Coot Numbers today were up to 21, for me a site record, and probably a site record full stop. 6 Spoonbill, 2 Greenshank and 2 Greens Sand.
August 12th
A Cuckoo had been found at Shingle Street so went to take a look, it was blowing a gale but the bird did show well after giving us all the run around, a Drake Common Scoter was sat on sea alone.
August 19th
A Red Kite over the garden before i nipped to the patch. Walked down the track to find 2 pied fly, on the scrape 5 Ruff, 4 little Ringed Plover, 1 Caspian Gull, 1 female type Garganey, 6 common sand and 9 Spoonbill.
August 20th
That rare just wouldn't come today and it was hard work out their, but a Whinchat was from the sluice, 1 Dartford warbler on river wall, 4 Woodsand, 4 Greenshank, 7 Greensand, 9 Little Ringed Plover, 6 Spoonbill, 2 Dunlin, Hobby, a red wing tagged Marsh Harrier probably local. 2 Wheatear. Many Whitethroat, Sedge warblers and a few Reed Warblers
10 House sparrow away from the village was unusual.
Nipped to Hollesley common to try find a roosting Nightjar that a friend told me about. i did find one closeby.
Nipped back to Hollesley where some more waders were dropping in with Bar-tailed Godwit.
This ringed bird was from Revtangen in Norway, rung 02.08.2023 in a mist net. Yellow LUL, first report of this batch of waders ringed.
August 25th
Been at work all day when a Red Necked Phalarope had been found on the scrape. so after work i made a dash for the patch picking this bird up distantly. It was a great evning on patch with no less than 20 species of Waders, 2 Spotted Redshank, 4 Woodsand 7 Greensand, 2 Dunlin, 3 Ruff, 1 Knot, Redshank, Black tailed godwit, Common Sand, 6 little Ringed Plover, 4 Ringed Plover, Curlew. Greenshank, Avocet and a Turnstone Also a 1st winter yellow ringed Caspian gull. 25 Spoonbill was amazing.
August 26th
Much the same as yesterday, the Red necked Phalarope was still here, 25 Spoonbill, 2 Hobby and a very good mix of waders. The Phalarope finally gave itself up by showing a little better. The Common Gull was still feeding its young. A female type Garganey was about again.
After yesterdays storms i thought id giove seawatching a go from Hollesley. It weren't half bad.
Final Sea watching totals from Hollesley 9am to 1330
5 Black Tern
3 Arctic tern
6 Little Tern
1000s of Common Tern
80 Sandwich Tern
4 Arctic Skua
3 Kittiwake
9 Golden Plover
6 Dunlin
1 Caspian gull Juv
10 Common Scoter
4 Mallard
1 Whimbrel
4 Bar tailed Godwit
3 Curlew
3 Knot
4 Avocet
9 Ringed Plover
1 Med Gull Juv
1 Possible Honey Buzzard, picked up too late to be 100% but looked good.
on Scrape
9 Spoonbill
1 Green Shank
2 Common Sand
few warblers in the Bush's
July 29th and 30th
The 2 Ruddy shelduck still, Spoonbills feeding young, 2 Raven were new in, Dunlin and a female Pintail. Wheatear still, 2 Ruff and the Greenshank. 5 Sanderling with the Ringed plover, a Mute swan ringed in Bungay. A Juv Common Tern flew up the river and visited the scrape briefly. Lastly a Common Gull had young with them, a nice breeding record for the site.
July 27th
1 Little Stint, 8 Wigeon were new in, Juv Cuckoo and a Hobby chasing swallows but then went back to catching dragonfly's.