Weather: cool dawn; clear sunny sky. From 4:45am.
Another very early start, following Lakenheath, to try for a better connection with an elusive bird. Again I was not first on sight & again the effort was worth it, with great volume from the birds at this time of day.
From the carpark & heading up the path looking out over the first water:
Great Tit, Mute Swan, Mallard, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Tufted Duck, Chaffinch, Crow, Canada Goose, Blackbird;
Cuckoo, heard first, as ever then overhead;
Song Thrush, heard from more distant trees;
Common Tern, seen across the lake where a nesting colony is resident;
Garden Warbler, popped out from a bush next to the path;
Green Woodpecker, Sedge Warbler, Great-Crested Grebe, Reed Warbler, Moorhen;
Cetti's Warbler, heard as usual from low-down, dense vegetation;
Wren, Jay, Blackcap, Chiffchaff;
Nightingale, many in good voice & one or two flitting about.
The elusive Savi's Warbler was in good voice as it was last time I visited & there were a few birders looking for it. As usual the it remained out of sight tempting confusion with the more numerous & less shy Reed Bunting & reed warbler, however at one point I did see a brief flight of larger, somewhat dumpier looking bird which may, or may not, have been the Savi's. After a while I moved on to prevent getting any colder than I already was.
On various waterways & amongst the varied & dense vegetation:
Pochard, Dunnock, Cormorant, Coot, Grey Heron, Starling, Whitethroat;
Muntjac, skulking along the path;
Long-Tailed Tit, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Greylag Goose, Gadwall, Black-Headed Gull, Great-Spotted Woodpecker;
Willow Warbler, on lower vegetation;
Lapwing, 2 over adjoining agricultural fields;
Collared Dove, Pheasant (female) & Jackdaw back at the carpark.
A great way to end 'magic' May.
43 species.
Sunday 31 May 2009
Saturday 30 May 2009
Weeting Heath NWT, Norfolk, 23/05/2009
Weather: sunny & warm. From 9:09am.
After the early start I had time to pop in to Weeting in the hope of seeing one or two of the specialities it offers during the summer.
From the carpark to the East Hide (left when facing the visitor's centre): Mistle Thrush singing before flying off over the road & very vocal Goldfinch.
A few steps further along I encountered a warden who immediately showed me the whereabouts, including prospective nestbox, of one of the specialities I hoped to see for a UK tick: Spotted Flycatcher. I had some good, close views of a couple before they became more elusive. Soon another group of birders arrived intent on seeing them & the increased pairs of eyes found them again further into the woods.
Eventually from the hide: Great Tit, Rook, Crow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Chaffinch.
I didn't unfortunately have time to visit the other hide so missed the stone curlews on this occasion.
9 species.
After the early start I had time to pop in to Weeting in the hope of seeing one or two of the specialities it offers during the summer.
From the carpark to the East Hide (left when facing the visitor's centre): Mistle Thrush singing before flying off over the road & very vocal Goldfinch.
A few steps further along I encountered a warden who immediately showed me the whereabouts, including prospective nestbox, of one of the specialities I hoped to see for a UK tick: Spotted Flycatcher. I had some good, close views of a couple before they became more elusive. Soon another group of birders arrived intent on seeing them & the increased pairs of eyes found them again further into the woods.
Eventually from the hide: Great Tit, Rook, Crow, Jackdaw, Lapwing, Chaffinch.
I didn't unfortunately have time to visit the other hide so missed the stone curlews on this occasion.
9 species.
RSPB Lakenheath, Suffolk, 23/05/2009
Weather: dawn - clear, still, sunny, increasingly bright & warm as the sun rose. From 4:45am.
A crack of dawn start to experience the magic of Spring's dawn chorus. I also wanted to be at Lakenheath to see if the orioles were easier to see at dawn. Even though this was exceptionally early for me, I was not the first person on site, but I could see the attraction of such a early start as the volume was definitely much louder than usual & totally worth the effort.
Almost immediately from the carpark a Roe Deer scampered into the undergrowth.
Heading down along the path parallel to the train-line, in the scrub & adjacent woods (before plantations):
Jay & a booming Bittern from distant reedbeds as well as a calling Cuckoo;
Rook, Wren, Sedge Warbler, Pheasant, Whitethroat;
Skylark heard from farm fields beyond the railway;
Reed Bunting, Blackbird;
Blackcap heard from within the woods;
Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Reed Warbler.
From the first viewpoint:
Great Crested Grebe, Crow, Magpie.
On reaching the first poplar plantation I decided to hang around & hope I could get a decent view of the elusive orioles:
Roe Deer, barking at first then it bounded through the undergrowth after it spotted me;
Green Woodpecker, heard from somewhere else on the reserve.
