So July roles in August and birders everywhere seem to turn to insect spotting owing to the birds just "sitting in trees and bushes going tweet". With birds seeming elusive at best I didn't hold out much hope of finding much on my trip to Suffolk to see the family. I had however overlooked the fact that early wader passage had begun!
27/07/13 - Upper Hollesley Common + Melton
On my first day I took a brief stroll around Upper Hollesley Common. I was hoping to fill a gaping hole in my year list with a bird that I know breeds there. Yellowhammers should be an easy find but they always seem to escape me. I also had vague hopes of finding some dartford warblers or some crossbills - both of which I had seen there previously. After a certain amount searching I had heard a number of yellowhammers and a single dartford warbler but had thus far failed to see anything except butterflies. Finally one popped up and sat singing for a while - first year tick of the trip!
On the way home from the common I had a quick stop at Melton to have a look at the tidal mud flats but much to my horror, despite the possibility of an early wader passage, there was virtually nothing with long legs evident! Some consolation was this nice showy reed warbler.
28/07/13 - RSPB Minsmere
My first trip to this flagship RSPB reserve for a number of months and I was seriously excited about the prospect of some of the waders that had been mentioned on various websites. When I arrived I headed straight past the North Hide for a scan across the field behind the visitors centre where stone curlews had successfully bred this year for the first time in three years. Alas they were nowhere to be seen and I was keen to start searching the scrape so I vowed to try again later in the day. I arrived in East Hide and was greeted by the sight of 30+ spotted redshanks along with copious numbers and varieties of other waders.
In a single scope view I was treated to views of spotted redshank, common redshank, dunlin, knot, turnstone, lapwing, avocet and black-tailed godwits - crazy! Elsewhere on the scrape were green and common sandpipers, ringed plover, a brief visit from a kittiwake and then four little gulls.
After a long stay in the East Hide I left and headed out for a look over the sea. There was very little evident in the strong winds but a few turns were feeding and I suddenly spotted two little terns heading towards land. They flew straight over my head and landed on South Scrape. As I approached the sluice I was surprised to find what must be an early departing wheatear since I'm not aware of the, breeding locally.
It was the first time I had a chance to explore the temporary wader trail despite it being open annually. I had high hopes but I was a little disappointed not to find anything new. Everything then left the scrape and appeared on the North Levels but still nothing new. I completed the loop around the scrape with very little extras to add to the day's sightings. After stopping to refuel in the cafe I tried again for the stone curlews with familiarly disappointing results. I decided I would go for one last look from East Hide and this was rewarded with a couple more year ticks. A pair of sanderlings landed as the tide drove them from the shore and a lone sandwich tern was a nice addition.
29/07/13 - Levington Creek
Having returned from Minsmere the previous day I was frustrated to hear that I missed a series of year ticks through not being in the right place at the right time. I spent most of the day at home but I decided to head for a quick look a Levington Creek at high tide. Much to my annoyance, I arrived to find the tide was already in and there was almost nothing to be seen on the creek itself. Round the corner there was still some exposed mud and elevated areas and these had been taken over by dozens of golden plovers. As I looked through the plovers something else became obvious, a pair of whimbrels sat in the vegetation.
I had hoped to see some of these birds, it was one of the main reasons for trying Levington. The previous day there had been reports of record numbers of whimbrel past the Spurn Observatory and it was one of the birds I had missed at Minsmere.
Year ticks so far...
- Little Gull
- Little Tern
- Sanderling
- Sandwich Tern
- Knot
- Yellowhammer
- Whimbrel
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