28thy August - RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk

 Just outside the front door of the house were using during our stay were a couple of large lavender bushes which were like cat nip to the bees and butterflies.  At any one time there were up to six Small Whites and three Large White and the bees and butterflies would fly up as you walked past.

On this Saturday morning though, the whites were joined by a Small Copper, that once it was able to avoid the bees settled and showed very well on the flower spikes.

We turned up at Minsmere around mid morning.  I expected it to be busy but there were plenty of spaces in the car park.  From the visitor centre we headed out to the north wall.  The striking thing was just how dry everywhere looked.  This is the field into which you can scan for the Stone Curlews in spring.  Today it looked more like the African savannah, grazing zebra and few giraffes would not have been out of place.

As we walked across the north wall there was little noise or activity in the reed beds.  The one highlight was a pair of Barnacle Geese that flew over heading towards Dunwich.

It was a beautiful day with plenty of wispy clouds to accentuate the blue sky, here looking south along the beach.

Here looking west from the dunes over the Scrape, to the left, north side baked mud, on the right south side water and mud.

Two waders flew in and stopped on one of the islands allowing identification as Greenshanks.

In the gorse were a family of Stonechats, these seemed to confuse a birder who pointed them out to me as Dartford Warblers.

From the sluice we walked out onto the beach.  It was time for some black and white images, the deep blue sky and the clouds providing the perfect dramatic land scape

With the winds coming from the north east the sea was a little unruly, with surf crashing on to the beach.

The light house at the top of the picture is at Southwold.

The clouds from the the dunes.

Wispy Mare's tails.  They are formerly known as cirrus uncinus clouds and occur at very high altitudes and usually signal that a warm front is approaching, bringing with precipitation (this is indeed what happened that evening but in a very small amount.)

There was some activity on the dunes with a pair of Reed Bunting raising the pulse a little feeding at the base of the dunes, while off shore a few Sandwich Tern passed.  This individual was chased by a Black-headed Gull and eventually gave up its catch of a quite large fish.

A welcome surprise was a Gannet heading south quite close in.

And a Sanderling flew along the beach just above the tide line.  Not the best Sanderling photograph I have ever taken but I was in need of some bird images.

In the dunes there were plenty of Grayling butterflies. The cryptic colouring provides the Grayling with excellent camouflage, making it difficult to see when at rest on bare ground, tree trunks, or stones. The wings are kept closed when not in flight and the forewings are usually tucked behind the hind wings, concealing the eyespots and making the butterfly appear smaller. In flight this is a distinctive, large butterfly with a looping and gliding flight, during which the paler bands on the upper wings are visible.

Walking back through the reserve ahead of us was Dunwich Heath, at this time of year the heath is a picture with the heather all in bloom.  Even at the distance we were this could clearly be seen.

The time of year and weather conditions are not ideal for visiting Minsmere. However it was good to walk around the reserve and admire the beauty created by the time of year and exceptional dry weather that has transformed a lot of the reserve.  We will be back at the end of September

27th August - Aldeburgh to Thorpeness, Suffolk

It has become very much a tradition now that come the August Bank Holiday we go off and spend the time with my sister and brother in law.  This year we were off to Suffolk and the sea side town of Aldeburgh, the former home of Benjamin Britten.  While the opportunity for birding was much reduced it was possible to get out and about to enjoy this area of the Suffolk Heritage coast.  While this post is dated the 27th, we arrived on the 26th and had an early evening start.  Walking back to our holiday home we headed along the sea front where the shingle beach was littered with fishing boats, some operational while others had seen better days.  The soft evening light makes the scene.

The following morning we set off to walk around the River Alde estuary that snakes its way across the marshes to the south of Aldeburgh.

The River Alde and River Ore meet northwest of Blaxhall. From there downriver the combined river is known as the River Alde past Snape and Aldeburgh, and then again as the River Ore when it turns south to follow the coast as it approaches Orford and flows by a shingle spit before emptying into the North Sea.

The source of the River Alde is Brundish near Laxfield in the same area as the River Blyth. Soon after combining with the River Ore, it reaches Snape where it becomes tidal and widens considerably. It meanders east past Aldeburgh, before being turned south and running parallel to the coastline behind a narrow shingle spit.

Old maps show that at some point the rivers emptied into the sea just below Aldeburgh, but a shingle spit developed over time forcing the rivers south to Orford.

We crossed an open meadow to meet up with the river, climbed the sea wall to be greeted with views north towards Snape.  I have been experimenting with black and white images on landscape photography this year and these big sky scenes are extremely suitable producing images that are more dramatic than the original.

On the marshes side of the wall were streams and small pools.  I later found out that there had been a Wood Sandpiper present and also up to 15 Spoonbill.  All I found of interest was a single Common Sandpiper on the river mud and these two Egyptian geese that flew in to preen by the side of the water.

