reedbeds.

We had super views of a Bittern from the aptly named Bittern Hide, and dad saw his first Hobby of the year. On the walk back to the visitor centre, Brian finally saw his first treecreeper of the year. 



Sand Martin bank


View from East Hide



Med Gulls



View from the Public Hide



Bittern


Treecreeper


We left Minsmere and headed to Dunwich Heath, where we enjoyed good views of  Dartford Warblers. 

I ended the day having seen 93 species. 


Saturday, 26 April 2025

Great Reed Warbler: Ouse Fen Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire

An early morning call from Brian saw us heading up the M11 into Cambridge and a visit to Ouse Fen Nature Reserve, hoping to connect with the returning Great Reed Warbler. We arrived just after 8.15 and walked along the grass path towards the viewing mound, the same area where we connected with the bird last year. As we approached, we could hear the bird singing, although it had now moved further along the track and was now in a stretch of reeds bordering the canal. It followed the same routine during our four hours on site. It would start singing, allowing views of it through the reeds, but always remain towards the back of the reeds. It would occasionally fly across the canal to feed among the vegetation on the opposite bank, then return to the reeds in front of us. We arrived in dull and overcast weather conditions, which became brighter and slightly warmer as the morning progressed, which encouraged the warbler to climb higher up the reed stems, allowing for some very nice views.

While waiting for the warbler to show, I heard and then saw my first Cuckoo of the year. It was calling regularly and was seen in flight before it landed in a tree among the reedbed. A single Crane was watched flying low across the reeds, and a Bittern was also seen in flight. Several Swifts, Swallows, and Sand Martins were seen hawking over the reedbeds throughout the morning. As the temperature increased, a single Hobby appeared, giving me another welcome year tick.

Before leaving for home, we scanned the body of water known as "Cell 10" and found a pair of Garganey.


Part of the stretch of reeds the warbler favoured


The views of the majority of our sightings



Eventually it climbed the reeds







A very nice morning, watching some fantastic birds within a wonderful reserve.



Monday, 21 April 2025

Baikal Teal, Wilstone Reservoir

A female Baikal Teal was found at Wilstone reservoir yesterday, and when it was reported again this morning, we decided to make the trip. After an hour's drive around the M25 and up the A41, we arrived at the parking area, which was full! Brian dropped Dad and me off and waited for a space to become available. We walked up the steps and along the embankment towards a group of birders we could see in the distance. A quick scan and we spot the Teal. It's swimming back and forth along the shoreline on the opposite side from us. It was distant, but through the scope we managed to get excellent views. 


hand-held phone shot through the scope




Hirundines were seen in large numbers above the trees, mainly Sand Martins, but several Swallows and our first House Martins of the year were seen. Swifts were also seen for another addition to the year's total.

Monday, 14 April 2025

RSPB Lakenheath

This morning, we visited the RSPB nature reserve at Lakenheath. The Little Ouse River runs along its northern edge and forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk. We followed the top path along the river towards Joist Fen viewpoint. The washland was quiet, but we noted Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Snipe, and Lapwings. Sedge Warblers were very vocal, singing from the reedbeds, and we heard our first Reed Warblers of the year. A pair of Garganey were found on a smaller body of water along the path from the washland. We heard several Bitterns "booming" but failed to see any Cranes on this visit. While looking for the cranes, we did find a Great White egret and two Cattle Egrets.


View from Joist Fen viewpoint


Whitethroat


View from the New Fen viewpoint


On the way home, we stopped at Cavenham Heath and found a single Wheatear, my first of the year. After many searches, I eventually found a single Stone Curlew. A Woodlark showed well among the grass, and Skylarks and Stonechats were much more abundant.


