Trimley Reserve Update

Yesterday Ernie Lucking and John Rayment (volunteer wardens) saw two Cranes flying over the reserve.

Today, the drake Garganey was present.  The overcast damp start to the morning brought the Swifts down low to feed so I was able to catch and ring one.

Trimley Reserve update

Birding this week has been superb with hundreds of summer migrants being present.  Swifts, all species of hirundines including a Red-rumped Swallow, Avocets, over 80 Black-tailed Godwits, Greenshank, Little Ringed Plover, summer plumaged Dunlins, Common and Green Sandpipers, pairs of Garganey and Scaup.  Up to 3 Marsh Harriers and Hobbies chasing Swifts.

There are good photographic opportunites of Sedge and Reed Warblers infront of the VC hide.

The highlight today was a Fulmar - a rare bird for this site.

Have a great birding weekend.

Trimley Reserve

Spoonbill today on the summer flood.  Other highlights included 2 Hobbys, Buzzard, 44 Black-tailed Godwits, Little Ringed Plover and a pair of Yellow Wagtails.

Snape Marshes

We cleared the metal posts and rusty barbed wire fence from the eastern boundary of the reserve today.

The Barn owl was hunting all morning and a male Marsh Harrier was seen several times. Other highlights include 2 Slow Worms and a Hairy Dragonfly.

Trimley

Today, a pair of Yellow Wagtails were seen nest building.  Other highlights included Marsh Harrier, Buzzard and 4 Mediterranean Gulls.

Peregrines

The four Peregrine chicks that I colour ringed on the Orwell Bridge are growing well.  Photo by David Hermon.

Trimley

Today I counted 51 Greylag goslings and the Mute swan still has her 8 cygnets.

Trimley Reserve

Early this morning few fortunate birders saw a Great White Egret (new species for the reserve).

Trimley Reserve update

On the reserve today were two Temmincks Stints, a Blue-headed Wagtail, Cuckoo and 1M2F Marsh Harriers

Captains Wood

It was a pleasure to take the Witnesham WI for a walk around the reserve. The weather was perfect and our timing was spot on to see the Bluebells in full flower. We saw two herds of Fallow Deer totalling about 100 animals and several Muntjacs. Two of the group spotted a Slow Worm and two Adders, which I had walked past; my eyes were on the sky looking for birds (that’s my excuse).

Trimley Reserve

Today, on the Trimley Reserve I had wonderful views of a Short-eared Owl, down to only 8 ft as it glided in front of the winter flood hide; it spent about 20 minutes hunting over the meadows before going to ground. The Wood Sandpiper was on the summer flood for a second day. Other highlights included Cuckoo, Ruff and Common Sandpiper.

Bluebells at Captains Wood

Reserves update

At Hazelwood Marshes, today, there was a Chinese Water Deer. Other highlights were Marsh Harrier 3, Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Cuckoo, Garden Warbler and at least 8 pairs of Avocet breeding on one of the islands.

At Trimley Marshes there were several Yellow Wagtails, 2 Hobbies and the first of the Black-headed Gull chicks running about on the rafts.

At Captains Wood there were 2 Hairy Dragonflies (at last, my first for the year). The Bluebells were fully out and looked beautiful.

Trimley latest

We had our first brood of cygnets (8) today.  

Anyone visiting the reserve ought to lookout for the albino Whitethroat, which is holding territory, in the hedgerow just beyond the barn at Searson's Farm.

Butterfly numbers are still very poor; only 3 Orange Tip and 4 Speckled Wood.

Reserve Update

At Snape this morning the Trust launched its ‘Investor in Wildlife scheme’. The purpose of the event was to celebrate the achievements of the Trust with our corporate partners; over 50 supporters attended. There was two early morning walks, starting at 0730 hours, around the Snape Marshes reserve and then back to the Golden Key for breakfast. It was a lovely morning, everyone enjoyed the event and we saw some wildlife. Being on the reserve in the early morning sun was a treat, a Barn Owl was seen hunting over the Marsh, a Little Egret was feeding in one of the watercourses and a number of summer migrants were seen or heard such as Cuckoo, Whitethroat, Nightingale, Turtle Dove, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Yellow Wagtail and Sedge Warbler. I tried to find a grass snake but could not, probably because it was too cold, I did, however find a Slow Worm.

Despite the comments of some workmates I only had one Bacon roll!!

At Trimley Marshes this pm there was a Spoonbill and 65 Black-tailed Godwit.

Bird Update

There were more summer migrants at Trimley including several hundred Swifts hunting over the reservoir and a Red-rumped Swallow (a new species for the reserve), which was present all day. Other highlights included 3 Hobbies, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank and a drake Garganey.

It was a special moment for me at midday. With a colleague, I was on the Peregrine ledge on the Orwell Bridge where we ringed four Peregrine Falcon chicks. We also individually colour ringed them with an orange ring inscribed with two black letters.

Trimley Update

New birds observed over the weekend at Trimley included Spoonbill, Garganey, Hobby, Bar-tailed Godwits, Green and Common Sandpipers. 

Further upstream at Levington (Loompit Lake) there were up to 4 Red-rumped Swallows.