Blue Eyed Birder: April 2025

The afternoon of the 14^th saw a huge deluge – the first rain in at least seven weeks but it looked to be a clear night so the moth trap went on and the next morning I retrieved two Clouded Drab, two Hebrew Character, two Early Grey and three Common Quakers from the trap before the rain returned on and off for a miserable chilly day.

Clouded Drab

Common Quaker

More garden time on the 16^th with the expected Buzzards overhead but nothing else while I tinkered away. A few more Bees around with the first Honeys along with Bombus terrestris, pascuorum and a very large hortorum.

Bombus hortorum

A very fresh, hairy and orange Myathropa florea

Pisaura mirabilis - the top one is wonderfully different

A glance out the kitchen window while making dinner revealed a bird in the garden. To be honest any bird whatsoever actually within the fences is a novelty at the moment so when it flicked around and shivered a rusty red tail I was even happier – a 1^st year male Black Redstart. He flicked around the borders and up onto the fence before working his way around the sheds and disappearing into the back ally. I know that you can see them around Ness Point almost all year now but it was especially pleasing to add it to the garden list too.

1^st year male Black Redstart

A subsequent post-dinner walk down towards Petos at Calton Marshes in a strengthening very cool breeze was quite pleasant although the Sedge Warblers were somewhat reticent this time round. Still no new migrant Warblers though. At least 80 Sand Martin were flickering around the bund and out over the extensive reedbeds with about 20 Swallows amongst them and Marsh Harriers were ever present. I could not be bothered to walk all the way down to look at the wet bits of Petos and turned back at the first kissing gate just as the four Cattle Egrets that had been invisibly lurking decided to get up and have a fly round before disappearing off towards Oulton Broad to roost.

I do like Belties

Cattle Egrets

Chinese Water Deer

I seem to be able to find plenty of odd jobs to do in the gardens at the moment and the 17^th was no different and the local gulls put me onto the pair of Peregrines and Buzzards but I had hopes of something more exciting going over but alas no. There were plenty of insects in the garden and the speed at which they are coming on is astounding.

The Bugle has got a hold this year and is appreciating the light grass trim around it

My garden is awash with Dandelions at the moment. I should do a time lapse to watch them open as the sun comes across

The fig has opened its first leaves

Green Alkanet

Bluebell

cultivated Speedwell

Some of my Cowslips feel a bit Oxslippy

Euphorbia #1

Euphorbia #2

Euphorbia #3

Euphorbia polychroma

Wild Strawberry

Moschatel

Silene suecica - a Scandinavian mountain species

Salticus scenicus

Anthophora plumipes on Comfrey

Let's just say, the Yellow Rattle is coming up a treat!

A pop into town gave me a proper Kittiwake fix. Having a thousand pair of these engaging gulls in Lowestoft is one of the joys of living here although I do wish I could see them from my home. The smell of the colony on the old BT building was like being at Bempton on an onshore wind day.

Volume up! If only you smell it too!

My determination to try and do something most days continued and I headed back towards Carlton at about 5.30 but for the first time got parked up at the end of Spratts Water Lane and walked across the railway without realising that it would bring me out at exact spot I had been looking for Grasshopper Warblers in a few days before.

The short walk down gave me tantalising views of a pair of Cherry bud pinching Bullfinches while Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Sedge Warblers sung.

Bullfinch

Blackcap

I did not stray far when I reached the marsh and spent my time just standing still and listening and scanning for stuff. I was rewarded with Bittern, Great, Little and Cattle Egrets, Marsh Harriers and Buzzards, two pair of Stonechat and a quite showy Grasshopper Warbler that reeled away from the dense clumps of last year’s rush stems.

Great Egret - not done an Essence of Egret shot for a while

Stonechat

Grasshopper Warbler

Chinese Water Deer dotted the marsh and a Muntjac appeared at my feet and simply ambled off. They can be stupidly fearless at times. There were a few expected insects with another Speckled Wood being the highlight.

I got home, did my Spanish and sat down for dinner just as news of a male Pallid Harrier broke at Corton. I do not tend to rush off for stuff nowadays but I felt the pull of an Eastern Grey Ghost and a short whizz later I was pulling up behind a few other cars. They were already watching it and I could hear ‘Going away!’ Thankfully Carl Buttle pulled me to his scope and I watched this slight male shimmer as he circled inland and up, not to be seen again. The local Hoopoe eluded me but I was glad to have made some instantaneous effort for once!

The trap went on again last night and I added Early Thorn and Shuttle Shaped Dart to my paltry garden moth list when I emptied it early this morning before a quick Good Friday run down to Westleton Common for a Nightingale session. I know that by Sunday evening I will have them singing all around me in Lesvos but I really like seeing this bird close to home as it always reminds me of seeing my first ones probably 40 years ago on a walk with my Dad in Hainault Forest when I can clearly remember experiencing that song for the first time early on May morning. We even had one collecting nest material on the path. They have not been there for many years but then again nor have the Marsh Tits, Willow Tits, Redstart, Tree Pipit, Willow Warblers and Yellowhammers that I also clearly recall all those years ago.

Early Thorn

Early Grey

Sorry, got waylaid by the past once again. Anyway, as hoped I heard one as soon as I pulled up and from his circuit suspect that he is the same one as the last two years and with a bit of patience I ended up seeing him very well. Four others were holding territories in regular spots. There were plenty of Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs but no other migrants at all.

Nightingale

It was sunny but not overly warm and insects were a bit tardy getting up although it was gone 10am! A single male Emperor whizzed through and there were a couple of Peacocks. A pair of Woodlarks spiralled above me and one of the pair dropped down less than 20 feet in front of and proceeded to feed completely unconcerned. He even crouched down when a Buzzard started calling but was otherwise quite happy. I just stood and watched him forage and retraced my steps on the path I was on and left him to it.

Woodlark - the crouch

Woodlark

Eristalis pertinax

I checked the field up the road but could not find any Stone-curlews although listening to Woodlarks, Skylarks, Buzzards, Med Gulls, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Linnets and Stonechats whilst sitting in the car and wishing my Mum happy birthday on the phone was a delightful experience.

Med Gull

What with being Good Friday there was quite a lot of traffic heading into Minsmere so we went out the other way and then cut in to Hen Reedbeds where I spent a delightful half hour chatting to a venerable Jeremy Sorensen who took over as Warden at Minsmere in 1975 and presided over the RSPB's outright purchase of the reserve in 1977 and was in post as Site Manager until 1991. We exchanged stories of our time in blue and how so many things had changed during both of our working lives. It was a privilege to chat to him and I could have done so all day.

There were birds while we sat there with Little Egrets coming out of the Willow carr at the back and heading out to the Blyth and Bearded Tits pinged. Cetti’s Warblers shouted from the brambles but there were no migrant warblers here and only some Sand Martins to suggest spring incomers.

We shook hands and I departed for home still proud of what I had given to the RSPB in my twenty years at Rainham.

Back in my garden the first Osmia bicornis was on on the Dandelions.

Osmia bicornis

Blue Eyed Birder

Friday, 18 April 2025

Lowestoft Life - 14th - 18th April 2025