randombirder

We're fortunate in the UK to enjoy hundreds of miles of beautiful coastline - the geopolitics of being an island nation certainly has it's disbenefits, but what it does to enhancing biodiversity is unrivalled. However, a few places possess real magic.  Spurn is definitely one of them.  It's a long old slog to get there - I hadn't planned this trip - a spontaneous decision during the early part of Friday evening had me heading up the A1 for an overnight stop near Lincoln, a nice dinner and a couple of beers. The weather was glorious - arriving just before 8am, I headed straight down for the eastern subalpine warbler only realising afterwards that I had walked straight passed a bluethroat that showed intermittantly at the end of the canal by the Warren. The warbler however was much more obliging - a real cracker of a bird - one that makes trips like this so worthwhile.  Disappering for short periods, it would then pop out, and on occasions popping around close to the pat...

 Days at Frampton Marsh never disappoint and on a rare day where the sun was out - it felt like spring.  Dark clouds in the distance looked threatening, and with no immediate shelter around the reserve, there was a sense of foreboding that the weather could turn nasty. Thankfully, the storms evaded the reserve itself - fortunate as rumbles of thunder could be heard toward the east. A late start meant that I'd missed some early wader action but there was plenty of interest on the scrapes, most notably two temminck's stint  that remained feeding close to the eastern bank.  Once again I'd forgotten to replace the SD card in my camera - something I do with frustrating regularity.  Also, on the marsh were the breeding avocet , a single ruff , three dunlin  and three spoonbill . A distant  short-eared owl quartered the marsh on the seaward side and a little owl was sat out in the open next to the farm to the south of the reserve. A hobby shot over the reser...

The whiskered tern was present on a dull and dreary morning at Longham Lakes that felt more like February than May.  The assemblage of species overwhelmingly suggested otherwise.  The lake was teeming with hirundines and swift , a cuckoo was calling from woodland on the west side and reed warbler were scratching away from the phragmites.  There was a noticeable increase in house martin today. The tern was the only individual of this taxon present on the lake. It would rest on the buoys for a while then head off on feeding sorties - typically elegant in flight swooping low to the surface of the water feeding on insects. From here I headed down to Portland which was very quiet.  The afternoon sun felt amazing as the winds were light and the views as always are lovely. Bits and pieces picked up during the afternoon were 11 kittiwake amongst large numbers of gull feeding close inshore, A hobby flew past the bill, three wheatear along the east cliffs, a little owl...

A lazy start to the morning but was at Broom by 9am after the messages came through of a sanderling present on the scrapes - and a lovely individual it was too - my first for the site.  Also present were a single ringed plover , two little ringed plover , common sandpiper . oystercatcher , and two wigeon . It was lovely and warm, a real treat as the cool northerlies of recent weeks had become a little tiresome. A walk round Peacocks produced a couple of lesser whitethroat , willow warbler and a lovely male wheatear on G&M growers. There were plenty of hirundines over GLE and swift numbered over 50 there.

First there was  this .  It was always the plan to head off in search of a savi's warbler this year after the miserable failings of last spring.  It was hardly surprising that Steve Blain had found another local rare - what was more surprising was that it was a savi's warbler - a first for bedfordshire and only 13 minutes from home. The attempts were racking up - this my seventh overall but the first at Derek White's Egg Pits where this had been expertly picked up reeling on the 5th May.  A reasonable evening on the 7th raised hopes, but the viewing position on the edge of Biggleswade Common overlooking the pits diminished any chances of satisfying views.  It seemed like a mile away from the reedbed on the far side.  A local barn owl put on a great show for the small group lined up along the rivers edge. Despite almost constant reeling for at least an hour and a half, catching a glimpse of this secretive bird proved to be difficult and thus, my hands were ...

It was a lively day - the heavy rain was relentless during the morning but despite remaining grey for much of the day, at least it was dry during the afternoon and there was a decent movement of waders. Nine  ringed plover  came to rest on the scrape with a single dunlin - a decent run for both these species.  Two little ringed plover were also present there. A hobby flew through causing panic amongst the hirundines.

