We of course went up to Dunwich Heath looking for Dartford Warbler, and were rewarded with a few sightings, not very close but good views through the bins. It was a hot day and so photography was made even more difficult, when the camera decided to take a photo that is, so a very poor record shot only.
Otherwise it was pretty quite on the heath, a few Stonechat about, then a nice Whitethroat singing in the gorse,
and a very confiding young rabbit, came to see us while we had an ice cream, puchased from the National Trust Cafe.
Other places visited were Dursham Marshes, Dunwich Forest, Dunwich Beach and Hen Reedbeds.
I'll start with Dursham Marshes, this is a lovely Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve, with a nice circular walk. Plenty of Butterflies, a bit quiet on the birding front, but we did get a fly over of a Hen Harrier, so that was brilliant. After suffering a further mishap with the camera no photo of the Hen Harrier or any of the other birds seen.
Dunwich Beach was lovely, we sat on one of the sea facing benches and had a very late lunch, seeing Avocet, Sandwich Tern, Gulls and Oystercatcher flying along the shoreline. We decided not to go for a long walk up Dingle Marshes as it was getting late in the afternoon, we did get some good views of a Kestrel though and Skylark, we returned to the benches with an Ice Cream and found a Common Scoter floating around offshore.
Now to Dunwich Forest (not the same day!) I had read on the RSPB website that there is a hide overlooking Dingle Marshes accessible from the Forestry commission car parks, So we went for this one of the mornings. It was along walk on a hot day... The forestry maps gave no indication of the distance, but we went for it. Despite the paths being quite open for the most part we saw very little, just a distant Muntjac on the track ahead,
plenty of Butterflies again,
yes the camera decided to work this time!
We eventually found the hide, it would be easy to miss off the track as it isn't sign posted, so we went in and were very disappointed. The view was over a small reed bed, to some trees. So the view was actually non-existant! We had a very brief view of a Marsh Harrier as it came over the hide and went over the trees ahead, so that lasted about 2 seconds. We stayed for a coffee, of course, and saw not a single bird in the time we were there. So then it was the long trek back, only seeing a Jay on the way. We won't be going back.
So that leaves us with Hen Reedbeds near Wangford. This a marvellous reserve, in two parts. From the car park is a platform about 100 yards away maximum, overlooking the reed beds. There was plenty of activity. Hobby, Lapwing, Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit, Sedge and Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting. We called in here a couple of times on the way back to our digs, for a later afternoon cuppa.
This one of the resident Lapwings.
The last day of our stay we explored the Hen Reedbeds further, leaving the car park via a path under an archway, you pop out back on the road, cross to the path on the other side, then enter the reserve again, walking along a dyke, to a viewing platform overlooking more reed beds to your left, and with the river viewable from the dyke to your right. Following the dyke our now accessible lower path, you can carry on to two hides again overlooking the reed beds, with steps at each back up onto the dyke to view the river and estuary.
From the first hide on our first visit Redshank, Shelduck, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Mallard and a little egret were seen. We had coffee of course before continuing to the second hide, not much was seen from here on the first visit. The third hide was visible over the other side of the reed beds, so carried on to this along a recently mown track, this made walking a bit more arduous as the cuttings were fairly deep.
We had lunch at hide number three, with good views of Marsh Harrier, but again little else.
On the walk nack to hide no. 2. We heard a Cuckoo and had a brief sighting as it flew off to our left. We dropped into hide 2 again as the Marsh harrier had been very active.
We were watching quite a bit of Warbler activity when a Cuckoo landed on a wire about 80 yards from us, that ran over the reed beds, it stayed a while, watching one Sedge Warbler in particular, the Cuckoo then dropped down onto some bramble about 10 yards from where the Sedge Warbler was constantly visiting. The cuckoo the waited until the warbler departed and it dropped down onto what we can only assume was the nest. So putting two and two together we can only assume that the cuckoo was leaving a present of an egg behind. Wildlife in action...... brilliant!
We finally stopped in hide one again for tea! To be treated to a Water rail putting in an appearance, just sad that my camera didn't fire!
These are the only pictures that I manged that day.
Reed Bunting
and Poppies!
So I think that is it. A great week was had, apart from Dunwich Forest, but you live and learn.
