A Mega Goes on the Year List. Clam on!

Saturday 30th April Light to fresh NW Sunny intervals with one prolonged heavy shower PM

A cycle to Lydd for more food with whitethroats singing from apparently every bramble patch. An almost unladen bike to ride, luxury.

To the RSPB reserve for the afternoon, the summer-plumaged black-necked grebe is now on the pool in front of the visitor's centre, more distant than yesterday's views.

Of interest along the pathway is the only colony of andrena vaga, a small bee in the UK. Concertinaed green tiger beetles are amusing; piggy back for four.

Into the visitor's centre just as a very heavy rain shower hits. I spend some time reading the history of the reserve display and marvel at the wooden slat shoes worn to aid walking over the shingle years ago. The name Bert Axell features large again with ideas used to assist the breeding birds; forty pairs of Kentish plovers! Dream on.

Outside swallows and sand martins perch on branches to rest during the rain.

Sunday 1^st May light SW sunny, warm!

Today is all about distance. A rufous turtle dove has been reported just north of Sevenoaks and I need to see it. I set off early and appreciate not only the lack of wind and the sunshine but also the flat road for the first fifteen miles. Yellow wagtails are along the roadside just north of the RSPB reserve entrance.

Mile after mile, the ride is not strenuous and with two litres of milk and a litre of blackcurrant juice, I have plenty to drink along the way. I stick to a one hour drink, one hour food regime; maltloaf and jam sandwiches for the food.

A cruel reminder of my football team's fate is seen as I cycle through Tenterden. How different a prospect for the Villa to that of Leicester City yet I was there when it was the other way round. Highbury, 1981; Aston villa lost 2 – 0 to arsenal yet still won the First division due to Ipswich losing at Middlesborough. Me, my brother Paul and Dad were at that match. Wait a minute, I must watch the highlights on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUjpzEdEqLg

Enjoyed that. A few tears. Fourteen players used all season and it got better the next year and yes, I was there for this one too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6xSbPjybok

Later back at Villa Park I even managed to drop the cup after being photographed holding it! A long time ago. Back to today.

Congratulations to Leicester City. The best thing that has happened in British football for a very long time.

Miles go by and eventually the benign, flattish roads take me to steeper sections. Whilst pushing up one particularly steep hill I come across a sleeping tiny fox cub. As I reach down for my camera it wakes up, notices me and disappears into the fox den. I think my chance has gone but another small cub waddles over and doesn't notice me. Wonderful moments of watching a beautiful little creature.

Further along the road I see another somewhat older fox cub take his life in his hands crossing a main road. It tries once and a car just misses it as it dives back into cover. Then moments later it tries again, luckily successfully.

I arrive at my destination, a place made obvious by the crowd of birders who are all looking at something in a nearby tree. I see one of my best Wolverhampton friends, a Birding Clam no less, Steve Allcott. He sees me and shouts for me to look quickly through his telescope. Rufous turtle dove goes onto the year list in moments as the bird is seen first with his glistening back to me. Then it turns around to make sure I see all sides.

Another crowd of birders are further down the road, closer to the bird and I go along to them leaving the bike against a wall. Another Birding Clam, Jason Oliver, is with them and together we laugh and celebrate such a rare bird. Other birding friends are there too; Jumbo and Pete who I had met on Fair Isle last year, Geoff and Carol from near Leicester, John Pringle from Essex. 

Birders come up to hear of the ride from Dungeness, fifty eight miles, almost exactly the same distance that I cycled last year for the citril finch at Holkham. Some kindly give donations for the charities. Brilliant.

The bird? Oh it flew off after twenty minutes or so to be seen much later. Being of the meena sub-species, this is a new bird for me. I saw the Chipping Norton orientalis bird in the pouring rain a few years ago and the hope is that the scientists will decide that these two are separate species one day.

76.80 miles 2869 feet elevation up 2787 feet elevation down

The Green Year list now stands at 226, still 27 birds ahead of this time last year.

Saturday 30th April, Dungeness

Saturday 30th April

Early Saturday morning after a comfortable night in a bed for a change at the excellent Dungeness Bird Observatory. The sun is shining and there is a light northerly breeze; very different to yesterday's south westerly gale.

So a bit of time to catch up with the last few day's birding......

