Surlingham 27/03/11

Taking advantage of the extra light in the evening, and avoiding the gun club, I headed out for a Sunday evening stroll round the patch. I expect the Chiffchaffs have been here for most of the week, but I counted 3 birds on site, one in particular showing well. Also from the scrub, 2 of both Reed Bunting and Bullfinch. Across on the mud at Wood's End, the faithful Green Sandpipers were present, just 2 today though. On the river, a Great Crested Grebe was behaving with some attitude, and I noticed that the nest (or beginnings of a nest) had disappeared. Perhaps the female had fallen prey to a fox, and the male was starting over again. 4 Shovelor on the lagoon were new for the year, as was a flyover Herring Gull. A couple of Cettis called and a Chinese Water Deer gave good views. Later, presumably the same animal was chasing a smaller individual, crashing through the reedbed, oblivious to my presence. 2 Snipe flew over and the 4 Lapwing remain. Finishing just off the reserve boundary, I watched a Barn Owl hunt the riverside at close quarters. A Little Egret flew towards the marsh to round off a good species haul. Grebe and the deer:

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Grey Phalarope- a new patch bird

The 7th of April was another bitterly cold Spring day, hats and gloves in prime position on pegs and in bags ready to be deployed. A few brave Garganey have been reported north of the river, but it was a bird from the north itself that had me rushing for the thermals and the telescope late in the day. I was thankful for the local Whatsapp group who were quick to report that a Grey Phalarope had been seen on Rockland Broad. This tiny Wader would have come in on the northerlies over the last few days, although to grace one of the broads is a real surprise, since most stick pretty close to the coast before moving on. Indeed, my experience of the birds has usually been on a sea watch in the Autumn, waves crashing and foam flying, my eyes straining to pick them out as they fly low just above the surf. They are fantastic birds, and now one was here on the patch. I had a brief panic when I realised my scope was in my car at the garage (thankfully I do have a much older spare) but once th...

A weekend to live long in the memory

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Claxton-on-sea!

Although it was not quite the Christmas we wanted here in the valley, the rain has bought its own gift. A grim vision of the future, perhaps. But right now, the patch is peaking and is alive with birds, and for that I am thankful. On Christmas eve, it was a job to navigate away from the village due to standing water that had left abandoned cars and undelivered presents in its wake. The rain had been persistent and unforgiving, the ground, saturated. Over on the marsh, where there had once been a muddy puddle amongst the pasture, a city had sprung from the leak, with a plethora of new occupants noisily laying claim to a patch of sodden marsh. Wigeon and Black-headed Gulls in their thousands now wheeled and whistled over and amongst the newly formed pools, accompanied by smaller numbers of Teal and Shoveler. A flock of two hundred-strong Lapwing enjoyed feeding on the less damp spots where green grass was still exposed, and thrown in for good measure have been a couple of Ruff, the ...

Notes from the valley

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