Walberswick to Dunwich 10th May 2012

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.

We started out from the car park and almost immediately we were on a path with the sea to our left and reed beds on our right. We could hear Bittern booming (but again they eluded us) and Sedge Warblers singing. On the various pools among the marshes there were Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Mallards, an Oystercatcher and a Little Egret. In the air were Black-headed and Great Black-backed Gulls. It was quite windy however so a lot of the birds were down among the reeds keeping out of it. We did see a few Bearded Tits flitting quickly just over the tops of the reeds and Goldfinches were also flying about. Swallows and House Martins flew all over the reds and a Marsh Harrier patrolled the marsh. The going was very muddy so we were relieved when we eventually got to higher ground and reached the edge of Dunwich Forest. Here we saw Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tits and a Red-legged Partridge. Rooks, Magpies and Jackdaws were around but one of the most interesting sightings was actually a Grass Snake that was nesting in a hole at the bottom of a small tree next to the cinder path leading down to Dunwich.

We had taken so long to get to Dunwich with all the stopping and starting looking for birds that as soon as we had had a spot of refreshment in the pub at Dunwich we thought it would be worth asking if there was a local bus that could get us back to Walberswick. We asked at the bar in the pub and when the laughter at the idea of a bus service had subsided we decided to get back as soon as possible. If the tide is low it is possible to walk back along the sand and this reduces the distance to three miles. It was high tide so the option was either to do three miles along shingle or go back the way we came. We opted for the latter but we went back much quicker only stopping occasionally when we heard the elusive Bittern booming.

A nine mile walk is quite a lot for us so we felt very virtuous when we got back to the car feeling rather overheated being dressed for the rain as we were. As we were changing our boots the rain started ! It had been a really nice walk but again the Bitterns and Water Rails that we had hoped to see had eluded us.

Bird Sightings : Walberswick to Dunwich