Tuesday 26^th April

Still feeling very tired, I managed to cycle to Grove End and Stodmarsh nature reserve. I spend the day pushing the bike along the many paths with the hope of hearing a grasshopper warbler in the evening. There are occasional heavy showers and a cool north-westerly.

Common terns are over the largest pool and a few sedge and reed warblers are along the pathways.

The highlights of the day do occur in the evening when a hobby, 221, flies past and a hen harrier, ring-tail, comes down to roost in the reed bed.

Wednesday 27^th April

A cycle down to Dungeness is relatively straight forward. Arriving at the RSPB reserve in mid afternoon, I spend the time searching Denge Marsh for the bean goose reported to be there on the previous day. A dip. Can't find it.

Thursday 28^th April

With the wind only alight westerly early morning I head off for Pett Levels in East Sussex to look for two velvet scoter reported there.

A flock of thirty-plus whimbrel and very obliging yellow wagtails delay me at scotney Gravel Pits on the way to Rye.

Taking the Rye Harbour roadway I soon reach Pett and with the help of Steve, a Kent birder who I had met at Grove End two days earlier, have velvet scoter to add to the year list, 222. The long present glossy ibis puts in an appearance too.

Back to Rye Harbour I take time to enjoy its birds as by now the westerly has freshened up and a lunch break there is rewarded with views of nesting Mediterranean gulls and sandwich terns.

Friday 29^th April

Back at Dungeness, I head for the seawatching hides by the nuclear power station, seeing a ghostly barn owl and a couple of whimbrel on the way.

At 'The Patch' there are a good number of common terns, around 75. Once in the shelter of the hide, the birders present say that one arctic skua went past at about ten to 6 and a few manx shearwaters. It is now 6:30am and only common scoter are going past in any numbers and even they aren't too numerous.

Seawatch finished, I go to the Dungeness Bird Observatory and book in for the night. I love staying at observatories. One, they are so cheap! More importantly birders stay at them and therefore the evening conversation is guaranteed to be birdy. Dave Walker, the long-standing warden of the Obs, takes my money and I decide not to use the bike for the day, instead I will walk to Lydd to get some food and bird on the way there and back.

Into the willow bushes near to the observatory and an almost tailless fox stands on the path not thirty yards away and looks back at me with disinterest.

Bumblebees take my own interest and there seems to be two varieties out in the cold, hazy sunshine. Garden and red-tailed.

Lesser and common whitethroats are vocal and on reaching the ARC pit a superb summer-plumaged black-necked grebe is sheltering from the fresh westerly breeze.

In fact the wind is gathering strength and after looking around the Cathedral in the Marsh, All Saints in Lydd; where a poem from the First World war is accompanied by two original WW1 crosses, it is strong and cold.

Back to Dungeness RSPB reserve via the back bridleway, only greylags and Canada geese are on Denge Marsh.

Back to seawatch the evening away, Andy, a birder who I had last met at Sumburgh Lighthouse last Autumn, immediately sees a distant passing bonxie, great skua and passes me his telescope to add it to the year list, 223.

Two manx shearwaters pass and the operation with Andy's 'scope is repeated; 224. Finally two arctic skuas pass, jokingly they seem closer to France than England! 225, onto the list due to the telescope of a birder from Norfolk, Matthew. What a fabulous evening.

The Green Year list now stands at 225, still 25 birds ahead of this time last year.

Details from 26th of April

Tuesday 26th April

It is now early on Tuesday morning and I am in Margate, Kent. After a day of rest yesterday it is time for me to get back on the bike and head for Dungeness forty five miles to the south west. A Bean goose has been there recently and pomarine skuas have gone past the headland.

The rest is due to the previous three days efforts, 168 miles from Minsmere to Margate, cycling. Why Margate? An Iberian chiff chaff in a local park had been seen and luckily, very luckily, I turn up there on Sunday evening and not only hear it but get close views of a chiff chaff with a funny, squeaky, repeated call. 

Bird number 220 onto the Green list and one I had not thought I would get.

So 85 to go in order to get the European record and around fifty 'regulars' still needed.

The Green Year list now stands at 220, still 27 birds ahead of this time last year.

