Wednesday 30 April 2014

Tuesdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
HOOPOE still at Kessingland
Spotted Redshank at Trimley Marshes
Turtle Dove at Metfield
Great White Egret x 2, Spotted Redshank x 4 at Tinker's Marsh
TEMMINCK'S STINT at Hollesly Marshes
Spoonbill at Minsmere
BLACK KITE at Wangford
Firecrest at Landguard
Firecrest at Bawdsey
Redstart at Minsmere
Hobby x 4 at Redgrave and Lopham Fen

Other News!
SUBALPINE WARBLER still at St. Abbs Head, Borders
CASPIAN STONECHAT still on Fair Isle
COLLARED PRATINCOLE still at Northam Burrows CP, Devon
Two-barred Crossbill at Santon Warren
Dotterel x 4, Honey Buzzard over Choseley Barns
Wryneck at Blakeney Point

Mega News!
**MEGA** CRETZSCHMAR'S BUNTING still on Fair Isle
**MEGA** COLLARED FLYCATCHER still at St. Abb's Head, Borders
**MEGA** PIED-BILLED GREBE still at Loch Thom, Clyde

Mondays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
HOOPOE still at Kessingland
Blue-headed Wagtail, Tree Pipit at Landguard
Black Brant at Levington Creek

Other News!
CASPIAN STONECHAT on Fair Isle
SUBALPINE WARBLER at St. Abb's Head, Borders
Two-barred Crossbill x 2 still at Lynford Arboretum

Mega News!
**MEGA** CRETZSCHMAR'S BUNTING still on Fair Isle
**MEGA** COLLARED FLYCATCHER at St. Abbs Head, Borders
**MEGA** PIED-BILLED GREBE still at Loch Thom, Clyde

Sundays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Black-throated Diver, Arctic Skua x 3 at Thorpeness
HOOPOE still at Kessingland
Redstart at Minsmere
Great Skua at Landguard
Arctic Tern at Great Livermere
Spotted Redshank still at Blythburgh

Other News!
**MEGA** CRETZSCHMAR'S BUNTING, at Fair Isle, Shetland
**MEGA** PIED-BILLED GREBE still at Loch Thom, Clyde

Saturdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Arctic Tern at Weybread GP's
WRYNECK still at Benacre
HOOPOE, Ring Ouzel, Great Skua, Woodlark at Kessingland
poss. HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL, WHISKERED TERN, Whimbrel x 3 at Minsmere
Spoonbill, Spotted Redshank at Tinkers Marsh

Other News!
**MEGA** ALPINE ACCENTOR at Holme BO, Holme - found by Connor Rand
**MEGA** PIED-BILLED GREBE still at Loch Thom, Clyde
**MEGA** BAIKAL TEAL still at Pymoor, Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire

Saturday 26 April 2014

Fridays Sightings!

Skipped to Friday
Suffolk Bird Sightings
Purple Sandpiper at Ness Point
Great Skua at Kessingland
Jack Snipe at Gunton
WRYNECK at Benacre still
Blue-headed Wagtail, Great Skua at Landguard
Spoonbill at Southwold

Other News!
**MEGA** PIED-BILLED GREBE (y'day) at Loch Thom, Clyde
**MEGA** GREAT-SPOTTED CUCKOO (y'day) at The Lizard, Cornwall

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Bird Quiz - Week 11

Last weeks mystery bird was indeed a Snow Bunting, which I saw at Winterton Dunes last winter.


Well done to Matt Bruce, Rob Stokes, Mark Lewis and Ellis Lucas for getting the correct answers. Unlucky for those who got it wrong. Here's this weeks mystery bird...


As usual, just leave your answers in the comments and I will reveal the correct entries next week. 

Good Luck!

You can read up about my great patch find and a visit to Kessingland on the post below this one!

What a start to the week!

On Easter Monday, Dad and I went to Kessingland to see the Ring Ouzels and the Dotterel. Unfortunately, the Dotterel moved on at 5:30am, so we just focused on the Rouzels. After finding the place through the help of locals (we didn't have a clue), we found the Ring Ouzels after a bit of a walk south of the Caravan Park towards the sluice. There were 3 males and 1 female. As usual though, the dog walkers didn't help, and all the birds were flushed and went and landed by the sluice. I had a detour round the area, and I found 3 Sedge Warblers and 3 Whitethroats, both welcome year ticks.



