 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Birds regularly seen : |
|
| Divers, Grebes, Bittern, Wild Swans, |
| Wild Geese, Sea Duck, Harriers, Waders, |
| Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Barn Owl, Pipits, Woodpeckers, Swallows, Martins, Redstart Nightingales, , Black Redstart, Warblers, Bearded Tit, Finches and Buntings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SUFFOLK BIRDWATCHING BREAKS |
| A SHORT REVIEW OF 2005 |
|
|
|
Winter - another excellent winter period with large numbers of wildfowl to be seen including hundreds of Red Throated Divers and Great Crested Grebes offshore. Geese including Pink footed, White fronted, Barnacle, up to 25 Bean geese and a Red Breasted Goose were all present and well as Bewicks and 2 Whooper Swan. Unusual wildfowl included both Velvet Scoter and Scaup, while unusual gulls included both Glaucous and Iceland. A few birds of prey were regularly seen including Hen Harriers, Red Kite and Peregrine. A very unusual record of a Kildeer was seen in late March and Hawfinches were at their usual site on and off all winter. Also during this period, up to 6 Woodcock roosted near to the house and there were a few records of Short eared Owls and a very colourful influx of Northern Bullfinches. |
|
April/May/June - all the passage waders arrived during April/May in their fine summer plumage, along with the migrant warblers, Nightingale, Nightjar, Terns etc. The breeding season, on the whole, was successful with Avocet rearing many young this year and up to 8 Bittern nests and 10 Marsh Harrier nests. More unusual species included Hoopoe, Red backed Shrike, many Ring Ousels, Quail, Great White Egret, Rough legged Buzzard, Red footed Falcon, and a superb Trumpeter Finch. In early June, an adult Tawny Pipit was found while walking the dog! The long evenings also gave the opportunity of watching the Barn Owls hunting as well as Nightjars and Little Owls. |
|
July/August/September - Autumn passage started early with large numbers of waders passing through including Curlew, Wood and Green Sandpipers. The tern passage was excellent this year with many Black and Arctic Tern at Sizewell which were joined by Roseate, White winged black and Lesser crested Terns.. At this time, large numbers of sea birds were seen offshore, including Arctic, Pomarine and Long tailed Skua as well as Sooty Shearwater. Major rarity of the month was a full adult Pacific Golden Plover. |
|
October/November - Passage continued as the winter visitors started to arrive including many hundreds of Brent Geese. The Barnacle flock reappeared with 2 Red breasted Geese. Other unusual birds included Yellow browed Warbler, Red Backed Shrike, Pectoral Sandpiper, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Lesser Yellow legs, and Olive backed Pipit. Surely the birds of the Autumn were a group of up to 6 Short eared Owls, from late September to the end of November which performed brilliantly for all of our groups. |
|
Who knows what 2006 will bring? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
