Alpine Accentor: Slaughden, Suffolk

Back in 2016, I failed to add Alpine Accentor to my life list. A trip to Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire the day after the bird was found resulted in disappointment, but finding a Western Bonelli's Warbler softened the blow.

Six years later and one turns up in Suffolk on the day we are unable to make the trip. However, with encouraging news that the bird had gone to roost on the Martello Tower, we made plans for the following morning. We left at 5am and after a trouble-free journey along the M25 and A12, we arrived shortly before 7am. As we approached the tower we could just make out the line of assembled birders in the darkness. As we joined the line we were told the bird was still roosting on a pipe jutting out from the tower wall, as a thermal imager had picked up its heat signature. As the light improved we could just make out some of the bird's features in the semi-darkness. At 7.15 it became more active and after a quick wing stretch, it flew up onto the tower wall face and then flew around the side of the tower and was lost to view.

Forty minutes later the bird was relocated feeding along the shingle bank. There was limited space across the path and with birders and photographers now five-six deep, viewing the bird was difficult. Eventually, I managed to get views of the bird albeit not the views I had hoped for. We headed back along the path and began chatting with another birder, only for the bird to fly along the beach and land on rocks close to us, it then flew onto the path and started walking towards us. It was now just a few feet away! The four of us had a few brief moments alone with the bird before the masses joined us. 

The bird seemed unconcerned and continued happily feeding among the shingle and vegetation for all to enjoy.

The dipped bird at Gibraltar Point in 2016, is now a distant memory and I can remove Alpine Accentor from my dipped list. 

Martello Tower

Alpine Accentor

Grafham Water and Lemsford Springs

A trip to Cambridge this morning, with the main target being the American Wigeon. A scan of Valley Creek failed to find the wigeon but we did locate a  Pectoral Sandpiper. There were also Little Stints, Curlew Sandpipers, Grey Plovers, Dunlin, and Ringed Plovers all feeding along the shoreline.

The majority of the ducks were loafing in Dudney Creek, so we scanned the creek from Dudney Hide. We began scanning through the flocks, which was made more difficult by a fishing boat putting them all up several times. After working my way through the flock again, the American Wigeon was found in the company of three of its commoner cousins. 

Monday 10th

This morning we spent a couple of hours at Lemsford Springs. A 4-hectare nature reserve in Hertfordshire. The warden lives next to the reserve and access can be gained to the reserve via a key from the warden. If not a member of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust he asks for a small donation towards the upkeep. The main attractions are the watercress lagoons which remain free from ice all year. There are two hides overlooking the lagoons giving excellent views.

We failed to find the Jack Snipe from the previous day, but enjoyed close views of  Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Water Rail, Grey Wagtail, and Kingfisher.

The lagoons contain millions of shrimp, a food source greatly enjoyed by Green Sandpipers, Water Rails, and several other species. 

The shallow lagoons are filled with fresh water from unground springs.