RSPB Frampton Marsh

RSPB Frampton Marsh in Lincolnshire is a fantastic reserve that I love to visit several times a year. This time of year is great for waders (and lots more besides!), so Jayne and I had a trip there today.

As I said, there are loads of waders at Frampton at this time of the year, and together we spotted: Ruff (50+), Black-tailed Godwit (100+), Dunlin (c40), Green Sandpiper (1), Spotted Redshank (1, in winter plumage), Wood Sandpiper (1, and my 182nd bird of the year), Avocet (c.100), Lapwing (c50), Ringed Plover (1), and Curlew Sandpiper (1, and my 183rd species of the year). Unfortunately, there was some maintenance work going on whilst we were there, causing some disturbance to the birds, and we didn't manage to connect with Little Stint, Greenshank or the Pectoral Sandpiper, that was reported half an hour after we left!!!

Wood Sandpiper

Other birds seen were: Spoonbill (33!), Little Egret (20), Buzzard (2), Marsh Harrier (1), Kestrel (1), Swallow (3), Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird,  Pintail (3), Mallard, Wigeon (1m), Teal, Pochard (1m), Mute Swan, Whooper Swan (1- presumably an injured bird that hasn't migrated?), Greylag and Canada Geese.

Whilst there, we also spotted several insects: Speckled Wood (6), Common Darter (1m), Migrant Hawker (1fm) and, best of all, a single, male Willow Emerald Damselfly- very nice!

Willow Emerald Damselfly

Rufford Gulls - 29th August 2023

 I popped over to Rufford for an hour this afternoon. There were about 50 Black-headed Gulls (10 juveniles), 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls (3 juveniles), c70 Canada Geese and 4 Greylag Geese.

Four of the Black-headed Gulls were "our" green darviced birds: 258A, 293A, 297A and 207C. All are known birds. Click on the labels for details of ringing.

258A

293A

297A

207C

There was just one metal-ringed Canada Goose: 5230424. Again, this is a known bird, having been ringed at nearby Center Parcs (3km away), as a 3 (a bird born in that year), in 2013. I've reported it twice before, in November and December 2020, both times at Rufford.

Canada Goose 5230424

Linacre WeBS - 28th August 2023

 I carried out the monthly WeBS count this morning. It was warm and sunny and a really enjoyable walk around all three reservoirs.

Birds seen were: Mallard (97 adults and 3 ducklings), Tufted Duck (17 adults), Mandarin Duck (49 adults and 2 ducklings), Moorhen ( 8 adults and 6 juveniles), Coot (6 adults and 3 juveniles), Grey Heron (1), Grey Wagtail (1), Canada Goose ( 1 heard) and Great-crested Grebe (2 adults and 4 juveniles).

Other birds seen were: Raven (1 over the top reservoir), Magpie (2), Chiffchaff (3 singing and lots of "wheeting"), Blackcap (1 singing in the ringing site), Jay (heard) and Stock Dove (heard singing).

Cumbrian Gulls (and Geese) - 23rd and 24th August 2023

 Jayne and I had a few days up in the Lake District last week. We stayed in Keswick and visited Derwent Water and Bowness-on-Windermere.

The first darvic-ringed Canada Geese we saw were 3 on Derwent Water (FAPF, FAPZ and FAPK) We also had 1 darvic-ringed Greylag Goose (ZD4) here and 2 darvic-ringed Black-headed Gulls (2X88 and 2B35).

Greylag Goose

2X88

We visited Bowness-on-Windermere, where we spotted a further 5 Canada Geese (FATA, FATB, FANP, FAHZ and AAZZ) and 4 darvic-ringed Black-headed Gulls (212H, 2L78, 2N42 and 2Y90). 

All the Canada Geese and Black-headed Gulls had been ringed in the area by the Waterbird Colour Marking Group and had been recorded locally. 2Y90, however, was particularly interesting, as it had originally been ringed, as a pullus, in Klaipeda, Lithuania on 22nd June 2019, and the darvic had been added, in Bowness, on 2nd January 2021, presumably as a winter visitor. Interestingly, Klaipeda is the site where a Rufford regular, P519, was also ringed.

