Buckenham Marshes & Swifts are back in my street !!

 Well I decided to pop down to Buckenham Marshes  before i started work as i hadn't given it a real look other a quick 30 mins the other day so felt it was about time i went. Parked up at the hide and checked the river as I walked but nothing of interest.As I walked along the path bank i enjoyed the Sedge Warblers singing and calling to each other and occasionally catch one as it parachuted down into the reeds. A few Reed Warblers were heard too but couldn't see one .



Grey Heron passing the Mill

 As I approached the Mill I noticed a few House Martins as they flew over me and landed on the marsh to pick up some mud ( no doubt for some house repairs!) . It's nice to get a view of this busy little bird on the ground for a change rather then in the air or occasional wire. Also among the marsh floods was a Redshank with 1x young. Following its parent around, a little wobbly on its feet but managing to keep pace.





Redshank with young



A Grey Heron passed over as i approached the Mill, and from here i picked up  a flying Marsh Harrier,  more Redshank, Teal ,Shovelers, Shelduck , Widgeon, Gadwell and a flying Little Egret . The bushes in front held a Whitethroat, 2x Linnets & a Reed Bunting . As I Lent up against the Mill I was drawn towards the fence posts as a pair of Pied Wagtails were calling . I watched em for a while ( noting the darker back and front compared to the paler , White Wagtails that i had been seeing the last few weeks. Don't think ill ever look at a Pied Wagtail the same now!) ) , and it soon come apparent that I was the reason for all this alarm. Moving away I watched as they flew down with food to where I had been standing. Obviously young were needing of feeding !



male\female Teal & Redshank





Pied Wagtail  (pleased that i finally cleared off!)



   I was next drawn to the sky as I could hear a 2 note alarm call . I searched the sky and there it was descending and then climbing ..... Snipe . I've been trying to catch a male do this in my travels over the past weeks , so i sat down  took out my drink and watched & waited for that drumming like noise that it produces with it's outer tail feathers opening as it descends, to begin .The noise was great to hear, a real buzzy kind of noise. It was up there in the sky for at least 10 minutes so I started to check the ground to see what was causing him to stay up . I spotted a person doing some sort of  measuring to the land below(probably something more scientific then that )  where the Snipe was flying. I was pleased to have got to see this and made a note to come back here again and wait for a Snipe to entertain me  again as it had today. Superb . On arriving back home I sat with a beer in me garden watched the Swifts overhead screaming away as they twist and dive , picking out whatever they could find to add to there nest or bugs for food. They first arrived here in my street May 4th , a total of  7 were counted. Now there were 18 ! It really feels like it's spring when I lay in bed and I can hear the screaming of the Swifts over the singing of the Blackbird & Robin . Time for bed me thinks........
 Shaky