LANDGUARD - 30th March

 A glorious day with hardly a breath of wind and wall to wall sunshine, it was though, a classic case of the weather being ‘too nice’ for many grounded migrants but it was great being out in the fine conditions and there was a scattering of birds to be found; the highlights consisted of a Corn Bunting which dropped onto the point but soon disappeared and the first 2 Swallows of the year heading south.   

Other birds included a Brambling south, a Chaffinch, 6 Chiffchaffs, 3 Goldcrests, 4 Goldfinches, a few Meadow Pipits in off, 3 Rooks, single Siskin and Skylark south, 2 Sparrowhawks (including one south high over the river) and 3 Wheatears.   

Also of note were a big total of 371 Black-headed Gulls heading south and lingering offshore on the still water and 7 Dunlin, a Golden Plover and a Knot going south at sea.

Swallow flashing past

Chiffchaff

LANDGUARD - 29th March

 Overcast first thing with the WSW wind much lighter than of late, it felt far more spring-like than of late too due to the nice spread of early migrants and the sun coming out late morning turning the day warm and very pleasant indeed; birds through the morning included a very smart adult male Black Redstart out on the point (it was constantly giving little snatches of sub-song when I went out to get closer to it at lunchtime – a brilliant bird!), 2 Blackcaps, 2 Chaffinches, 8 Chiffchaffs, a Firecrest (yesterday’s re-trap), 2 Goldcrests, 2 Grey Wagtails south, a few Meadow Pipits coming in off, a Marsh Harrier south, low over the sea, 3 Robins, a good arrival of 12+ Wheatears and a Yellowhammer south.   

Also of note were single Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin and Curlew offshore, a few Brents and Red-throated Divers and an increased 12 Shelduck displaying and chasing each other out front at first light.   

A little walk along the river from Levington Marina to Loompit Lake was nice but with not too much to mention with a Goldeneye, 17 Pochard, an adult Mediterranean Gull and my first Brimstone of the year of note.

Black Redstart (shame it was always into the sun!)

Some photogenic Black-headed Gulls at Loompit Lake

Pochard

Cormorant

LANDGUARD - 28th March

 Overcast with a strong, blustery SW wind; there was a touch of variety offshore through the morning which included 2 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Knot, a Dunlin, a Sanderling, a Fulmar, 3 Gannets, a Great-crested Grebe, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 7 Red-throated Divers, 4 Shoveler, 3 Tufted Duck and a probable 3cy Yellow-legged Gull which came in, following the dredger but disappeared at the river mouth.   

The land was understandably quiet in the tricky conditions however I did catch a new Firecrest in the few nets I could open; single Chiffchaff and Goldcrest were also present.

Wheatear from yesterday

LANDGUARD - 26th March

 A breezy day with a few showers in the afternoon; the main feature of the morning was a good northerly movement of 266+ Gannets while also at sea were 9 Brent Geese, 3 Common Scoter, 4 Dunlin, a Kittiwake and 27 Red-throated Divers.   

It was predictably quieter on the land in the breezy, sunny morning with a Chaffinch, 2 Goldcrests, 5 Goldfinches and 2 Wheatears the only birds of note although a Carrion Crow blundered into the Heligoland trap and the cock Pheasant (itself a rarity in the Obs area) has somehow found a lady!

Carrion Crow

Great Black-backed Gull

Common Gulls

LANDGUARD - 25th March

 A glorious morning, sunny and calm but with an increasing SW wind; a quiet morning was enlivened by the highlights of a Common Crane which I picked up circling over the river from where it drifted NE over the town and away and the first Wheatear of the year on the point in front of the Obs.   

Other birds included 3 Bar-tailed Godwits south, 2 Chaffinches, single Fieldfare and Redwing, 2 Goldcrests, 7 Goldfinches, 4 Jackdaws, 42 Red-throated Divers south, a Rook, a Sparrowhawk, a Woodcock flushed and 10 Shelduck displaying first thing.   

A walk down to Trimley Marshes in the increasing wind and cloud produced just 2 White-fronted Geese remaining, the usual 4 Marsh Harriers, 2 Cetti’s Warblers and a few early migrants including 8 Chiffchaffs and a Firecrest.   Also of note were at least 3 Peacocks, a Comma and a Green-veined White.