As we approached Aldeburgh there was a large group of cattle in the corner and with them I managed to see two Yellow Wagtail, much too far away for the camera though.

As we reached the shingle spit I took the opportunity to take in more of the scenery, again in black and white.

Aldeburgh is a pretty coastal town on the river Alde and enjoys breathtaking views both seawards and following the river Alde inland towards Orford. Its name comes from ‘Alde Burgh’ meaning “old fort” and the town’s history is closely linked to the changes time and Mother Nature have wrought to the coastal map.

Aldeburgh was once an important Tudor port and its shipbuilders were responsible for Francis Drake’s ‘Golden Hind’. But over time the River Alde silted up taking its toll on the town’s fortunes, and coastal erosion swept away the heart of its old town. Some historic buildings have survived the centuries, such as 400-year old Moot Hall, the Norman Church and a Martello tower.

Aldeburgh had to wait until the 19th Century fashion for beaches and craze for sea air brought back visitors in quantity, establishing it as a popular seaside resort.

In the afternoon I set off with my sister to walk north from Aldeburgh.  We headed towards the beach where we came across one of the most controversial monuments celebrating the life of Benjamin Britten (who would walk along the beach in the afternoons).  This is ‘The Scallop’, created by local artist Maggi Hambling. This sea shell sculpture sits on Aldeburgh’s beach to the north of the town. There have been petitions to have the shell removed as some see it as a blot on the landscape which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but others feel it is a perfect reminder of Britten and a good tourist attraction!

Originally born in Lowestoft in 1937, Britten moved to Snape on the death of his mother in 1937 and then to Aldeburgh in 1947, which became his permanent place of residence for the rest of his life. It was here that Britten and the tenor Peter Pears came up with the idea of mounting a festival.  The festival was launched in 1948, but by the 60’s had outgrown the location and plans to build a new concert hall in Aldeburgh were not progressing. When redundant Victorian maltings buildings in the village of Snape, six miles inland, became available for hire, Britten realised that the largest of them could be converted into a concert hall and opera house. The 830-seat Snape Maltings Hall was opened by the Queen at the start of the twentieth Aldeburgh Festival on 2 June 1967.

We walked the beach, once again taking in the shingle and wonderful views north to Thorpeness and out to sea.

Turning off and heading inland about halfway to Thorpeness, took us across the North Warren RSPB reserve.  There wasn't much about, only a brief glimpse of a Wheatear, but in one corner of the field were a group of cattle and many Swallows were flying around the cows and low over the grass.  A little further along an un-grazed field had at least three Whinchats.

The path then crossed what remains of an old railway line, we turned onto this and headed north, once again towards Thorpeness.  I flushed a butterfly from the path and it flew up and settled in the nearby bramble.  When I finally managed to find it amongst the leaves I was surprised to find it was a Grayling.

Walking past the golf club you immediately come across a windmill.  Thorpeness Windmill is a Grade II listed post mill which was built in 1803 at Aldringham and then moved to Thorpeness in 1923. Originally built as a corn mill, it was converted to a water pumping mill when it was moved to Thorpeness where it was used to pump water to the House in the Clouds. which is close by and best appreciated from a distance.

The House in the Clouds was originally a water tower  It was built in 1923 and was designed to improve the looks of the water tower, disguising its tank with the appearance of a weather boarded building more in keeping with Thorpeness's mock-Tudor and Jacobean style, except seeming to float above the trees.  In 1977 the water tower was made redundant by a mains water supply to the village, and additional living space was created. In 1979 the main water tank was removed to fully convert the building into a house. 

Unfortunately I was not able to get a clear view of the house, but the Windwmill was accessible

We walked into Thorpeness and then picked up the beach once again where we walked back to our house, this was after finding ourselves a little confused by the roads in the caravan park.

That evening another walk into Aldeburgh for dinner and more boats on the beach.

Tomorrow a chance to visit one of the important places close by to Aldeburgh

20th August - Titchfield Haven and Hook Links Scrape, Hampshire

The days are drawing in now, it is noticeably dark earlier in the evenings and this morning my drive to meet Ian at Hill Head around sun rise was mostly in the dark.  Pulling up behind Ian's van the tide was high and the sun was still behind the visitor centre to the north east.  Terns were calling from Duck Bay and the was the usual movement back and from the reserve, and out to sea.  However the most noticeable thing first thing was the steady procession of Mediterranean Gulls as they passed us coming from out to sea and heading west past us.  

The movement continue until about 30 minutes after sun rise.  The only thing we could think was that they were heading for stream between Brownwich cliffs to bathe and drink.

It wasn't just adult birds, they were joined by juveniles, which look quite smart.

