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…
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