A slow drive towards Ingham started with 18 Whooper Swans, then at Ingham bends found the 12 Bewick Swans with a single Whooper Swan, 3 Common Cranes flew over too.
Finally at Martham i found the 7 Tundra bean geese with a small party of pinks and over 35 Egyptian geese.
The pools were frozen helping with being able to read a few Gull rings, Had 3 Herring gulls .
ABV a first winter bird from Orfordness
XVV a near Adult from Havergate No picture as a Marsh harrier put up all the gulls as i was taking its picture.
Finally this confusing gull TKTW a first winter from Havergate again, this one had me scratching my head, a pale gull structure was Herring gull but greater Coverts of a Lesser Black backed gull. I put it down eventually as a strange looking Herring gull, So it was no surprise when the ringers came back to me confused too, they had it down in the nest as a Lesser Black-Backed Gull but the more they look at it the more Herring Gull features appear as it gets older, seen a few times in pig fields at Butley. We came to the most likely conclusion as a LBBG X HG hybrid. nice to know Im getting to grips with gulls a little :-) hopefully it will stay in the area over the next few years to see what species it does grow into.
4th January.
Year list and patch list steadily approaching that 100 mark, The 4 Cattle egret were still around as were 35 Snow Buntings, 2 Water pipits on the scrape was great to get so early on, Woodcock and little owl were on the edge of woods just before the Heath. 20 Whitefronts came in off the sea. A 1st winter Caspian gull carried in the nice sequin of Gulls.
January 5th, a female Brambling coming to feeders in my Hollesley garden.
January 12th
Back on patch, 30 Snow bunting still and 2 Cattle egret, 1 flew over the street as i got home. It was a cool ol day which meant Red throated divers were on the move with 38 in one group flying south only to circle back north. Walked to Boyton, a nice ring-tailed Hen Harrier was a great bonus as was a Black Redstart on the barn. A sunny day meant this Stock dove was very photogenic.
Well can we start today again please, got absolutely drenched walking from Hollesley to Boyton, Abandoning my bird walk at Boyton. Still managed 71 species surprisingly with a few Caspian Gulls, 1st Winter Yellow legged gulls 35 Snow Bunting and 3 Cattle Egret, In the Geese 2 Pink footed a Barnacle, 2 Egyptian and 40 Whitefronts. Waders were Avocets, Black tailed Godwits, Dunlins, Ringed plover, Grey and Golden Plovers.
Caspian Gulls 1st and 3rd Winter
Happy New year to all who read this.
Broken up from work now except for a couple hours on Christmas day and then back 30th and 31st giving me a bit of time for some local birding.
A good start today with 4 Cattle Egret, before leaving the carpark area. These birds were just in front of Warren hill prison, at point blank range from the bridleway, i nipped over there to get these pics after a few hours looking over the reserve.
From the Screen a Wigeon x Mallard or Wigeon x Pintail.
Just 1 1st Winter Caspian Gull and 2nd winter Yellow Legged Gull on Scrape. I moved to the river wall where the 40 Snow Bunting were still present.
Yellow Legged Gull
I did have a quick trip over to Minsmere, male and Female Bullfinch, 1st Winter Caspian gull and 2 Whooper swans were the highlights.
25th December
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Started the day working, so after i got home opened my gifts and sorted the food i nipped out to the patch. Looked through the gulls, 4 Caspian gull, adult, 2cy, 2 1cy,.2 Yellow legged Gulls 2cy, 3cy. Lots of herring gulls in summer plum now making it more tricky to pick out the Caspians. 2 Northern herrings adults. Back on the river wall 40 Snow Buntings still and in the distance the Cattle egret still in front of the Prison.
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