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

Woodchat shrike , Minsmere ,Winterton & buckenham marshes

 A quick round up of what ive been seeing this past week or so. Me and Matt popped down to Suffolk to get my first Woodchat Shrike . We got to Westhall around 11 am and had just missed it by few minutes but were told it had just gone down among the dung heap ( nice!) . We got set up , chatting to the locals and waited. After around half hour( in which time 4 or 5 birders had been and gone) a birder had it above him on the telegraph wires . What a bird . I mean who wouldn't love seeing such a striking colourful bird . With it's White and black body , super black eye band & that it's rusty red crown. Superb ! After a few more pictures and views we decided to head to Minsmere.



Woodchat Shrike(226)



Woodchat Shrike(226)

 Minsmere-  At entrance we pulled in to the known area of bushes to see if we could get a Nightingale . Well after a few minutes I spotted a singing Nightingale  out in the open for around half a minute before dropping down to the next bush.With that in the bag we headed down to the Island Mere Hide . We were greeted with noisy Reed warblers and a stunning male Marsh Harrier over the reeds..A common Snipe in front of hide and I saw a flying Bittern over reeds(always nice) . I then spotted a Hobby . A quick shout and a few others got on it too . First of the year and good sign that spring is well under way! We decided to head back and on doing so a few Red deer on the Heath were grazing. Before heading straight home  I headed to Whitlingham cp for a butchers over the broad and  was rewarded as i got my first Swift !  4 in fact . I had wanted to see one by end of  April but this was 1 st May ( so hopefully a day earlier next year!)
  Next trip out was to Winterton for hoopoe . I didn't see it but did get White Wagtail and cracking Kestrel on a fence post which made for some good pictures.

 On to the beach and Sheducks overhead and a Hobby through the south dunes. Seawatch brought me 2x Sandwich Terns and 15+ Bar tail Godwits going East along the shoreline. As usual i nipped into Buckenham marshes on my way home  for a quick butchers but  not much from hide until I went outside and searched along the fence line and was rewarded by finding a female Black Redstart ! Beautiful bird just around the cattle enclosure area. It soon flew off further along the fence line. I headed home and  checked to see if a Swift had made it as far as my street ..... not yet but its just a matter of time no doubt!
 Shaky