2Y90

Cromer Gulls

Back on 3rd August, Jayne and I spent some time on Cromer beach. Whilst there, I had a look at the gulls around the pier, after a ringed juvenile Caspian Gull (177) had been reported yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't spot the ringed bird, but I did see another juvenile bird, which posed beautifully (and was later confirmed as a Caspian Gull).

Caspian Gull

An adult Yellow-legged Gull (178) was also flying around the pier, but unfortunately, I didn't get a photo.

Rufford Gulls - 15th August 2023

 I had my first August visit to Rufford yesterday, to check on the gulls. After my last visit, at the end of July, gull numbers had picked up, to 52 Black-headed Gulls (10 juveniles), and I managed to see 3 of "our" green-ringed birds.

The first bird, 293A, was a familiar sight, this being the 20th record since ringing back in December 2021.

293A

The second bird, 245B, was my first sighting, since it was ringed in December 2022, at Center Parcs (2km away). The only other sighting was shortly after ringing, at Center Parcs.

245B

The third bird, 251B, was a special bird, as it was one I ringed, at Center Parcs, back in October 2022. It was aged as a 3 back then, i.e. born that year, making it just 1 year old. This sighting was the first since ringing.

251B

Other wildlife seen there included: Canada Goose (38, but no rings), Greylag Goose (4, no rings), House Martin (c.20), Swallow (6) and a single Volucella zonaria hoverfly - my first record at this site, and my first sighting of 2023.

Another of "our" gulls, 236B, a bird ringed as a pullus at Carsington Water in June 2022, was reported today. It was seen back there, so great to see another returning bird. 

Another 2 birds ringed there, 233B, and 222B, had previously been reported in Cheshire in December 2022 (60km away) and in Wales in July 2022.

Linacre - 13th August 2023

 I had two hours down at Linacre on Saturday afternoon (1pm - 3.15pm). The weather was okay, at 18 degrees, overcast and breezy, but with a few sunny spells.

During the sunny spells I managed to see some butterflies, including my first Linacre records of 2023 of Painted Lady and Wall Brown (both in the ringing area).

Painted Lady

Wall Brown

Other butterflies seen were: Meadow Brown (9), Speckled Wood (6), Peacock (1), Gatekeeper (5), Large White (1), Green-veined White (3), Red Admiral (4), Comma (2), Holly Blue (2) and Small Copper (4). 

Other insects seen were: Grasshopper sp, Eristalis and Syrphus hoverflies, Soldier Beetles, a single Hornet, 1 Brown Hawker, a pair of Common Blue Damselflies (in tandem), a Straw Dot moth, a Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle, Myathropa florea (3), Volucella pellucens (3) and Volucella inanis (1- my first Linacre record of the year).

Volucella inanis

Bird seen included: Woodpigeon (a group of c20 in the top car park), Corvids, most likely Rooks (a flock of c40 in the field by the main entrance), Grey Heron (1 on the bottom reservoir), a juvenile Robin, 2 Ravens over the top reservoir, a Peregrine Falcon (1 over the top reservoir), Bullfinch (1 in the ringing site), Lesser Black-backed Gull (6; 5 adults and 1 juvenile), House Martin (1), Swallow (1), Kingfisher (1 on the middle reservoir), 6 Grey Wagtails, Chiffchaff (wheeting heard) and Tufted Duck (3 ducklings on the middle reservoir - my first record of 2023).

Tufted Duck

Big Moor - 12th August 2023

 Jayne and I had a walk up to Big Moor on Saturday. The weather wasn't great - windy and rain showers (surprise, surprise!), but we did manage a couple of "year ticks": Whinchat (181) and Black Darter.

The Whinchat, a single juvenile, was seen on the top of the bracken, along with a family party of Stonechat. Here are photos of the two species (both juveniles) to show the key differences.

Whinchat

Stonechat

We walked on to Little Barbrook Reservoir, where we managed to find a couple of female Black Darters. 

Black Darter

Suffolk Bits and Bobs

 Following our week in Suffolk there are a few more sightings to report.

