Notch-up one at Newbourne...

With the weather in Suffolk being so beautiful (as I'm led to believe it is across the entire country) I decided to take a trip to the exquisitely picturesque Newbourne Springs with mother. I went with birdwatching in the back of my mind, hence taking the camera and binoculars, but it was mainly a nice walk in the sun drenched woods which was the aim of the day. The reserve is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and they do a wonderful job of managing it without it looking like it has been managed - if you know what I mean.

We arrived in the glorious sunshine and my eye was instantly drawn to the bright orange butterfly which was flitting around next to where we parked the car. Of course, by the time I had got to the boot and found the binoculars it had disappeared. So off we strolled surrounded by the combined tweetings of chaffinches, wrens, robins and the newly arrived, but very vocal, chiffchaffs.

As we strolled around bird highlights came in the form of a great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, treecreeper and a flock of at least 15 fieldfares. I'm guessing their proximity to the east coast means that they could be considering making the trip back to Scandinavia soon. The really pleasant surprise (which I had half-hoped for) my first singing blackcap of the year. He was generally quite elusive, but after a short time of following us whilst uttering short song excerpts from the depths of the scrub, he sat out on display for a short time.

Blackcap - Newbourne Springs - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Another first of the year for me can in the (very distinctive) shape of a couple of comma butterflies sparring with each other before landing in the sunshine.

Comma - Newbourne Springs - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

There was also red admirals on the wing and a white which, from a distance, looked like my first green-veined white of the year - but I'm not 100% on that one.

A lovely way to spend a couple of hours and Mum loved it!

I shall call it ... Springter!...

I love this time of year, when the arriving Spring migrants meet the Winter visitors who are preparing to leave.

I feel this photo sums it up...

Garganey & Wigeon - RSPB Boyton Marshes - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

So first, a brief catch up on what I've been up to since the last post. Last week we had an impromptu trip to North Norfolk which was probably a month too early. Migrants were still somewhat in short supply with the exception being my first little ringed plover of the year at RSPB Titchwell followed by a Spoonbill at Cley. We then followed this first trip with another a couple of days later when we headed over to Lake Vyrnwy in Mid Wales. Again, since this site specialises in species such as wood warblers, redstarts and pied flycatchers, we were too early since these species wont be appearing for another month or so. I might post some pictures from these trips at a later date.

So that brings us up to today. I'm now back in Suffolk for a couple of weeks and I intend to catch up with as many migrants as I can because when I get back to Birmingham, time will be at a premium. Anyway, my first target species for my trip home was a garganey. They had been popping up all over the place in the last week and I thought I must have a good chance of seeing one. After a relaxed morning I heard that one had been seen just a short drive away so I grabbed my gear and headed out to RSPB Boyton Marshes. As I arrived I was greeted by one of the most pristine looking male marsh harriers I have ever seen - perfect definition of the dark wing tips, crisp contrast between the white and brown and a clear pale head. It appeared so quickly that I hadn't even got my camera out of the car as it past overhead. After this encounter I headed off to look over the first of the flashes and after seeing curlews, redshanks, oystercatchers and avocets I clocked a very handsome drake garganey cruising across the water.

Drake Garganey - RSPB Boyton Marshes - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Having swam around a little he took to the edge and adopted this position:

Drake Garganey - RSPB Boyton Marshes - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

I guess he must be tired after a long overnight migration! Unfortunately I couldn't find the mixed group of bean geese and white-fronted geese which were supposed to be lingering around in the area, but not to worry, a beautiful female marsh harrier drifting over more than made up for it.

I finished up at Boyton pretty quickly because despite the beautiful weather, the breeze coming off the river made the earlier choice of shorts seem a tad optimistic. Driving back home I passed Upper Hollesley Common where a great grey shrike has been residing for the past few days - I would have been an idiot not to stop! Although the shrike was somewhere around the common, my real hope was to see a woodlark and a yellowhammer (believe it or not, I haven't stumbled across this species yet this year). So off I trotted down the main path towards the crossroads and after a while I paused because of what I could hear. Singing somewhere across the common was a yellowhammer. I scanned the bushes and heather and clocked a dartford warbler and a stonechat. So now I could see two fantastic species whilst still listening to a the yellowhammer. Some crossbills flew overhead but there was no sign of the seemingly elusive yellow devil. I pressed on and was greeted by the sound of a singing woodlark who refused to make himself visable. I arrived at one of the two famous drinking pools on the common - there are literally hundreds of photos on birdguides which have been taken of birds coming down to drink and bathe at them - and I bedded in for a short time with a couple of proper photographers.