Golden Oriole, calling its lovely flutey call initially, but then I caught a few glimpses of swift shapes flying amongst the poplar galleries, then, after I sat down to get a more comfortable long-term view two, possibly a pair, alighted at the top of a nearby poplar giving me my best views of a wonderful bird, though they departed into the thick plantation canopy within a minute!
After the satisfying sighting I headed further up the reserve:
Muntjac crossing the path;
Grey Heron over;
Water Rail heard squealing from the reedbeds;
Cuckoo passed over my head towards the first poplar plantation;
Kestrel, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing (x2).
At the second plantation I had another look for the calling orioles, along with many other birders. After more shadowy shapes I identified a Mistle Thrush, which I thought might have been an oriole as it flitted about, but then I noticed 'it' was a couple tending a nest amongst the bows. The orioles were not any more forthcoming so I continued on.
Shelduck (2 over) & Stock Dove on the way to the far viewpoint.
From the far viewpoint:
Bittern, one flying down low over the reeds then two flying together over the reedbeds involved in some sort of dispute & visible for a good few minutes;
Barn Owl, great views of one daylight hunting;
Marsh Harrier, a male & female;
Cormorant, over;
Coot pair with a chick.
I headed back down the path, past increasing numbers of birders looking, presumably for the orioles which were still calling. I got a good view of a female Bearded Tit legs akimbo perched on two reed stems, then a Chaffinch in the trees.
Finally on the washland:
Mute Swan, Gadwall, Moorhen;
Garganey, a fine male feeding in the open on the washland which I watched for several minutes before I had to depart.
41 species, none new.
A crack of dawn start to experience the magic of Spring's dawn chorus. I also wanted to be at Lakenheath to see if the orioles were easier to see at dawn. Even though this was exceptionally early for me, I was not the first person on site, but I could see the attraction of such a early start as the volume was definitely much louder than usual & totally worth the effort.
Almost immediately from the carpark a Roe Deer scampered into the undergrowth.
Heading down along the path parallel to the train-line, in the scrub & adjacent woods (before plantations):
Jay & a booming Bittern from distant reedbeds as well as a calling Cuckoo;
Rook, Wren, Sedge Warbler, Pheasant, Whitethroat;
Skylark heard from farm fields beyond the railway;
Reed Bunting, Blackbird;
Blackcap heard from within the woods;
Jackdaw, Woodpigeon, Reed Warbler.
From the first viewpoint:
Great Crested Grebe, Crow, Magpie.
On reaching the first poplar plantation I decided to hang around & hope I could get a decent view of the elusive orioles:
Roe Deer, barking at first then it bounded through the undergrowth after it spotted me;
Green Woodpecker, heard from somewhere else on the reserve.
Golden Oriole, calling its lovely flutey call initially, but then I caught a few glimpses of swift shapes flying amongst the poplar galleries, then, after I sat down to get a more comfortable long-term view two, possibly a pair, alighted at the top of a nearby poplar giving me my best views of a wonderful bird, though they departed into the thick plantation canopy within a minute!
After the satisfying sighting I headed further up the reserve:
Muntjac crossing the path;
Grey Heron over;
Water Rail heard squealing from the reedbeds;
Cuckoo passed over my head towards the first poplar plantation;
Kestrel, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Great-Spotted Woodpecker, Lapwing (x2).
At the second plantation I had another look for the calling orioles, along with many other birders. After more shadowy shapes I identified a Mistle Thrush, which I thought might have been an oriole as it flitted about, but then I noticed 'it' was a couple tending a nest amongst the bows. The orioles were not any more forthcoming so I continued on.
Shelduck (2 over) & Stock Dove on the way to the far viewpoint.
From the far viewpoint:
Bittern, one flying down low over the reeds then two flying together over the reedbeds involved in some sort of dispute & visible for a good few minutes;
Barn Owl, great views of one daylight hunting;
Marsh Harrier, a male & female;
Cormorant, over;
Coot pair with a chick.
I headed back down the path, past increasing numbers of birders looking, presumably for the orioles which were still calling. I got a good view of a female Bearded Tit legs akimbo perched on two reed stems, then a Chaffinch in the trees.
Finally on the washland:
Mute Swan, Gadwall, Moorhen;
Garganey, a fine male feeding in the open on the washland which I watched for several minutes before I had to depart.
41 species, none new.
RSPB Nene Washes, Cambridgshire, 16/05/2009
Weather: blustery but bright, cool to dusk. Fro 6:40pm.
I wanted to check-out this venue in the evening after reading about recent corncrake reintroduction attempts. Although I had no information regarding 2009 I also figured it was also a chance to visit another RSPB reserve. Once Kim & I found the un-signposted reserve, the washlands it features were impressive & I had an enjoyable walk along the dyke wall (out of sight of the washes) as the light dimmed. Occasionally I would pop up onto the wall to view across the washes but I also looked into the mixed scrub area surrounding a small lake opposite.
