Lackford Lakes and Stansted Airport Lagoons

 Yesterday, after leading a dawn chorus walk I popped over to the lagoons and Stansted Airport. Lesser whitethroat, heard and seen very briefly was a highlight along with 2 Shelduck, Common sandpiper, Grey wagtail and Little ringed plover.

Common sandpiper in good light

Common sandpiper

Same bird

Little ringed plover

Drake shelduck

Today, I had the morning free so off to Lackford Lakes near Bury St. Edmunds. Breezy and poor light conditions meant little was photographed and then, not very pleasing set. Few here. Cuckoo and Swift made the year list. 

Typically skulking wren

Swift, really need far better light.

Another swift

Black headed gull

Chiffchaff

Pair of great crested grebe and incoming BHG

Common tern

Common terns

Canada goose flyby

Amwell and Rye Meads visit

 Started at Amwell in good light. Not too much of note from the Viewing point so wandered off to check the path towards Hollycross Lake. On the shingle at the end of Tumbling Bay came across a Canada goose on a nest with a single gosling already hatched. Made to a few pleasant shots with reflections. Also, a Great crested grebe showed well for a few photos. Plenty of sedge warblers about but still no cuckoo for me although one was present earlier in the morning. A Little Ringed plover dropped down in front of the Viewing Point before I headed back to the car, encountering a fox in the field near the level crossing.

Off to Rye Meads: coffee and crisps and a flyover Hobby. Camera settings still set for the fox so all wrong. A female blackcap dropped into a nearby tree. Checked the pond dipping area for water vole: none present before I scanned the lake and in amongst the Black headed gulls, a solitary Mediterranean gull. A very distant shot below. Plenty of sedge and reed warblers calling but not showing too well. A male blackcap was more visible along the recently opened seasonal trail but note: all hides closed until 17th May at the earliest. Took the path to the new Kingfisher hide, very impressive hide it is, too, but was held up by a family party of Canada geese sauntering along the path just in front of me. I wasn't allowed to pass them!

Had a pleasant chat with several members of staff before heading home to process (for process, I mean delete) over 250 photos, a few that worked below.

Species list for the morning: A for Amwell, RM for Rye Meads. No abbreviation means both sites.

1. Great crested Grebe (A)
2. Cormorant
3. Grey heron (A)
4. Mute swan 
5. Greylag geese
6. Canada Goose 
7. Mallard
8. Gadwall
9. Pochard (A)
10. Tufted duck
11. Red kite (RM)
12. Common buzzard (RM)
13. Hobby (RM)
14. Pheasant (A)
15. Moorhen
16. Coot
17. Little ringed plover (A)
18. Black headed gull
19. Mediterranean gull (RM)
20. Herring gull
21. Lesser black backed gull (A)
22. Common tern
23. Wood pigeon
24. Collared dove (A)
25. Swallow
26. Pied wagtail (A)
27. Wren (A)
28. Dunnock (A)
29. Robin
30. Mistle thrush (A)
31. Blackbird
32. Blackcap
33. Whitethroat (A)
34. Sedge warbler
35. Cetti's warbler
36. Reed warbler
37. Chiffchaff
38. Great tit
39. Blue tit
40. Long tailed tit
41. Magpie
42. Jackdaw
43. Carrion crow
44. Starling
45. House sparrow (RM)
46. Chaffinch
47. Goldfinch
48. Linnet (A)
49. Greenfinch (RM)
50. Reed bunting
51. Yellowhammer (heard A)

    

    Blackcap, male

    
    

    

    male Reed warbler

    
    

    

    Family portrait

    
    

    

    Tough route march when you just a day or two old!

    
    

    

    You shall not pass!

    
    

    

    very high, circling Common buzzard

    
    

    

    Common tern

    
    

    

    Peacock

    
    

    

    Sedge warbler

    
    

    

    Distant Mediterranean gull

    
    

    

    Magpie

    
    

    

    female blackcap

    
    

    

    Fox at Amwell

    
    

    

    Little ringed plover

    
    

    

    Sedge warbler

    
    

    

    Greylag goslings taking cover.

    
    

    

    Lesser black backed gull

    
    

    

    Yet another, distant sedge warbler

    
    

    

    drake pochard

    
    

    

    Grey squirrel

    
    

    

    Canada goose with pleasing reflection

    
    

    

    Series of Great crested grebe shots in good, reflective light.

    
    

    

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    Canada goose with one gosling. More to hatch.

    
    

    

    Posing robin

    
    

    

    Vociferous wren

    
    

    

    Female BHG massaging male's neck to encourage regurgitation of food for her!

    
    

North Norfolk Visit

 Thursday 8th April found me leaving home early for a return to North Norfolk, my first visit to do some bird watching since December. This represents the longest gap between visits since 2015 when I was not well with Dengue Fever. I normally visit at least once a month, often more frequently. The plan was to start at Kelling and work my way west, finishing the day at Titchwell RSPB Reserve.

After coffee and sausage sandwich in Wells I headed to Kelling Quags. Usual birds here with no migrants in the shape of Wheatear nor waders. Plenty made the day list and several new for year birds. This wasn't going to be a problem being my first visit away from Little Hadham area for 2021.

From here, up to Kelling Heath where I came across Dartford warbler, a pair showing well on top of the gorse near the level crossing but no Willow warblers.

