Sunday 22 June 2014

Bird Quiz - Week 17

Last weeks mystery bird was a male Spotted Redshank with some Dunlin which I saw at Minsmere a couple of years ago on East Scrape...


Well done to Rob Stokes for getting the correct answer. Unlucky to those who got it wrong but many thanks for having a go! Here's this week's mystery bird....


If you want to have a go, you can leave your answers in the comments or DM me on Twitter to @Moysie Birder. 

Good Luck!

Saturday 14 June 2014

Sunday 8th June - A MEGA DAY!!!

I WILL BE NOT UPDATING THE BLOG AS MUCH AT THE MOMENT DUE TO SCHOOL WORK. I HAVE 4 TESTS NEXT WEEK, 2 HOMEWORK PROJECTS AND 3 OTHER PIECES OF HOMEWORK. I HOPE YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME TO SAY THAT I AM BUSY!

With me trying really hard to get my first MEGA of my career this year, Dad and I couldn't resist not going up to Burnham Overy Staithe to see the Spectacled Warbler!!!

On the way we got a Barn Owl and Marsh Harrier at Fakenham Magna, which was nice to see.

When we arrived at Burnham Overy Staithe, and parked in the layby, you could see the hundreds of birders on Gun Hill from at least a mile away maybe more. We were on a bit of mission to get down there, and then wandering back to see what else we could see. On the way up though, we (intentionally) walked past the obliging Little Terns and a Spoonbill.

We got up to Gun Hill, and joined the throng of birders....


When we arrived in the group of birders on the left of the picture, the Spectacled Warbler was a bit distant, but very vocal, so pictures were hard to obtain. After watching its behavior from a distance, we joined the group of birders at the bottom right of the picture.

After a little while of sitting down getting sun burnt (LOL), the bird appeared quite close to us. We got amazing views of this MEGA bird, and to my relief, we got some decent photo's to look back on. Awesome little fella!






We then started to wonder back. We got great views of Sedge Warblers that tried to steal the show...


We also got the Spoonbill again, the obliging Little Terns, a Bittern and a several Whitethroats...




We then went looking for a Montagu's Harrier that had been seen earlier in the day but failed miserably! We then went to Salthouse to look for 3 reported Garganey off Iron Road, but we didn't know where Iron Road was so we left it there.

We finished the day at Holme where we got a Cuckoo.

A very good day to remember for when I get older, and hopefully this will be my first of many MEGA's to come????

Happy Birding!!

Fridays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
SAVI'S WARBLER, Osprey at Westwood Marshes, Walberswick
esc. BLACK KITE at Alderton
Osprey at Blyth Estuary
MARSH WARBLER singing at Dingle Marshes
BLACK KITE, Garganey at Bawdsey
Common Crane x 2 at Lakenheath Fen
Spotted Redshank at Tinker's Marsh

Other News!
BLACK-WINGED STILTS HATCH 3 CHICKS AT CLIFFE POOLS RSPB - FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 30 YEARS!
BLACK-WINGED STILTS HATCH 2 CHICKS AT MEDMERRY RSPB, SUSSEX - FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 30 YEARS!
THRUSH NIGHTINGALE at Portland, Dorset
WESTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER, BLYTH'S REED WARBLER on Fair Isle, Shetland
BONAPARTE'S GULL X 2, ROSS'S GULL at Bowling Green Marsh RSPB, Devon

Mega News!
**MEGA** SPECTACLED WARBLER still at Gun Hill, Burnham Overy Staithe, Norfolk
**MEGA** SHORT-TOED EAGLE at Hatchet Pond, Hampshire
**MEGA** BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE briefly at Salthome RSPB, Northumberland

Thursday 12 June 2014

Bird Quiz - Week 16

Homework and exams are flying out of the roof at the moment so blog updates will be limited.

Last (2) weeks mystery bird was 2 Curlew Sandpiper, a Black-tailed Godwit and 2 Gadwall. Well done to Toby Carter and Rob Stokes for getting all 3 birds so top marks to them. Unlucky to those who got it wrong, but thanks for having a go. 



Here's this weeks mystery bird...


The mystery bird is the bird on the left but if you can name the other little birds then good on yer!

If you want to have a go then you can leave your answer in the comments or DM me on Twitter to @MoysieBirder. 

Good Luck!