After a hiatus of three weeks, during which my bird watching was restricted to the local area, I visited the Norfolk coast on the 4th. I started at RSPB Titchwell Marsh, adding two summer visitors (a single Swallow and around 300 [!] Sandwich Terns) to my year list. Mediterranean Gulls were, surprisingly, the dominant gull species - it was interesting to see them mixing with the Sandwich Terns at the edge of the freshmarsh. A couple of Spoonbills made regular visits to the marshland between Titchwell Marsh and Thornham Harbour - I guess that they may be nesting further to the west at the Ken Hill rewilding estate? Two Red-breasted Mergansers were on the tidal marsh before flying off, whilst the long-staying female Scaup was still present there.
Sandwich Terns and Mediterranean Gulls, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 April
Spoonbill in marshland between RSPB Titchwell Marsh and Thornham Harbour, 4 April
I moved a little west to Thornham Harbour - always a good spot for photographing wading birds - and was lucky to find my first Greenshank of the year in one of the channels. I suspect that this was an over-wintering bird, because the main spring passage of Greenshanks through the country doesn't start until late April. I know that a Greenshank over-wintered here in 2024-25, although most Greenshanks over-winter in Africa before returning to their breeding sites in Northern Europe (a few nest in the north of Scotland, but none nest in England).
Greenshank, Thornham Harbour, 4 April
Curlew having a Wash, Thornham Harbour, 4 April
My final destination was Old Hunstanton golf course, where a Great Grey Shrike (an increasingly rare winter visitor to the UK) had been showing for a few days beforehand. Unfortunately for me, it didn't show during my visit, although it had been seen an hour beforehand - such is life.
London's parks are of some interest for the bird photographer, because the wild birds there become quite tame and allow a closer approach than do those (say) in the Royston area. For this reason I took a photographic trip in to central London on the 9th to visit Regents Park and Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens, concentrating on the water birds on and around the lakes there. Regents Park was a little disappointing, with far more people (it was the school Easter holidays) than birds, although I did hear my first Reed Warbler of the year there. However, a couple of circuits of The Serpentine were more productive, with almost point blank close-ups of Cormorants and Gadwall, allowing me to photograph their plumage in good detail and also a bit of action out on the lakes. However, for an old man the walking involved on what was, at least initially, a very warm day, led to exhaustion by the end of the day.
Coot Nesting Activity, Kensington Gardens, 9 April
Cormorant on a Branch, Kensington Gardens, 9 April
Male Gadwall, Kensington Gardens, 9 April
Grey Wagtail, Kensington Gardens, 9 April
As I was leading an RSPB coach trip to RSPB Minsmere (Suffolk) on the 26th I made a reconnaissance trip on the 22nd. I called in at Barton Mills to see whether the toilets had re-opened (they hadn't so it would, unfortunately, be necessary to travel directly to Minsmere on the 26th). Whilst at Barton Mills I recorded my first Garden Warbler of the year. Nightingales were singing near the visitor centre at Minsmere and Sand Martins were using the nearby sand bank. I stayed on the reserve this time and recorded around 70 species, including Bearded Tit, Kittiwake, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel. I took a detour on the way back, visiting Westleton Heath, where I saw and photographed my second UK Iberian Chiffchaff (the first was seen five years ago only a couple of miles away, at Dunwich Heath). I photographed the bird and was pleased to see the image (below) used in the Birdguides weekly round-up of bird sightings. Some very noisy Stone Curlews were calling nearby, but I failed to see them, despite being told where to look. Dartford Warblers and a Wheatear were also seen here - I may go back in the future for a better look at Westleton Heath.
Sand Martins at RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk, 22 April
Sandwich Tern in Flight, Minsmere, 22 April
Male Ruff in Breeding Plumage, RSPB Minsmere, 22 April
Iberian Chiffchaff, Westleton Common, 22 April. Note the yellow lower mandible and yellow eye-stripe, features the differentiate this bird from Common Chiffchaff (it also has a more varied song!)
The return visit to Minsmere went very well, with an amazing 108 species being recorded by our 43 members. A Whimbrel was again present, I saw Bittern in flight, Bearded Tit and my first Hobbies and Common Sandpipers. Butterflies seen included Green Hairstreak and Small Copper and we didn't lose anybody, so I can count this as a successful day!
Common Sandpiper, RSPB Minsmere, 26 April
Small Copper, RSPB Minsmere, 26 April
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