Captains Wood

This morning Crispin Chalker (01502 478615) installed a beautifully crafted bench seat that he had made out of Oak for Jude Banks in memory of her late husband Paul.

Jude (right of photo) with her friend

Crispin and Jude

Trimley reserve

My small duck trap caught 3 Teal and 1 Gadwall and I also caught a Water Rail in another trap. Anna who has only been ringing with me for 5 months has just ringed her 66th species of bird.

Anna holding a Teal that she has just ringed

Anna over the moon with the Water Rail

Trimley Reserve

Tim Day creating a shallow scrape in a low area on the main marsh.  Note how dry the marsh is.

Levington Lagoon 'Turn-over Project'

We managed another wadering session last night/early morning, fourth in six days.  Once again conditions were excellent and there was a predicted surge tide of 28 inches. There was a frost by 0100 hours making it the coldest night night so far this winter.  Over 60 waders were caught, which included Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank, Dunlin, Knot, Lapwing, Curlew and 6 Golden Plover.

Anna A. with colour ringed Black-tailed Godwit

Golden Plovers

Trimley Marshes

Volunteers were busy today coppicing sallow.  Habitat enhancement started on the summer flood.

Observations included Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, 50 Avocet and one Jack Snipe.

Tom M. coppicing sallows

Tim Day started work on the summer flood

Levington Lagoon

We had another wadering session last night.  Conditions were excellent plus there was a flood warning because of a surge tide putting another 18 inches on the height of the tide.  It was a busy night, high tide was predicted to be at 2300 hrs but we were still ringing waders at 0230 in the morning.  Over 110 waders caught including more Redshank and Black-tailed godwits individually colour ringed as part of our ‘Turn-over Project’

Paul N. and a colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit

Julie M. with a culew

Julie M & Anna A. ringing Dunlin

Falkenham Marshes

Two nights this week we have been on the marshes to catch waders. We caught 27 mostly Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 2 Grey Plover, 1 Knot and and 1 Jack Snipe.

Reserves update.

Hazelwood Marshes: The Environment Agency are now pulling out after carrying out maintenance work to the sea wall.   On Tuesday (22^nd) I observed a male Hen Harrier and c15 Bearded Tits.

Newbourne Springs: Observations this week include Tawny Owl (4), Woodcock 2 and 15 Siskin’s.

Trimley Marshes: The birding is good as winter wildfowl numbers increase.  Today observations included 1400 Teal, 300 Wigeon, 110 Gadwall, 100 Pintail, 100 Shoveler, c400 Greylag Geese, 200 Canada Geese, 6 Barnacle Geese and c100 Brent.  There were also c800 Lapwing and c700 Golden Plover, 2 Marsh Harriers and a Peregrine Falcon.

Trimley Reserve

When Graham arrived at the Visitor Centre to unlock he found that there had been an attempted break in.  More damage once again with shutters ripped off and doors damaged.  A crimes officer took photos of the footprints on the doors, fingers crossed that someone is caught but it is unlikely.

A green Sandpiper was seen on the reserve today.

The Orwell Estuary

The Orwell estuary is protected by international legislation; we all have a moral and legal duty to ensure we do not harm these special intertidal habitats.  The Stour and Orwell Estuaries Management Group, local bait diggers and anglers have agreed on a voluntary code of conduct.  Following the code will mean better bait digging, more food and fewer disturbances for wading birds.  The seasonal closure of specified areas will allow for the worms’ breeding season between 1^st November and the 30^th of April. 

Today, during the co-ordinated low water waterbird count of the Stour and Orwell estuaries, I observed five bait diggers on the mudflats adjacent to the Orwell Bridge who were ignoring the ban.  This selfish action by these bait diggers not only flies in the face of other anglers and bait diggers who are abiding by the ban but all of the representatives from organisations who have spent many hours of their free time to come up with a negotiated way forward to better protect the mudflats, invertebrates and the wintering populations of waterbirds.

Beautiful estuary - no wading birds!

Newbourne Springs

It was eerie at 5.30 this morning, bright moonlight and quiet except for a chorus of Tawny Owls, at least four birds were calling to one another.  A Little Owl called and flew over our heads.  At day break as soon as the dew had fallen from the trees Siskin were busy feeding in the tops of the Alders.

Trimley Marshes

Early this morning in darkness we had a ghost of a bird hunting the verge of the bridleway, our headlights also picked out two Woodcock and several Snipe and it was obviouse that there had been a fall of Blackbirds.  Later we also saw a Hen Harrier.

We caught three Bullfinches, a Green Woodpecker and several Blackbirds.

Snape Marshes

Management work is progressing well with Barry Day and Sons having almost slubbed out the long winding dyke that bisects the reserve.  Both Alan and Carl were topping the improved grazing marsh areas.  Derek our voluntary warden was supervising the Snape volunteers who were clearing a fence line.

Observations included Marsh Harrier, Kingfisher, Grey Heron, Migrant Hawker dragonfly and a common Darter.

Snape Marshes

Reserve enhancement is progressing, see photos below showing dyke restoration and a new pool in the reed bed.

Restoring a perimeter dyke

A new pool in the reed bed

Trimley Marshes

A fall of blackbirds and fieldfares was most notable this morning.  There was also 5 Woodcock, Buzzard and the wildfowl numbers of all species are increasing.

Snape Marshes

Now that the Snape marshes are in the Governments Higher Level Stewardship scheme we have begun  enhancing existing and creating new wildlife areas.

Trimley Marshes

More Robins and Fieldfares on the reserve today plus a few Goldcrests.  I also caught an adult male Sparrowhawk, I just love these birds.

Anna and male Sparrowhawk

A small fall of these birds during the last few days

British Trust for Ornithology

I enjoyed a fantastic day out with my granddaughter Hannah in London last week with the Director of the British Trust for Ornithology, Andy Clements, and other BTO colleagues.   We had a guided tour by Baroness Barbara Young of the House of Commons and the Lords and in the evening we were guests at the BTO Awards Ceremony at the Society of Wildlife Artists in the Mall Galleries.

Me and Hannah

Baroness Young and Hannah