Window to Wildlife

 It was lovely to have a day out with Sue M after a busy time over recent weeks. In warm sunshine we headed for Rye Harbour, pausing at Pett Level en route, but there was little of note here. We started our day at the Bittern viewing point, an ideal spot to try our the Merlin app song ID feature which Tim had recently downloaded to his phone. We immediately heard Cetti’s Warbler and spotted a Sedge Warbler moving furtively through the undergrowth. In nearby bushes Tim thought he heard Lesser Whitethroat, confirmed by the new app, and we located a bird singing from the top of a tall shrub, a new tick for Tim! In fact we enjoyed a number of these birds singing amongst the scrub, a real highlight of the trip, as it is unusual to find so many in one area. A Song Thrush poured out his tuneful song, loudly and repeatedly from a tall willow, before finally showing himself as he flew to a nearby hawthorn. A rosy breasted Linnet posed in the same spot, and several Common Whitethroat and a B...

 We enjoyed a day out with Andy, starting at Wrabness, where we encountered several Turtle Doves purring loudly, but the views were not brilliant, with poor light and cool conditions probably preventing them from showing as well as in previous years. Also disappointing, was the discovery that the Sand Martin colony here appears to have been abandoned. There was some damage to the sea wall, and the sandy bank possibly looked rather damp, so these may have contributed to the situation. We heard a glorious Nightingale belting out its impressive vocals at close range, and being mimicked by a nearby Song Thrush. Frustratingly though, we were unable to locate the bird singing from deep in the bush. Our next stop was Fingringhoe Wick, a hotspot for Nightingales, and as a bonus, on our way in we found good numbers of Sand Martins swooping above a scrape, with two obligingly landing to pose on the wire alongside the road. As it happened, the reserve was also a good spot for Turtle Doves, an...

 Today was our last day in Devon and we headed off the moor to Labrador Bay, the RSPB reserve managed specifically for Cirl Bunting. On previous visits we have heard these birds singing from the car park and quickly been able to locate them in the field margins. However, today was very windy, meaning the birds were lying low and any snatches of song were carried off by the wind. We scoured the areas we have found them before but had no luck. A couple of RSPB wardens told us there was a feeding station in a nearby field, but we didn’t immediately spot this on the ground, erroneously looking for a feeding tray. On a scrubby slope, Andy caught sight of a skulking bird,  but it was an obscured view. Another bird was singing half heartedly from deep in the scrub,  but remained completely hidden. I wandered round to the lee of the hedgerow, which offered more shelter, and eventually spotted a bird calling from the bushes across the field. I called the others over and set the sc...

We were up early for a pre-breakfast walk on the moorland at Leusdon Common, just a few minutes walk from our accommodation. It was a glorious morning, and the rich, yellow gorse glowed in the early morning sunlight against a clear blue sky. Birdsong was plentiful, and we were pleased to hear another Garden Warbler to follow on from yesterday’s success with this species. Whitethroats and Blackcaps joined in the early morning song fest from the trees. A Yellowhammer hidden in the canopy but calling softly drew us out onto the moor, and several Swallows swooped around the village hall. Both Tree Pipit and Meadow Pipit were located on the moorland, causing much debate around songs and trailing feet as they parachuted down to either ground or song post.  Early morning birding Tree Pipit As we descended back to the road, Tim spotted a nuthatch nesting in the telegraph pole, exactly where we had encountered it the previous year. Nuthatch After breakfast and some time observing the birds ...

An earlier than usual trip to Dartmoor this year, started with a generally pleasant day weather wise , with increasing amounts of sunshine as the day wore on. Following a slap up breakfast at The House of Marbles, we had an enjoyable time at Yarner Wood. As we got out of the cars, we almost immediately heard the song of a Pied Flycatcher and were quickly able to locate this, then throughout the wood we found a number of further birds, both male and female. After some considerable time I persuaded the photography team it was time to move on and maybe try to see a few other species! Pied Flycatcher We headed up the track towards the heathland area where our attention was caught by the delightful bubbling song of a Garden Warbler. Often elusive, singing from the depths of a bush, we eventually managed excellent views of this relatively dull looking bird with a strong eye ring. Garden Warbler Continuing on the path, we failed to locate any Redstarts in their usual area, but at Trendlebeare...