Crossbills - Upper Hollesley Common - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Siskin - Upper Hollesley Common - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

And the crossbills just kept coming, it was fantastic.

Crossbills (with a cheeky chaffinch) - Upper Hollesley Common
- Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

So after spending some time at the puddle, I walked on in search of a woodlark and yellowhammer. Further up the path I found a goldcrest who refused to be photographed and as I turned to carry on walking, two birds flew down to the path to feed - yellowhammers!

(Overexposed) Yellowhammers - Upper Hollesley Common - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

After the yellowhammers dispersed a singing woodlark drifted overhead and into the distance - I couldn't ask for anymore in a day (except for maybe the shrike). On the return to the car I passed the puddle again and rejoined the photographers for another short puddle-watching vigil. They informed me that I had missed yellowhammers coming to drink and a stonechat bathing. You can see a picture taken by one of the photographers here. I did however manage to get some lovely views of yellowhammers coming down from the trees though.

Yellowhammer - Upper Hollesley Common - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Yellowhammer and Chaffinch - Upper Hollesley Common
- Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

And so concluded another lovely afternoon's birding. This also highlights another reason for loving Springter - you can have a productive morning doing stuff and still get a good afternoons birding in!

Sandwell's 2012 highlights so far...

The cogs of migration are slowly beginning to turn with me hearing my first chiffchaff of the year yesterday. As we say goodbye to our Winter visitors and prepare the reserve for the Spring arrivals I thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect upon some of the birding highlights of the year so far here in the Valley.

The first candidate worth mention is a regular winter visitor (recorded every year) but can be as difficult to see as an Umpalumpa laying down in a carrot field. It is of course the diminutive and perfectly camouflaged Jack snipe. In the last coordinated snipe count on February 29th we flushed at least 6 of them which is a good count for anywhere in the country let alone a small 'urban' reserve. This year they have also been coming to within spitting distance (literally) of the hide and giving amazing photo opportunities (alas I haven't been there when this has been the case). One visitor was fortunate enough to get this shot after a brief visit to the hide in February.

Jack Snipe - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Kyle Smith

These have been accompanied by their slightly bigger cousin the common snipe which have also been present in good numbers with 60 being counted in the end of February snipe count. This year I haven't managed to get a good photo of one yet, but here is an older photo taken from the Sandwell Hide.

Common Snipe - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Date Unknown/Forgotten - Mike Ixer

In early February a group of 6 golden plover were seen on the other side of the Valley by Salters Lane.

Golden Plover - Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Mike Ixer

The next visitor was the real star of the year so far. It arrived on the 12th, stayed for 5 days in February and had it's gender discussed at length. It was of course the redhead smew and was the first of this species to visit the Valley in at least 8 years - if not more.

Smew - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Smew - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Mike Ixer

At the same time as the smew was floating around the lake, we also had a visit from some greylag geese (scarce in the Valley) and a handsome drake pintail.

Greylag Goose - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Pintail - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Mike Ixer

Mid February also saw the return of our regular oystercatcher Stumpy. She is so named because of her distinctive missing foot - an injury which looks to be very uncomfortable but is clearly not too much of an inconvenience because this is her 5th summer in the Valley! Below is a photo I took yesterday on the North Island. In it you can just about make out that the bird on the right is missing her left foot.

Oystercatchers - Sandwell Valley - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

On the 22nd of Feb we had a brief visit from a yellow-legged gull which unfortunately avoided the camera lens. We also had our first visit of the year by a black-tailed godwit (which I missed because I didn't arrive until the afternoon!). One of the hide guides managed to phonescope this shot though.

Black-Tailed Godwit - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Feb. 2012 - Richard Edwards

A pair of ravens has been present in the Valley recently and there have been sporadic sightings from the reserve but they have thus far remained unphotographed. The same can't be said about the dunlin which dropped in on the 4th March.

Dunlin - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

This brings me bang up to date to my visit yesterday which coincided with the first redshank of the year.

Redshank - RSPB Sandwell Valley - Mar. 2012 - Mike Ixer

So my Sandwell Valley yearlist stands at 79 for the year so far and with the early signs of Spring migration being seen I hope to add to that over the next few weeks.