The morning sunlight was also catching the Common Terns heading over our heads.

We decided to walk to the harbour bridge and were rewarded with the female Kingfisher sitting in the bush looking down at the water.

It has been a long while since I have seen the Kingfisher here and also a long while since I have had a confiding bird that would allow a close shot.

Males have an entirely black bill, but the females, which this bird is, have an orangey-red patch at the base.

Although these birds are known for their striking colours, the blue feathers down the back of the Kingfisher are actually brown.

The bright blue colour you perceive is due to a phenomenon called structural colouration. This is seen throughout the animal kingdom and makes creatures appear much more colourful than they actually are.  So, while the coloured pigments in the kingfisher’s feathers are brown, you view them as a brilliant blue.

Structural colouration is when the observed colour of an object is not due to the pigment but rather caused by some interference effects instead. The structure of the object itself causes a different colour to be perceived than what would typically be observed by the pigment. Structural colouration can result in iridescent colours – i.e. colours that are dependent on the viewing angle – or non-iridescent colours, when the colour remains constant regardless of the viewing angle. 

Examples of iridescent colours are the feathers of a peacock, which are also pigmented brown but appear blue due to the structural colouration, The nanostructures of the peacock feathers are regular and so reflect the light in the same direction. This means that the bright colour is only perceived at a certain angle.

In contrast, the kingfisher’s feathers are an example of non-iridescent structural colouration. The blue stripe appears blue regardless of the angle of the viewer. This is because the structures are randomly oriented and so the reflections of the light are not angled in the same direction.

Then in a flash she was gone, a shrill whistle as she flew low over the water and around the bend and into Duck Bay.  A Cormorant was sitting on a post catching the morning sunshine.

We Checked the scrapes from the viewing platform where we could see a good sized flock of Avocet and Black-tailed Godwits.  Walking back the water in the harbour was falling and the morning sunshine was catching a lone Turnstone, still in summer plumage, as it walked along the edge of the mud.

Walking towards the sea wall the tide was still high enough to push the Turnstone on to the beach.  We walked out in the hope of finding some Sanderling.  There was only one present but it seemed quite settled, staying put when all the Turnstone flew off.

It still had some remains of the summer breeding plumage.

Quite settled, enough to even drop off!

We had decided to walk the Canal Path and took the footpath just past the reserve entrance.  Almost immediately I picked up a Fox in the dry grass.

It was hunting and we watched as it did the jump and pounce attack which was successful as we saw it throw what it had caught up into the air and catch it in its mouth.  Ian later identified this as a rat, thankfully not a Water Vole.

The Fox then stayed close to the area, appearing to eat and then continue to hunt.  It looks like a young Fox, but looked lovely in the grass with the morning sun and the contrasting dark background.

At the bottom of the Canal Path there was a group of Reed Warbler making contact calls and showing every so often, but not giving clear views.  We walked off when they went quiet, but crept back when they started calling again.  I did manage to get a quick view which produced this image, which for me sums up the secretive nature of this warbler.

Going through the first gate there was a large group of Long-tailed Tits calling and with them a few warblers, one of which was this very smart lemony Willow Warbler.

A little further on there was another group of birds, this time in the bushes on the sunlit side of the path.  There were Chiffchaffs, tits and a few Whitethroats moving from the hedge to the fences and trees in the field.

We passed several hunting Hawker dragonflies that we couldn't identify because they did not stop.  This female Banded Demoiselle did pause long enough for a photograph.

We were looking for Chats and maybe a Yellow Wagtail with the cattle that were grazing in the fields.  At about mid way along the path there is the field where the Water Pipits can be found in the the winter.  There were no birds in the field today, probably due to the presence of this young Buzzard.

A little further along I picked up a raptor high above us.  As it banked I could see quite clearly that it was an Osprey.

It drifted away to the east, gaining height as it did so.

It was picked up a little earlier at Warsash and then later on one was reported at Farlington, odds are it was the same bird.  Nice though to find our own for once.  As we watched the Osprey disappear Ian picked up a large white Egret.  From the quick photograph he took it was a Great Egret and dropped down close to the Frying Pan on the reserve.

We had heard Stock Dove "singing" as we walked the path, eventually we came across one, as always in a dead tree.

Posbrook Floods was no more, it was very dry, but that didn't deter this Heron from sitting in the middle, probably wondering where all the water has gone.

We checked the horse field but there was nothing, however above us Swallows and House Martins were hawking around the Oak trees, this one looks like a juvenile.

Walking back a Water Vole was pointed out to us amongst the reeds below.

Walking back the large groups of Tits and warblers were gone, there were a few birds to be seen, A Cetti's Warbler, a Blackcap in sub song and several Chiffchaff.

