Trimley Marshes update

There are several thousand waterbirds present and most are easily observed from the hides.  G Palmer watched a Marsh Harrier harass a Hen Harrier with two Peregrine Falcons in the same field of view.

Yesterday there was a massive lift off of waterfowl, disturbed by a microlight flying low over the reserve twice - probably taking photo's.

Other news on the estuary; a Great Northern Diver by the Orwell Bridge.

Oystercatchers coming to roost at Trimley

Trimley Reserve

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

On the reserve yesterday 1200 Teal, 300 Wigeon, 76 Gadwall, 61 Pintail, 82 Shoveler and our first Bittern of the winter (N Odin).

Also seen 2 Buzzard, 2 Marsh Harrier and a Sparrowhawk.



Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve

Before Christmas cake and mince pies some of the volunteers planted Buckthorn whips as part of the Butterfly Conservation Project to help increase the population of Brimstone butterflies.

Anna (our Horticulturist) on her knees again with old Tom planting whips (I think) with new Tom in the background.

Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve

The wildfowl looked stunning this morning in the bright winter sunshine.  We had superb observations of a female Marsh Harrier hunting over the reserve, which caused the wildfowl to take flight a couple of times; at least 500 Brent Geese flew in from the river to land on the reservoir to wash and preen.

The new look summer flood

Pintail and Teal on the winter flood

Wildfowl on the winter flood

Trimley Marshes

There was a Peregrine Falcon and a stunning male Marsh Harrier hunting over the reserve this afternoon.

Snape Marshes

We had a work party at Snape this morning with volunteers making a start on erecting a new fence.

Trimley Marshes Wetland Bird Reserve

Winter Migration Part 2. http://www.felixstowetv.co.uk/video-archive/viewvideo/619/swt-conservation-documentries/trimley-marshes-migration-pt2

Trimley Marshes

Tim Day of Barry Day & Sons has completed the restoration work on the summer flood area.  Grassland that had eroded due to wave action has now been restored with a mosaic of varying but shallow depths of water.  Dyke's have been slubbed and sluice areas cleared.

Tim's skill and creative use of his JCB has completed a fantastic job, thanks Tim.

Below are photographs of the summer flood with the water rising again.

Damselflies and Dragonflies in Suffolk

The distribution of damselflies and dragonflies in Suffolk
 
Thanks to those you have submitted records for 2011, for those that have not, please submit records for the 2011 season to:

Adrian Parr, County Dragonfly Recorder, email: adrian.parr@btinternet.com

Or to

Dorothy Casey, c/o Suffolk Dragonfly Group Suffolk Wildlife Trust email:

dorothy.casey@suffolkwildlifetrust.org

 

Next year will be the final year of the atlas and we would welcome recorders to send in all records along with helping to cover areas that are under-recorded.

 

Further details can be found about the Suffolk Local Dragonfly Group - http://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/species-and-habitats/the-suffolk-local-dragonfly-group/.

Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve

It was a frosty early morning and bitterly cold in the wind; in twilight we saw a Long-eared Owl flying along the bridleway.

More photos of Tim Day resculpturing the summer flood scrape and increasing the size of the islands for breeding birds.

Trimley Reserve

Tim Day restoring another dyke across the main marsh.

Birds today included Bearded Tit 14 (reserve record), Buzzard 2 and
Marsh Harrier 1.