Rockland Broad and a night time expedition

Not as exciting as it sounds unfortunately, so I will get the night it out of the way before reporting on some proper birding.

Connor and I continued our intrepid search for the elusive Long-eared Owl in The Brecks last night, visiting 7 different locations in and around the forest with no joy. We did enjoy a classic view of a Tawny (incidentally Tawnys were calling at each location), heard Barn Owl and saw a couple of Woodcock. Came away disappointed, but some really interesting habitat was looked over and of course, so much more still to do!

Today was more standard fare, an afternoon visit to Rockland Broad. I counted c1000 Black-headed Gulls on the broad itself, clearly potential for something rarer here amongst the roost but usually rather distant. 26 Tufted Duck was a record count (!) and a single Pochard was a welcome year tick, never easy to pin down. A second year tick flew north towards Buckenham in the shape of a Shelduck, and as dusk fell 4 Marsh Harriers passed through, a Common Buzzard headed to roost and a Barn Owl left its own to hunt. Classic birding on my doorstep. of note on the drive home was a single Roe Deer in a field between Surlingham and Rockland; the 2 Chinese Water Deer grazing amongst the marsh at Rockland are much less remarkable in these ere parts.

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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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