4th May:
A lunchtime look at Dagenham Chase produced two male Blue-headed
Wagtails with the Yellows along with Common Sandpiper and Redshank.
5th May
We headed back down to Kent with the job of finding the Lade
Pit Night Herons and it only took a few moments to see both the adult and
sub-adult in the Willows before they then disappeared for several hours. The younger bird flew around for five minutes
before heading off towards the ARC.
Common Terns, Swifts and hirundines hawked over the main pit
and a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits in breeding plumage dropped in. Down to the
Patch where an adult Black Tern was with the Commons and further out to sea
there were Fulmars and would could have been a Cory’s Shearwater.
The RSPB reserve was very quiet but we did see Turnstone,
Golden Plover and Sanderling along with some more Black Terns and a 2cy Little Gull
as well as the ever essential Yellow Wagtails.
On to Stodmarsh where the American Coot had disappeared a
week before but all the warblers were having a good sing and Bearded Tits
proved incredibly tame. They followed us
everywhere!
Common Terns, Swifts and Sand Martins zipped around and Hobbies
joined in the chase. A Water Rail squealed and the walk back gave us an
obliging group of Bullfinches feeding on willow flowers while Yellowhammers and
Chaffinches were seen around the car park before we poodled home.
6th May:
Andrea joined myself and Steve bacon for a day out in
Norfolk. Snettisham was the first stop
and it was a fairly long stroll down to where the Little Bittern had been
showing sporadically for a few days. The
walk was enlivened by a singing Grasshopper Warbler amongst the other regular
species.
It was not a particularly well behaved twitch but after a
while the dowdy female came into view and sat and preened for a short while.
Lapwings and two Grey Partridges called from the meadows and
two more Groppers were found including one just a few feet away from us. On to
North Wooton where a vast amount of Montagu’s Harrier stringing was taking
place so we headed along the coast to Salthouse where a much more satisfactory
female Bluethroat was watched alongside the roadside ditch.
 |
| Bluethroat |
Kelling Quags next for a Wryneck that hopped around on the
path and presented us with no viewing problems whatsoever. Only my third ever spring bird. A short
seawatch gave us a 3cy Med Gull and 2cy Kittiwake – two more new birds for
Andrea.
Back to the Dun Cow for a swift pint before heading for home
via the obliging Stone-Curlews at Foxhole Heath.
12th May:
Up to Oliver’s near Colchester with Ian W and although we did
not get any Goshawks we did hear the Quail calling from the meadows. The woodland was alive with song but only a
Treecreeper obliged.
Down to Abberton where there was instant Yellow Wagtail
happiness and amongst the Ruddy Ducks was the returning male White-headed Duck
in all is glory with just a few black feathers on the back of his head remaining. A fluffy Tawny Owlet was sat in the mouth of
its nest hole by the visitors centre.
 |
| White-headed Duck |
Fingringhoe next with many waders still around including spangly
breeding plumaged Grey Plovers along with a few Blackwits and a few other
waders including at least 30 Whimbrel.
Five Brent Geese were in the saltmarsh but the Nightingales were surprisingly
quiet and we did not see one this time.
On to Old Hall for the long walk out for the Spoonbills
although Andrea ran out of legs half way but Ian and I motored on and found an
adult and two immatures in flight and then in the Bale Field. Corn Buntings were jangling and Oystercatchers,
Lapwings, Redshanks, Ringed Plover and Whimbrel were vocal on the marshes and
creeks where we added Avocet and Greenshank.
Little Terns were fishing in the channel – such tiny little things and a
2cy Little Gull buoyantly picked food from the surface. It was a good end to a successful day out.
 |
| The sketch |
 |
| The painting |
25th May:
A lazy stroll around Connaught Water and Fishers Green. No
mandarins and ‘there it goes’ views of Kingfisher but there were lots of
warblers and a pair of hunting Hobbies.
27th May:
Kent again – this time with Steve B and Mike M. The Patch at Dungeness was heaving with terns
including a pink flushed, glowing white adult Roseate, Sandwich and Little amongst
the Commons. A peculiar 2cy Common-type tern puzzled us by having a strikingly
grey rump concolorous with the upperparts which were a shade darker than the
Commons present. It left us pondering.
[Eds: Other birders were also watching it and 2cy White-cheeked Tern was even muted
at the time. I just wish we had taken
proper notes]. A Black Redstart sung behind
us from the power station and Brent Geese and Bar-tailed Godwits were streaming
through.
We were told that the Night Herons had been refound behind
the ARC and our chosen path took us straight to the birds which showed very
well indeed with deep red eyes and long head plumes. Swifts screamed by with mouths agape and the
sound of Marsh Frogs filled the air with the scatty songs of Sedge Warblers and
twittering Sand Martins.
East now to St Margarets where the Marsh Warblers duly obliged
and two of the three males we found showed very well. A male Green Hairstreak filled a gap on my
British list and probably one of the most common butterflies I had never seen.
That Tern at Dungeness was still bothering us so we retraced
our steps and it was still there and easy to pick out. We were none the wiser and the consensus of
those still watching it was similarly confused. [Eds: If anyone out there can
remember this bird and if it was positively identified in the end, please do
let me know!] The weather was turning
and a heavy squall pushed 12 Manx Shearwaters east along with many more Gannets
and Fulmars.
We popped back to the Obs to let Dave know about the funny
tern. Unfortunately we did not have time
to go for the White Stork and Crane sharing the same field out on Wallend. Never mind.
No comments:
Post a Comment