So as usual works gets in the way of finding decent birds, I see birds reported left right and center and in my mind i think get a job ya bums..... in reality Im just jealous ive got a mortgage to pay for and don't have the luxury of birding when ever i like. Anyway i got lucky tonight as a Wryneck was found on the patch at Hollesley and luckily it hung about for me to see it. Love a Wryneck and even better on patch. Shame i didn't get the opportunity to find it...
4th August
Well Hollesley is all but dry now so ill be moving on else where for my daily birding. So had to make the most of the 11 Green Sandpipers, 4 LRP 7 Black Tailed godwit and loads of geese. Barn owl, Golden Plover over. 2 Common Sand with 17 Redshank on river left.
16th August
Had me back on patch as a Black Stork was heading along the coast, or at least it did until it reached Boyton where it pissed off inland. So no i didn't get it, absolutely bloody gutted i was. All i had to show for it was a Bar tailed Godwit and Dunlin.
21st August
Had the day out at Ickworth House, lovely area, and great for Spotted Flycatcher (7) and good views of Nuthatch. (Never seen on patch) A late Swift too.
22nd August
Promised some Easterlie wind and rain. It didn't arrive until just now 1700.... so the day was almost wasted on my 6 mile circular around Hollesley to Shingle street.
A surprise Tree Pipit over was a tick, 2 Green Sandpiper by the local stream, Yellow Wagtails were still in the area (4) Wasp Spiders took the limelight as i found 6 different males. Been searching a few weeks now but only just started to show.
On the Sea 60 Common Scoter flew south, terns were moving north in numbers, a Juvenile Caspian Gull was sat on the shingle ridge. Red Kite and a Hobby both put in a brief appearance and 2 nice Juvenile Black Tern feeding out at Sea. Superb! lastly 6 Grey Heron came in off flying very close to the sea. Just for fun pics of Black Tern and Grey Heron
Hopefully this wind and rain my drop something in tonight or tommorrow.
So checked the patch early but a peregrine put everything up, after a quick check not much to add except 2 Juv Stonechats.
I decided to have a trip up to Minsmere for the afternoon. Went around to public hide first to see if i could find the White Rumped Sandpiper that had been reported. Checked all the waders but nothing. So after a while i went and sat in the East hide instead, picked up a Pec Sand first another good wader that had been found a couple of days ago. Then i spotted the White Rumped Sand too in the same scope area, went to get my camera out and they all flew.......... God-dammit. I hung around a little and was rewarded with good and prolonged views of the White Rumped Sand when it finally returned. I found the Pec Sand again too but that was a long way off. You'll have to take my word for it when looking at pics.
Pec Sand
Accompanying birds on site were loads of Spotted Redshank probably 10,
3 Green Sand, 3 LRP, 3 Sanderling loads of Ruff etc.
After my fill of the waders i checked through the Terns and found Arctic Tern.
Finished birding at the Bittern hide and didn't have to wait long before a very nice close flyby of the Bittern.
What a great day had.
The waders have been great this last week and Hollesley water levers are great with plenty of exposed mud, Hope it doesn't drain to quick though. Anyway Im not going to go through daily totals other wise the blog would be even more boring than usual ;-). So ill do max totals instead.
Wood Sandpipers have been the pick of the waders with max 6
Little Ringed Plover 14 (Most ive seen in UK)
Greenshank 4
Knot 4
Black tailed Godwits 41
Green Sandpipers 6
Common Sandpipers 4
Avocets 33
Ringed Plover 3
Dunlin 1
Snipe 5
Yellow Wagtail 3
Peregrine
Juv Med Gull
1 Spoonbill
Best bird of the week though surprisingly was a Coot, heard them but never actually seen one here.
