Garganey and Whooper Swans at Minsmere

The weather today followed a similar pattern to the rest of the month. Driving down the A12 we had a brillant sunrise, followed by a snow flurry, followed by grey skies and as we pulled into the car park at Dunwich Heath we were met with brighter clearer skies.

Leaving the car, we headed off down one of the tracks looking for Dartford Warblers. At first there's no sight nor sound of any in the area. With only Chaffinch, Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits seen. After spotting a herd of Red Deer, we decided to cut across the track trying to stay within a safe distance so as not to spook them. Stepping through the heather I managed to flush a Woodcock, a year tick for dad and myself.

I dropped down among the taller bushes and managed to get a couple of shots of the deer before a walker sent them running.

Brian having wandered off further down the track had heard a Dartford Warbler within a nearby gorse bush. I managed to join him just as the bird flies from behind the bush and lands a short distance away. Getting some great if brief views as it perches on top of the bush. Three birds were seen in the short time we spent here.

Moving on to Minsmere, first stop for me is the feeders outside the reserve centre. The feeders here have become a regular and reliable spot for myself to bag a  Marsh Tit for the year list. Again with a little patience they produced the goods.

After a quick visit to the cafe for a coffee it's onto the reserve. Hearing that there was a pair of Gargeney present the day before, we head straight for Island Mere Hide. After a brief stop on the way to check out a roving tit flock, which held good numbers of Goldcrests we arrived at the hide to find the Garganey still present but mostly obscured and sleeping. Several Marsh Harriers and a Sprawk mobbed by crows entertained us while waiting for the Garganey to become active.

Garganey  (taken by B Anderson)

A slight detour for a check to see if the reported Firecrest is showing proves fruitless. It does produce more sightings of Goldcrest and a Treecreeper. While I'm searching for the Firecrest Brian nips back to check on the Garganey's. The photo above is one of the photo's he managed to get on his return.

At the South Hide, three Whooper Swans (2 adult and a juvenile) are showing well. But a scan of the scrape doesn't produce any Med Gulls, and I managed to miss a year tick in the form of a Caspian Gull.

Whooper Swan

A detour on the way home to Wivenhoe, but it's a no show from the Long-eared Owl. On the estuary there's Black-tailed Godwits, Grey Plover, Redshanks and Oystercatchers.

Ring-necked Parakeet

Arriving home from work today, I was met with the sight of a Ring-necked parakeet in the garden perched in a bush waiting to come down to the feeders.

It remained for a few minutes then took flight into the taller trees bordering the end garden.

Shortly afterwards it returned to the feeders and it was joined by a second bird. They took control of the feeders and stayed until they had eaten all they wanted.

A Morning at Dungeness

Dungeness is one of Brian's favourite sites, and one that we tend to head towards if we are struggling for a site to visit.

Arriving around 7.30am we would normally head straight for the beach and a bit of seawatching. But with the mist quite heavy we head instead for the moat.

A walk around the area produces very little of any note. So after an hour or so we decide to make our way towards the beach.

Reaching the hut, we find a local birder is the only other person present. Plenty of Red-throated Divers going through, with greater numbers of Brent Geese. Auks were also moving through in good numbers with mainly Guillemots seen but with some Razorbills also noted within the groups.

Small numbers of ducks were on the move with Gadwall, Wigeon, Shelduck and Pintail all noted along with a single Goosander.

Common Scoter were seen in small groups and among one of these groups two Velvet Scoter were found. Two Sandwich Terns sitting on the prominent yellow buoy were also added for another year tick.

Little Gulls were seen, with twenty birds noted in the time we were there. Two close-in Kittiwakes was another very welcome sight.

A singing Black Redstart was heard and then found on the power station wall, and another year tick was added when dad spotted a Chiffchaff  on the same wall. 

A brief stop at Arc Pit hoping to spot the Firecrest that was present yesterday, only produced Goldcrest. But another three Chiffchaffs were seen.

At the reserve entrance there was the usual but very welcome sight of Tree Sparrows feeding in the garden and Great White Egrets were again present with four birds seen during our visit.

