Weekend round-up: Did I see it?

Yes, if you are thinking of the Lesser Yellowlegs at Cley. And a lovely looking bird it was too, made all the more sweet considering this has been a bit of a bogey bird for me; dipped 3 times when living in Suffolk. And waders, I can watch all day.

O.K, Great Snipe- arrived in the hide at 6.15am, it was packed! The door guardian ushered me behind him and to the right, where I waited for around an hour until people started filtering out. No sign, and when I heard some people had been present since half 4 (maybe some even stayed in the hide through the night?) I felt a little lucky in a strange way. Leaving the hide, I quickly picked up the Yellowlegs on a pool along with 2 Wood Sandpiper, Dunlin and a Little-ringed Plover. I thought the Dunlin looked rather smart, even at a distance, and today I noticed RBA are reporting a possible American Dunlin. Interesting. I have since had a gander at my shorebirds book, which suggests Pacifica and Hudsonia have slightly longer bills, bright chestnut scapulars and a large belly patch. A little annoyed with myself that I didn't take any notes about this bird I saw on Saturday morning, but truth be told I was knackered, and an American Calidris was not really on my radar. I need to be a better birder.

Surlingham Sunday morning was a nice stroll as usual, and whilst no new species were added to the reserve list I did observe Blackcap, Blue and Great Tit carrying food. In fact, I even got a shot of a Blue Tit at the nest; a hole in the ruins.

There seem to be 2 Lapwing nests, although one parent was worryingly casual about the business of looking after the eggs, if indeed there are any.

Oh, the Snipe is still about at Cley, if anyone has a spare few days.

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Everything is about edge

Hardley, where it is often confusing to define where the garden ends and the marsh begins. Tumble-down houses and rickety shacks, away from any bus route and Team Sky sorts wrapped in lycra, this is a village that by choice is cut off. The secret is out, and pre-storm Ciara as many as 10 large lenses littered the river bank firing at will. Their target- Winter ghosts. First, the classic Scooby-Doo type, as a Barn Owl responds to an ill-advised squeak in the grass and heads towards the onlookers. Another quickly joins the hunt, their formation a picture of double-edged stealth. But these year-round residents are not the key objective today, that honour is given to the Short-eared Owl. 3/4 of these can be seen from the staithe at the minute, floating like giant moths over the tussocks and edges. In a recent article in The New Yorker, Jake Fiennes states "Everything is about edge". Hedges, ditches, scrub, forgotten tracts of land that link nothing and no-one. Fiennes, now ...

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...

Wood's End and Surlingham, 13/03/11

Decided it was time to search for a Lesser Pecker within and around the patch, ideal habitat alongside the Yare and plenty of deadwood. I should say now that the search was fruitless, but did throw up some good habo and a few decent birds for the area. Wood's End had a large flock of Siskin in a small conifer plantation, and a Nuthatch called from within. A Common Buzzard called overhead, and was seen again from the pub- I will keep an eye on this a potential breeding site. Great Spotted Pecker showed well, and my second Brimstone Butterfly in 2 days passed through- stealing a march, or so I thought! My first was seen from the staffroom yesterday, not all bad on the Western Front then. Surlingham was looking pristine in the sunshine, and approaching the lagoon I could hear Lapwing- usually across river at Wood's End- and then a familiar call which I almost ignored, but then realised where I was.....Redshank! Never actually saw it, but still a new bird for the patch. A pair of S...

Notes from the valley

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