May 2012 archive

Titchwell Marsh RSPB 13th May 2012

On our last day at Cley we decided that instead of going to Cley Marshes again we we would go to the RSPB reserve at Titchwell Marshes to check that out. As it turned out it was much better and it was dry throughout our visit if fairly windy. When we arrived there we were informed that the “wings over Titchwell” project was underway which was a bird count over the weekend. We were told that there would be RSPB volunteers throughout the site who would be happy to help with any enquiries. This was not actually the case as the dozens of volunteers there to assist with the bird count appeared to be more interested in getting their own ticks than in helping the general public. In fact all the benches along the main path to the Dunes were occupied by these volunteers so it wasn’t even possible to sit for a while and look over the marsh. On top of this it was a Sunday and probably the driest weekend day for a while so there were literally thousands on people on the site and the path to the beach was a long procession of people. Obviously we had not picked the best day to visit ! Continue reading

Wiveton Church 12th May 2012

Before we left the Cley Marshes visitor centre this afternoon we enquired of a chap behind the desk where we might be likely to see any Owls and he suggested a couple of places for Barn Owls, the closest of which was over the fields by Wiveton Church so we decided we would go there that evening at dusk. We returned to the hotel and had a drink in the bar where the Wiveton site was also recommended by the hotel owner. As it happened we decided to eat at another pub in Cley, the Three Swallows, and we ended up in conversation with the landlord and he also recommended Wiveton as a sure-fire Barn Owl location. With three independent recommendations we felt we were in with a fair chance so after we had eaten, at around 8.30pm, we headed off down the road to Wiveton. It was still light but by the time we got there we thought it would be about the right light level.

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Cley Marshes NWT 12th May 2012

Our first full day in Cley meant a chance to have a good walk round the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s reserve there. Our starting point was the visitor centre and, of course, I asked where we were likely to see any Spoonbill. The chap at the counter simply said “over there” pointing to a small dot at the far end of the reserve. After putting a scope on it from the car park it was clearly a very big white wading bird and roughly the shape of a Spoonbill. We were going to need better views that this, however. We set off to Dawke’s Hide first which was a bit nearer and got slightly better views. On the water were very many Avocets – possibly around sixty but there were also Gadwall, Black-tailed Godwit, Tufted Duck, Shoveler etc. We stayed here for a while and then walked back up the path through the reed beds where we could see Sedge Warblers as they occasionally burst up from the reeds singing. There were Bearded Tits as well but again there was a bit of wind so they were very fleeting views. Continue reading

Hickling Broad NWT 11th May 2012

On the 11th we left from Halesworth headed for Cley where we were to stay three days at the George Hotel. Cley is, of course, a sort of birding Mecca and we had been there briefly once before when we saw a small flock of Spoonbills but this time we hoped to have a bit more time to look around the site properly. When we are travelling from place to place we normally try to fit in another reserve en route and today’s target was the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Hickling Broads reserve. The reserve comprises of a visitor centre and a series of walks through woods and reedbeds with a series of hides before opening out into Hickling Broad itself. There are further tracks to Potter Heigham and along Weavers Way and over to Hickling Heath. Bittern and Eurasian Cranes were our target birds and we tried to maintain an optimistic outlook on our chances of success.
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Walberswick to Dunwich 10th May 2012

On the 10th May we decided to do a walk from Walberswick to Dunwich which is a common walk of about four and a half miles each way. We were recommended the walk as good for Bitterns and Water Rails were a sure-fire bet. The path is part dirt track, part boardwalk, part woodland path and part cinder track. It starts near the mouth of the Blythe estuary and you walk from the car park between the Corporation and Westwood Marshes and then skirt around the edge of Dunwich Forest and Dingle Marshes and then drops down to the sea at Dunwich. Again the going was muddy due to the recent wet weather and we were led to believe it was going to rain at some point during the day. As it turned out it was a very warm and largely dry day so we ended up a little overdressed. Continue reading

Minsmere RSPB 9th May, 2012

One of Suffolk’s main attractions is Minsmere RSPB reserve. Again we had not been to this site before so wee looked forward to this greatly. There seems to have been nowhere unaffected by the heavy rainfall of recent weeks and Minsmere was no exception. The footpath to Minsmere Levels and Sizewell was under water and the inland path between the visitor centre and The Sluice was also under deep water. The site is so large, however, that we easily filled in our day there  without even getting to these areas. The truth of the matter is that it would probably take two days to cover the site and do it some justice. The main impression we came away with was of the sheer size of the place. Continue reading

Weeting Heath NWT 8th May, 2012

Most of the 7th and 8th May were spent visiting friends for a 60th birthday party in Bury St Edmunds. We stayed at The Angel which was a fantastic, if a little pricey, hotel and definitely the place to stay if we go there again. While we were in Bury St Edmunds we did go for a longish walk across some fields on the 7th but the monoculture did not lend itself to bird life. In fact I think the only bird we saw was a Buzzard. However we departed on the morning of the 8th for Halesworth, a location we thought would make a good hub for other birding outings. We decided to visit Weeting Heath NWT on the way to Halesworth as it is renowned for its Stone Curlews. The drive there was not without bird spotting opportunities either as we saw a Jay, Starlings, a Grey Wagtail, Red Legged Partridge and Egyptian Goose as well as some commoner birds. However our main aim was to try to see Stone Curlew at Weeting Heath. Continue reading

Lakenheath Fen RSPB 6th May 2012

On the second day of holiday we were heading for Bury St Edmunds where we were due to attend a birthday party. It was our plan to go to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserve at Welney – another site we have been meaning to go to for ages. Unfortunately we could not get near the reserve as the road leading to it was under water. We tried to get there a couple of ways but in the end we just have to give up. Even when the road was open there was only the visitor centre itself that was above water so we just weren’t lucky. Instead we decided to go a bit further and go to Lakenheath Fen instead. Lakenheath Fen is famous for its small population of migrant Golden Orioles so we hoped we might get lucky there. As it turned out we did get some new birds for our year list and a couple of lifers as well. But was one of these a Golden Oriole ? More on this later.

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Rutland Water 5th May 2012

We started our ten day holiday to the south and east of England by stopping off at Rutland Water which we had been meaning to visit for some time. We stayed at Finch’s Inn in Upper Hambledon which is situated in the middle of the peninsula that runs into the reservoir. We had rather hoped to go on the rspb organised Nightingale Walk at 11pm in Hambledon Wood. Unfortunately due to lack of numbers and a poor weather forecast this was cancelled at the last moment so our next main reason for visiting was to try to see some of the Ospreys that breed there. Continue reading