Collared Dove

Cormorant

Avocets at Trimley

LANDGUARD - 24th March

 Another bright, calm start, slightly degenerating into a grey day with an increasing, chilly WSW breeze; there were a few grounded migrants in the compound comprising the first Blackcap of the year, 9 Chiffchaffs, 4 Goldcrests and 9 Redwing whilst also seen were 3 Chaffinches, a Curlew north at sea, a Red-breasted Merganser south, 5 Rook south, 2 Jackdaws, 2 Siskins and a Sparrowhawk which went south over the river.   

A nice walk around Felixstowe Ferry in the afternoon produced a good concentration of migrants around the pub including a Black Redstart, 5+ Chiffchaffs and a Firecrest along with three singing Cetti’s Warblers and a Marsh Harrier.

Blackcap

Goldfinch

This young male Blackbird has a cool patch of retained flank feathers

LANDGUARD - 23rd March

 Calm and sunny first thing but it clouded over for a few hours before settling back into bright and sunny with a light westerly breeze; birds through the morning included some more new Blackbirds, 3 Chaffinches, a Fieldfare, 2 Goldcrest, 4 Goldfinches, 11 Meadow Pipits coming in off and heading north, a Redwing, a Reed Bunting, a Robin, a Rook south, a Siskin, a Skylark and a Stock Dove with a little southerly passage of 159 Woodpigeons first thing.

Chiffchaff, complete with 'pollen horns', acquired when foraging amongst Eucalyptus flowers in the Mediterranean

LANDGUARD - 22nd March

Lovely and calm again with the wind having moved into the SW, cloudy at first becoming glorious, warm and sunny in the afternoon; there were a few migrants through the morning as befits the slight change in wind direction including some more new Blackbirds, 4 Chaffinches, 2 Chiffchaffs, a Fieldfare, 10 Redwings, a Goldcrest, 3 Greenfinches, 4 Meadow Pipits, a Reed Bunting, a Robins, a Rock Pipit, a Rook, a Siskin, 2 Skylarks and a Woodcock flushed at dawn.   

A look at Trimley Marshes in the lovely, sunny afternoon produced the usual suspects with another increase to 45 Avocets, 4 Chiffchaffs, a Grey Wagtail, a Jay (the first I’ve seen in Suffolk so far!), 3 Goldcrests, an increase to 125 Shoveler and the Marsh Harriers being very active, especially the fine adult male who was one second carrying clumps of grass around and then suddenly chasing another near-adult male away across the river.   

My first two Butterflies of the year were also seen with a Small Tortoiseshell and a Peacock.

The wonderful Trimley adult male Marsh Harrier

Another Marsh Harrier

Brent Geese

Peacock

LANDGUARD - 21st March

 A similar day again with lightish but chilly winds with birds over the sea comprising 30 Brent Geese, 8 Gannets, 46 Red-throated Divers and a Kittiwake hanging out by a fishing boat in the afternoon, when there was also my first Harbour Porpoise of the year offshore.   

Landbirds included a handful of new Blackbirds, 4 Chaffinches, 2 Chiffchaffs, a new Firecrest ringed, 2 Goldcrests, 4 Goldfinches, a Long-tailed Tit, a Redwing, a Robin, a Siskin and a good 4 Yellowhammers south – an excellent total for here in what has been a good spring so far for them.

Redwing

Song Thrush

Carrion Crow

Sanderling

Kestrel

LANDGUARD - 20th March

 One of those rare days with almost flat calm conditions and complete cloud cover – still very cold though, there was even a light frost; a nice selection of birds were seen through the day, perhaps hinting that we have turned the corner into some semblance of spring!   Over the sea birds included a northerly passage of 133+ Black-headed Gulls, 72 Brent Geese, a Great-crested Grebe, a Fulmar, 13 Gannets, 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls and at least 118 Red-throated Divers (most of them flying north together, presumably just shifting feeding grounds rather than an actual movement).   

On or over the land birds comprised 2 Firecrests caught, a Chiffchaff, 3 Chaffinches, a Goldcrest, 2 Meadow Pipits, 2 Robins, 4 Rook, a Stock Dove and a Yellowhammer while up the river there was a Slavonian Grebe just off the River Stour mouth and a drake Goosander which appeared to follow the Stena Ferry down the river, it seemed to be actively following the boat, flying in big zig-zags in the wake – tempting to think that it was looking for fish disturbed by the boat like a Gull but seems a bit far-fetched!

Firecrest

Lead-coloured Drab (alongside a Common Quaker) - scarce here apparently