Black Stork and Zitting Cisticola in Suffolk

It's been over a month since I've had a decent day out birding. The only trip I've made in that time was a failed attempt to see a Black-crowned Night Heron at Rye Meads in Hertfordshire.

Yesterday evening, Brian texted to ask if I fancied a trip into Suffolk to try to see the Zitting Cisticola at Walberswick. I was keen but a little apprehensive, as my last trip out birding besides the short trip into Hertfordshire was when I dipped this very species in Kent at the beginning of July.

We made plans to leave at 3am and stop at Boyton Marshes on the way up, hoping the Black Stork had remained on site. Then travel on if there was positive news on the Warbler. We arrived at the small parking area at 5am, and walked 2 miles along the sea wall, thankfully to find the juvenile Black Stork still happily feeding in the dyke. This was only the second Black Stork I had seen in the UK; the other sighting was another juvenile bird at Frampton Marsh in 2021. While watching the Stork, a Tawny Owl was heard calling from a small copse in the distance.

On the walk back to the car, news came through that the Warbler was still present at Walberswick. Now we just had another mile walk and twenty-five miles drive ahead of us before we reached Walberswick! As we left the car park, Brian spotted a Little Owl perched on a fence.

Sunrise over the River Alde at Boyton Marshes

 Black Stork (Juvenile)

In our favour, the Warbler was in an area where it couldn't be disturbed by people or dogs, which was very much not the case with the same species we dipped in Kent only last month. We walked out along the shingle beach until we joined a group of birders already present. Before I had reached them, I had already heard the bird calling, but I hadn't managed to see the bird. Soon it was calling again, and this time I picked it out among the grey clouds before it dropped back down into the thick vegetation. It would follow the same pattern throughout our visit. It would fly up out of the scrub, calling "zip-zip-zip" bouncing among the clouds, then drop back down into thick cover or flit across the reed tops, very occasionally sitting up for brief moments. 

The Zitting Cisticola is a mere 3½"- 4½" in size, with brown upperparts heavily streaked with black, whitish underparts, a short, rounded tail tipped with white, and a relatively long decurved bill. Its distribution covers much of southern Europe, where it breeds in open flat country in tall grass or fields.

Could this be the same bird that was at Foreness Point in Kent at the beginning of July?

This individual is also a first record for Suffolk.

 Area where the Zitting Cisticola was seen 

Song Sparrow dipped at Thornwick Bay

When Brian phoned and said he was thinking of going to Yorkshire for the Song Sparrow, I should have just said yes. But it was mid-morning, and I was already busy with jobs around the house and reluctant to leave them, so we made plans to go early the next morning. We left home at 4am, knowing it had been a clear night in Yorkshire and chances of the bird moving on overnight were quite possible. Unfortunately, we arrived to negative news. 

Hearing this news, we decided to spend the morning at Bempton Cliffs, and if the bird was refound, we would be only a short drive back down the coast to it. Sadly, the Song Sparrow would not be found again throughout the day.

Disappointed, we still enjoyed a lovely morning at Bempton, watching the comings and goings of thousands of seabirds. Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills, and Kittiwakes were present in huge numbers, with smaller numbers of Fulmars and Puffins. Tree Sparrows were seen in bushes around the reserve centre and along the seafront.

We left Bempton at lunchtime and stopped at Welbeck Raptor Watchpoint. We didn't see any Honey Buzzards but did connect with a Quail while we were there.

Before heading home, we made a small diversion to Rutland Water, where we enjoyed views of a pair of Osprey at the nest with two young. 

White-winged Black Tern: Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire

Brian had a few hours free today and decided to head to Fen Drayton Lakes in Cambridgeshire, where a White-winged Black Tern had been present since the 4th. The reports on the way up had said it was present on Drayton Lagoon, so upon arrival, we headed to that lagoon, only to be told that the tern had disappeared after a heavy rain shower. After a quick scan of the lagoon, we headed back towards the car park to scan Ferry Lagoon, the other area where the tern had previously been seen. 

As we approached the area, another birder told us that the tern had been present on Ferry Lagoon, but it had now flown back towards Drayton Lagoon! Thankfully, the tern was seen flying over the Lagoon on our return. It was a case of walking along the grass bank and viewing the Lagoon from any available breaks in the trees.

One of the views of the Lagoon through the trees

White-winged Black Tern

Spotted Sandpiper: Grafham Water, Cambridgeshire

An unexpected phone call from Brian this morning asking if I wanted to go to Cambridge and try for the Spotted Sandpiper. 

By the time we set off, the bird had already been reported on the news services; however, as we were heading up the A1, the sandpiper was reported again, only this time it said "No further sign." So we changed our plans and headed twenty miles east to the RSPB reserve at Ouse Fen. Dad was busy when Brian and I saw the Great Reed Warbler on our previous visit, so this was a good opportunity to see it today. There had been no reports all morning, but it soon began singing as we approached Crane's fen, and it was quickly spotted at the back of the reeds. Dad added another year tick when a single Crane flew low across the reeds and dropped down among the reeds behind a line of bushes. Seven Hobbies were seen over the distant trees, and we picked out a female Red-footed Falcon hawking among them. Giving us all another addition to the year list.

A glance at the news services revealed that the Spotted Sandpiper had been refound. We headed west to Grafham Water and parked in Plummer Park car park. From here, it was a short walk north along the grass path. The Spotted Sandpiper was busily feeding along the shoreline. 

It was a very smart-looking bird and the first Spotted Sandpiper I have seen that actually had spots! The two previous Spotted Sandpipers I have seen were both 1st winter birds. It fed along the same area of shoreline until flushed by a Carrion Crow. However, it would return to the same shoreline after a few minutes.

Spotted Sandpiper

Shoreline, the sandpiper was feeding along

Blue-winged Teal, Rainham Marshes

When a female Blue-winged Teal was found at Rainham Marshes on Thursday, Brian, having dropped his grandchildren off at school, was already on his way to Rainham and quickly located the Teal upon arrival. This morning, he offered to drive me to Rainham, allowing me to connect with the bird. It's 18 miles from home, and we arrived at the car park around 7am, and the Teal had already been reported on the news services en route. We walked up the steps onto the seawall and joined a small group of birders already present. A quick scan of Purfleet scrape and a Whimbrel is found, a bonus year tick. A short distance away on a small body of water was the Blue-winged Teal. 

Unlike the obvious features of a drake Blue-winged Teal, the female has subtle features. It has white eyelids that are surprisingly obvious; the white loral spot at the base of the bill is even more obvious, it also has a dark eye stripe that meets the nape, and it has the powder blue patch on its upperwing coverts of the drake, which is normally not visible unless in flight or preening.

We watched the teal from our seawall position until the reserve finally opened at 9.30! allowing us to walk along the boardwalk past Purfleet Hide to get a closer look at the duck. It spent most of its time feeding along the channels, and occasionally it walked onto the exposed mud, revealing its yellow legs. and a very brief glimpse of the powder blue wing patch. 

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

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.