Along the wall & its adjacent dyke & lake-scrub area: Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Swift (in good numbers over the hedgerow next to the lake), Swallow, Common Tern, Woodpigeon, Lapwing, Marsh Harrier (hunting the washes), Pheasant, Crow, Mute Swan, Stock Dove, Reed Bunting, Greylag Goose, Green Woodpecker (undulating into the lake-scrub).
At the farthest extent of the wall I walked I stood atop the wall at a style & peered into the wind to see a couple of duelling or courting Hobby, before turning back.
On the way back I switched from one side of the wall to the other as sights & sounds caught my interest. From the washes side: Mallard, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Coot, Sedge Warbler, Grey Heron. From the lake-scrub side: Chaffinch, Great Tit, House Martin, Mistle Thrush, Robin (heard), Blackbird,
Whitethroat (heard), Roe Deer (2), Chiffchaff (h), Canada Goose, Lesser Whitethroat (heard).
I then crossed to the other side of the carpark & continued along the wall for a few hundred metres: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Brown Hare, Starling, Black-Headed Gull, Rook (at a distant rookery).
No corncrakes & no breeding godwits either which are another speciality but a nice location so I'll try again.
33 species.
I wanted to check-out this venue in the evening after reading about recent corncrake reintroduction attempts. Although I had no information regarding 2009 I also figured it was also a chance to visit another RSPB reserve. Once Kim & I found the un-signposted reserve, the washlands it features were impressive & I had an enjoyable walk along the dyke wall (out of sight of the washes) as the light dimmed. Occasionally I would pop up onto the wall to view across the washes but I also looked into the mixed scrub area surrounding a small lake opposite.
Along the wall & its adjacent dyke & lake-scrub area: Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Jackdaw, Magpie, Swift (in good numbers over the hedgerow next to the lake), Swallow, Common Tern, Woodpigeon, Lapwing, Marsh Harrier (hunting the washes), Pheasant, Crow, Mute Swan, Stock Dove, Reed Bunting, Greylag Goose, Green Woodpecker (undulating into the lake-scrub).
At the farthest extent of the wall I walked I stood atop the wall at a style & peered into the wind to see a couple of duelling or courting Hobby, before turning back.
On the way back I switched from one side of the wall to the other as sights & sounds caught my interest. From the washes side: Mallard, Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Coot, Sedge Warbler, Grey Heron. From the lake-scrub side: Chaffinch, Great Tit, House Martin, Mistle Thrush, Robin (heard), Blackbird,
Whitethroat (heard), Roe Deer (2), Chiffchaff (h), Canada Goose, Lesser Whitethroat (heard).
I then crossed to the other side of the carpark & continued along the wall for a few hundred metres: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Brown Hare, Starling, Black-Headed Gull, Rook (at a distant rookery).
No corncrakes & no breeding godwits either which are another speciality but a nice location so I'll try again.
33 species.
RSPB Lakenheath, Suffolk, 16/05/2009
Weather: cloudy, some sun, windy. From 9:50am.
First early summer visit, with Kim, to attempt to see the resident orioles.
Along the path that runs parallel to the railway, via the visitors' centre. Most species in good voice as per the time of year: Dunnock, Wren, Coot, Whitethroat (eventually spotted amongst the low vegetation), Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Swift (many over the reedbeds), Greylag Goose, Reed Warbler (only heard from the dense reeds), Rook (in their rookery trees), Cuckoo calling persistently though I didn't sight it.
On various patches of water amongst the reedbeds: Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Mallard, House Martin (a few amongst the swifts & swallows), Tufted Duck, Bittern (booming repeatedly), Swallow (6-8 also over the reedbeds with the other hirundines).
Reaching the first of the poplar plantations we were soon amongst many other birders straining our ears & eyes for the orioles & it wasn't too long before we could hear their distinctive song though they remained elusive. Eventually we carried on to the next poplar plantation where more orioles were in good voice but again we drew a blank seeing them amongst the dense poplar trees, especially because the wind was increasing & the large poplars dense leaf cover shifting about so much made the task much harder.
At the 'top end' of the reserve we stopped at the shelter & benches: Common Tern (foraging back & forward over the reedbeds), Marsh Harrier, Hobby (1 male & another species I was hoping to see at Lakenheath for the first time), Gadwall (2), Stock Dove, Herring Gull (over).
On the way back & past the first poplar plantation, the orioles could be heard better. We lingered hoping for a sighting & I scanned the canopy a few times looking along the galleries between the trunks. Suddenly with a huge slice of luck a Golden Oriole flashed through the field of vision of my binoculars for an exhilarating but brief & unmistakeable view of a golden streak with black trim. After that I had no luck finding another for the other people around & felt almost guilty that I'd seen one & no-one else had.