First up is the Small Red-eyed Damselfly. We saw this species in both Aldeburgh and Southwold. In Aldeburgh, it was on the garden pond of the house where we were staying. In Southwold, it was found on the boating lake, by the pier.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

Also by the pier was a new species for me, an Emperor Moth caterpillar. One I wasn't expecting to find!

Emperor Moth

The final record was a beautiful Mint Moth (Pyraustra aurata) that I found in the garden in Aldeburgh.

Mint Moth

Westleton Heath - 10th August 2023

 On Thursday, I popped down to Westleton Heath to catch up with the last species I wanted to see whilst down in Suffolk, the Dartford Warbler.

Westleton Heath

I parked up in the car park, and within a couple of minutes, had heard the distinctive "chattering". I managed 4 sightings of different birds, but, unfortunately, they didn't come very close, so this is a heavily cropped photo.

Dartford Warbler!

Other species seen were: Whitethroat, Pheasant, Carrion Crow and Herring Gull (over). 

2 Gatekeepers and 2 Grayling butterflies were also seen.

Grayling

Year List update: Dartford Warbler (180)

RSPB Minsmere - 9th August 2023

 On Wednesday, Jayne and I had 3 hours at RSPB Minsmere. We got there just after 6am, and walked around the main scrape area, before finishing off back at the café with a delicious vegan sausage cob!

It was quite quiet as we set off, but the first sighting, of a Common Lizard, warming up on a post was a great start. As the weather warmed up, we began to spot several Stonechats, Linnets, Reed Bunting, Common Terns, the first Common and Ruddy Darters, along with a couple of Migrant Hawkers and dozens of Gatekeepers.

Common Lizard

Arriving at the East Hide, we began to spot a few more birds, with the following waders seen: Green Sandpiper (3), Common Sandpiper (1), Ruff (3), Avocet (c50), Black-tailed Godwit (c.60), Redshank (2), Dunlin (6), Lapwing and Spotted Redshank (5). Gulls were far and few between, but we did spot a few Black-headed Gulls, a single, juvenile Mediterranean Gull, 1 adult Kittiwake and, best of all, 26 Little Gulls, including a few in breeding plumage. 5 Spoonbills were asleep, and there were also several Shelducks (juveniles), Teal, Mallard, Greylag, Canada and at least one family party of Barnacle Geese.

Avocets

We carried on around The Scrape, spotting another Migrant Hawker, a male Black-tailed Skimmer, more Common and Ruddy Darter and dozens of Red Admirals and Peacock butterflies, feeding on Hemp Agrimony.

Ruddy Darter

Our final stop was the Bittern Hide. Here we spotted Bearded Tit (heard only), a Muntjac Deer, a Kestrel, a distant Marsh Harrier and a fly-by Bittern.

Back at the Visitors' Centre, we had a few minutes watching the butterflies on the Buddleia bushes. Red Admirals and Peacocks were in good numbers again, along with a single Brimstone (1 male), 1 Comma, Gatekeeper (c.5) and at least a couple of Grayling. 3 Hornets were also seen buzzing around the bushes.

Grayling

Year List update: Little Gull (179)

Sutton Hoo - 8th August 2023

 Today, we visited Sutton Hoo. Whilst there, we walked around the site, and, despite dull, over cast conditions, we spotted a few interesting insects.

The first was a female Brown Argus butterfly (my first of the year).

Brown Argus

The next species was a Nursery Web Spider.

Nursery Web Spider

Red Banded Sand Wasp

 On Tuesday, I spotted a Red Banded Sand Wasp, Ammophila sp, nest digging in a sandy bank in Southwold, Suffolk.

Red Banded Sand Wasp

Herring Gull FOMT

 I spotted this Herring Gull, FOMT, on the beach at Aldeburgh, Suffolk on Friday (4th). I haven't been able to find a project yet, but will update as soon as I find one.

FOMT

UPDATE: This gull was ringed, by the Southern Colour Ringing Group (formally North Thames Gull Group) at Pitsea Landfill site, on 7th February 2015. At the time, it was aged as a BTO core 10, i.e. in its 5th calendar year, or older. It was first recorded in Aldeburgh on 22nd April 2017, and has been recorded there in virtually every month, ever since!!