Gramborough Hill on Salthouse beach also failed to offer anything migratory, so off to the East Bank at Cley NWT Reserve. A peregrine flew over and several wader species from the Richie Richardson hide. The hides on the reserve were closed so I didn't venture into the reserve, instead, headed for Cley beach where a Grey phalarope was spinning on the Eye Pool. Still no Wheatears and a search for Yellow wagtails in the Eye Field was similarly unsuccessful. A brief sea watch just added gull species to the lengthening day list.

A quick check along Lady Anne's Drive before buying sandwiches in Blakeney and eating these at Warham Greens before heading further west to Burnham Overy Staithe by the sailing club. Very confiding turnstones here and Black tailed godwit made the list.

Choseley Drying barns added the inevitable Red legged partridge and a distant Marsh Harrier before I arrived at Titchwell reserve at 3.30pm. A new entry system here at present. Need to take your RSPB membership card with you to a "welcome hub" where your details are logged for track and trace. A one way system operates between the car park and the entrance. Coffee and I was off again. Plenty noted: Red crested pochard, Mediterranean gull, a few waders before arriving at the beach. Usual waders along the tide line with good numbers of Oystercatchers in particular. 

Back to check the gulls and anything else on the Fresh Marsh before a final and unsuccessful search for a Black redstart near the car park. I was back in the car by 6.15pm and home soon after 8pm.

Superb day and really great to be back in some of my favourite birding haunts.

Species list:

1. Little grebe (Titchwell)
2. Cormorant (Kelling Quags)
3. Bittern (heard booming, Titchwell)
4. Little egret (Kelling)
5.  Great white egret (Holkham Freshmarsh)
6. Spoonbill (Cley)

   

   Spoonbill

   
   
7. Mute swan (Kelling Quags)
8. Greylag goose (everywhere!)
9. Canada goose (Salthouse duck pond)
10.  Brent goose (Stiffkey Greens)
11. Shelduck (Kelling Quags)

    

    Shelduck at Kelling

    
    
    
12. Egyptian goose (Kelling Quags)
13. Mallard (Kelling Quags)
14. Gadwall (Cley)
15. Shoveler (Kelling Quags)
16. Wigeon (Holkham)
17. Teal (Cley)

    

    female Teal

    
    
18. Pochard (Cley)
19. Red crested pochard (Titchwell)

    

    Red crested pochard

    
    

    

    drake Pochard

    
    

    

    pochard, duck

    
    
20. Tufted duck (Titchwell)
21. Red Kite (Holkham)
22. Marsh harrier (Choseley)

    

    Marsh harrier, female

    
    
23. Common buzzard (Kelling Heath)
24. Kestrel (Kelling Heath)

    

    Kestrel, male

    
    
25. Peregrine (Cley)

    

    Peregrine falcon, male

    
    
26. Red legged partridge (Choseley)

    

    Red legged partridge

    
    
27. Pheasant (everywhere)

    

    Pheasant

    
    
28. Moorhen (Kelling Quags)
29.  Coot (Cley)
30. Oystercatcher (Salthouse duck pond)

    

    Oystercatcher

    
    
31. Avocet (Kelling Quags)

    

    Avocet

    
    
32. Ringed plover (Titchwell)
33. Golden plover (Titchwell)
34. Lapwing (Kelling Quags)
35. Sanderling (Titchwell beach)

    

    Sanderling

    
    
36. Turnstone (Burnham Overy Staithe)

    

    Turnstone

    
    
37. Dunlin (Cley)

    

    Dunlin

    
    
38. Redshank (Cley)
39. Black tailed godwit (Burnham Over staithe)
40. Curlew (Kelling Quags)

    

    Curlew

    
    
41. Grey phalarope (Cley)

    

    Grey phalarope

    
    
42. Black headed gull (everywhere)
43. Mediterranean gull (Titchwell)
44. Herring gull (Salthouse duck pond)
45. Lesser black backed gull (Cley)
46. Wood pigeon
47. Stock dove (Holkham)
48.  Collared dove (Wells next the sea Co Op carpark)
49. Great spotted woodpecker (heard, Stiffkey)
50.  Skylark (Kelling quags)
51.  Swallow (Cley)
52. Meadow pipit (Cley)
53. Pied wagtail (Cley)
54. Wren (everywhere)
55. Dunnock (Kelling Quags)
56. Robin (everywhere)
57. Wheatear (Titchwell beach)
58. Song thrush (Snipe's Marsh)
59. Blackbird (Holkham)
60. Blackcap (Kelling Quags)
61. Dartford warbler (Kelling Heath)

    

    Dartford warbler

    
    
62. Chiffchaff (Kelling Quags)
63.  Great tit
64. Blue tit
65. Coal tit (Titchwell)
66. Long tailed tit (Holkham)
67. Magpie
68. Jackdaw
69.  Carrion crow
70. Rook
71. Starling
72. House sparrow (Cley)
73. Chaffinch (Kelling Quags)
74. Linnet (Kelling Quags)
75. Goldfinch (Chseley)
76.  Greenfinch (Choseley)
77. Yellowhammer (Choseley)

    

    Titchwell Fresh Marsh

    
    

    

    Peacock butterfly

    
    

    

    Mediterranean Gulls

    
    

    

    Herring gull

    
    

    

    Greylag 

    
    

    

    Fishing boat, Titchwell

    
    

    

    Black tailed godwit and teal