An Iberian Chiffchaff had been reported as "singing" in the scrub below the Coastguards cottages on the 27th May. I need this bird for my British life list, but with Brian away in Wales all week on a family holiday, getting down to Dunwich Heath had proved difficult. Worse was to come during the week when Brian picked up an Iberian Chiffchaff in Pantmaenog Forest in Pembrokeshire!
Luckily the bird had remained in the scrub around Centenary Pond all week, and Brian having now returned kindly offered to drive us there this morning.
We followed the path from the car park down to the pond and soon heard the Iberian Chiffchaff singing from within the trees. It took a while to locate the bird among the thick tangled branches but it eventually showed very well in the treetops on the opposite side of the pond.
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| Iberian Chiffchaff |
Along with the Iberian Chiffchaff, several other species were also present around the pond including Common Chiffchaff, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Wren and Dartford Warbler.
Before leaving for Minsmere we had a quick walk around the Heath and found more Dartford Warblers, Stonechats, Linnets and Skylarks.
A casual stroll around the reserve was enjoyable but didn't produce any additions to the year list. Kittiwakes, Med Gulls, Common, and Little Terns were all seen, but there were very few wader species present. The gorse bushes below the beach held good numbers of Stonechats and there was a Dartford Warbler busily collecting food items. A Cuckoo flying very close by was a nice surprise. As was the Grasshopper Warbler we heard reeling and it even showed briefly before disappearing deeper into the brambles.
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| Wild Lupins |
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| Southern Marsh Orchid |
On the way home, we dropped in at Orford hoping to see the Broad-billed Sandpiper, but unfortunately, the tide had already come in and with no exposed mud the bird had disappeared, later it would be relocated on the airfield on the opposite side of the River Alde.
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