59.76 miles 2022 feet elevation up 1998 elevation down 

Good Morning to the World

Friday 22^nd April fresh N Cloudy with occasional light rain. Cool 8C with cold wind.

Καλημέρα

God morgon

Доброго ранку
Magandang umaga
Goeie more
Bom Dia
Buna dimineata
Maidin mhaith

in other words . . .

Good Morning!

It is amazing to see on the blog where people who are following me come from. It is possible to see the countries and in the last week the above morning greeting represents the top ten countries. Thanks to you all and I hope that my pages may inspire you all to try Green Birding and do your bit to limit Climate Change/Global Warming. On that subject, it is so wonderful to see the commitment Leonardo di Caprio has to this as his latest donations show.

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Leonardo-DiCaprio-Donates-3.4-Million-to-Ecuador-20160122-0006.html

The Oracle's text from the previous evening states that there are two black terns at Alton Water south of Ipswich; a bird that I have never managed to see whilst cycling so of major importance to add to the list. After fixing th back brake in the shelter of the South hide and after a chat with an early rising RSPB staff member, I set off south. Leaving Minsmere is strange after the last four days here. Each day has been different and I feel I know the reserve a lot better having explored every pathway. This could easily become my favourite RSPB reserve, so diverse and with such incredible biodiversity.

By 9:00am I am at Blaxhall youth hostel and having no word from Phil about the terns, I book in. Coffee and washing up, my phone receives two texts and I miss a phone call. The terns are still there! With apologies to Amy, the hostel manager, and reimbursed the overnight cost, I set off once more as the weather deteriorates and spitting rain falls.

Through Woodbridge and Ipswich, where I make the mistake of following the convoluted Route 1 Sustrans cycle path instead of the straight main road, I get, eventually, to Lemon's Hill bridge. A gentleman in a car calls my name. Chris Baines, a facebook friend who I had last seen whilst watching a bluethroat near The Hook on Blakeney Point four years ago, Calls me over and together we watch distant terns. A year tick, seven or more arctic terns are over the water and then I actually make a little leap into the air. 

A black tern comes into view. Brilliant. It is cold and raining slightly so photographs are appalling but both birds are on the list, 219. Black tern becomes the latest '16' bird, one that I didn't see last year. I need sixteen of these over and above the 289 I did see. Now maybe it is the cricket fan in me but I break the 16 down into 4 per quarter, that is four '16' birds per three month period. January to March gave me four : dusky warbler, Hudsonian whimbrel, glaucous gull and greater yellowlegs. April has given me two already, savi's warbler and now black tern. Things are looking good. Little targets to keep the spirits up and keep the legs pedalling.

Another pleasing thing from the bridge is the number of hirundines hunting flies low over the water. They are mostly swallows with some sand martins and the occasional house martin.

Saying goodbye to Chris, as I am now starting to shiver, I head off along the circumnavigating the lake cycle path. A helicopter comes low and lands in a garden backing onto the path.

Three miles later I am warming up with a large hot chocolate and enjoying the company of Gina and Andrew, the owners of the cafe at the south end of the lake. Mentioning the helicopter I am told it belongs to a city banker.

The only other customer in the cafe is Doreen, a local originally from Anfield, Liverpool. The four of us chat awhile before all too soon it is closing time and I carry on to search the lake for other birds. Three little gulls were reported this morning but they have moved on.

The Green Year list now stands at 219, still 30 birds ahead of this time last year.

50.69 miles 1473 feet elevation up 1443 elevation down       

The Minsmere Woodland

Thursday 21^st April part 2

There is a pregnant wood mouse by the RSPB's solitary wasp tower at the visitor's centre and people gather to watch her as she walks and bounds around our feet before disappearing into some leaf litter.

It is late afternoon. I walk through the large woodland area marvelling at the amount of fallen trees and dead wood. The woodland though is silent and I spend the time looking at the wonderful variety of patterns on the trunks and stumps.

Another reason to enjoy the walk is the total lack of anyone else around. Don't get me wrong, I love people but sometimes I just want to be alone.

The trail takes me towards Dunwich Heath and along a sandy track I come across a wasp species creating a circular hole. I sit down to watch. Must look up the species and find out what it was actually up to. 

