Jealousy!

Very jealous of Dad today. As  I was at school, Dad only went to Lackford Lakes and saw these 2 beauties....

Can you see it?

If you don't know what they are, they are Jack Snipes. Even me saying the bird's name makes my fists clench. I have never seen these birds before, and I they have been my target bird for ages. I'm just going to end this part of the post now, and move onto Landguard (well done Dad, not amused.)

Landguard

Dad and I went to Landguard on Saturday just gone. Our target bird was Ring Ouzel, but we were actually expecting a bird on the common, not flying over the road. Well, as we approached the Port of Felixstowe, on the A14, a Black bird with silver primaries and secondaries flew into the road side cover. Dad didn't see it because he was driving, but I had never seen a male blackbird have that much silver on it's wings in flight. It had to be a Ring Ouzel.

We arrived at Landguard, and spoke to one of the wardens. He had had 2 Leach's Petrels, 9 Ring Ouzel and a Bonxie earlier in the morning. This was now 12:30 pm. Most off the stuff had gone. He did say though that a Whinchat was at the southern most point. So we headed that way. Dad took to the sea - that's his aspect of birding - and I took to the migrant passerines - that's my aspect. I was on my own. I found myself 3 Wheatear....

Meadow Pipit for comparison.

I also find myself a flock of Linnet and Meadow Pipits, and then the Whinchat briefly. I only saw it once though, then it was gone. I then spoke to a gentlemen, and asked him if he had seen any Ring Ouzels. He said he had 3 in the bushes around the building about 30 mins ago. So, I went over there and had a look. Guess what I saw....................... NOTHING! I then headed back to the common, and came face to face with a Goldfinch perched nicely.

I then met back up with Dad on the beach. he didn't have anything, apart from a flock of Ducks sitting offshore. They were Common Scoters. He shew them to me, then a Red-throated Diver flew straight across my vision. It was distant, but I managed to show Dad. We then went back to the common, and I found a peculiar thrush on the ground. I went to investigate. It was a Redwing. I whistled Dad over, and we snapped away....

We then went back to the car park, and headed home.

My Sightings Today

• 70+ Redwing around Stowupland in separate flocks, including one briefly in garden!!!!!
• 10+ Long-tailed Tit's in Garden this afternoon.

Happy Birding!

Lackford Lakes' Butterfly's

On the Wednesday just gone, Dad and I visited Lackford Lakes again to see how many Butterfly's we could count, and then every butterfly we saw, we had to take a photo of it. We got 16 possibly 17 species of Butterfly around the reserve, which is amazing. We got the more than one of the wardens! Here we go...

Peacock

Green-veined White

Brown Argus

Gatekeeper

Comma

2 Peacock

Meadow Brown

Large White

Speckled Wood

Comma

Red Admiral

Large White

Not Sure

Some sort of Moth

Brimstone

Loads of Corvids

Large Skipper

Poss. Silver-spotted Skipper

I know these are very rare but it's the only thing I can relate it to. Your help please!

Small Skipper

Ringlet

Small Tortoishell

Painted Lady

A Tail-less Small White

Another Large Skipper with a Bumblebee

Peacock

And finally, Red Admiral

Birds of note included Green Sandpiper and a calling Kingfisher.

If you know I have miss identified one of the butterfly's or you know one that I didn't, please comment your views. As you may have seen, a Great-spotted Woodpecker visited our peanuts yesterday, but no sign today. This is a different individual to last years, because last years had no red cap, where this one has. Picture on previous post.

Hopefully going to Bradfield Woods on Monday for White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary.

Happy Birding!

Broken 200!!!!!

READ THIS POST BEFORE POST ABOVE!

I have been so busy because it is School Holidays with so many Golf Tournaments. I have been having about 4 a week!!! Since our Isle of Mull visit, we have only been out birding twice, and that was at Lackford and Minsmere. Before both of them visits, I had a walk around Cretingham Golf Club - one of my golf clubs - without playing on it (LOL) taking pictures of the wildlife around the course. Well, here you go....

Black-tailed Skimmer

Comma

I think this is a Four-spotted Chaser?

I think this is a Small Heath

And I think this a Small Heath

About a week after these photos were taken, about 5 Broad-bodied Chasers were taking residence on the 16th hole pond.

On the 24th July, dad and I were both playing golf round Cretingham, and we found a Wood Sandpiper on one of the biggest ponds. This was and incredible sighting, which bought my year list to 198. This bird only stayed for a day.

On the 31st July, Dad and I went to Lackford Lakes. We got Common Tern, Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Stoat plus many more.

Kingfisher - Skip the first minute of this video or you'll get bored!

Sparrowhawk

Green Sandpiper

Emerald Damselfly

Common Tern

Then, on the 1st August, Dad and I headed to Minsmere with my 10 times better camera. We got 4 new species for the year, which were Sandwich Tern, Greenshank, Little Gull and Curlew Sandpiper.

The Pictures will be on the post after this one. Scroll up to the next post.

Dad's Week of Birding plus Another Great Day!

First I'll start with Dad's birding days on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, because I'm at school and Mums at work, Dad went on his own to The Strand. He went to look for either the Long-tailed Duck or the Velvet Scoter. He couldn't locate the Long-tailed Duck, but after a bit of searching at Freston at the Stoke Sailing Club, he found the female Velvet Scoter...

Digiscoped Velvet Scoter at Freston

On Tuesday, he visited Lackford Lakes. He saw Goosander, Goldeneye, Snipe, Goldcrest and Bullfinch. Here are some of his pics, all digiscoped...

Drake Goldeneye

One of about 4 Snipe

And some Goosanders

Moving on, yesterday (Sunday 23rd), we went to visit The Strand, and Alton Water. We first went to the Strand, to look for the two scarce Ducks that Dad came down here to see. Well, as soon as we pulled up, people with scopes and binoculars were looking at the Velvet Scoter, incredible.....

Dad's Digiscoped Shot

My poor effort!

Here are some other birds that were about...

Greylag's with Wigeon in the background

Mute Swans

We then went to Freston and I spotted this amongst the boats....

A female Long-tailed Duck. Incredible!

We then moved on to Alton Water, and already getting 2 new yearlies, (Velvet Scoter and Long-tailed Duck), we were hoping to see the Great White Egret! Well, here's what we got....

Great White Egret at The Wonder

What we done was we parked in the Wonder car park, and went down the track that has the big map at the front, and followed it down until we got into a little clearing in the trees and viewed from 20 yards or so. It was brilliant. We also saw a drake Goosander fly over Lemons Hill Bridge, 2 Kingfisher, about 20 Little Egret, a Redpoll, a Goldcrest and plenty of Tufted Ducks. It was a great days Birding.

Thanks for reading and have a very Merry Christmas!