Lesser Yellowlegs at Town Marshes

Lesser Yellowlegs at Town Marshes

male Scaup at Benacre Pits

male Goldeneye at Benacre Pits

My wife Lisa and I took advantage of a nice bright morning on Saturday to go to Southwold. Walking down from the rugby club/water tower parking we watched a male Kestrel hanging in the wind over the golf club practice area. We strolled on down to the bailey bridge where there were a few Redshank on the exposed mud of the River Blyth. After an excellent lunch in the nearby pub we turned towards the harbour mouth. Behind the sea wall I picked out at least four Water Pipit, with the various gulls and several hundred Snipe and Teal on Town Marshes. Lisa decided to go back to the car to warm her ears after 40 minutes of windy waiting about, but I persevered around the perimeter and was rewarded with clear, close views of 1st winter Lesser Yellowlegs. Lisa drove to meet me - mobile phones are great…

On the way home, I got out at Benacre to make the most of the remaining daylight. I walked along the track towards Beach Farm, immediately spotting a flock of over 50 Linnet. In the next field was a nice patch of un-harvested cereal with a big mixed flock of Tree Sparrow (100+), Brambling (20+), Chaffinch and Greenfinch dipping in and out. I watched them for a while before continuing to the beach. At the “pits” were several Little Grebe, three Scaup (1 male) and a male Goldeneye amongst the commoner ducks.

I stopped near the fast running sluice to scan across the Kessingland Levels, but there were "shooters" out, so few birds had stayed in the vicinity! From the sluice back to Kessingland village I noted a Stonechat, a few Meadow Pipit and the usual scattered flock of Pied Wagtail (50+), but from there along to Pakefield it was to dark to see anything else.