Eventually carrying on out of the reserve, amongst the reeds, or over them or in the adjoining woodlands: Moorhen,
Kestrel, Blackcap (singing from the trees), Crow, Lapwing, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Woodpigeon.
29 species, 1 new.
First early summer visit, with Kim, to attempt to see the resident orioles.
Along the path that runs parallel to the railway, via the visitors' centre. Most species in good voice as per the time of year: Dunnock, Wren, Coot, Whitethroat (eventually spotted amongst the low vegetation), Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Swift (many over the reedbeds), Greylag Goose, Reed Warbler (only heard from the dense reeds), Rook (in their rookery trees), Cuckoo calling persistently though I didn't sight it.
On various patches of water amongst the reedbeds: Mute Swan, Grey Heron, Mallard, House Martin (a few amongst the swifts & swallows), Tufted Duck, Bittern (booming repeatedly), Swallow (6-8 also over the reedbeds with the other hirundines).
Reaching the first of the poplar plantations we were soon amongst many other birders straining our ears & eyes for the orioles & it wasn't too long before we could hear their distinctive song though they remained elusive. Eventually we carried on to the next poplar plantation where more orioles were in good voice but again we drew a blank seeing them amongst the dense poplar trees, especially because the wind was increasing & the large poplars dense leaf cover shifting about so much made the task much harder.
At the 'top end' of the reserve we stopped at the shelter & benches: Common Tern (foraging back & forward over the reedbeds), Marsh Harrier, Hobby (1 male & another species I was hoping to see at Lakenheath for the first time), Gadwall (2), Stock Dove, Herring Gull (over).
On the way back & past the first poplar plantation, the orioles could be heard better. We lingered hoping for a sighting & I scanned the canopy a few times looking along the galleries between the trunks. Suddenly with a huge slice of luck a Golden Oriole flashed through the field of vision of my binoculars for an exhilarating but brief & unmistakeable view of a golden streak with black trim. After that I had no luck finding another for the other people around & felt almost guilty that I'd seen one & no-one else had.
Eventually carrying on out of the reserve, amongst the reeds, or over them or in the adjoining woodlands: Moorhen,
Kestrel, Blackcap (singing from the trees), Crow, Lapwing, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Woodpigeon.
29 species, 1 new.
Regent's Park, London, 14/05/2009
Weather: overcast but bright, sultry. From 5:45pm.
A visit after work to check out reports of a garganey being posted on the London Birders website. Plenty of bird activity in the park but much of it feral or pinioned so the main challenge was what to consider as tickable. I settled on species that had unpionied wings & which were not obviously exotics, a rough rule of thumb to be sure!
I entered from the Baker Street side entrance & walked north along the west side of the Boating Lake: Coot, Starling, Tufted Duck; lots of Pochard which seemed a bit out of place; Grey Heron from the heronry on the lake's islands; Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Magpie, Crow, Woodpigeon, Moorhen.
Off the north-west corner of the Boating Lake another small pond had a couple of Egyptian Goose & several pairs of Red-Crested Pochard, obviously the latter are from feral stock but nonetheless able to fly they are breeding quite merrily in the park. At this end I could also hear Song Thrush, & got a view down the boating lake for Herring Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull &
Cormorant which were all congregating on the stumps in the water.
Amongst the vegetation at the end of the lake: Wren, Robin, Chaffinch. At this point of the lake there is an exotic wildfowl collection which includes many native birds, in particular I saw a pair of Garganey & assumed they were the ones reported. However I soon realised that they were part of the collection & their wings were pinioned. Also where they were paddling had been cut-off from the main body of water of the lake so unfortunately they were captives!
I quickly moved on after that & spotted a Common Tern hawking over the water & after hearing it eventually saw a Little Grebe. I contined round the east side of the lake for Blackbird amongst the trees & in with the tame geese was a slightly nervous-looking male Ruddy Duck which I ticked because it looked out of place with the other confident bread-grabbing wildfowl & because if it was pinioned it wouldn't have been able to get over to this side of the water.
Continuing along for Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit & Ring-Necked Parakeet.
Next to the water was a lone Shelduck though it was suspiciously near to another widfowl collection so this one was probably captive & not just passing through on the way to the nearest estuary. However a species that definitely wasn't moving through was Mandarin which has a naturalised population in the UK so I felt safe ticking it here. I saw a lone male initially & then a pair.
Finally, saving the best til last, I reached the stumps in the water that the gulls & cormorants so enjoy & after a quick scan was surprised by a resplendent male Yellow-Legged Gull which I later found out had also been in the area for a few days.
