Garden Orange Tip

On Saturday 13th April, mid afternoon I saw a fine male Orange Tip in the garden at 3pm, which was welcome relief from a very nasty headache I experienced all weekend.

Purple Heron at Carlton Marshes

On Thursday 11th April, after the poor weather the previous evening, I coolly waited until the fine spring-like evening and directly after work, 5.45pm I was walking down the main track (seing a Grey Heron fly north over the track) from Carlton Marshes and pleased to see Paul & Sara scoping the Heron in the dyke. It was distant and initially obscured by the reeds with just its head poking out, but eventually and over the course of the following hour we had excellent prologed if distant view of the very fine adult Purple Heron , with a fine tassel drooping down from the crown of his head. The Heron was was fishing in the dyke. Jeremy G joined us and we had fine distant views of it before abruptlky at 7.03pm it flew up into the sky initially heading south and towards the Visitors centre, it veered around to the north and then veered westwards eventualy it flew north west and disappeared behind trees on Jenson's island. A male Marsh harrier also seen and walking back by the Vistor's centre, I heard both a Bittern boom and a Grasshopper warbler reeling.

Gunton Whitethroat

On Sunday 7th April, I walKed around Gunton and Gunton ORT, nothing seen but I did hear a Whitethroat was heard very briefly along the southern fence (bordering Hubbards Loke) of the Gunton woodland burial park.

Migrants at Corton

Early on, on Saturday 6th April, I looked around Corton little seen until I got to Corton Churchyard where a male Ring Ouzel flew up at 11am from underneath a bush and disappeared into the hedge. The black plumage, silvery wings and white breast gorget all noted as I saw it in flight sadly I didn't see it again. In the hedge were 2 singing male Blackcaps one showed well but disappeared as I set the camera up. James arrived and no sooner had he arrived than a Red Kite flew over the churchyard, my first seen ever at Corton. We went back to Corton OSW and 2 Sand Martins flew south. A C<b>hiff- Chaff heard and seen too. Later on at Gunton I delivered a new Spotted Orchid colony, with 66 plants at one site and another 4 nearby, I marked them all up with sticks (which took me about an hour to do, but very worthwhile if it saves the plants from being trampled on) and passed a message onto the Gunton Meadows group. 2 Redpoll heard flying over Dip Farm car park heading north (bit not seen) Later on 1 Redpoll heard flyiung over Gunton Wood near the Church (again not seen).

Estonia Birding trip: Final day of good weather in Marsala

On Thursday 4th April, it was sunny and we had to make fiull use of aour last full day in estonia for this trip. We drove the short way from our fabulous accommodation and at first light were in the Haesaa woodlands which looked good for Woodpeckers and it had been recommended by our convivial host. There were birches in a marshy area, both Johnny and Rob had gone on ahead and I saw Rob intently looking at something and photographing, they were 2 superb white- headed Northern Long- tailed Tits being very confiding for Rob in nearby bushes but typically disappeared as i arrived however they took pity on me and showed a little better for me in the bushes acrioss the road opposite and I was able to get a few record shots. Johnny and Rob had a pair of White- backs but I couldn't see them! frustrating, until I saw a superb male White- backed Woodpecker perched on the left side of a dead tree. Slightly bigger than GSW, with whiet area on the back and 3 strands extending over to the flank, with salmon pink undertail coverts leading up to a streaked musty- yellow-white lower underparts, this was a stunning bird, I was about to take a picture albeit at some distance but it promptly flew right! As Rob & Johnny walked on, I picked up an excellent Black Woodpecker that flew in front of them ahead across the road from left to right. I also heard the distinctive call of a Grey- headed Woodpecker but none of us could see it! As we drove to the fields where the Buzzard was we almost hit a very low flying female Goshawk that flew right in front of the car & over the road (right to left) and we saw fly away over the field, nice to see one after missing one at... We saw the Rough- legged buzzard again huning over the field but it soon flew left and disappeared over woodlands. We then tried younger growth birch woods, where I heard the "kee-kee-kee" of a Lesser- spotted woodpecker seen by Johnny (left side of the road) but not by me. I did however hear a nasal trumpet call of a male Northern Bullfinch and the peuu calls and this bird eventually showed very well for me. We also spotted Elk tracks by the muiddy sides of the road and a mysterious Skull seen as well. Meanwhile back around the accomodation following a delicious cooked breakfast by our host, we were able to see around 20 Siskins, , 5 Tree Sparrows and a Song Thrush all posed well for the camera as they came to the feeder perching on the rock, the bushes and the feeder iteself. At a nearby ??? town, a Lake failed to reveal any Slav Grebes (not enough reddy habitat) GC Grebe and Heron seen here, plus a Hooded Crow on a structure. by the estuary, a Brent Goose was seen. Whilst at another ??? town, we saw 7 Smew (4 males and 3 females), up to 30 Goosanders, on the estuary an over flying White- tailed Eagle flying over the distant reeds, 2 close summer- plumaged Black- headed Gulls on the path in front of us on the estuary. Early evening at the town, we had a delicious home cooked Pizza, as we left, I nipped out and took pictures of the northern race Jackdaws, 3 seen. It started raining a little. Finally an evening visit to a very promising area of Pine Forest, revealed a clearing where amazingly we heard the call of a Ural Owl, like a soft "Chimpanzee call" and asoft "whoooo" absolutely wonderful and spine tingling to hear but disappointingly this didn't lead to a sighting of this much wanted enigmatic denizen of the Pine forest. While we waited in hope, 1 and then 2 Hawfinches perched up in the tree and then flew left over the clearing. A Great- spotted woodpecker flew over the road from the Pines. On the track itself, I saw some incredible Lynx tracks looking like massive X2 domestic Cat paw prints. As we drove around at dusk, Johnny saw a Ural Owl fly over the road this was missed by both Rob & myself but we did see 3 Woodcock one on the deck and 2 that flew past the car as dusk took hold.

