Suffolk Twitchers

Dave’s ‘Birds in Suffolk’ Blog

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    Starling murmuration over Hen Reedbeds

    The Starling Murmuration

    Switched on the TV earlier in the autumn to view an awesome airborne display of starlings over Brighton beach – …
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    Bird watching in Suffolk

    A Christmas Break

    Saturday 22 November, the first signs of winter and with the temperature dipping to close to freezing we wrapped up …
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    Bird watching in Suffolk

    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog -Desert Wheatear at Southwold – 5 November

    I abandoned all my good intentions to do a Timed tetrad survey for the Atlas and went to Southwold to …
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    Bird watching in Suffolk

    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Yellow-browed Warbler at Ness Point 11 March

    I popped down before lunch on Sunday to see if either Yellow-browed or Pallas’s Warbler was still near Ness Point …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – A continental invasion in my garden – 30 October

    The garden was full of Blackbirds from early morning to mid afternoon, I have counted 26 individuals at any one …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Pakefield 14 October

    A lovely warm and calm morning for October so I made the most of it and strolled very slowly to …
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    Bird watching in Suffolk

    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog 13 October

    I was on Lowestoft South Pier this morning, not at the mid-point of a morning run as usual, but watching …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Harwich & Minsmere 20 September

    I’m a bit behind again, most of this report is from last week when I was out at sea on …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Pied Flycatcher in the garden! 20 September

    Another surprise garden bonus, a first winter Pied Flycatcher in the sycamores along the back fence. I was looking for …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Pied Flycatcher at the office

    I looked up from my desk this morning to see a small bird flit between the sycamores in the park …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – A fall of Redstarts

    Suffolk, Norfolk and the entire east coast has been buzzing with autumn migrants this weekend. Many Redstart, Wheatear and Pied …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Another new garden bird, a good week

    I’ve had quite an interesting week so far and it’s still only Thursday. I’ll work backwards. This morning I woke …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Suprise in Garden 18 August

    The British summer delivers in usual fashion so I’m at home wearing a jumper! So here are a few photos …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Minsmere again! 22 July

    Minsmere turned up another rarity last Friday. A Semi-Palmated Sandpiper popped in the join the White-rumped Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper. …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – New Year Trip to Norfolk

    The annual new year day out with my dad saw us doing our “usual” morning at Titchwell (RSPB), picnic lunch …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – A night out and a morning on the job! 24 June

    The night in question was Tuesday and it was more of an evening really. Dad picked me up and we …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk Blog – Happy Birthday to me, 18 June

    Been out and about quite a bit recently but rather remiss at updating this blog as I haven’t had any …
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    Monday 8th October

    A clear day and no sign of rain, so a trip down to Minsmere is always a good start to …
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    Wednesday 10th October

    Ran along the Lowestoft seafront this morning and there are a few more Turnstone now and a Guillemot in the …
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    Kessingland to Benacre Broad – 11/10/2007

    Another beautiful autumn day on the Suffolk coast so I decide to go visit one of my favourite spots and …
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    3/3/2010 Suffolk Coast

    This is a somewhat belated report of my day out with dad a few weeks ago.  I think it’s worth …
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    29/3/2010 – Alpine Swift in Lowestoft

    I looked up from my desk this lunchtime and saw a small crowd of birders hurrying past.  This caused a …
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    30/03/2010 – Top Swifts in NE Suffolk

    I was stuck in a course, with my back to the window, knowing full well that the Alpine Swifts were …
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    13/5/2010 – Woodchat Shrike at Winterton Dunes

    Ok, so it’s been there for two weeks but I’ve had other things on.  Popped over this morning and had …
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    River Warbler near Haddiscoe

    A major MEGA near Lowestoft.  A singing male River Warbler at Thorpe Marshes how exciting …  Actually it’s a fairly …
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    A slow month…

    Well slowish.  I had a very nice evening at Titchwell (22/7/10, the day before they closed the main footpath) and …
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    4th September

    September already, summer’s gone and autumn’s passage well under way.  A couple of hours in north Lowestoft on the 4th …
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    17/9/10 – King Eider at Minsmere

    Two weeks back there was a major influx of common and scarce migrants.  It seemed as though every bush on …
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    Isabelline Wheatear at Lowestoft net posts

    My photos are pretty poor as I forgot the camera-to-scope adaptor.  There are some great photos of the bird around …
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    My patch?

    I’ve been considering what it means to have your own “patch”.  In my view it’s the place where you most …
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    28/9/10 – finally catching up with some migrants

    After some interesting reports yesterday I was determined to spend a little time searching for migrants today.  I started on …
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    2-11-2010 – two beaches and a field

    I had planned to go to N Norfolk but changed my mind at the last minute as I didn’t fancy …
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    1st day of May (and half of April)

    It’s been a mixed bag of weather and birds in the last couple of weeks. However here is an update. …
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    8th Feb – 100 species at last

    The day did not start well as it was much windier than forecast and snowing. This ruled out an Atlas …
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    4/1 – 17/1

    Dad and I went out for our ‘New Years Day’ trip on the 4th. We stayed slightly more local than …
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    Feeling snug and smug in Suffolk

    I decided this is the most snow I’ve ever seen in my lifetime at least and its having a very …
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    A frosty morn’

    I love frosty gardens – they are so magical and uplifting – full of drama and suspense! An icing of …
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    1st July – Benacre and Minsmere

    Halfway through the year already, where does the time go? All my Atlas and Breeding Bird Surveys are finished now, …
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    2nd June, a bit of a twitch – Norfolk, Cambs and Suffolk!!

