Weather: things had brightened up somewhat from Southwold but the threat of rain remained; milder but still chilly. From 10am.
The sightings started straightaway in the car-park & on the visitors' centre's feeders: Chaffinch, Dunnock, Great Tit, Black-Headed Gull (many flying & so noisy they were clearly heard from the scrapes), Blue Tit, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Coal Tit.
Emerging from the visitors' centre I was assailed by the very loud noise of a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker, although it was some distance away & was not seen. Heading for the beach past some heathland, reedbeds & scrapes yielded: Robin, Long-Tailed Tit, a squealing Water Rail which unsurprisingly didn't show itself, Pheasant, Moorhen, Lapwing, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose & Mallard. Then a piercing call from low in the reeds, a call I hadn't heard before, signalled the presence of a Cetti's Warbler, however it proved to be as elusive & secretive as the rail: I didn't see a flicker of motion from within the reeds.
Continuing towards the beach & a Snipe in flight, & when scanning the sea wall, where I was headed, I picked up a Green Woodpecker, also in the reeds or on the grassy banks beside the scrapes: Mute Swan, Reed Bunting, an overflying Cormorant & Gadwall & just before the seawall a couple of amorous looking Stonechat.
On the way up I bumped into a few birders who excitedly informed me that three black-necked grebes were on the sea so I made haste to the wall, however when I got to the beach & set-up all I could see where Red-Throated Divers! Yesterday I wondered how long it would be before I saw my second diver: I didn't have long to wait, less than 24 hours in fact. They were quite abundant in pairs or small groups, & even though some had much darker heads than others it was impossible to see one with the characteristic white flank of a black-throated diver. However whilst scanning the sea, in a vain search for the grebes I did pick out a few Gannet, far out flying north. Nonetheless I couldn't find the grebes or pick-out a black-throat so I departed the beach reluctantly & with slight disappointment; exacerbated after later talking to someone who had been on the beach at the same time as me who had seen the grebes - can't win them all.
Into the first, East Hide, for: Coot, Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Avocet, Wigeon, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Greater Black-Backed Gull, Turnstone, & a few resting Black-Tailed Godwit. Another by now familiar gull was also present, Mediterranean Gull: a former rarity now well-established along the whole of the East Anglian coast.
Following the path south alongside the main scrape I picked out Redshank, Teal, Meadow Pipit & Grey Heron one of which was very near to a Red Deer which was nonchalantly feeding in the reeds. Reaching the turn back onto the main reserve & amongst copious brambles a couple of Goldfinch. Heading into the reeds & a couple of quartering Marsh Harriers became visible, just as I was wondering where they were, & another loud call from a Cetti's, but again no movement & no chance of seeing it, if only they were as bold as the Pied Wagtail I saw moments later.
Into the South Hide for Little Grebe, Tufted Duck & a brief glimpse of a Bearded Tit, better than the other glimpses I've had, this time I could see its russet tail. Looking back at the main scrape revealed Herring Gull & Common Gull, & just before I departed the hide a lone Pochard keeping company with a pair of 'tufties'.
I visited the West Hide but no sign of the reported penduline tits & though I was tempted to hang about with the half dozen other birders who were waiting for them I decided to get some food at the centre & there I was rewarded with a Blackcap on the feeder right out of the window where I was sat. It then crossed my mind to go back to the seawall for another go at the grebes but on the noticeboard there had been no reports of them since the morning so I decided to nurse my disappointment & save my energy & visit the other hides. Walking to those hides through the trees I glimpsed another Goldcrest. After waiting for so long to see one yesterday, they were now like buses, with two coming along in quick succession; I also saw another later on just before I joined the road for the walk back to the centre. Before that though from the Bittern Hide I spotted a Little Egret on the distant fields. Then from the Island Mere Hide Shoveler & Goldeneye (& the Pochard again).
Finally on the way back to the car in the trees I heard but didn't see an early Chiff Chaff, but did see Wren, Jackdaw, Nuthatch (the first one on this birding odyssey) & flocks of Starlings preparing to roost.
A lovely day, a huge reserve with plenty of potential for exciting birds, if I had seen the grebes & the Cetti's it would have been one of my best ever days, & a pity its not under 2 hours to get to from London.
60 species, none new (unfortunately).
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