33 species, but a few of dodgy tick status!
A visit after work to check out reports of a garganey being posted on the London Birders website. Plenty of bird activity in the park but much of it feral or pinioned so the main challenge was what to consider as tickable. I settled on species that had unpionied wings & which were not obviously exotics, a rough rule of thumb to be sure!
I entered from the Baker Street side entrance & walked north along the west side of the Boating Lake: Coot, Starling, Tufted Duck; lots of Pochard which seemed a bit out of place; Grey Heron from the heronry on the lake's islands; Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Magpie, Crow, Woodpigeon, Moorhen.
Off the north-west corner of the Boating Lake another small pond had a couple of Egyptian Goose & several pairs of Red-Crested Pochard, obviously the latter are from feral stock but nonetheless able to fly they are breeding quite merrily in the park. At this end I could also hear Song Thrush, & got a view down the boating lake for Herring Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull &
Cormorant which were all congregating on the stumps in the water.
Amongst the vegetation at the end of the lake: Wren, Robin, Chaffinch. At this point of the lake there is an exotic wildfowl collection which includes many native birds, in particular I saw a pair of Garganey & assumed they were the ones reported. However I soon realised that they were part of the collection & their wings were pinioned. Also where they were paddling had been cut-off from the main body of water of the lake so unfortunately they were captives!
I quickly moved on after that & spotted a Common Tern hawking over the water & after hearing it eventually saw a Little Grebe. I contined round the east side of the lake for Blackbird amongst the trees & in with the tame geese was a slightly nervous-looking male Ruddy Duck which I ticked because it looked out of place with the other confident bread-grabbing wildfowl & because if it was pinioned it wouldn't have been able to get over to this side of the water.
Continuing along for Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-Tailed Tit & Ring-Necked Parakeet.
Next to the water was a lone Shelduck though it was suspiciously near to another widfowl collection so this one was probably captive & not just passing through on the way to the nearest estuary. However a species that definitely wasn't moving through was Mandarin which has a naturalised population in the UK so I felt safe ticking it here. I saw a lone male initially & then a pair.
Finally, saving the best til last, I reached the stumps in the water that the gulls & cormorants so enjoy & after a quick scan was surprised by a resplendent male Yellow-Legged Gull which I later found out had also been in the area for a few days.
33 species, but a few of dodgy tick status!
Hampstead Cemetery, London, 10/05/2009
Weather: bright, sunny, warm, slight breeze. From 3:35pm.
A mid-afternoon visit to the nascent 'patch' for the usual garden & park birds one would expect, though this time I did a full sweep of the whole cemetery:
Robin, Wren, Greenfinch, Magpie, Blackbird, Dunnock (1), Blackcap, Blue Tit (1), Swift (1), Song Thrush (heard), Chiffchaff (heard), Crow (1), Chaffinch (1), Coal Tit (2), Woodpigeon (2), Great Tit (2), Starling (2 over), Lesser Black-Backed Gull (over) & a site tick!
16 species.
A mid-afternoon visit to the nascent 'patch' for the usual garden & park birds one would expect, though this time I did a full sweep of the whole cemetery:
Robin, Wren, Greenfinch, Magpie, Blackbird, Dunnock (1), Blackcap, Blue Tit (1), Swift (1), Song Thrush (heard), Chiffchaff (heard), Crow (1), Chaffinch (1), Coal Tit (2), Woodpigeon (2), Great Tit (2), Starling (2 over), Lesser Black-Backed Gull (over) & a site tick!
16 species.
70 Acres Lake, Lee Valley Park, Essex, 09/05/2009
Weather: clear, sunny, going to a cool dusk. From 8pm.
One of the sightings sites I check regularly had been reporting a savi's warbler at a location not too far from London, so after some umming & ahhing, & a day cooped up in the office, I decided to head up there to see if could locate this elusive species for a great life tick.
The lakes & canals in the area make up a wonderful natural oasis just off the M25 & there were plenty of the usual wildfowl sharing the waters with the anglers: Greylag Goose, Mallard,
Coot, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Pochard, Moorhen.
Also in the wonderfully lush woods were Chaffinch, & the first songs of Garden Warbler that I had heard in many a year. I lingered at a of couple points along the path hoping one would show & finally I was rewarded with my best ever view as one sang from within a dense tree but luckily for me from a clearing in the branches through which I could view it which I did for several minutes. The last time I saw one in the UK was on my very first birding day-out in 1984!
I had no such luck with a singing Nightingale though as it was too distant to even attempt trying to see it from its well concealed singing spot. Easier to pick up were Crow, Wren & Canada Goose.