A quiet, cold and still morning on the pits arriving at around 6.15am.  The dunlin had finally departed but the two greenshank and ringed plover remained.  A new common sandpiper was feeding along the edge of the far bank.  It was also good to see the little ringed plover huddled down on a nest. Two sedge warbler , garden warbler , lesser whitethroat and willow warbler were vocalising in and around the scrub behind the viewpoint.  The two wigeon continued to feed on the grassy bank on the east side. Six swallow flew through.

Another good early morning at Broom with dunlin numbers down on yesterday (a maximum of nine seen yesterday) with two first thing with another joining the group after a brief fly-around.  The scrape also held the continuing ringed plover , greenshank , and the two little ringed plover . A decent flock of hirundines then dropped in with at least 50 swallow and a few swift amongst the martins.  A hobby swooped through with a successful first catch of the day. Other highlights were my first garden warbler and wheatear for the reserve, the latter were two females on the opposite side within ploughed land. Seven lesser black backed gull flew through and 24 black headed gull was the highest count for a couple of weeks.  Two wigeon were feeding on the far bank.

After an incredibly moody night with winds howling and heavy but much needed rain battering our shores, the morning was filled with the expectation of grounded waders and so it came to pass. On arrival at just before 6.30am, four dunlin , a tundrae ringed plover , greenshank and two  little ringed plover were present on the scrape.  Perhaps a little disappointing for some that may have expected more variety or something a little rarer.  Still pretty decent. It was blustery and dark clouds loomed in the distance.  Another greenshank flew in to join the other already feeding in the shallows.  Totally evading our gaze, two more dunlin joined the other four already present.  This presented a small group of a wider national influx of this species this morning.  They seem to be everywhere. In the scrub, a lesser whitethroat , sedge warbler , and reed warbler were singing.  At least nine yellow wagtail were feeding out on the grass islands.

It's been great on Broom so far this spring - the wader count has been impressive and with the receding water levels, the exposed mud is proving its worth.  Today the scrape looked more like the freshmarsh at Titchwell than a small reserve in South Beds - or - Al-broom-feira if you will. On the scrapes were three each of wood sandpiper , summer plumage dunlin , oystercatcher , little ringed plover , and a single greenshank .  Incredible having all this 12 minutes from home.

Only an hour away, Lakenheath is always good for a morning walk without having to leave particularly early.  Within half our of arriving, a hobby , couple of cuckoo , drake garganey , six black-tailed godwit , a greenshank , a dozen avocet , and a reeling grasshopper warbler had already been observed without really making tracks. It was a glorious morning, light winds that held a chill but the sun has strength at this time of year.  A hike up to Joist Fen was met with a sky full of circling hobby, at least 20 here feeding on insects that had emerged as the day began to warm.  Such an amazing sight and so evocative of spring here in the fens.   Marsh harrier were in the mood circling over the reeds and warblers were singing everywhere -  a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

I'd never heard of it until it was mentioned to me that there were ring ouzel here so headed over first thing to find at least two males along the escarpment of this fine meadow on the 1st.  Almost as notable were at least 60 fieldfare within the same field, my first record of this species in the month of may. I headed back on the evening of the 2nd after location details of a nightingale  were provided for an individual that had been frequenting the area for the past few years.  After a short wait, this enigmatic species started to fire up, not in full glory but the wheezing and abrupt exaltations were enough to satisfy the senses - a brief flight view was a bonus.  A hobby was also present here sitting vigilantly on a dead tree.  A brilliant site on the periphery of the RSPB reserve at Sandy with a lot of quality.

A really nice morning at the Broom with two summer plumage dunlin feeding out in the shallows.  A vocal cuckoo was flying sorties between the woodland either side of Peacocks - a really great moment seeing and hearing the first cuckoo of the spring. A lesser whitethroat was singing along the hedgeline at GLE that evaded sight but hirundines and swift were very much evident once again as they have been in recent days.  A white wagtail was feeding out in on the marsh, not a full adult but a nice bird nonetheless.