    Finally managed to get a day long slot amongst busy times at work and home (07:15 to 17:00 was possible). …
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    21st April – Yellow Wagtails and spring warblers

    Monday morning I completed the first survey of this spring period, a Timed Tetrad Visit (TTV) near Gisleham, 31 species …
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    American Golden Plover – 19th April

    I’ve recently added a few birds to my year list, Spoonbill and Chiffchaff at Weymouth, Great and Arctic Skua in the …
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    12th February Lowestoft to Minsmere (and back)

    I started out by collecting dad and wondering how I picked the morning with most snow actually laying around here.. …
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    30th January – Waxwings from the office window

    Okay, technically it wasn’t my window and I knew where to look as I had just been watching these great …
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    3rd January – Benacre

    I popped down to Ness Point, Lowestoft in the morning and found 8 Purple Sandpiper. I then walked along to …
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    2nd January – North and east Norfolk

    07:00 – collect dad and head for Titchwell 08:45 – arrive Titchwell 10:10 – big bacon roll and mug of …
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    New Years Day

    We all went out to friends for New Year party, had a fairly late night so only just got up …
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    Time to walk off the Christmas pud

    Actually, I still have Christmas pudding leftovers so I suspect it will be some time before I manage to walk …
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    Snow Buntings on Pakefield Beach – 25th November

    After the prolonged northerly winds, I have been quite hopeful for a few winter specials. Maybe a Little Auk or …
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    A mixed weekend

    My weekend started on Friday when I took dad down to Minsmere. We popped into Southwold on the way so …
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    Desert Wheatear at Southwold 5th November

    I abandoned all my good intentions to do a Timed tetrad survey for the Atlas and went to Southwold to …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Lesser Grey Shrike at Hickling, 22 June

    Another day, another shrike. Only a few miles from the Red-backed Shrike at Sea Palling and only found on Friday. …
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    Dave’s Birds in Suffolk blog – Carlton Marshes SWT June

    I had a very pleasant hour at Carlton Marshes this morning. I walked down to the cut and back listening …
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    29th May – Minsmere in the morning

    I’ve been itching to get out all week and when I woke up at 04:45 this morning, instead of rolling …
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    What a week…

    The last week or so has turned up some great birds in Suffolk. Top of the list must be the …
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    1st day of May (and half of April)

    It’s been a mixed bag of weather and birds in the last couple of weeks. However here is an update. …
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    Minsmere 5th April – Black-necked Grebe and Garganey

    My wife, Lisa and I took a drive down to Dunwich Heath on Saturday. We stopped briefly en-route at Westleton …
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    Pakefield – 4th April

    It’s the time of year when an extra 10-15 mins on the way to work can be rewarding. This morning …
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    Spring? – 31st March

    What an interesting week, I have a newly arrived Chiffchaff in the garden this morning and last Monday I had …
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    North Norfolk – 6th March

    Before I went to sea last week I squeezed in a day birding in north Norfolk with my dad. We …
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    Catching up in Cordon

    I’m having a break from throwing myself headlong down the snow slopes of the French Alps, so I can reflect …
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    Tetrad survey

    It’s all a bit hectic at the moment so I haven’t been out much. My recent trip to sea was …
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    Pakefield Beach

    I had a quick walk along Pakefield Beach on Thursday morning. There were a lot of gulls about including at …
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    BTO Atlas survey TM37 (W)

    I have volunteered for a third Tetrad as I felt I should be able to manage to spare 3 mornings …
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    Lots of duck at Abberton Reservoir

    Okay – Abberton is just south of the border, “back to my Essex roots” as dad reminded me. I’ve always …
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    Not much about? Thursday 6th December

    Not much about? Well that is just not true it depends what you are looking for. I was out running …
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    Dodging rain showers north of the border

    I was tempted over the border into Norfolk this morning by reports of a 1st winter Desert Wheatear. I was …
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    Penduline Tits at the 2nd time of asking

    I managed a quick trip down to Walberswick this morning to have another look for the 4 Penduline Tit that …
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    Breezy morning at Lowestoft docks

    It might be a bit breezy (force 6 to 7 I reckon) but at least it isn’t raining… As the …
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    Dingle Marshes

    Dingle Marshes – no Penduline Tit but it didn’t matter..

    The walk from Hoist Covert, Walberswick and around the Dingle marshes is something I would normally do in springtime, good …
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    Surveying for the new atlas and a Lesser Yellowlegs

    In all the excitement of the tidal surge and potential flooding of Friday, I forgot to mention the rather nice …
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    North Sea in late autumn

    I have just returned from a week spent working at sea. We started from Lowestoft and spent a brief period …
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