The Brecks - 14th January 2025

I had a talk to do for Stort Valley RSPB group on Tuesday so I hatched a plan to head down to Abberton for the day where the reservoir is practically overflowing with the water displaced by so many rare and scarce waterfowl, before cutting back across in the evening.

I headed south at 8am but the news of the A12 being closed southbound at Copdock caused me to re-think and divert for a short while to Westleton to have a walk and wait to see if it cleared – Plan B.

A Police car blocked the road in front of me and a car was parked on the wrong side of the Westleton road with what looked like a covered body laid out in front of it - not good. I was directed left towards Dunwich and bumped my way around the block before continuing to my favoured Track 42.  I pulled in and that was that.  Logging work and big lorries precluded any further advance down the track so I sat there in a huff and checked the map once again.

The overturned lorry had clearly not been moved and the traffic was backed up all the way over the Orwell on the A14 and then back up the A12!  Plan C – could I get around Ipswich and then loop back down to Colchester? – nope as there were prohibitive road closures in Needham Market and beyond and the A14 the other way was stuffed too…

Ok, Plan D, give up entirely and head completely cross country to the Brecks.  It was a pleasant route but there was very little to see in the fields with just the odd Buzzard and Red Kite and not one Lapwing of winter thrush flock.  I stopped at Laxfield and Stradbroke and checked the churches for Luffia lapidella finding a couple of each churchyard but nothing else.

Laxfield

Stradbroke

I loved that the moss had embraced John

By the time I wiggled through Diss and then Thetford it was getting cooler and grey but I still pushed on to Santon Downham.  I had a pleasant walk down to the river and along the bank but it was almost devoid of life.  Now it might sound like I am just having a moan as my day was going poorly but I am not; it was simply very quiet, a horrible phrase often used when in fact there is lots to see but on this occasion it was depressingly so.

Some Siskins were in the Alders but I did not see or hear one other finch, four Mallard and two Little Grebes were the only birds on the river,  there were no Tit flocks and I did not even hear the expected Marsh Tits.  A Water Rail called in the ditch alongside but it was like someone had dropped a smothering blanket over the landscape with only the roar of F35s coming into land being heard.

I ambled back to the car and made my way up to Lynford Arboretum which was very busy for a Tuesday lunchtime with a zillion dogwalkers and small people.  I had only heard of one Hawfinch this winter so it was pleasing to find three females and two gleaming males feeding in the ‘tunnel’ along with a good flock of Chaffinch and four Brambling.  There were, however, no Yellowhammers at all.

Hawfinch

I walked down to towards the bridge but there was tree work going on so I turned round and came back through the trees where the first Snowdrops were just opening up.  There were Goldcrests, Nuthatches and Treecreepers and back near the car I heard two ‘peeping’ Firecrest in the firs and hollies.  

Time for lunch and then a wiggle down to Lackford Lakes. Pete G and I used to visit here over 30 years ago when it was just a sailing club with some extra pits which the local bird ringers used to set their nets up around.  I am not sure how Pete got to know the guys there but we were always welcomed into their little ringing hut and watched them process many Redpolls, Siskins and Tits and taken on walks round to see Smew and Goosander on hidden ponds – happy days.

I followed the same trail today although it is somewhat more formalised by the SWT.  The main lake was still frozen in part but held no Goldeneye and only a handful of Pochard and Tufted Ducks, a mob of Coot and a big flock of Black-headed Gulls.  A Great White Egret flew in and a Little Egret was on the scrape but the freeze had moved all of the Snipe on.  There were Teal, Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon and two Shelduck keeping the water open and a mixed flock of Lesser Redpolls, Siskins and Goldfinches were in the Alders and I spent some time checking through the former for any whiter ones.

Great White Egret

Little Egret

Three Muntjac were seen and one was especially obliging as it clambered up a log to get to seed put out for the birds.  It was only 2.30 but the light was already fading and it was getting cold so I headed back for a coffee before continuing to Bishops Stortford for the talk before the light faded too much and the rush hour began.

Muntjac

The talk went well but the drive back home was unfortunately as horrific as the one back from Yorkshire. The dark roads were invisible and there were frequent light cleaning stops. My poor car had reverted to the burnt jacket potato look…

Yorkshire - a few days away - 6th-10th January 2025

A few days up in Yorkshire for Andrea’s birthday did not give the pleasant drive up that was had back in May last year with bitty rain and snow and dirty roads for the whole journey precluding any stops other than a bit of retail on the way and we arrived after dark at The Bay, Filey.

Tuesday dawned glorious with blue skies but it was bitterly cold and cloud with building from the west so we stayed local and headed down to Bempton Cliffs but not before a female Hen Harrier had flown through the estate being harried by the Crows! I have not been there in the winter before and it was very strange to have the place to myself (bar a few hardy volunteers!) and to be acutely aware of the lack of sound and smell that I so associate with these amazing chalk apartment blocks. 

I walked down to the first big view point and watched the Fulmars wheeling below over the raging surf.  Despite the lack of wind the swell was huge and rollers were pounding in from way out to see.  Large flocks of Rock(ish) Doves moved between the cliff top fields with a cloud of Starlings but out to see I could only pick up a single immature Gannet and a couple of Guillemots that seemed to already be taking an interest in the ledges below me.

Fulmar

Fulmar

It was incredibly cold and I did not linger long and sort the shelter of the car park where the Tree Sparrows were moving round in noisy little chattering groups while a Stonechat was in the field below.

Tree Sparrow

On to Flamborough Head for a pic of the Lighthouse before wending our way south a bit towards Hornsea Mere for lunch.  There were a few Tufted Duck and Pochard bobbing around and at least 30 Goldeneye whizzed too and fro with whirring wings.

