4th to 13th April

 4th April

Its been cold but for some strange reason i thought id get the Emperor moth lure out in the garden, wasn't expecting anything but low and behold an hour later this beautiful male came to the lure. 

A male Blackcap also visited the garden but that was about it.

5th April 

Hollesley RSPB Jack snipe from River wall  the 2 juvenile Whitefronts were still with the single Pinkfoot. 60 Avocet were the biggest count this year. Little owl in its usual tree. 2 Med Gulls flew over. 

7th April

Visited Boyton RSPB after work where we could hear a Bittern Booming.

8th April

Hollesley. The birds were pretty much the same with Whitefronts and Pinks still, although new in were 2 Yellow Wagtails and a Little Ringed Plover.

Had the afternoon at Ramsholt flash, a few nice Great Crested Grebes and plenty of Pochard.

April 9th 

Hollesley sedge warbler from screen. Little Ringed Plover and Jack snipe still but not easy to find from sea wall. Yellow Wagtail White Wagtail, Sand Martin and Swallow, 2 White-fronted geese still and the Pinkfoot.

April 11th

Black Redstart again in the same field as the Little owl and same place as the 2 from a few days ago.

Walked the river bank to Boyton, usual geese still, now as suspected 2 Jack Snipe one close and one further away. 

At Boyton now 6 Pink footed geese but little else.

Cold but theirs still a very small movement of migrants. Bigish flock of Sand Martins and Swallows. 2 Swallows sat for a small amount of time. 

13th April 

A couple of Avocets one rung locally on patch now 10years old. 12 Mallard ducklings and a local Lesser Blacked Backed Gull rung also locally and 8 years old. 

Thats about it for now. 

Minsmere 3rd April.

 It was really nice to go a little further a field so nipped into Minsmere for the afternoon.

Started well with a Drake Garganey and distantly and unusual a drake Eider on south pools. 

Moved onto North Wall, where i picked up a distant Red Kite and some nice Bearded Tits.

 Onto the beach where i had to scope the flash from there as the hides were still shut. 1st Summer Little gull was on show. 

Onto the public viewing platform i was able to spot the Eider again, Little gull 26 Sandwich Tern 7-8 Adult Med Gulls and a 1st Summer Caspian Gull

2 Great White egrets flew over the Reed bed but i couldn't find a Bittern. Continued round the reserve 6 Sand Martins and a Swallow was of note. 

The Red Deer were resting near the woodland trail.

Headed back to the cafe for a cake and drink and check out the Garganey again which had returned. Sat there listening to the Chiffchaffs when one started singing differently sounded very Iberian like, but someone had heard a strange Chiffchaff in the week but hearing the recording it didn't sound the same. so who knows hopefully be heard again. Typically by the  time i realised i had something different it stopped singing, either moving off or turning into a proper chiffy. 

Non bird stuff Birds nest fungi by pond at Minsmere.

Nipped into Snape for a Cattle Egret, nice bird but a bit distant. 

Hopefully the Easter weekend carries on with some decent birdies, its nice to have some time off. 

30th 31st March

 It was great finish to the month on patch. There had been a fall of Black Redstarts around the coast and i wanted IN!! So after work i went straight out and it didn't take long, i only had to wait until the end of the road before i spotted my first target, Black Redstart, actually there were 2 bingo. 

Little Owl was in its usual tree.

There had also been a fall of Firecrest and i got one calling and singing at the beginning of the reserve road. 

I moved onto the reserve where the White-fronts had now gone, but a Pink-footed goose was still there and 2 Barnacle x Canada Geese were new in. 

Its always nice to see Green Sandpiper and Kingfishers.

Chiffchaffs were now in. 6 White wagtails on fields at Winter Flood and year tick and the most Ive seen here were 10 Egyptian Geese. Cant find any Garganey yet though.