So today I have returned to (slightly surprisingly) sunny Suffolk to see the family for, unbelievably, the first time in 2013 - quite remarkable considering my weekly returns a couple of years ago. As previous blogs have shown, when in Suffolk I do like to get out and sample the local bird life so over the next few days we will see what can be seen.
Having arrived back in the early afternoon we had some lunch, chatted for a while and then noticed that two short-eared owls had been seen today at Levington Lagoon/Creek. With no further ado we jumped into the car and headed down to try our luck.
It was high tide when we arrived (presumably the owls were seen when the encroaching tide pushed them out from the edge of the river) and other than some
wigeon and
teal there was very little to see on the creek.
The waders had all massed on a small peninsular quite a way away and out of camera range. Further small groups of
redshanks and
dunlin darted and swirled through the air to join the assembled flock as the tide crept to today's high.
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| Wader Flock - Levington - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
We arrived at the lagoon to find more waders that had escaped the tide. There were more
redshanks, a couple of
oystercatchers, some
common snipe, 3
grey plovers and a handful of
shelducks.
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| Shelducks and Grey Plover - Levington Lagoon - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
After speaking to a local photographer about the apparent absence of the reported owls we moved further down the creek and found a lovely
spotted redshank. A real bonus because it was a year tick for me.
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| Spotted Redshank - Levington Lagoon - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
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Wigeon, Snipe, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank -
Levington Lagoon - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
We watched a skein of
Brent geese (c.40) fly down the opposite bank of the river and eventually two of them landed on the water just offshore from us.
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| (Dark-Bellied) Brent Geese - Levington - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
Whilst watching them a real flying rarity flew up river.
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| Sea King Helicopter - Levington - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
These sea king helicopters have been such a constant presence through my coastal childhood that it is sad to think of them all now being decommissioned.
Anyway, as the tide began to retreat it took no time at all for the waders to literally flock back to the newly exposed mud flats. They came back in their hundreds;
dunlin,
redshank,
turnstone,
grey plover,
curlew,
avocet and
oystercatcher all featured.
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| Wader Flock - Levington - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
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| Waders - Levington - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
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| Dunlin - Levington - Apr. 2013 - Mike Ixer |
Having watched this feeding frenzy we decided it was time to return home. No short-eared owls (again) but a very enjoyable hours birding.
Let's see what tomorrow brings...
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