Is it a parasitic wasp that has buried a paralysed prey item and lays an egg on it whereupon the poor creature waits knowing that upon the hatching of the egg it is on the menu? Always fascinating, I find parasitism one of the most incredible things in nature. Now what's the name of the worm that lives in our eyelashes?

A sandy area on the heath has evidence of another interesting creature, the capture pits of the antlion. Like the sandy hole that so many are thrown into by Jabba the Hutt in Star Wars, The Return of the Jedi, the antlion has made a pit into which an insect might fall into. If one does the antlion grabs it for a tasty meal. 

Down to the shore with not a bird to be seen out at sea. Minsmere at the moment is definitely not the place for a protracted seawatch. Once on the north wall path to enter the RSPB reserve there are birds as bearded tits ping and fly.

Back in the shelter of the North Hide overlooking the scrape there are four Mediterranean gulls to watch with one pair exchanging glances and green weed. 

A male redshank has loving intentions and pipes whilst moving ever closer to his desired love. He takes off and whilst hovering lower must be gutted to see the female fly off. It was ever thus.

Another Sunny Day at Minsmere RSPB Reserve

Thursday 21^st April fresh NE Very sunny all day. Slightly warmer at 10C

I decide to walk down to the Sizewell Nuclear power station after a lovely bright sunrise. The wind is still north easterly and cool at 6:00am. It interests me how the high cirrus clouds are heading north, albeit slowly.

A kingfisher lands on a post near to the scrape and bearded tits pink their way between reedbeds. The former bird proves difficult to photograph through the reeds and is soon off.

With still no news on any new bird for the year list anywhere nearby and the ones that are will be easy to get later, it seems only sensible to explore all areas of Minsmere. The low dunes and sandy pathway with low hairy birch, willow and oak with sporadic pines look good for any migrant warblers and indeed there is a lesser whitethroat to add to the year list, 217. Look carefully because a dog came barking and off it flew.

Lying in my sleeping bag the previous night, instead of counting sheep I counted regular occurring birds that I still need. I made it fifty. That means I would need thirty four rarities, one a week. I will take that at this time of year.

A text from 'The Oracle,' Phil Andrews asks whether I am up to cycling to Bedfordshire to see white stork and the sole Lady Amhurst's pheasant. “Of course I am,” I reply “but only if the white stork isn't plastic.” I bird on not too confident that the stork will be a real wild bird. There is a greenshank on Lucky Pool and three brent geese head north along the beach.

After searching for but not finding the rare whorl snails near the Minsmere sluice it is rather strange to see a fulmar coming from over the scrape. It heads out to where one would expect to see it,over the sea.

From the elevated position of the sea wall path I can see over the scrape and notice a large peregrine tucking in to a large prey item. I go to the public platform and get great views of it despite heat haze and distance.

There are a number of waders close to the feeding bird; black and bar-tailed godwits and dunlin. All of them must be thinking that the peregrine will be some time eating and so in the meantime they feel safe.

Walking back towards the north walk four whimbrel come down the beach. Three carry on towards Lucky Pool. The other one turns and heads north.

Bearded tits show as I walk towards the visitors' centre and the sand martins are tazzing around the sandstone cliff as I go towards the cafe. Once inside one of the staff, Doreen gives me a cheese scone. Delicious and it went well with fruit crumble and custard. Maggie, another cafe worker comes over and chats about her twenty years of playing the French horn in the North Opera orchestra. RSPB attracts volunteers from all walks of life, wonderful people.

The Green Year list now stands at 217, still 29 birds ahead of this time last year.

20th April Bit of a Relaxing day at Minsmere.

Wednesday 20^th April fresh to strong NE Very sunny all day. Cool 8C with cold wind.

After a cold night I am up around seven and head down to the Island Mere hide. Despite the early hour there are a number of photographers in there and the clicks start almost immediately as three otters strut on top of a large pile of cut reeds. They eventually swim along the reed edge, causing consternation with a nearby greylag and disappear.

I walk off in the direction of the Bittern hide, stopping every so often to look for any migrants in the trees. Blackcaps and chiff chaffs oblige.

From the North hide overlooking the scrape I find two well hidden snipe and chat with a couple from Stoke on Trent, Nick and Helga who tell me that they follow my adventures on the Biking Birder 2016 blog.

