A day out in Suffolk

Hello

On Tuesday I took a day out of the county and visited coastal Suffolk with birding friends. First stop was Walberswick, the location where a pair of Zitting Cisticolas (or Fan-tailed Warblers if you prefer) have bred in the UK for the first time. On our walk from the car park we encountered a Ruddy Shelduck on a small saltmarsh pool plus a migrant Wheatear with a few things passing by off-shore. Within a few minutes of arriving at the location where the cisticolas have been located we saw and heard the male performing his undulating and distinctive song-flight. During the next forty-five minutes or so and despite the keen breeze, he repeated this performance but keeping perhaps 50 metres from us. There were Reed Buntings flying around, a Hobby flew low over the marsh and off-shore birds included Sandwich Tern and Whimbrel.

We left the male cisticola to it and wondered whether he was hoping to attempt a late second brood - either way he was keen to confirm his territory.

A short distance away was the RSPB reserve at Minsmere. Like many of the reserves there was a lack of water on the scrape but we enjoyed a variety of insects in the sheltered, sandy area before completing a clock-wise wander around. Digger wasps, odonata, an assassin-bug and a Ruby-tailed Wasp or two were enjoyed and butterflies included Grayling and Clouded Yellow. Waders were limited but we saw Green Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruff, Whimbrel and Avocet and Ringed Plover were flying around. Juvenile Shelducks, Egyptian Goose and Mediterranean Gull added a little more variety and Stonechats and Common Whitethroat flitted ahead of us along the coastal bushes. After some refreshments we checked out the Bittern Hide but there was little on show except a couple of Marsh Harriers, Little Grebe etc.

Leaving Minsmere we headed south and visited Boyton Marshes, part of a RSPB managed area with Havergate Island close by. An enjoyable walk saw us viewing another Marsh Harrier, Common and Sandwich Terns, Water Rail, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit and fields containing Curlews. After perhaps two miles walking along the flood relief embankment we happened on our quarry, a juvenile Black Stork. I had heard it was often photogenic and permitting a close approach but it came ridiculously close! We clicked away and savoured some quality time with this bird as it probed and investigated the mud-lined dyke below us.

We began our walk back only to have a juvenile Kestrel continually feeding on the path in front of us, eating Grasshoppers we thought. Another bird that came towards us rather than the other way around! Little Egrets, Golden Plovers and Chinese Water Deer showed on the walk back and then it was time to motor back to sunny Northamptonshire! My thanks to Robin Gossage and Bob Gill for their company.

Regards

Neil M

Heath Assassin Bug courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Ruby-tailed Wasp courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Small Copper courtesy of
Robin Gossage.

Ruddy Shelduck.

Migrant Hawker.

Common Darter.

Black Stork.

Kestrel.