Yare birding: Northern Bullfinch still present

I enjoyed the warmest day of the year so far at Surlingham Church Marsh yesterday, and it was great to hear the songsters punching out a tune or two. Song Thrush, Dunnock and Wren are proving easier to see than usual, singing from a favoured perch for all to see. A Treecreeper heard from the trail was the latest bird added to the 'in song' list. But, signs of Winter still remain. Following the trail down from the church before the river, a twittering Siskin alerted me to the presence of 6 Lesser Redpoll amongst the former birds. They allowed close scrutiny; one bird was so pale underneath, barely any streaking on the flanks, but the colouration on the back and lack of white rump proved this to be 'just' a Lesser.
Not much doing at Wood's End, no sign of the Oystercatcher as yet this year. However, the call I have been lucky to have become almost used to stopped me in my tracks: the Northern Bullfinch was still present! c2 Eurasian birds were seen, but the Northern again proved elusive, calling again before presumably heading off deeper into the scrub. Perhaps an early morning effort next weekend would pay dividends?
The lagoon was devoid of Duck bar 2 Shelduck, hopefully back to breed. A single Lapwing was on an exposed spit of mud, awaiting his/her partner to try again this Spring. Reed Bunting and Cetti's Warbler were both vocal.
The Little Egret appears to be resident at the moment, again fishing from a dyke viewed from the ruins. Also seen from here were 5 Common Buzzard, ever so high over the river and Wood's End. New one for the year list!
I opened my Butterfly year list account with a Peacock. Always a significant moment in the year, seeing that first Butterfly.

Debs and I went to Strumpshaw Fen this afternoon, and witnessed the comings and goings of a very confused and nervy flock of Wigeon. The birds had presumably been disturbed by a low flying microlight, and they were not able to settle the whole time we were there. Other wildlife of interest included 19 Ruff, Common Snipe, Marsh Harrier (pair, in courtship) Stock Dove and 2 Chinese Water Deer. Few pictures from today:

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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

Saturday 12th, I picked up Connor around 6.30am and we headed to Waxham with migrant hunting in mind. It was clear that the NW blow and rain had dumped many common migrants. Every bush had a Robin, some more than one. There were also almost equal numbers of Song Thrush and Blackbird. As the sun rose, slowly more birds became active. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Goldcrest and ticked and tacked from cover. Superb stuff! Overhead, Brambling and Redpoll were moving, and some did rest long enough for decent views. Heading out into the dunes towards the pipe dump, we encountered a female Redstart and a Woodcock on route. Still, birds were arriving including more Thrushes and even a few Skylark. Without much success around the pipe dump itself (a Robin with a sore throat gave us a headache for a while) we headed back to the car and onto Horsey. Although there were less birds around by mid morning, little clumps of cover were alive with activity. In the same patch of scrub and pines that last ...

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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