The fields of Sunflower were impressive.

Back at the sea wall the view to the north across Duck Bay was crying out for a black and white photograph, so I obliged.

We decided to enter the reserve, heading for the east side first in the hope of finding the egret.  But first we checked the beach where the tide had dropped and the terns were roosting.

These were all Common Terns, adults still feeding juveniles.  Out to sea there was a huge group of Terns and Gulls, we scanned them but the distance was challenging and it was not easy to find anything that could be considered to be different.

We stopped off first in the Suffern Hide.  Looking across the river to the reed bed a Water Rail was making its way around the edge of the reeds, this meant though sometimes it had to swim or wade deep in the water to get by.

A Marsh Harrier, one of this year's successful brood made its way from the north, flying close by the closed Spurgin Hide.  It made its way along the reed bed but then turned and came across the river close to us.

We stopped off in the Meadow Hide, there was very little of interest but as we came out we came across the Hornet Mimic Hoverfly.

At almost 2cm long, the hornet mimic hoverfly is the largest hoverfly species in the UK. As its name suggests with black-and-yellow markings, the hornet mimic hoverfly looks like its namesake, but is harmless to us. This mimicry helps to protect it from predators while it searches for nectar.

 Only a very rare visitor to the country up to the 1940s, it has become more common in Southern England in recent years, and is still spreading northwards, perhaps as a result of climate change. It is particularly prevalent in urban areas. The adults are migratory and the larvae live inside wasps' nests.

As we reached the board walk a message came in the the egret had been seen on the Frying Pan and that there were Whinchats on the fence, so we turned left and headed for the hide.

A quick scan of the fence that crosses the field found the Whinchats, there were two present.  The problem as always was that they were distant, this was the best I could get.

The Marsh Harrier we had seen earlier was disturbing the birds on the Frying Pan, sending the gulls and teal up as it glided across.  Once again we were fortunate as it cam close, showing the immaculate immature plumage.

There had not been any sign of the reported Great Egret, but it had been hiding behind the vegetation.  I could see three Grey Heron, and through the vegetation some patches of white.  Several Little Egrets had been around, so we had to wait for the white shape to fly, which it did and revealed itself as the Great Egret.  It flew a short distance before dropping down again out of view, occasionally lifting its head up sufficiently to see the big yellow bill.

Then it showed a little better, but it involved flying away.

We moved from the east side stopping to watch a Common Sandpiper in Duck Bay walking around the mud exposed by the falling tide.

There wasn't much from the Meon Shore Hide and what there was a little distant.  The Avocets were entertaining though with their reflections feeding antics.

This bird had a very funny five minutes as it flew like crazy around the scrape before settling back down.

 We had missed the four Glossy Ibis that move between the reserve and Hook Links and with the report that they had been seen there a short while ago along with more Whinchats and Wheatear we decided to move on and try our luck there.

First stop was the horse paddocks and the fields at the back of Beam Cottage.  A juvenile Green Woodpecker was seen motionless on one of the fence posts, but for some reason it was not possible to focus on it to get an acceptable image.  Walking along the footpath we eventually found the Whinchats, but again very distant.

Turning to scan the TLC horse field Ian found two Wheatear.  Hard to believe but this is my first Wheatear in Hampshire this year!

The Ibis and possible Spoonbill have been around the scrape on the shore.  We walked through the estate and came out onto the beach and headed north.  The stream here meanders and is known as the Meander pools.  At the back of the pool I could see one Glossy Ibis.

Then as if from nowhere another appeared out of the long dry grass.

maybe they didn't get on too well.

Then another and they started to feed together.

From the streaked heads they all appeared to be immature birds.

They finally came out of the water to settle with Little Egret on the top of one of the meanders.  We could then see a dark form close to the three and realised that the fourth bird must have been there all the time.  They looked quite settled so we walked up to the scrape.  This took us through the recently burnt area of gorse.  It is a testament to the fire fighters that tackled this fire, that they were able to contain it to such a small area, it could have been much worse.

The hoped for Spoonbill we re either sleeping it off around a corner that was out of sight, or they had moved on somewhere else.  We did manage to see two Common Sandpiper though.

Walking back we flushed a Dartford Warbler from the gorse, a good sign.  Back at the Meander pools the Glossy Ibis had split up, two were feeding together, one was by the cattle trough and the last one was feeding closer to the fence.

The sun picking out the iridescent plumage that relies on the light striking it at a particular angle, unlike the non iridescent plumage of the Kingfisher.

As we reached the cars a large dragonfly flew past and settled in a tree.  We jumped the gate and found it.  The light was bad but it was good enough to identify it as a Migrant Hawker.

Quite a productive day with a couple of year ticks and some great photographic opportunities, I would have been pleased with the Kingfisher alone.