Yellow Wagtails at Surlingham plus being a whisker away

A Whiskered Tern at Rockland Broad last Thursday would not only have been a massive hit on the patch but also a lifer for me. It just wasn't meant to be however, I was working late and the bird was present for just over 3 hours once it had been reported. Rockland is a good site for this Tern, and despite no news on the Friday I headed down after work for a check round. 5 Common Tern were new for the year list, and if one thing has come out of this it is that I am now better at Terns having read ID guides to death since the event! Thank-you to all of the people who contacted me about the Tern, nice to know such a support network exists and I hope I can pay you guys back with a biggy on the patch one day. Providing I get to see it of course!

Teal are still clinging on at Church Marsh, with 3 pairs present as of yesterday. Whilst counting the Ducks, a familiar call instantly had me looking to the sky, and a lovely Yellow Wagtail flew east over the lagoon. I am sure they are present on passage both here and elsewhere at peak times, but nonetheless this was a bird I did not record anywhere last year, so I was pretty chuffed. Walking round to the ruins, another 2 flew over, something of a small passage taking place.

After Connor's superb Alpine Accentor on Saturday morning (he had calmed down by the time I spoke to him) I was keen to try the coast myself so made an early start at Caister this morning, exploring the area east of the gold course and then the scrubby heathland north of Fifth Avenue. Very few migrants in evidence, in-fact the highlight was not avian at all, but a Harbour Porpoise heading south. This made the early start worthwhile for sure. I know Ryan Irvine has them regularly off Hemsby, so this individual is probably a local. Other bits of note were 24+10 Barnacle Geese North (later picked up by Richard Moores at Happisburgh, I wonder as to the origin of these) and singing Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Whitehroat. I pushed on to Winterto North Dunes, but even fewer migrants were in the bushes here so I called it a day and headed back to paint the bench. I couldn't resist a stop-off at the patch on the way home, and enjoyed excellent views of Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier and Kestrel at Langley and Claxton Marshes. Possible Hobby at Langley but it disappeared to ground on the Cantley side of the river, so I will have to wait to add that to my list. The patch is really buzzing at the moment, Sedge and Reed Warbler all over the place and surely something a bit special soon?

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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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