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Trimley Marshes

I left Ipswich at 0530 hrs and the temperature was zero, picked up Anna and by the time we had arrived at Trimley we were in thick fog and everywhere was cloaked in a heavy frost.

We had to wait a couple of hours before the sun burnt off the fog and frost, and it was then we caught a few birds. Normally my first Chiffchaff of the year would be located by song but today my first encounter was of one in a net. There were eight Chiffchaffs in the area and we caught four. We also caught our first Bullfinch of the year.

After a very cold start to the day in turned out warm and sunny.

The reserve was alive with birds, noisy and a there was a great deal of activity. Observations included Woodcock, two Peregrines and five Buzzards and a Spitfire over.

A frosty start to the day

Trimley Reserve

This morning we saw Barn Owl, Sparrowhawk, 2 Woodcock and 7 Redpoll.  Still no summer migrants.

Levington

Levington, bright and sunny for a change but still bitterly cold in the wind plus we had a few snow flurries. No migrants but twice, a well marked male Mash Harrier put in an appearance, we also had female Sparrowhawk and there were a few Linnets about, singing from the tops of the gorse bushes.

Trimley Reserve

17.03.2013

Trimley Reserve: Drake Scaup, Bittern, water Rail and 68 Snipe on the summer flood (Ernie Lucking).

Trimley Reserve

March 15 2013, Trimley Reserve
I was birding at Trimley today; still good numbers of wildfowl about but the best bird of the morning for me was a female Hen Harrier hunting over the marsh, the Peregrine Falcon put in an appearance as did two Buzzards.

Levington Lagoon

March 12 2013, Levington Lagoon

We were wadering at the Lagoon last night.  The local forecast was for high winds up to 20 k/hour. In exposed places like saltmarsh this would be way to high to net but in my garden at 4pm there was hardly a breath of wind.  

If we took note of the local weather forecasts we would never be out ringing; by 7pm our nets were up, conditions were perfect, by their absence the waders did not know that, it was a cold night, a spring tide, no moon, cloudy and hardly a breath of wind until after midnight when we also had a snow shower.

We were on the Lagoon for eight hours for only four birds but these species are hard to catch for a variety of reasons.  Wadering at night is so unpredictable but whatever the catch the information collected is useful and the whole experience is so rewarding. The time flew by.

In the region of 400 Brent were with us all night and as the tide made they fed within 25 metres of us, pushed by the tide there were several thousand waders at roost on the opposite bank of the creek.

We caught four birds two Dunlin, one Lapwing and a female Teal.