I then joined Dad, and the Ring Ouzels were showing really well, allowing for decent pictures (LOL)...










We also got a flyover Green Sandpiper, Wheatears and Linnets







Didn't see much else or go anywhere throughout the rest of the day so no need to report.

Needham Market Ringing

I went out with the local ringing team to a site in Needham Market near the sewage works this morning. We ringed a range of birds included Lesser and Common Whitethroat and Blackcap (no pictures), Wren, Treecreeper, Robins, Linnets, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Dunnocks and a Blackbird. Before I arrived, they had also ringed a Garden Warbler, female Bullfinch and a Reed Warbler. I saw the Garden warbler, and also heard a Nightingale, and saw a Swift over the sewage works.













At about 10am, I was looking across the river, when a black thrush flew high from right to left. My initial thoughts were Blackbird, but when I put my binoculars up to it, I was shocked, stunned and bewildered to see that it was a male Ring Ouzel. I shouted out RING OUZEL and it flew in a tall tree by Flordon Road. As I went to have a better look, it flew out of the tree, and onto a bramble mound north of the sewage works. I relocated, and got some great views, even if the pictures don't show that....



A superb patch find!!!

Happy Birding!

Mondays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
BLACK TERN X 5, Bar-tailed Godwit at Livermere Lake
Pink-footed Goose at Boyton Marshes
Little Gull, Spotted Redshank x 5 at Minsmere
Ring Ouzel x 4, Black Redstart at Landguard
Ring Ouzel x 4 at Kessingland
Ring Ouzel x 3 at Dunwich
Ring Ouzel x 3 at Southwold
Ring Ouzel at Carlton Marshes
Black Brant at Levington Creek

Other News!
**MEGA** BAIKAL TEAL still at Pymoor, Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire

Sundays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
DOTTEREL, Ring Ouzel x 5 at Kessingland still
Arctic Skua x 2, Great Skua past Thorpeness
Great Skua past Covehithe
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW over Felixstowe Docks

Other News!
No Megas

Sunday 20 April 2014

Saturdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Black Redstart at Lowestoft
DOTTEREL X 4, Ring Ouzel x 4 at Kessingland
Garganey at Boyton
Garganey at Hollesly
Hen Harrier at Hen Reedbeds SWT
Ring Ouzel at Southwold

Other News!
**MEGA** BAIKAL TEAL still at Pymoor, Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire
**MEGA** PIED-BILLED GREBE still at Balranald, North Uist, Western Isles

Fridays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Ring Ouzel at Southwold
Ring Ouzel x 2 at Westleton

Other News!
**MEGA** BAIKAL TEAL still at Pymoor, Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire

Thursdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
RED-RUMPED SWALLOW, ICELAND GULL, Raven, Caspian Gull at Minsmere
Hobby, Tree Pipit at Corton
Shag at Mutford
Raven, Black Redstart, Shag at Lowestoft
DUSKY WARBLER still at Oulton Marshes
Redstart, White Wagtail at Landguard
Raven at Shingle Street
Whimbrel x 3 at Hollesly
Whimbrel at Boyton
Ring Ouzel, Crossbill at Gunton

Other News!
**MEGA** BAIKAL TEAL still at Pymoor, Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire

Saturday 19 April 2014

My First Day of Ringing!

I asked a local ringing group if I could come along to watch them ring birds. I was very much welcomed to come, so I met up with them at about 8am at a farm in Earl Stonham. Before I got there, they had caught 2 Bullfinch!!! Gutted.

We had a great day, catching 1 Blackbird, 2 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Blackcap, and several Yellowhammers, Linnets, Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Greenfinches. We also saw a resident breeding pair of Kingfisher, and 2 Swallows. A Lesser Whitethroat was right by the mist net, but wasn't tempted as it flew off in the other direction! The probable same 2 Bullfinch flew over, but not into our net. Shame....