Friday, 11 April 2025

Booted Eagle, Manston Kent

A pale-morph Booted Eagle was first reported in Cornwall on January 12th, and it remained there until April 1st, with unconfirmed reports again on the 2nd and 4th. Brian had considered making the trip during this time, but the six hundred miles round trip and 12 hours of driving plus plenty going on at home always proved good reasons not to go. The bird had been missing since early April until yesterday evening when it was reported some 360 miles away in Broadstairs, Kent. It was first reported at 17.49 and seen several times during the next two hours until it tried to roost in trees along the railway embankment. Unfortunately, it was flushed by the local corvids and was last seen heading further west along the embankment. 

Broadstairs is eighty miles from home and much more appealing than the 300 miles to Cornwall. But would the eagle still be in the area? Brian was keen to make the trip, thinking that if we put ourselves in the area, we might have a chance if it appeared. After some doubts and several texts, I agreed to make the trip.

Brian picked me up at 5.30am, and we arrived in Broadstairs shortly before 7am. We had no clear idea where to park or which area to view. Luckily, as we approached the first roundabout, we saw Barry W and Jake set up on the grass bank. We joined them and were told that another eight birders were watching from Cliffsend. Two and a half hours later, Barry got a call that the eagle had been seen and was heading west towards Manston. We scanned the skies but failed to see the bird, so we drove into Manston village. Barry jumped in the car with us as he was in contact with the other birders through the Kent WhatsApp group. We scanned several areas, and at least fifteen Buzzards were seen from one layby and another six from another spot. Three Sparrowhawks, four Red Kites, and two Kestrels were also seen. But there was no sign of the eagle! We jumped back in the car, and as we drove along Spitfire Way, Barry got news that the eagle was in the air again with a Red Kite. As we headed back along the road, a Red Kite was spotted. We parked by the Polar helicopter entrance, jumped out of the car, and scanned the skies. At first, all we could see was a single Red Kite. After another scan, a second Red Kite was seen, and closely behind it was the eagle! We watched it for several minutes, managing good views through the bins and scope. It eventually drifted further north and was lost to view. It wouldn't be reported again today. The gamble had well and truly paid off. We dropped Barry back off at his car and headed home, eager to beat the Friday traffic through the Blackwall Tunnel. 


Barry and I watching the eagle 





Where we watched the eagle 


Wednesday, 19 March 2025

KGV Reservoir and Wanstead Flats

On the 9th of March, a Drake Garganey was reported on the north basin of the KGV Reservoir. When it was still being reported on the 12th, Brian and I walked the four miles around the south and north basins, but the Garganey proved very elusive and we failed to locate it. On the south basin, we found one of the Great Northern Divers and as we reached the causeway, we spotted one of the Black-necked Grebes. The north basin was more productive, we managed to find the other Great Northern Diver and Black-necked Grebe along with the Slavonian Grebe. A drake Smew was showing relatively close as we approached the northern end. I managed to add two-year ticks from here, those being four Sand Martin seen flying across the bottom edge of the reservoir and a Raven was seen flying toward one of the buildings on the west side. It eventually landed on the tower platform. We could hear Red Kites calling from the trees on the opposite side of the River Lea and I took a photo of one of them through the scope. On the walk back we had good if distant views of a Black-throated Diver.










12th March

The Garganey was still being reported each day since our visit, so Brian and I revisited the site on the 12th. We saw a Great Northern Diver, Drake Scaup, and a Black-necked Grebe on the south basin on the walk up towards the causeway. As we approached the north end of the north basin we met three other birders who said they had seen the Garganey but that it had disappeared and not been refound since. We scanned every bird as we walked around the reservoir, but there was no sign of the Garganey. As we approached the causeway on the walk back we spotted the Slavonian Grebe and then as we scanned the south bank, there was the Garganey! It was asleep among a mixed group of Tufted Duck, Teal, and Gadwall. A Dunlin was also seen feeding along the edge of the causeway bank.
 

Garganey (centre of photo)




19th March

This morning Dad wanted to try to see a Little Owl, so with limited time we popped over to Wanstead and with some help from Marco we eventually managed to locate one among the ivy-clad trees. At first, it was well hidden among the leaves but it soon moved out onto the open branches.