After I had retraced my steps from going completely the wrong way, it wasn't long before I reached the spot where several other birders were watching for the savi's & from there picked out Common Tern across the water as well as Gadwall. I moved a few metres past the others for a different vantage point (where I saw the garden warbler mentioned earlier) & as dusk descended I was delighted to pick up my first Hobby of the year which was soon joined by others, hawking close-by over the reeds for insects.
It wasn't long after that I heard the distinctive 'gropper'-like reeling of the savi's so I quickly went back & joined the other birders & staked out the reedbeds from where it was singing. A couple of times it sounded very close but remained elusive. However I suddenly saw flash of brown bird diving from one reed to another & down into the beds from where the reeling had come from. Not exactly a 'show' by any stretch but circumstantially I felt fairly certain it was my first Savi's Warbler, a life tick & my first twitch, sort of? I continued to listen & search in vain until the light died & I had to head off.
On the way back to the car I heard a Cuckoo, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin & Blackbird; a Song Thrush flashed across the path low into bushes. In the gloom I then saw something moving on the path in front of me but I had to use my binoculars to enhance my night vision in order to pick out a Fox which quickly melted into the undergrowth. As I got to the spot where the fox had been I heard a Reed Warbler singing from a well-hidden spot low down in a bush, my first of the year, & finally a Grey Heron & Swift overhead (as they always are).
20 species, 1 new species.
One of the sightings sites I check regularly had been reporting a savi's warbler at a location not too far from London, so after some umming & ahhing, & a day cooped up in the office, I decided to head up there to see if could locate this elusive species for a great life tick.
The lakes & canals in the area make up a wonderful natural oasis just off the M25 & there were plenty of the usual wildfowl sharing the waters with the anglers: Greylag Goose, Mallard,
Coot, Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Great Crested Grebe, Pochard, Moorhen.
Also in the wonderfully lush woods were Chaffinch, & the first songs of Garden Warbler that I had heard in many a year. I lingered at a of couple points along the path hoping one would show & finally I was rewarded with my best ever view as one sang from within a dense tree but luckily for me from a clearing in the branches through which I could view it which I did for several minutes. The last time I saw one in the UK was on my very first birding day-out in 1984!
I had no such luck with a singing Nightingale though as it was too distant to even attempt trying to see it from its well concealed singing spot. Easier to pick up were Crow, Wren & Canada Goose.
After I had retraced my steps from going completely the wrong way, it wasn't long before I reached the spot where several other birders were watching for the savi's & from there picked out Common Tern across the water as well as Gadwall. I moved a few metres past the others for a different vantage point (where I saw the garden warbler mentioned earlier) & as dusk descended I was delighted to pick up my first Hobby of the year which was soon joined by others, hawking close-by over the reeds for insects.
It wasn't long after that I heard the distinctive 'gropper'-like reeling of the savi's so I quickly went back & joined the other birders & staked out the reedbeds from where it was singing. A couple of times it sounded very close but remained elusive. However I suddenly saw flash of brown bird diving from one reed to another & down into the beds from where the reeling had come from. Not exactly a 'show' by any stretch but circumstantially I felt fairly certain it was my first Savi's Warbler, a life tick & my first twitch, sort of? I continued to listen & search in vain until the light died & I had to head off.
On the way back to the car I heard a Cuckoo, Cetti's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin & Blackbird; a Song Thrush flashed across the path low into bushes. In the gloom I then saw something moving on the path in front of me but I had to use my binoculars to enhance my night vision in order to pick out a Fox which quickly melted into the undergrowth. As I got to the spot where the fox had been I heard a Reed Warbler singing from a well-hidden spot low down in a bush, my first of the year, & finally a Grey Heron & Swift overhead (as they always are).
20 species, 1 new species.
Wednesday 6 May 2009
RSPB Titchwell, Norfolk, 02/05/2009
Weather: bright, sunny, warm, faint breeze, some clouds. From 11am.
A very special visit for a number of reasons to a favourite location.
First off though, earlier that morning from the hotel I heard my first Cuckoo of the year; singing for quite some time, its voice seemed to be heading off towards Holme.
On arriving at the reserve, no sooner had I parked the car than Kim & I spotted a Marsh Harrier floating over nearby fields. Other species around the car-park were Long-Tailed Tit, singing Reed Bunting (initially only heard but plenty seen later on), Chaffinch, Blackcap singing from thick vegetation, Willow Warbler & Woodpigeon.
After passing the visitors' centre on the first part of the beach path it's not unusual to hear Cetti's Warbler which we did & later when we visited the Fen Hide, in a failed attempt to see bittern, we saw one through the thick bushes.
Further along & either side of the path: Cormorant, Robin, Blackbird, Kestrel, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Black-Headed Gull, Sedge Warbler: the first of many in full song; Grey Heron, Shoveler; Brent Goose overflying; Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Common Tern, Canada Goose, Shelduck.
