Titchwell Marsh

Sorry about the delay to this post, I have just had so much homework it's unreal! I shall get started straight away, so on the 3rd March, Dad and I went to Titchwell. When we got their, a group of Golden Plover and Lapwing flew over the car park which was a promising start to the day. We got to the visitor center, and went out onto the feeders. We could see about 5 Brambling and a Water Rail under the feeders...

We then walked down the main track, and we knocked on to a Kingfisher distantly on the Thornham Grazing Marsh. Then we went into Parrinder Hide. Not much there, just the regular Black and Bar-tailed Godwits, Snipe, Dunlin, Redshank, Curlew etc. We then went onto the beach. We got fantastic views of 4 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 being a flypast, the other 2 were close inshore, them being female. We also saw Goldeneye, a big group of Eider, Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Scoters. A brief Juvenile Gannet was distant, and 2 Ringed Plovers were on the beach. We then went back, and got great views of Spotted Redshank and other common species, including the Red-crested Pochard.

Black-tailed Godwit

Golden Plover

Avocets

Grey Plover

Oystercatchers

Ringed Plover

Redshank

Knot

Snipe

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank and Avocet

Turnstone

Pink-footed Geese

Red-crested Pochard

Brent Geese

Shoveler

Teal

A Chinese Water Deer also put in an appearance, as did some lovely snowdrops.

We then went back and had sandwiches, then headed back out to the beach. When we got out there the tide was out, so we walked down to the shoreline. As soon as we got down there at put the scope down, we could pick out a Velvet Scoter among 3 Common Scoters due to the white wing patch. Then, we saw 6 Long-tailed Ducks, 4 Drakes!!!!! Not much else of note, so we headed back. We saw 2 Water Rails on the way back, one on Thornham Grazing Marsh, then one in the ditch behind the feeders.

Happy Birding

Felixstowe and Levington Creek

Yesterday afternoon Mum and fitted in a few hours of birdwatching. We headed to Felixstowe to see the Waxwings that had been roaming there. We timed it just right because as we went down Glenfield Avenue, we saw a flock of 50+ Waxwing in a tree down Springfield Avenue. I say we timed it just right because after about 3 minutes of photos, they all departed away heading to Grove Wood.

Stunning Birds

We then headed to Levington Creek, which Mum and I had never been before, so it was a new experience. We parked at Levington Marina, and followed the footpath onto the Creek. I was astounded by the number of Reed Buntings were about. I reckon there was at least 15 birds present.

A nice pair

We then met a bloke who directed us to a Mediterranean Gull on the shore, nearly in summer plumage, but too far for a photo. We then followed the path along the bank towards the lagoon, and we saw 2 Little Egret, more Reed Buntings a Meadow Pipit, a very twitchy Rock Pipit, and a possible Water Pipit

Rock Pipit, Cheers Jim

We then reached the lagoon, and we were maybe hoping for the resident Spotted Redshank to be on the lagoon. The only things of note were a flushed Snipe and another Little Egret. We had lunch, and moved on to the gorse bushes. I spotted a fairly big long-legged wader flying right over us. It looked like a Spotted Redshank but I wasn't saying anything until it called. Our luck was in as it proved to be the Spotted Redshank as it called and landed on the lagoon. We snuck up on it, but it saw us and moved on out of site. It was a brilliant bird. We then moved back along the bank and we flushed the bird again a bit further down the lagoon. Typical! It then flew back out onto the mudflats. Other waders and ducks of note were Dunlin...

Curlew...

Wigeon...

Teal and Redshank..

Plus Grey Plover and Shelduck...

Shelduck

A great day with 4 new species taking the year total to 132. A brief visit to the patch on Wednesday afternoon didn't produce anything apart from a pair of Great-crested Grebes on both Needham and Bosmere. The Grebes were the only water birds at Bosmere apart from 3 Mallards. Disappointing :(

Happy Birding!