The cafe closes and immediately a male pheasant, a red-legged partridge, a magpie and a number of chaffinches come down to search for titbits. I go to the west hide at the scrape. This I feel will be warmest place with a setting sun providing warm as long as the shutters are shut. 

I search through the larger gulls and find a yellow-legged amongst them

As evening falls and the sun sets, a large full Moon rises over the sea bank. 

Five common tern look almost chocolate brown in the fading light and a peregrine looks to have rosy underparts as it chases a bar-tailed godwit. The godwit survives, just, by diving into the water.

The Green Year list now stands at 216, still 30 birds ahead of this time last year.

April 19th Another Great Day at Minsmere RSPB reserve

Tuesday 19^th April Light to fresh NE Very sunny all day. Cool 8C with cold wind.

Early morning with nightingales, three of them singing in turns and occasionally coming out into obscured views. I am sitting on a grassy knoll amongst gorse bushes listening. Cetti's, willow warblers, chiff chaff and blackcap all add voice to the chorus.

With bird number 215 on the list I head back towards Minsmere and stop to walk a public footpath to search for whitethroat. The area looks perfect for them with thick bramble patches and sporadic bits of hawthorn hedge. I chat with a local woman out for a walk in the bright sunshine. A whitethroat comes out onto the topmost twig of a hawthorn and scratches it's song. Bird number 216.

To the Island Mere hide just in time to see a bittern fly over the reeds to land nearby in the dense reedbed. Four bearded tits, including two males do the same. There is the briefest glimpse of an otter way over the back of the mere amongst the reedbed edge.

Once more to the scrape with my mobile staying as silent as the grave. Every minute I am hoping for news of some rare bird having been found within cycling distance but nothing. The wind and weather conditions are all wrong. Cold northerlies and full sunshine is either stopping migrant birds from moving in large numbers or some are flying straight over with no reason for stopping.

I spend some time on the internet in the cafe before heading once more for the scrape.

Apparently the scrape was the idea of the first resident warden at Minsmere, the famous Bert Axell. The area had been flooded during World war 2 to prevent any possibility of German tanks finding an area to invade. The wetlands created attracted avocet which bred for the first time on over one hundred years. These attracted visitors and ber came up with the scrape idea for the avocets in the early 1960s, an idea which has been copied around the world. When the RSPB were given the opportunity to buy the area they had to quickly raise £240,000 and thankfully they managed to do just that.

At the scrape, two common terns are flying around as three more rest on a muddy island. The bar-tailed godwit is still here as are a number of Mediterranean gulls.

Afterwards I head around for the sea and spend an hour seawatching seeing three harbour porpoise and a single red-throated diver heading north low over the sea.

A male stonechat is atop some gorse near the north walk looking superb in the sun. There is no sign of the stone curlews in the field but seven red deer are relaxing there.

Once more through the woods I head for an evening at the Island Mere hide, stopping on the way to watch a superb male redstart fresh in, and watch as otters and bitterns give great views. Outside, in the cold wind, and RSPB staff member is logging booming bitterns, mapping the booms so that she can collate results with other colleagues later and see how many booming males the reserve has.

The Green Year list now stands at 216, still 30 birds ahead of this time last year.

A Full Day at Minsmere RSPB Reserrve

Monday 18^th April Light to fresh NW Cloud built up during day yet dry. Cool 8C with chilly wind.

A Tawny owl is hooting as I cycle along the road through the oak woodland. A cuckoo is cuckooing as I walk up the ramp to the Island Mere hide at 5:00am. It is still, cold and cloudless. Bitterns are booming and water rail are squealing. The Savi's is reeling away again but still a long way away so no chance of views.

Two early morning photographers come into the hide before six, one of whom tells me that I met his wife, Claire last week. Three otters decide to swim across the far left corner of the mere. Two bittern decide to show themselves by flying over the reedbed as marsh harriers sky dance.

Along to the visitors' centre, I go straight past and down to the stone curlew field where a distant bird is standing up on the far side. Another year tick, 213 and a bird that will save my legs from having to cycle to Weeting Heath to see one there. Shame really as I love Weeting Heath and the staff and set up there.