Whilst watching the brent geese grazing on the marshes, which are some of the last winter visitors to leave for the north, which allows for their breeding grounds to unfreeze, I was called over by some other birders to look across the freshwater marsh where they had picked up a male Garganey on the far side of the marshes but out on the open water. Although distant I could pick out the stunning white eyestripe & it made a sought after life list tick for me. Also as we watched we heard a booming Bittern from near the Fen hide. Continuing to scan the nearer freshwater marsh also revealed several Little Gull, some with blacker heads than others & a site tick. Reluctantly we left these excellent species & continued to head towards the beach & along the way Curlew & Swallow over, & singing Skylark.
Reaching the tidal marshes another birder pointed out a lone Greenshank, there were also a few Redshank & a lone Turnstone swept past heading to the freshwater marshes. Meadow Pipit were also numerous, many singing heartily. A nice surprise were several Little Tern diving into the waters not far from the path. Later I spoke to a warden who said that they have begun to return regularly & that they had attempted to nest, however their favoured sand bank has become too overgrown, but the RSPB are not able to reduce the weeds on that bank because English Nature argue that it would interfer with a natural process, so the rare little terns lose out to the weeds!
On the final stretch of path to the beach, either over or amongst the bushes: Herring Gull, Wren,
Little Egret, Linnet.
Once on the beach Kim & I decided to walk the length of it towards Thornham over a lovely large stretch of mainly deserted beach, & with the weather being so lovely we had great views across to Thornham Harbour & Holme NOA. Along the way several Sandwich Tern & a lone Fulmar skimmed the waves heading towards Brancaster. On the final 'corner' of the beach, which looks across to Thornham, a couple of Ringed Plover on the sand & also a Great-Crested Grebe at sea, then a surprising couple of Sanderling who were coming into their richer breeding plumage prior to heading north.
On the way back I spotted a few Eider on the placid sea: a male & three females. We finally made our way back to the dunes near the reserve & had our lunch, during which amazingly, a Grey Seal popped its head up for a few seconds! It soon submerged & though we watched for a while we didn't see where it came back up. Surely some sort of omen on such an unusually still day?
After lunch I scanned the sea again & was pleased to pick out a close-in female Common Scoter on its own. Just after that I roused Kim & found a bottle with a message buried in the sand. It was a bottle I had planted there though because as Kim opened it up to reveal our earliest correspondence, I asked her to marry me, to which she said yes after overcoming her initial surprise! It was a special moment at a place we both consider to be our favourite spot, with the seal & the still, sunny day making it all the more special, & a day I will never forget.
Heading back, we stopped at the Parrinder Hide & soon picked out a pair of Teal, Lapwing (1), a lone Grey Plover amongst several Dunlin (>10) & a three to four Knot. Also a nearby but brief Bearded Tit, then three male Pochard came out of the reeds on the far side of the scrape (near to where the garganey had initially been). The garganey seen earlier had however moved much closer in allowing excellent views of its intricate & subtle plumage, including a marvellous striped panel on its underside which was really clear in the sunlight as it dabbled about 20 metres away.
Reluctantly leaving the garganey we headed back down the path to the car & saw a Pied Wagtail & a couple of Magpie. We also lingered in the picnic area, taking snaps of a Great Tit feeding on put-out grain on a tree stump & a very tame male Pheasant. I also heard Chiffchaff & a Dunnock also sang from the nearby trees. Finally in a field adjacent to the carpark, a Crow & a couple of Jackdaw were busy foraging.
An amazing day with an equally amazing 64 species seen, with one new species - I think this is a site record.
03/05/2009
Weather: bright, sun but cloudier & windy than yesterday. From 12pm.
After the lovely day we had on the Saturday we felt compelled to go back to the reserve after we checked out of the hotel. We only walked to the Parrinder Hide but saw the following in addition to the those seen the day before: Ruddy Duck on the marsh ponds to the left of the beach path; Starling over; single Ruff foraging on the freshwater marshes; Common Gull & Lesser Black-Backed Gull from the left-hand side of Parrinder as were a few Wigeon & a Bar-Tailed Godwit. Finally a Swift over on the way back to the visitors' centre.
These additonal 9 species brought the 24 hour total up to a fantastic 73!
A very special visit for a number of reasons to a favourite location.
First off though, earlier that morning from the hotel I heard my first Cuckoo of the year; singing for quite some time, its voice seemed to be heading off towards Holme.
On arriving at the reserve, no sooner had I parked the car than Kim & I spotted a Marsh Harrier floating over nearby fields. Other species around the car-park were Long-Tailed Tit, singing Reed Bunting (initially only heard but plenty seen later on), Chaffinch, Blackcap singing from thick vegetation, Willow Warbler & Woodpigeon.
