OK, let's see what turns up - BY 2021

[michael-ibk]

Indeed, great shots Martin!

[Galana]

Epic final photo of the Whitethroat.

All round good day out.

 

[Zim Girl]

Great find with the Cettis, I hear them all the time at my local reserve, but have still never seen one, let alone take a picture of one.

[Soukous]

Suffolk cuckoo makes record-breaking annual trip from Africa

 

A cuckoo has returned to the UK after completing a record-breaking trip from Africa that is being logged for research into the declining species.

PJ was given a satellite tag in the King's Forest, Suffolk, in 2016 and has since travelled more than 50,000 miles.

 

It is a little bit far for me to drive just to try and see a cuckoo, but well done PJ.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-56888398

[Soukous]

12 minutes ago, Zim Girl said:

Great find with the Cettis, I hear them all the time at my local reserve, but have still never seen one, let alone take a picture of one.

 

they can be real skulkers

[PeterHG]

Your persistence certainly paid off. Excellent photos of Cetti's Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat!

[Soukous]

36 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

Your persistence certainly paid off. Excellent photos of Cetti's Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat!

 

Yes, it is not often I get the species I was looking for.

 

Based on your recent postings I can see I will need to spend a bit more time in the Netherlands than previous years.

[PeterHG]

51 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Based on your recent postings I can see I will need to spend a bit more time in the Netherlands than previous years.

Not a bad idea! We do have some nice birding areas, so keep me posted on future plans in that respect.

[Galana]

Read more about PJs life and times here.

https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/cuckoo-tracking-project

[Dave Williams]

Excellent photos and progress Martin. Like @Zim GirlI hear Cetti's at our local reserve but you never see one. They really are secretive little so and so's!

[Soukous]

One bird that my visit to Carlton Marshes did not find was a Reed Warbler. With the Sedge Warblers making so much noise I was sure they must be in there somewhere but I couldn't find one.

Braving a break in the rain this morning I went down to some reed beds by the Deben and heard them almost straight away. 

Hearing them was easy, seeing them was harder and finding one that would hold still long enough for a photo was harder still. 

 

I couldn't get it to come out into the open so I persuaded it to at least pose with the white blossom in front of its chest 

 

I feel a bit sad posting just 1 new species, after Michael fills pages every time he steps outside but it is what it is.

 

#87 - (Eurasian) Reed Warbler - Acrocephalus scirpaceus

by the river Deben, Woodbridge, Suffolk. May 2021

 

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Soukous

[Galana]

One small step but it is forward. And nothing wrong with those photos.

[PeterHG]

It is a beautiful setting for the Reed Warbler!

[xelas]

Stunning photos !

[Kitsafari]

beautiful shots of the warbler

[Soukous]

29 minutes ago, xelas said:

Stunning photos !

 

11 minutes ago, Kitsafari said:

beautiful shots of the warbler

 

15 hours ago, PeterHG said:

It is a beautiful setting for the Reed Warbler!

 

17 hours ago, Galana said:

One small step but it is forward. And nothing wrong with those photos.

 

Thank you all. It took me an hour to finally nab them.  

[michael-ibk]

Very nice Reed Warbler!

[Soukous]

As it had been a month since my last visit to the beach at Covehithe I thought I'd try my luck there. By now the Sand Martins should be back and the Little Terns should be starting to settle on the beach.

 

#88 - Sand Martin - Riparia riparia

Covehithe, Suffolk. May 2021

 

Well, the Sand Martins were there, and very engaged with nest preparations. I saw them digging out their holes and also collecting bits & pieces from the beach to line the nest with.

 

They will be there for a few months so I'll come back for some better in flight shots but for now, as it was beginning to rain, I'm settling for 'sitting by the hole' shots.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Soukous

[PeterHG]

Lovely shots of the Sand Martins!

[Soukous]

With work pretty much dried up for the second year in a row I needed something to keep me busy, so I volunteered to help the RSPB with a Little Tern project a few miles up the coast from us at Kessingland.

Kessingland is not the prettiest place on the Suffolk coast (it is unlikely to be the prettiest place on any coast) but it does seem to attract a lot of birds.

In particular for the past few years it has hosted a colony of Little Terns.

 

To try and improve the chances of the Terns successfully raising their young, the RSPB has a protected area on the beach.

We were supposed to go an put a fence around it a couple of weeks ago, but the weather was awful and it was postponed - to today.

Luckily the weather was very nice today.

 

Even as we approached the marked off area we could hear the Little terns. Then we saw them, somewhere between 40-60 of them took to the sky

 

Although they were showing signs of settling inside their designated area, we were obviously disturbing them so they spent most of the time on the foreshore.

I grabbed some distant photos but I am pretty sure that I'll get lenty of opportunity over the summer as I will be volunteering there at least once a week.

 

For the time being, this will sufice for a BY entry

 

#89 - Little tern - Sternula albifrons

Kessingland Beach, Suffolk. May 2021

 

 

Edited May 11, 2021 by Soukous

[Soukous]

#90 - Lesser Whitethroat - Sylvia curruca

East Lane, Bawdsey, Suffolk. May 2021

 

Well, I hope it is a Lesser Whitethroat. The eye looks dark to me and although it is keeping its legs well hidden what I can see looks dark as well.

 

 

[Soukous]

Does that mean I can uncross my fingers now? 

[Soukous]

Yesterday's stroll also picked up a big improvement on #70 which was a very dowdy female Linnet

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

2 hours ago, Soukous said:

Does that mean I can uncross my fingers now?

I think so. There is not enough to deny you and quite a bit to support you such as that 'ear' patch and the completely grey crown and 'darkish' legs.

 

Now THAT is what I call a Cock Linnet.

[Soukous]

3 minutes ago, Galana said:

I think so. There is not enough to deny you and quite a bit to support you such as that 'ear' patch and the completely grey crown and 'darkish' legs.

 

woo hoo!  10 to go