7th to 9th Feb Hollesley

Finally spotted the Great White Egret that was very flighty every time someone walked along the river bank of Winter Flood. 47 Pintail too. This was the first views on the first day.

Managed much better views eventually.

It wasnt until everyone had disappeared that bird settled a little bit.

It sticked in the same area all weekend.

The Geese stayed too with C90 Russian Whitefronts and 55 Barnacle Geese.

The Moon was pretty special.

Today 3 or 4 yellow legged gull 2 adults 1, 3rd Winter? possibly in the pics, didn't notice at time? and a 1st winter. 1 adult Caspian Gull, 96 Great Black Backed Gull. 1 Great White Egret flew towards winter flood. 2 tufted ducks. 90 Whitefronts 55 Barnacles and a lot of wind.

Lastly 2 Kestrel, 2 Tufted Ducks and a Med Gull

Called it a day early due to the storm force winds and driving rain.

1st and 2nd February

Hollesley list from this weekend.
47 Stock Dove
80+ White-Fronted Geese

18 Bean Geese
55 Barnacle Geese
4 Brent Geese (Dark Bellied)
190 Greylag Geese
80 Canada Geese
3 Stonechat
2 Little Egret
33 Pintail
450 Wigeon
220 Teal
21 Tufted Duck (patch tick) theirs a lot of water on the scrape which must have attracted this number in.

2 Buzzard
2 Kestrel
58 Black Tailed Godwit

19 Curlew
19 Redshank
1 Spoonbill (31st Jan)
Large Bat sp (31st Jan)
100 Fieldfare

20 Redwing
4 Yellowhammer
2 Reed Bunting
3 Lesser Redpoll

Had Sunday afternoon at East lane where 7 Snow Bunting showed nicely. 3 Whooper Swans behind Oxley Dairy still.

 
Booom

25th and 26th January

Back on patch Friday night as the light was fading and yet again Short eared owl, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl. Many Geese coming into roost mainly Greylag and Canada but with 28 White fronted Geese.Saturday a large circular of the patch only hosted an Adult Med Gull, 2 White-fronted Geese with the Greylags. Rock Pipits, but it was nice to see a Spoonbill feeding on the scrape. Finally the group of Fallow deer stayed long enough for a quick photo.

Thats all i got to do that day but Sunday a quick circular of the patch, nothing of note so nipped to Woodbridge for lunch. Lots of Black tailed Godwit, 14 Little Grebe with some Dunlin, Redshank and Brent Geese all on the Deben.
Moved onto Landgaurd point to see the lovely Purple Sandpiper, a nice Rock Pipit and a nice Adult Med gull.

17th, 18th and 19th Hollesley

Brambling in the garden was a first, a nice male.
On patch finally managed a picture of the Water pipit.

2 Whooper Swan and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, Firecrest showed well opposite Shelbys Cafe sign again.
65 Black tailed Godwit, 2 Barn Owl, 1 Short Eared Owl, 47 White-fronted geese.

An impressive 18 Tundra Bean Geese visited fields again.

6 Brown Hare was my record number. 

Today i found out my Eastern Stonechat was infact Siberian Stonechat (maurus) Identified from DNA.... A Great result and expected. Unfortunately seems to have gone. 

11th and 12th January

Not a great deal of birding done this weekend as i spent some time at home and a few hours walking around National Trusts Sutton Hoo.

I did still manage a short period on the patch with plenty of Geese still about.
Max numbers 44 White-fronted Geese, 59 Barnacle Geese, 48 Brent Geese and 2 Bar Headed Geese.

Nice to get 3 Owl Species, Barn, Short-eared and Tawny.

2 Water rail and 2 Cettis Warblers were very vocal in near darkness. 2 Adult Caspian and a near Adult Yellow Legged Gull roosted on the scrape.

Peregrine in one of its usual spots.

During the day 3rd time lucky with the Rough Legged Buzzard at Bawdsey, think you can just about tell what it is.

That was about it really ;-)