Estonia Birding trip: 3rd full day: another day of poor weather

On Wednesday 3rd April 2024, again at the Forest lodge accomodation another trip to the outside loo I again heard a Tawny Owl in the small hours. Early morning, a Redwing was heard and seen singing. A goldcrest was seen too. At ***** park, a prime area for Woodpeckers, the weather was again unking as it was snowing the habitat looked perfect for a range of different species of Woodpeckers, with holes seen in various tree trunks. By some trees, a Willow Tit flew out, then a Nuthatch was seen, Great Tit and Blue Tit was also seen. Several other nuthatches were seen, in a clearing I saw a Black Woodpecker flew past. Pursuing that bird we again saw it fly out of a wood and then over the road. Rob spotted 7 Waxwing which flew into the top of a tree. A great spot! At Audru Polder we saw a pair of Garganey that were flushed by a low flying White- tailed Eagle and in the fields a flock of c100 Tundra Bean Geese and also a similar sized 100 flock of White- fronted Geese. At a small town we stopped near va barn, where a female type Black Redstart flew across the road, we saw a Wheatear just beside the road and a few Fieldfare on a grassy lawn before a small footbridge. Also in fields a group of 50 Golden Plover seen too. Wigeon. We finally entered the wonderful famous Matsalu National Park area and we saw Wigeon, Teal and 3 White- fronted Geese at a viewpoint, where we parked the car for our last 2 nights accomodation, a wonderful place akin to. bird observatory complete with tower observation hide and viewing from our bedroom windows overlooking the extensive estuary litrally covered in bird life, sheer bliss. at Haesaa, a village, where our accommodation was, we saw 2 fine Bramblings by the feeders around 30 Siskin (1 sadly just taken by a visiting cat) and we walked from our accomodation to a neighbouring farm and we saw 2 close Grey Partridge fly off. As we drove through, we saw 2 Hawfinch and by a red net garden feeder incredibly, a Middle- spotted Woodpecker feeding, we stopped and had a good look at this bird, just my second ever and managed a few photos from distance. A Great spotted Woodpecker seen too. As we drove around the Haesaa fields not far from our accommodation we saw a fine Rough- legged Buzzard hunting over the fields. As we booked into our accommodation, there were 3 very close White- fronted Geese that was on a grassy marshy area and later on I was able to get to the roped path led up to a large rock, that very conveniently I was able to hid behind as I took a few pictures. We were unsuccessful in our search for Elk/ Moose.

Estonia Birding trip: 2nd full day = poor weather

On Tuesday 2nd April, in the early hours a trip to the Forest toilet (don't ask!) I heard Tawny Owls call, a "kewick" call and a hooting call too. Back at Undva beach, a Great Grey Shrike was seen on top of a small tree again and out to sea we saw an incredible flock of some 100 Scaup on the sea. A White- tailed Eagle flew by and Oystercatcher and Shelduck seen, plus 100 Mute Swans on the sea which was quite a sight! At the back of these Swans, we saw 2 Whooper Swans, there were also 3 Goosanders and 5 Goldeneyes. We saw a flock of 115 Chaffinces on the beach together with 3 Skylark. Back at Saarema Saddam harbour, 8 Long- tailed Ducks were seen, plus 5 Coot and further over by the harbour promentary 3 Steller's Eiders (the 2 males from yesterday and a female), the group of 3 kept closely together feeding all the time near the promentary. The female Steller's Eider again a typical squat all over brown Eider shape with 2 thick white diagonal borders on the mid flanks sandwiched by a dark irridescent blue. Again the tertial feathers were long on the female bird. A group of 30 Siskins flew by and left. On the road back where we had seen the large Tortoiseshell, we took a track going left down to a lake area and we could hear blood curdling screams of 2 pairs of displaying full summer plumaged Red- necked Grebes on the lake, the vivid brick red plumage on the neck and flanks really stood out on these birds. We also heard the calls of Crossbills from the trees. We looked in Kusaaree park, a nice urban park with mature trees where 2 single Hooded Crows seen, I spied a Treecreeper near the top of a tree and a Tufted Duck on a castle moat. Rob and Johnny had walked off but came back to inform me they had seen a pair of Caspians so we drove round to Kusaaree Saddam (harbour) and 1 Caspian Tern seen flying left over the trees in the mid distance. It was now overcast and raining slightly with stong winds so we drove to Saare lighthouise and point stopping off at a Holiday park first where we saw 2 pairs of Ringed Plovers and a female Black redstart. At the lighthouse and beach, it chucked it down with rain so observing from the car we saw 1, 3, 5 and 2 Chaffinches fly in off the sea and settle via vegetation near the car park, where 2 Greenfinch seen too. Out over the bay, I saw 2 White- tailed eagles flying over, plus a reasonably close female Long- tailed Duck on the sea and a White Wagtail on the beach behind me and walking back to the car I hard the rasping call of a Brambling. Driving down some side roads to an abandoned Soviet military installation a young Rook was seen by the side of the road ahead of us. Back at Kusaaree Park, we saw 7 Tufted Ducks (4 males & 3 females) on the moat, plus we had 3 Hawfinches perched high up in trees on the island, together with 2 further Hawfinches seen in the poark later, totalled 5 Hawfinches all told. 4 Gadwall (2 pairs) also seen on the moat. While we walked around the paths, 2 Treecreepers were seen by trees bordering the path. Parking up for our evening meal, I also heard the rasping call of a Brambling. On the journey up to 50 Cranes seen in fields, mostly pairs seen in fields plus a flock of 35 Cranes flying left.