Minsmere

Had the day off from the patch today thought id better take a break dont want to over do it ;-)
So started the day at Bawdsey hoping to see the long staying Rough Legged Buzzard, typically after positive news first thing it had gone by the time i got there.
So took a slow drive onto Minsmere and got the 9 Bewick Swans reported on the main rd.

Got to Minsmere and watched the Green Winged teal asleep for 90% of the time. Still first one for a couple of years. 2 Whooper Swans flew from the pools and a Drake Goosander was nice. 

Out to sea lots of Red-throated Divers and Great Crested Grebes. Lastly 4 Common Scoter. 

Lastly a couple of special Fungi. Birds-nest Fungi by the pond and New Coral Fungi on the beach.

Happy New Year from Hollesley

A very Good start to the year picking up 82 species for the day and all on foot from the house. At Home now 3 Lesser Redpoll on the feeders.  Whilst filling up the feeders 4 White-fronted Geese flew towards the patch.

Highlights on the patch being the Siberian Stonechat still.

Then after finding 2 Bean geese yesterday 8 more Bean Geese this time on Hollesley Scrape.

In fields Barnacle numbers doubled to  44, also 16 White-fronted Geese, 25 Brent and  the usual 2 Bar Headed Geese.

Went back to work Thursday and Friday so no birding. really need to win the Lottery so i can just go birding everyday....

Yeasterday 4th back to the patch and started with an incredible 80+ Russian White-fronted Geese with small numbers still coming in off the sea. The Bar headed geese were still here and there were many more Brent Geese now.

Did the circular a couple of times Snipe and Jack Snipe were a nice surprise. 9 Black tailed Godwit were the other highlight.
During the week 21 Bean Geese visited the site but i could only find 9, Group of 5 and 4.

Only a handful of White-fronts were left on my second trip around the patch.

Finished with 3 Whooper Swans over a Firecrest by the entrance to the RSPB Car park and a Kingfisher in the ditch.

Great few days once again on patch. Green birding at its finest.

The end of the year is nigh Hollesley

Yesterday on patch i walked from home to Shingle Street but started in the Garden with a cracking Lesser Redpoll.

Then when i got to the road leading to the screen i could hear the Peregrine in its usual tree, only this time there were 2. Kingfisher was brief and there were 11 Brent Geese on the flash. The Eastern Stonechat was still on Winter Flood from the river bank.

Reached the road heading to Shingle street and walked the river bank to the end picking up the 3 Whooper Swans, finally found were there feeding.

5 Bullfinch was the best after this.  A Report of a Spoonbill back on the flash had me heading back to patch sooner than id like, i did manage to scope it from the prison late morning.

After being on the patch the family headed to Ramsholt fora pub lunch and i managed to check the river for birds. 170 Avocets was a nice surprise.
Onto Felixstowe and Landgaurd point cafe where i picked out 2 nice Adult Med Gulls. pictures taken on my phone.

Onto today, again started in the garden with a nice list of birds .
1 Lesser Redpoll 14 chaffinch 19 Goldfinch 4 Greenfinch 3 Robin 2 Dunnock 5 Collard dove 6 Blue tit 3 Great tit 1 Coal tit 1 GS woodpecker 1 Starling 1 Tree creeper 5 Blackbird 3 Woodpigeon 3 Magpie 1 Grey squirrel.

Moved onto the patch again, surprise surprise.....

Started with a Grey Wagtail, then at least 8 Whitefronts and 2 bar headed geese. 12 Brent geese 25 golden plover. Then 20 Barnace Geese dropped into nearby fields and another 17 flew North. Continued my circular finishing up at the entrance to Warren Prison where all the geese were now. Counted 37 euro white-fronted geese, 20 barnacle geese 7 Brent. Geese and 1 pink-footed goose many Greylag and Canada geese 2 bar headed geese to and 150 curlew. Then thinking id spotted 3 Pinkfeet but two i noticed were different. Realised then i had 2 Tundra Bean Geese... Boom

It was great to see a nice selection of geese. 

A Great finish to the year.

Hollesley 27th 28th

Sea watching produced from the river bank at Hollesley.
13 Eider
4 Velvet Scoter
77 Common Scoter
36 Red Throated Diver
136 Shelduck (26+29 +35) Groups
4 Goldeneye
97 Brent Geese
16 Mute Swan
1 Great Crested Grebe
1 Caspian Gull
Many Wigeon, Teal, Pintail Gadwall, Cormorants.

Other Stuff, re-found the Eastern Stonechat in the next field along from usual. Lots of Linnets.
3 Whooper Swans flew South again. flocks of 3,5 and 6 White-Fronted Geese. 2 Bar Headed Geese
1 Little Grebe, 1 Peregrine, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Kingfisher.
Stoat and a Hare

5 Common Seal

Very productive morning.