I spend the morning in the North Scrape hide with Robin Harvey, the site manager for the reserve and all-round brilliant birder. With a team of seven wardens, he and others run the Minsmere reserve as well as a couple of nearby RSPB reserves. A little-ringed plover lands nearby and a house martin flies over, Robin's first of the year.

Later in the day, after a meal in the cafe and after publicity photographs for the RSPB Suffolk Twitter feed, I see my first swift of the year speedily flying over the scrape, bird number 214.

I meet Robin again in the evening. He is heading around the scrape and off towards the ruined priory to the south. I can see him birding there as ten whimbrel fly around just behind the south scrape hide before heading off north. Later another group of whimbrel, twenty five of them fly past over the sea, also heading north.

The Green Year list now stands at 214, 30 birds ahead of this time last year.

First Day at Minsmere RSPB Reserve . . . Savi's Warbler!

Sunday 17^th April Light to fresh W Sunny intervals, two short hail showers

Cuckoo cuckooing in the early morning and nearby willow warblers and chiff chaffs singing with cetti's warbler blasting; these start the day with still a cool wind blowing from the west.

I set off for Minsmere RSPB reserve, the iconic and magnificent reserve which has hosted Springwatch recently, with alight wind mostly from behind to help me on my way. The small country lanes are empty so early on a Sunday morning and there are small undulations in the landscape to give me short rests as I cruise downwards after each short uphill section.

Signposts with milages start to tell me that I am going backwards. Not really, it is just that in the centre of Loddon the sign states five miles to Beccles. The next two signs each say six miles despite being over a mile further. Oh well, keep pedalling.

On reaching the main Lowestoft to Ipswich road at Blythburgh there is a splattered stoat on the road, which I photograph for my 'car-nage' project. A hundred yards later there is a dead male wheatear. So sad to think that this bird had flown all the way from Africa to die on a British road side. I check it for a ring bit doesn't have one.

Minmere is truly wonderful and a short hail shower passes over as I cycle down the seemingly never-ending entry lane.

I meet a gentleman who is telling everyone that he is a local bird guide, Alex Bass and together we walk to the Mere Island hide. Bearded tits are easy to see here and a number of bitterns are booming. A reed warbler not too far into the reeds yet still unseen, is singing and so becomes bird number 210 on the year list.

Around the walkways and through the oak forest, I head for the scrape. There is a cacophony of black-headed gulls and a number of avocets and duck. The black-tailed godwits are acquiring summer plumage yet their single bar-tailed cousin is still in it's silvery winter attire.

I find a common tern sitting on post number four, bird number 211. The islands used to be named after biscuits way back long ago but now there are numbered signposts to help birders locate the different species. Coomon sandpiper, look right of number two. Mediterranean gull, look by number nine.

A sandwich tern flies out to sea as I push the bike along the sandy path.

I circumnavigate the scrape, visiting every hide before heading back to the Island Mere hide for the evening. Well, after enjoying a coffee in the cafe taking up position on a picnic bench overlooking the sand martin cliff. The sand martins are here in good numbers, flying frantically around and occasionally landing next to holes in the sandstone. They don't seem to be entering them though, just hanging onto the cliff edge.

I try to imagine what it must be like for new visitors to the reserve. On leaving the visitors' centre they walk down a short path. Suddenly on turning a corner they come across a golden yellow streaked with orange sandstone cliff with maybe a hundred swirling sand martins. A beautiful introduction to one of the RSPB's flagship reserves.

Evening at the Island Mere hide, most people have gone home but four ladies who are staying in accommodation on the reserve are enjoying the peaceful sunset.

An otter swims nearby not too concerned about being so near to the hide. I cup my ears and hear the bird I have cycled here for, Savi's warbler. The bird is a long way off over the far side of the large mere yet it is quite a distinctive trill. Nowadays a very rare breeding bird in Britain, I remember seeing them in the 1980s singing on bushes not too far from this spot. The Savi's I really remember though was at my patch, Upton Warren nature reserve, back in 1984. That bird could be seen reasonably close singing on a now long gone bush near to the Moors car park. I remember seeing it one evening, a lifer for me and then returning before daybreak the next day to get more views. A male garganey was beside it on the water; a lovely pair.

The Green Year list now stands at 211, 28 birds ahead of this time last year.

33.13 miles 1052 feet elevation up 1055 feet elevation down