While watching Reed Buntings at the reserve feeders, Tree Sparrows were making brief appearances now and again.

Chaffinch

Reed Bunting

Not a bad morning's birding at all.  

Hawfinch, St Andrew Church Bramfield

With Brian heading back down to Thetford this morning in search of the Otters. We decide to stay local and  head for Bramfield in Hertfordshire.

Still needing Hawfinch for my year list and with this area proving productive for this species just before Christmas, we decide to make the 22 mile trip up the A10 and head for ST Andrew Church.

Parking the car just past the church and walking back to the church gates two Hawfinch are spotted immediately. Both are perched in a tree across the road in the Old Rectory gardens.

Photo taken on previous visit

They remain there for around 10-15 minutes and allow great scope views, with plenty of calling and preening taking place.

Allowing a local dog walker to take a look through the scope at the birds, we lose sight of the them as we turn to talk to him and they disappear from view.

It's another 30-40 minutes before another sighting, with a steady flow of birders arriving during this time. I pick up another two birds perched behind the large fir trees again in the Old Rectory gardens. Then a single bird flies across the road and lands briefly in the tall trees in the church grounds before flying back towards the Old Rectory grounds.A brief walk through the church grounds adds Yellowhammer, with three individuals seen in the scrub along the North Western edge of the church.Two Nuthatch are also seen one in the church grounds and one in the trees in the Old Rectory garden, along with Coal Tit and Siskin.

Black Redstart, Rainham

With Brian already on route to Thetford  when I texed him, Dad and myself decide it's a good time to take a trip over to Rainham and have a look for the Black Redstarts.

It's around 17 miles from home and a short trip on the M11 and then A406 to reach Ferry Lane. Pulling in to the parking area, there's already two birders present.

A quick climb up the grass bank and the two birders get us straight on to a male Black Redstart. It spends it's time either perching on the rocks or dropping down among them. It would drop down out of view and then reappear on top of the rocks or a short distance away.

There was no sign of the female that has been seen here recently, but I wasn't complaining as the male is a stunning little bird.

While watching the Redstart a Grey Wagtail is found among the rocks close by. It's a nice little bonus as it's another year tick for us both.

With us both starting to feel the cold, we decide to head onto Coldharbour Lane. Parking in the car park at the far end we start to walk among the salt marsh hoping to find a Jack Snipe. The walk produces several Common Snipe but no Jack Snipe.

A couple of Rock Pipits add a year tick to dad's year list so the walk is not completely fruitless.

At the Stone Barges there's a least two Water Pipits present, and one gives good scope views before flying off. 

A couple of year ticks and an enjoyable mornings birding.

Black-bellied Dipper & Otters at Thetford

After a marathon 500+ mile day trip to Somerset and Devon yesterday, today was going to be a rest day. But after Robert is told about Otters being seen on the river at Thetford and the fact that he had never seen an Otter in the wild, he is very keen to make the trip today.

So after collecting him at 6.30am this morning, we set off towards Thetford. On route we get views of a Barn Owl perched on a roadside post. 5-6 Buzzards are also seen along with two Muntjac Deers close to the road and a Hare is also seen.

On arrival at the site we meet a guy who asks us if we are down for the dipper. When we reply that we are there more for the Otters today, he tells us that he has just got some information as to where they may be.

So we head off along the footpath in his company and soon find a birder with bins trained on a channel a short distance away.

Otter

The channel looks empty at first, but then there are ripples in the water and two Otters appear. They seem to  be playing, as they twist and turn in the water. 

The light is very poor and photo taking is not going to be high on the agenda for me. Robert can't believe he's  actually watching Otters right in front of him.

As we watch the Otters a Kingfisher drops in and lands on a nearby branch. A very welcome bonus year tick. 

One of the Otters emerges from the channel and proceeds to swim upstream. We follow as it swims all the way  upstream and under the bridge and back down the other channel.

We lose sight of it as it moves into the riverside vegetation, so we head back towards our starting point only to spot the second Otter coming upstream. It swims past us no more than 4-5 feet away and proceeds to take exactly the same route as the other Otter had done.

