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.
On the patch at Hollesley this morning were 2 White Wagtail, the Little Ringed Plover still. 8 White-fronted geese, Peregrine in its usual tree. 4 Buzzards, 1 Marsh harrier and a Rock Pipit in fields behind screen which people are reporting as a Water Pipit I believe.
First Butterfly of the year through the garden is a Red Admiral minus the Peacock hibernating in my shed.
13th March
Today had seen a fall of wagtails 6 Whites and 27 Pied. 16 white-fronted geese still in fields . On the main flash were 1 Little Ringed Plover still, 2 Adult Yellow Legged Gulls and, 1 Adult Caspian Gull
14th March
14 White-fronted geese still, 1 White Wagtail, a Green Sandpiper on the flood behind the screen and 11 Avocet on main flash for the first time this year.
17th March
Had a visit to Staverton Pools again where the Hooded Merganser was disappointingly still there. The longer it stays the less Genuine it becomes. A Juv White Fronted Goose was new for the site for me at least. Marsh Tit still and a pied wagtail roost of 40 was appearing.
March 19th, 20th and 21st
19th 4 White Wagtail, 2 Little Owl now, 16 White-fronted geese 18 Barnacles, Kingfisher, Peregrine, Tawny owl calling, out to sea, Gannets, lots of Red Throated Divers and a small raft of Common Scoter.
20th 22 Snipe, 22 Barnacles and 11 White-fronted geese.
21st. 20 White-fronted geese, 800 to 1000 Starlings and a White wagtail.
March 25th
Popped into Boyton after work to find 4 Nice Spoonbill, 4 Pink footed Geese a fly over Bittern and a Chiffchaff.
26th March
Back at Hollesley and migrants really starting to appear now with a distant Male Wheatear, Chiffchaff singing although 11 White-fronted geese were still here. A peregrine made a fly past and a Pink-footed goose was with Greylags.
Back in the Garden the Badgers and Fox's were still with us.
March 27th
An 80 Species day today. All my records go on EBird these days as it calculates where you have been etc. pretty good app, still don't know how to use it fully but the basics for me is good, shows what species when and where .
Walked from home along the River bank to Boyton and it was pretty good. Highlights were 3 Sand-martin, 1 Swallow 2 Wheatear 4 Spoonbill again but in flight, 2 Chiffchaff and 5 Pink-footed geese 4 at Boyton 1 at Hollesley. 11 White-fronted Geese Hollesley and 1 with Greylags at Boyton. 1 Summer Plum Black tailed Godwit at Hollesley with many more at Boyton. Avocets number slowly growing at both sites. A Brent Goose at Boyton and a few Yellowhammers.
The Gardens been excellent and its been costing me a fortune in bird food, although i got lucky with some Niger seed as a bag broke in transit so got sent back, a new bag got sent out then i got both bags delivered. Bonus. So the amount of niger seed ive been putting out meant huge numbers of Lesser Redpoll (30) with a couple of Common Redpolls and some intermediate types too.
Siskin was new for the Garden, plenty flew over but never visited. A Male and Female joined the Redpoll for some time.
Brambling was another great bird that visited just for 1 day, a nice male coming into summer plumage.
Lastly got lucky with this Male Sparrowhawk, it visited only for a few seconds but i was already taking pics of the other birds.
As of today 28th March still up to 10 Redpoll but numbers of birds are reducing. Breeding season is quickly approaching.