Flamborough lighthouse

Hornsea Mere

Down on the prom the sea was thundering into the beach but there were just two Herring Gulls over the sea but four mumping Black-headed Gulls around the cars included a white Darvic 6TY which I have submitted.

Black-headed Gull

This male was ringed as an adult on 19th March 2021 at Kongens Have in Denmark before moving to Tallinn in Estonia on the 11th April 2021.  He then visited Hornsea on 11th October that year through to the 22nd February 2022 before returning to Tallinn on the 16th April through to May.  On the 16th October 2022 he was back at Hornsea any my sighting on the 7th January 2025 was the first sighting since.  I wonder how old he really is?

Back at The Bay I wandered down to the beach where the tide was out and Sanderlings scuttled in and out of the surf.  There were just a few dog walkers down there and the waves were the only sound.  The temperature dropped even more as the sun dipped out of view and I heard Bullfinches and found a flock of Linnets looking for somewhere to roost on the slog back up the treacherously icy path.

With there being almost no one staying in this wonderfully strange village of the dammed resort, there were birds out feeding on all the beautifully mown front lawns and brown winged continental Blackbirds, grey Song Thrushes and orange breasted Robins were all out trying to find food before the light went.  All were unconcerned by my presence.

Blackbird

Blackbird

Wednesday was even colder – well below freezing but the forecast was for a fine day so we headed north to Whitby where a couple of hours were spent exploring the ancient ruins of the Abbey.  Despite all my east coast twitching days, I had never been here before and being a cold but still winter day meant that there were only six other people, there allowing some photo opportunities that I suspect would be difficult in the more traditional visiting season.  A Rock Pipit flew over and I found some Maidenhair Spleenwort and Wall-Rue Ferns on the ancient degraded sandstone.

Maidenhair Spleenwort

Wall-Rue

There was no sign of Dracula or any other vampiric activity although St Mary’s church alongside the Abbey is well worth a look for being odd in so many ways – box pews, a towering pulpit, ear trumpets.  A sign stipulates that Dracula is absolutely NOT buried in the churchyard despite what people think!

A fine cock Pheasant in the churchyard

Looking down on Whitby Harbour

By the time we were leaving the cloud was once again bubbling up inland and so we retreated south and dropped into Scarborough where I checked the breakwater unsuccessfully for any Purple Sandpipers.

Scarborough castle

Thursday was even colder and it never got above freezing all day and in fact in the Forge Valley it was down to -6c and super crispy.  I was able to stop this time and walked a bit of the riverside path where I hoped to find Dippers but alas not despite the still flowing water.  There were a few fluffed up small birds with Marsh and Coal Tits and Nuthatches noted but sections of the boardwalk were destroyed by fallen Ash trees and the die back here followed by a windy winter has probably made it untenable as a walk once the leaves are back on the trees.  Natural England are obviously aware.

Roger was impressed by the wintery scene

I checked the two stretches of river where we saw Dippers back in May and at the second near Harkness two were still on the stretch where we found the nest under the bridge.  Much to my surprise I found several small branches with wondrous hair ice ‘growing’ out of it.

Hair ice

Hair ice

The drive back out produced Yellowhammers but despite the still conditions, my searches for Goshawks along the Larch and Pine ridges produced nothing.

From here I foolishly decided that it would be ok to loop round and up onto the moors via Grosmant.  I should have realised that it would be a touch dodgy just from the lanes through the villages but I persevered and found myself on an ice road over the top through a stunning snow covered landscape.  You could not pull off anywhere and I dread to think what I would have done if anything had come the other way but obviously no one else was stupid enough to venture up there.  A single Red Grouse came up from the roadside along with a couple of Meadow Pipits and Fieldfares but it was otherwise desolate and I have to admit that I was quite relieved to get back to proper tarmac once again on the road down towards Pickering.

It started like this and I could stop. 
After this point there was no tarmac and I just kept going!

I called into Filey on the way back and had a very cold walk out to the end of the headland and looked down onto the Brigg.  Unlike my other sea views this one did contain birds with rafts of Guillemots bobbing around not far off shore (but not in the Bay itself).  I was surprised to see that many were already in full breeding plumage.  A lone Razorbill was the only other Auk along with a Red-throated Diver and a couple of Shags.  On the Bay side a few gulls loafed including Kittiwakes and two hulking Great Northern Divers bobbed around but never dived once. The rocky plinths below held Redshank, Oystercatchers and 11 Purple Sandpipers but I was frozen despite my layers and walked back with my head down against the breeze that had spring up.

Guillemots

Great Northern Diver

Back at The Bay it suddenly started to snow and it was cold enough to settle but I was grateful that it only lasted about an hour before calling it a night!

No more snow had fallen overnight which was a relief and the route on Friday morning across to visit friends in Spofforth near Wetherby was only enlivened by the fine views across the Vale of Pickering down to the north.  As for the journey back from there to Lowestoft – well, there was so much dirty salt and ice on the roads that driving once it got dark on the A15, A17 and A47 was at times nerve racking as you could not see the road side or lines when there was oncoming traffic and I had to stop to clean my lights again as it felt like I had not got any on!  I was somewhat relieved to get home.  To prove that it was really that bad even I had to wash my poor black car today as it looked like a well done jacket potato with wheels.

And before you ask, yes I was aware of all the fabulous birds up in Northumberland while I was away and yes I could have gone but from Filey it was still the best part of three hours to get to the Grey-headed Lapwing and White-billed Diver and even the Teeside Ross’s Gull was over two and a half.  I am more pragmatic nowadays about my birding and I simply did not fancy spending what were glorious days driving even further north.  Perhaps I will be lucky and see some of these Lapwings in a few weeks in Japan?