Carlton walk but no photos

On Wednesday 7 May, late afternoon/ early evening, a 3 mile walk around Carlton Marshes failed to reveal any Grasshopper Warblers (But I did hear one reeling), never a showy species for me. 3 Swallows over the Whitecast track and a summer plumaged Great White Egret flew west over Share Marsh, a singing male Greenfinch in a bush by the path at the start of the Share Marsh track plus several Chiff- Chaffs, a Sedge Warbler actually showing quickly disappeared when a couple walked past me singing and a Roe Deer along the back track ended a somewhat disappointing visit with no photos taken.

7 Green- wings

On Bank Holiday Monday 6 May, in the afternoon, I went to check the Green- winged Orchids at the local meadow, I counted 7 Green- winged Orchids took some pictures and clearly the MacDonalds litter from the meadow and along the roadside too. Something I was always would occur with the recent Fast food outlet scandalously built next door. A look early evening for Rob's confiding Black Red resulted at the Net posts opp the Lighthouse cafe resulted in a dip as a "gentleman" was flying a model electric Spitfire over the netposts and would have flushed most birds, as it was I was surprised it didn't crash into a hunting and hovering Kestrel nearby.

A visit to Hen reedbeds & Wangford Quarry

On Sunday 5 May, in the afternoon, I rolled into Hen reedbeds car park and could immediately hear a Nightingale singing! From the reeds I could also hear a Bittern booming too. Not knowing exactly where to go I decided to head north- wesr from the carpark where there was path beyond it and a sign saying Wangford Quarry which was all very encouraging. A long rectangular walk had me reaching the north- east end where I met a group of birders and further along another birder who had just seen it. waiting almost 2 hours no sign, but Alison and eventually Chris A joined us and Carl B too. I was thinking of leaving but thought I'd stay as Carl was here and he usually gets both the bird and the luck. No sooner said that a pair of lady walkers asked us if they could take the footpath into the quarry and round where the Hoopoe had last been seen. Good thing I stayed, because as soon as they walked down and the took the path off to the right, the fantastic Hoopoe flew up and left over the pine trees at the back. It showed a languid undulating flight, with black and white buttefly like wings on a salmon orange body. It settled the farside of the quarry around 3000 metres to the south and was seen probing a bank of short grass, but the army of twitchers storming back caused it it to fly over the bank and down and out of sight. It was not seen again that night. As I walked back to the car park I could hear the wonderful melliflous song of a Nightingale, very close eminating from the north hedge of the car park, I even saw it briefly sat there singing the brown dapped plumage and russet brown tail seen before it flitted right, further glimpses were obtained but so pleasing to see a bird I didn't see at all last year. Later it sang from the south side of the car park, as I walked to the car a wonderful really close Barn Owl flew by and towards the quarry. Meanwhile a Biuttern could be heard booming from the reedbed. As I drove out, another Nightingale was heard the other side of the road. A great end to the vday.

Poorly Narcissus fly?

On Saturday 4 May in the garden, I rescued a Narcissus Fly, a type of hover fly which looks very bee-like. It was initiallyt on the back lawn of our garden and both our Cats, Whitby & Misty were verey intersted in it! I put it on a leaf in our central flowerbed. On Sunday 5 May I found it crawling up the side of the blue bin and I carefully put onto a Hebe bush and put a little sugar mixed with water on an adjacent leaf as I thought it was desperate for sime food sustenance. It wasn't that from the photo's the wings hadn't developed obviously newly emerged from the chrysalis and it needed some sunning for the wings to sprout and develop fully. It posed beautifully for pictures after an hour and 15 minutes it flew off fully recuperated, so pleasing to see. Having looked at the pictures, this was confirmed to be the case. Also seen in the garden were 2 Holly Blues.

Spring dippers again!

A very unproductive period recenlt seeing little at Corton OSW or Gunton ORT where I missed Redstart, Willow & Garden warbler (the last 2 I didn't see or hear in Suffolk last year), plus on Saturday 4 May afternoon at Buckenham, I missed by 10 minutes the AGP thatb flew off, Goldfinch seen by the puddle when i parked at the station and a Lapwing with 3 Lapwing chicks. Over the river a fine Short- eared owl flew over the fields and walking back a Red Kite seen too.

Carlton Purple Patch

On Sunday 21st April, after a rest following 10 miles of walking yesterday, I decided to do a mere 3 miles today by walking down to Carlton Marshes, Peto's Marsh, first stop, Turnpike marsh where the first one from the main track I saw the Green- winged Teal at the back. Swimming left by some tussocks. Meanwhile by the closest water's edge, there were 4 summer plumaged Black- tailed Godwits and with them was a fine Spotted Redshank in grey plumage going into summer plumage. Try as I might, I could not see either a Green Sand (earlier not on Cormorant island or Wood Sand) At Turnpike hide, I saw an Egyptian Goose on its nest. Plus 2 Swallows and 3 Sand Martins flying over the Scrape. By North hide, I saw 3 Pochard (2 males and a female) swimming on the water. Up to 4 Marsh Harriers, 3 males and a cream headed female quartered the reeds at the back and it was pleasing to see areas had been cut for Bitterns. As I walked back, I saw the Spotted Redshank and the 4 Black- tailed Godwits but they soon flew north-east I stopped by Turnpike hide and saw Rob H and Rhiannon stroll up, I hadn't relocated any of the birds. But as I scanned I refound the GW Teal again and looing over to Turnpike Scrape, I saw the group of waders, the 4 Black- tailed Godwits and the Spotted Redshank and pointed out to Rob & Rhianna. Rob picked out the fine pair of Garganey (male and female) just in front of them (male and female) and as I scanned further I finally saw the fine Wood Sandpiper feeding in Mare's Tail at the back.

Patch and then Benacre for Summer plumaged Slav Grebe

A look around Corton revealed a calling Chiff- Chaff low down in Corton Churchyard and another Chiff- Chaff at Corton New Sewage works. 2 Blackcap heard too. Nothing at ness Point or the Netposts. A tweet from Carl had me driving straight to Covehithe. I parked and walked down to the Broad, where Carl B and Maurice B were in the hide watching the bird. A fine summer plumaged Slavonian Grebe. It was reasonably close just beyong the hide inlet it was swimming left and diving, I only saw it for around 3 minutes before it disappeared. The light was awful. Meanwhile by the side of the inlet a Male Gadwall seen. On the beach edge, Ringed Plover, 2 amorous Oystercatchers (later seen copulating and a lone Avocet , stood the farside of the beach edge. A male Marsh Harrier quartered the reeds by the back. Richard D came into the hide and soon picked up the Slavonian Grebe, which had amazingly swam right well over to the right and some distance away on the Broad. Paul & Jane F arrived and after a while we walked down to the beach and saw the Slavonian Grebe. It was by the beach edge but still quite distant. Carl mentioned he had seen 3 Wheatears on Kessingland inland dune, so parking at the rather euphemistically called Beach car park which around a quater of a mile from the beach, I walked down to the beach and then half a mile over to the Kessingland inland dune. I saw a male and female Wheatear briefly then again along the southern end. A pair of Stonechats were feeding very low on the ground. It was also very noticable the number of small flocks of Linnets seen on the dunes path and also on the walk back, probably 7 groups of around 15- 20 birds seen (around 110 in total) and 1 male Linnet briefly on the fence as I walked north back along the coastal path. Itis rare to see such a proliferation of Linnets, they are always nice to see. All 3 Wheatears (2 males and a female) seen along the northern end, thwen along the western side, I managed to sneak up on 2 birds before first one and then 2 dog walkers flushed the birds.