Skip to main content

Ducan's Marsh, Claxton

Having achieved both awful and brief views of the Blue-winged Teal at Carlton Marshes, I can finally say I have seen a 'lifer' this Spring. Along with the Teal, there has been some interesting birds in East Anglia, including a Great Knot and Pacific Golden Plover at Titchwell. Not needing to see either bird, I have contented myself with a weekend on patch.

Early this morning I took a walk down to the river. There were plenty of juvenile Sedge Warblers amongst the Reeds, whilst any Reed Warblers were still busy singing. A Barn Owl and Marsh Harrier hunted the marsh. 2 broods of Cygnets are currently being raised, and the parents will have to keep a close eye on them if they are to avoid falling into the clutches of a Mink or Otter. On returning home, I changed and went for a job whilst it was still cool. In Carlton St. Peter, I came across 2 Barn Owls together. One was much higher than the other and appeared a little uncertain, perhaps a youngster in training?

Before lunch I made my way down to Ducan's Marsh, and area of land I have kindly been given year-round access to. Today was an open day, and myself and a small group helped undertake an Orchid Count. In the main, we were counting Common Spotted, Southern Marsh and Early Marsh. Difficult to separate when so many have hybridised together. We ended up walking a transect of the marsh, anc counted 1,961 Orchids between us. As well as these flagship species, I was also able to acquaint myself with Marsh Fern, Yellow Meadowvetch, Marsh Mint and Sanicle amongst other things. Whilst walking the marsh, we put up a Meadow Brown Butterfly, my first of the year. A Broad-bodied Chaser hunted the dykes, and on the walk back I came across a Black-tailed Skimmer on the road, another first. Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler were still singing, and a family of Bullfinch moved through unseen.This is a real gem of a site and I am lucky it is but a short walk from my front door.

Elsewhere, I have been fortunate enough to happen across 4 Red Kite on my travels, and this is a site I intend to return to in order to establish if breeding has actually taken place. A Little Owl was in the village on Friday evening, taking the parish Owl count up to 4.

 Rockland Broad last week
 Ragged Robin, Ducan's Marsh
 Marsh Fern with unknown Sedge/Rush?
 Early Marsh Orchid, I think.
Ducan's Marsh- the area to the right held 1,961 Orchids! 

Comments

  1. easternbushchat22 June 2016 at 13:32

    Hi Jim, just been reading your blog which was recommended to me by a couple of friends. I really like it since it deals with areas I'm pretty familiar with. My sister lives at rockland, my niece at Surlingham and my brother at New Buckenham! I spend a lot of time volunteering for the NWT and the RSPB and regularly visit the Yare Valley. Would you have any objection if I linked your blog to my own? If you want to have a look you can find it at www.easternbushchat.blogspot.com. Hope to read more of your blogging soon. Cheers Barry

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jim23 June 2016 at 12:49

    Hi Barry. Please do! I will also link your blog. Sounds like you have some vested interest in the Yare Valley! As you know, it is a super part of the UK to have the pleasure of birding in. Hopefully bump into you in the field at some point.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 ...
3 comments
Read more

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 ...
4 comments
Read more