All your ducks in a row.
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There will be blood
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Clash of epaulettes
The two Red-wing Blackbirds males were so busy challenging each other that they almost drowned in the pond.
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For such a pleasing looking bird the redwing blackbird makes a rather unpleasant and inelegant sound at this time of year. Don’t you agree?
It is more of a whistle sounding though much more melodic than what our local cranes and herons produce.
Despite that it’s a dull dank drizzly morning and as yet my area has not had a temperature over 18’C,
I am very happy to say that summer has officially arrived this morning …….
Swift’s are back.
Once again these amazing birds have returned on their due date, 5th to 8th May. A small gaggle circling around the village, they’ve been around for the last hour so I expect they’re residents.
Looking forward to the warm days and balmy evenings watching & listening to their high speed screaming runs tearing up low level passages between buildings & trees, then in the late evenings the high sky gang meetings.
Then by 1st August, they’re gone.
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She has been sitting on the nest for a week and a half, enduring rain and hail and now sunshine. Can’t see if there are any eggs but can’t be long now. The male makes an appearance occasionally. He guards the nest when she takes a break.
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I was listened to a pair the other night. I think the female has the song but it is the male (i assume this is the one with the more striking colour scheme) that makes a horrible scream more reminiscent of a throttled cat. Perhaps it is his warning to other males.
Yesterday evening a female sparrowhawk landed on the chair next to me whilst I was giving the bird feeders a good clean and disinfect. I think she was trying to tell me to hurry up and get the bait boxes refilled and back up!
She then flew off and perched on the garden gate 20 feet away for a couple of minutes before giving up and flying off.
A special moment.
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Went to Worcester Cathedral this morning to see if we could see the Peregrines that are nesting on the Cathedral. They are currently bringing up 4 chicks which are, I think, 15 days old.
I stuck my phone over the end of my 50mm Scope and got at least an image, of sorts.
There is an excellent live feed of the nest.
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Unfortunately the ones at Norwich cathedral have died……under investigation as to the cause.
That is very sad.
Enjoyed Minsmere today on the Suffolk Coast - one my favourite images of the day taken around noon, though did need to wait nearly an hour to capture this image - a male bittern, skulking for food amongst the reeds and booming…
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Great capture Simon! I’ve only ever seen Bittern twice, both times during very short flights over the reeds in the north Norfolk marshes. Now living in Scotland, the chances of an encounter are most unlikely, the Bittern being a very rare winter visitor.
And a heron walking through the reeds eyeing up lunch (happened to be a duckling following its mother) …
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thank you - yes they are very strange looking creatures - almost prehistoric looking… and their booming sounds can be heard by potential mates from two to three miles away - and when only a few hundred yards away I could also feel it… hence the thick neck of the males. But yes I was honoured to see him - at the turn of the 20th century they were effectively extinct in the UK and it’s great now to see them back.
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We missed out on our traditional Minsmere spring visit this year, hopefully back on track for a few days in June.
Its well worth a day out even if you are not that interested in birds as it has lovely coastal & country woodlanf walks. But for birders, its an amazing place.
I remember a couple of years ago we heard Bittern booming all along the paths between the hides. From one of the hides we saw at least two individuals, plus flying.
Also Hobby tearing up the sky & low level passes over the water & reeds, and a pair of Marsh Harriers coursing the reeds & display flights, finally a very elegant mating, balancing on the wind atop a low bush.
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Mike nice - lucky to see one skulking out of the reeds - yes up and down the coast line is great for walkers and birders.
There is a new reserve developing at Martlesham Creek that is a tributary into the Deben about 20 miles south of Minsmere. Wonderful marsh land - and the neighbouring farm land will be left to go wild from next year. Should be another great reserve… Many of these birds need un damaged/ un developed marshes to thrive.
Hi Simon, I’ve added a walk around Martlesham to the itinerary for the next Minsmere visit.
Nice to learn of new reserves being developed. Hopefully Martlesham will ease any pressure on the birds that might result from the work at Sizewell.