It reaches the bridge and as Robert is standing bankside it swims over and half emerges from the water to within two feet of him.

A fantastic sight for all of us, but especially for Robert being his first sightings of wild Otters.

It would be rude not to see if the Black-bellied Dipper was showing, so with that in mind we head across the bridges and  spot it straight away in the far channel.

Again the light is terrible but a few photos are taken before it flies into the first channel and then moves further away and flies up the nearby channel and under the bridge.

A morning Otter watching with an added bonus of a Black-bellied Dipper and a Kingfisher thrown in. 

A superb weekend.

Pied-billed Grebe, Somerset & Devon day trip

Leaving Loughton at 5am this morning, with RSPB reserve Ham Wall in Somerset the destination. A 179-mile drive ahead of us.

Two and a half hours after leaving Loughton, we are pulling into the car park at Ashcott Corner. 

Last year we headed West from the car park to view the two Long-billed Dowitchers that were present. Today we turn East and cross the road and make our way along the track heading towards the second viewing platform.

On the walk, down two Great White Egrets and a  Marsh Harrier are seen and a Water Rail is heard. Reaching the viewing platform a small group of birders are already present and after a short scan of the lake, the Pied-billed Grebe is quickly found. It's distant but we get good views through the scope.

Present since the 15th February it seems to be feeding well, and while watching the grebe it catches what looks like a Roach and after a bit of a struggle, it manages to swallow its catch.

With plans in place, we don't really have time to look for the Temminck's Stint at Steart, but Brian gives it go as we are not too far from the site. Soon after arriving we quickly decide that it is going to take too much time out of the day to find the stint.

At this point dad thinks Brian is heading for home, But Brian has other ideas and is heading further from home.

He's heading for Devon, with four more target birds on the list. First up is an American Wigeon at Dart Farm Fishing Lakes at Topsham. As we pull into the car park dad and Brian head to the reserve centre to get the latest information. As I wait in the car the Wigeon comes up on the pager.

A quick drive down the track to the small car park, a short walk around a small lake and we are at the viewing screen. A flock of around 100 Wigeon are feeding on the short grass, and among them is the American Wigeon. 

A 1st winter Rose-coloured Starling has been present around Milbury Lane in Exminster for the best part of three months. So with it being only five miles away, it's our next target.

A couple of drives along Milbury lane and the surrounding roads doesn't produce any sightings of the bird, so we decide to park the car, split up and go in search of it. 10-15 minutes later Brian rings to say he's found the bird. A quick run up to the top of Milbury Lane, a walk through an alleyway and we join Brian in the church cemetery. The bird is perched near the top of a lone tree behind the cemetery. We grabbed some good views of the bird before it flew from the tree. With other target birds still to try for and time not on our side, we left the other three birders to try to relocate it.

We are now some fifty miles from Ernesettle Creek, the location of a Lesser Yellowlegs. Upon arrival, we Park along Lakeside Drive and head down the hill towards the creek. Plenty of Redshanks are present along with 3-4 Spotted Redshanks, Curlew, Dunlin and a single Greenshank.

With no sign of the Lesser Yellowlegs, we again decide to split up and each take a section of the creek to scan. Ten minutes of searching with no luck, Brian rings to say he's got the bird at the far eastern end of the creek. A dash along the footpath letting dad know on the way and we join Brian on the foreshore to get some good scope views of the bird.

Cirl Bunting

Leaving just time for one more stop. We head for Broadsands and hope to see Cirl Buntings. It's a bird I've wanted to see for quite a while. Having only ever been to Devon once before, and that with the local football team on tour.

We arrive at the pay and display car park and make our way through to the unused second car park. A birder is standing at the far end with bins trained on a small flock of birds.

As we approach closer we can see they are Cirl Buntings. The next half an hour is spent watching 20+ of these delightful birds as they drop down from the trees to feed on the scattered seed put out by local birders.

With four lifers and five year ticks added today it's just the 250 miles left ahead of us before we reach home.

A fantastic days birding, thanks to Brian without whom it just would not have happened or been possible.