Hot September Days in Suffolk....unusually hot (30c !!)

A few days in Suffolk in extremely hot conditions made birding hard work and very difficult! A few record shots of the more usual species to be encountered but nothing exceptional.

Bittern from The Bittern Hide, Minsmere...a distant record shot.

Snipe ...just in front of East Scrape Hide, Minsmere.

Black Tailed Godwit.

Pied Wagtail.

A Wren sunbathing in the heat at Minsmere.

A Magpie  ejecting a pellet.

A Lesser Whitethroat skulking in the undergrowth.

An Egyptian Goose on The Meare in Thorpeness

Another Snipe!

Only one Avocet at Minsmere!

Slightly more unusual...a single Golden Plover on the reserve. 

Ruff....little wonder they are sometimes difficult to identify, when in this plumage.

A grab shot of a fast moving Water Rail in fading evening light.

Spotted Redshanks in winter plumage.

Yet another Snipe....very photographic waders!

The North Wall ...again!

Its that time of year when anything can turn up....but as I missed the recent Glossy Ibis, Curlew Sandpipers and the Wryneck at Church Norton I thought another wander along to the Breech Pools might be productive.

Little Egret in early morning light on the Lagoon.

Collared Doves along the tide line.

Oystercatcher on the shore line.

Wheatear on a post...allowing close approach.

Whimbrel on the mud.

A party of three Spotted Redshanks in Whites Creek.

A Black Tailed Godwit feeding just below the wall...on the harbour side.

 ...and then it was Yellow Wag fest. time!!! They were everywhere....250 +. An amazing site as they flew up in a cloud and then dived back down again, some straight amongst the cattle but others
perching in the bushes.

Last but not least a Common Sandpiper searching for crabs by the sluice. Having found one he would run down to the water and wash it and return for another.

No rarities but a pleasant couple of hours.

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...and here's a few pics from earlier in the week

Wheatear on the Spit

Reed Bunting early one morning 

Bedraggled Whitethroat...there have been many about this week...feeding up before the long journey south.

A Black Swan on the Lagoon has been around for a couple of weeks.

Canada Goose over the Lagoon

 More Whimbrel.

A couple of well known birders on the 'hunt' on the North Wall


That's about it for now!

A good sprinkling of birds....Autumn on the way!

As soon as I arrived at the North Wall this morning a Hobby flew in a straight line fast across the harbour disappearing over Honer Farm...no photo (caught me unprepared!)

Then a Reed Bunting perched on a branch and eyed me up and down for a few seconds.

 The Breech Pool held numerous waders...the highlight being five Little Stint...here's a couple.

Two Avocets were present but later flew off to the mud bank in the harbour.

Avocet with Dunlin

A closer look at the Avocet.

The cattle were in the field so I was hoping a few Yellow Wagtails would have found them.
 I wasn't disappointed...there must have been fifty or so.

I'm sorry to put so many photos on but the numbers were impressive!

A Whitethroat was feeding up on blackberries...

There was a Whinchat and a Wheatear on the wire fence behind the pool  and several Robins were present...I have noted an influx on the Spit during the past few days as well.

Can someone please enlighten me as to the caterpillar species which is currently stripping my silver birch!

Buff Tips (thanks Dave )