After passing the visitors' centre on the first part of the beach path it's not unusual to hear Cetti's Warbler which we did & later when we visited the Fen Hide, in a failed attempt to see bittern, we saw one through the thick bushes.
Further along & either side of the path: Cormorant, Robin, Blackbird, Kestrel, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Black-Headed Gull, Sedge Warbler: the first of many in full song; Grey Heron, Shoveler; Brent Goose overflying; Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Avocet, Oystercatcher, Common Tern, Canada Goose, Shelduck.
Whilst watching the brent geese grazing on the marshes, which are some of the last winter visitors to leave for the north, which allows for their breeding grounds to unfreeze, I was called over by some other birders to look across the freshwater marsh where they had picked up a male Garganey on the far side of the marshes but out on the open water. Although distant I could pick out the stunning white eyestripe & it made a sought after life list tick for me. Also as we watched we heard a booming Bittern from near the Fen hide. Continuing to scan the nearer freshwater marsh also revealed several Little Gull, some with blacker heads than others & a site tick. Reluctantly we left these excellent species & continued to head towards the beach & along the way Curlew & Swallow over, & singing Skylark.
Reaching the tidal marshes another birder pointed out a lone Greenshank, there were also a few Redshank & a lone Turnstone swept past heading to the freshwater marshes. Meadow Pipit were also numerous, many singing heartily. A nice surprise were several Little Tern diving into the waters not far from the path. Later I spoke to a warden who said that they have begun to return regularly & that they had attempted to nest, however their favoured sand bank has become too overgrown, but the RSPB are not able to reduce the weeds on that bank because English Nature argue that it would interfer with a natural process, so the rare little terns lose out to the weeds!
On the final stretch of path to the beach, either over or amongst the bushes: Herring Gull, Wren,
Little Egret, Linnet.
Once on the beach Kim & I decided to walk the length of it towards Thornham over a lovely large stretch of mainly deserted beach, & with the weather being so lovely we had great views across to Thornham Harbour & Holme NOA. Along the way several Sandwich Tern & a lone Fulmar skimmed the waves heading towards Brancaster. On the final 'corner' of the beach, which looks across to Thornham, a couple of Ringed Plover on the sand & also a Great-Crested Grebe at sea, then a surprising couple of Sanderling who were coming into their richer breeding plumage prior to heading north.
On the way back I spotted a few Eider on the placid sea: a male & three females. We finally made our way back to the dunes near the reserve & had our lunch, during which amazingly, a Grey Seal popped its head up for a few seconds! It soon submerged & though we watched for a while we didn't see where it came back up. Surely some sort of omen on such an unusually still day?
After lunch I scanned the sea again & was pleased to pick out a close-in female Common Scoter on its own. Just after that I roused Kim & found a bottle with a message buried in the sand. It was a bottle I had planted there though because as Kim opened it up to reveal our earliest correspondence, I asked her to marry me, to which she said yes after overcoming her initial surprise! It was a special moment at a place we both consider to be our favourite spot, with the seal & the still, sunny day making it all the more special, & a day I will never forget.
Heading back, we stopped at the Parrinder Hide & soon picked out a pair of Teal, Lapwing (1), a lone Grey Plover amongst several Dunlin (>10) & a three to four Knot. Also a nearby but brief Bearded Tit, then three male Pochard came out of the reeds on the far side of the scrape (near to where the garganey had initially been). The garganey seen earlier had however moved much closer in allowing excellent views of its intricate & subtle plumage, including a marvellous striped panel on its underside which was really clear in the sunlight as it dabbled about 20 metres away.
Reluctantly leaving the garganey we headed back down the path to the car & saw a Pied Wagtail & a couple of Magpie. We also lingered in the picnic area, taking snaps of a Great Tit feeding on put-out grain on a tree stump & a very tame male Pheasant. I also heard Chiffchaff & a Dunnock also sang from the nearby trees. Finally in a field adjacent to the carpark, a Crow & a couple of Jackdaw were busy foraging.
An amazing day with an equally amazing 64 species seen, with one new species - I think this is a site record.
03/05/2009
Weather: bright, sun but cloudier & windy than yesterday. From 12pm.
After the lovely day we had on the Saturday we felt compelled to go back to the reserve after we checked out of the hotel. We only walked to the Parrinder Hide but saw the following in addition to the those seen the day before: Ruddy Duck on the marsh ponds to the left of the beach path; Starling over; single Ruff foraging on the freshwater marshes; Common Gull & Lesser Black-Backed Gull from the left-hand side of Parrinder as were a few Wigeon & a Bar-Tailed Godwit. Finally a Swift over on the way back to the visitors' centre.
These additonal 9 species brought the 24 hour total up to a fantastic 73!
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