Trimley Reserve

The Trimley Round up.  Number 11.     September 30^th 2012. 

By Anna Alam

The autumn equinox has certainly made an impact on the reserve this week, with a drop in temperatures particularly early morning.  However, the last few days have been bathed in the wonderful gold tints of sun, that the autumn season kindly offers us. The brief summer we had has now quickly disappeared but we are looking forward now to our winter visitors and all the surprises that autumn passage may produce.

The last week has been a very memorable one, when on the 22^nd September a Red backed Shrike was seen on the reserve.  One lucky visitor from Hadleigh enjoyed its presence and reported it on BINS. A bird on passage, with a few pairs now found in Scotland, it breeds in Scandinavia as well as in the Mediterranean.  Trimley reserve is a welcome stop over point; particularly as it offers some of the habitat it prefers, eg, thorny thickets.

Approaching the reserve and as you walk up the bridleway look out for frequent sightings of Kestrel, and Green Woodpecker.  The viewing platform should also offer good views over the reserve and if you are lucky good sightings of Marsh Harriers and Buzzards. Today John saw 5 above the Barn, flying high and soaring in the air currents.  It was a lovely sight to see on a lovely sunny Sunday morning.

Excitement is really the order of the month for October.  Already the sounds of autumn are here on the reserve.  If you want to hear that familiar sound and see the sights of this season, the reserve is the place to be.  Geese are showing in good numbers now and what a fantastic experience, just standing on the sea wall and watching and hearing them come in, after feeding on the estuary. As the winter months beckon large numbers will begin their return.  The sounds of Canada, Greylag and one of my favourites, Brent Geese are really a magical experience.

Autumn also sends an invitation to some of the loveliest wildfowl species to visit us.  The reservoir hide is now a great viewing area for some good numbers of species that are coming in on a daily basis.  On Saturday 29^th September a lovely Pintail was seen and more of these should be arriving.    Certainly, today there were good numbers of Gadwall, Shoveler and Tufted Duck    Also look out for large numbers of Coot (not a duck but classed as a water bird). We wait in anticipation for some winter specialities and hope we may get Smew and Goldeneye again this year.

The summer flood has had good numbers of Black-tailed Godwit and today some lovely Ruff were seen.  Our two Wigeon, which spent the summer with us, are now joined by many more, having returned from their summer breeding grounds.  This week there has also been an increase in Teal. These can easily be identified as the Males have a very striking head, which look like a Harlequin.

We look forward to October and this lovely time of the year and we wait for some of our lovely winter visitors to return. If you visit the reserve enjoy the walk down to the reserve and look out for the changing leaf colours on the trees along the bridleway.

Cattle grazing the last of the grass