Year-listing in the Brecks

 Like many of you, three months of house arrest has left my year list in need of some TLC. Where better to start than The Brecks. I'd seen a few tweets from people calmly announcing their fantastic day totals, so ...

First stop Santon Downham. Out of the car along the track toward the LSW site, and as hoped there was Woodlark and Tree Pipit, and a male Stonechat atop a tree. Under the railway line and then some magic in a small clump of willows. These willows are over a water-filled ditch, and finches come down to drink using the willows as perches and cover. Lesser Redpolls were here in beautiful pink. When birders came by I counted 18 fly out. Lots of Siskins around and a familiar 'chip' as 2 Crossbill flew by. 

I passed a woman with a camera who didn't seem to have much clue about the LSWs and got to the site. Not seen since 7am. I gave it a while, got Nuthatch and Treecreeper for the day list, then headed back behind another watcher who had given up too. He fiddled with his phone and the call of LSW rang out. 'Oooh LSW!' I said in mock surprise at his bird-call app. He turned round and said oh you heard it too! He hadn't been fiddling with his phone at all. It was indeed the actual bird! Confirmation came at the lady with the camera who had seen two birds briefly. Clearly more clued up than I. 

On to Lynford Arboretum. I had been told Firecrest was breeding in the car park. No sound or sign of it so I decided on the out-fast strategy, whereby I go quickly to the extent of my walk and come slowly back. No sign of the Brambling at the feeders, or Hawfinch or anything much, but on the way back by the bridge a familiar faint high-pitched 'zziiziiziizii'. I gave it a few minutes and the bird revealed itself - a male Firecrest. Back to the gate for the finches and yet again 'zziizziizziizzii', and yet again male Firecrest low down, giving a shiver as it sang, fantastic. So, in little over a hundred yards three Firecrests (including the ones in the car park seen by others). It may be that the prime Firecrest trees are all down this drive, or it may be that this species is now widespread in this area.

Quite pleased with actually seeing these in tall pines; I think with Firecrest they don't ever stop moving, so if you hear one just keep looking until you see a movement and then close down on the area until it appears. And both were lower down than I expected.

I mentioned it to an old chap, and immediately he had the expression of 'thanks but the days of my hearing Firecrests have long gone'. So I carried on whilst having this sick feeling I was telling him what he was no longer able to see. How long before that is me, watching silent flocks of tits and crests?

Anyway, back via Lakenheath I thought as there were Arctic Terns on the wastelands yesterday. The sat nav took me past Weeting and a couple scoping the field opposite, so a quick pull over and Stone Curlew is now on the year list. Then Lakenheath RSPB and up to the washlands.

No terns, but plenty of Avocet and Black-Tailed Godwit. A kingfisher appeared in the near corner perched on a reed stem, and behind it a pair of Garganey swam. Then distantly amongst some feeding Redshank, a small wader. Distance and heat-haze made ID difficult, but narrowing it down, smaller than Redshank, white underneath, brownish above, longish needle bill, some bobbing but not a lot, quite slight, walking around in vegetation and muddy fringes, I found myself thinking Wood Sandpiper, but it wasn't possible to get closer as on walking round to get closer the edge it was on became hidden by vegetation. So it will have to go down as wader sp. I mentioned it to a couple of RSPB people, both of whom said they would tell someone else. Maybe someone will be able to get up there for a better view...

And that was it. Fantastic. Just nice to be back in a place with loads of birds, to be surrounded by the constant noise of flocks of finches. And to get some decent ticks too. 

Dave-less in the Brecks.

Its late February so its The Brecks for more year ticks. But unfortunately Dave is still laid up with a foot problem. For now, The Fun Boy Three is just two. Dave has asked how we got on, so this, Dave, is how we did.

A sunny start at Cockley Cley. As we pulled in there were three raptors circling over the distant wood, a Common Buzzard, a male Goshawk (126), and a Ringtail Hen Harrier! Blimey, there's a surprise for a start. We were out of the van and looking and could hear Woodlark (127) singing. It seemed to come from all angles, and we had a while trying to locate the source of the song, but then we realised it was right over our heads. Marvellous. About 200 Fieldfare there as well.

Well, Dave, you know what Goshawk views there are like. Good if you were a field or two closer. It was a decent view for Cockley Cley of a male in display flight, but you wouldn't have bothered getting your camera out of the car.

A couple pulled up alongside and asked if we were going for the Shrike. We said we thought it was a bit of a distance, and they said no just a few miles, so we loaded up birdguides and off we went.  We saw it. It was difficult parking as it was a farm road with lots of other birders there, so we didn't hang around. It was distant. Remember the one we saw at Holkham? We were at one end of Holkham and the bird was at the other? A grey golf ball in a bush a mile away at 60x? It was like that. Great Grey Shrike. Probably that species. Might have been a fluffy toy nailed to a perch. I'm ticking it anyway. 128.

Lynford Arboretum. A tale of the unexpected. We were directed to two Tawny Owls roosting way up in a pine (129, thats all 5 of the UK owls, sight views, still in Feb). Picked up the usual woodland goodies - Coal Tit (130, yes first for the year for me) a few Siskin (131), 3 Marsh Tit, and two Grey Wagtail on the river (132). Then down to the Paddock and three Hawfinches feeding on the ground including one male with burnished ginger head. Nice, but again wouldn't have bothered with your camera. Not as good as those views we had in Hatfield Forest a couple of winters ago.

A detour to Santon Downham with LSW on the target list, possibly Otter. As usual there was a crowd standing by a nest hole, but we soon gave up, neither of us being the best at waiting for birds. Remember where we had Woodlark last year? They were there again. But no finches. In contrast to last year, deathly quiet. Not a Redpoll or Brambling anywhere.

We finished up at RSPB Lakenheath, hoping for Cranes that had been seen recently in the afternoons here. We did the new photography hide, with 8 splendid Reed Buntings - you would have enjoyed that, and will do the next time we come, then up to the Washlands with decent numbers of Wigeon and Shoveler and bizarrely a male Goosander, but again not nearly as good as the Abberton views. then that long hack down the river bank in light rain along the muddy walk until finally we got to Joist Fen. We had a Bittern (133), briefly in flight, ticked but it will be disappointing if that's the best we do this year, then a pinging Bearded Tit (134) showed itself on the edge of the reeds, a sparkling male doing the splits and generally showing off. You might have got your camera out for that. And then we were directed towards a new digging area where there were a couple of Water Pipits (135). Possibly slightly greyer now than November birds, quite distant, certainly not as good views as the one we had in front of the Draper Hide at Rye Meads a couple of years back.

Then the long trudge back, broken only by seeing a distant flock of Swans just over the railway line. c100, which the telescope on zoom showed to be Whooper Swans (136), with only the heads being visible over the trainline.

Then that was it. We didn't see any Cranes. We didn't get rained on much, but blimey it was cold out at Lakenheath, and it was a long muddy walk. Not help by the gate being locked when we returned and having to climb over the fence.

Get well soon mate. We miss you and need you back on our trips.

A Day in The Brecks

On my tod today as my usual partners in crime are otherwise engaged or ill. I often find the Brecks difficult and I underperform expectations, so a chance to put in some time researching the favoured places, specifically Santon Downham. There has been a regular Great Grey Shrike, but other Brecks specialities such as Crossbill, Firecrest, and Woodlark I often find hard or impossible so maybe a chance to get some of these on the list here or elsewhere. Goshawks would have to wait for another day with less wind and more sun.

The omens weren't great as a gusty wind was blowing low cloud and intermittent rain across the sky as I pulled up at St Helens, but straight out of the car up by the railway line a large flock of Great tits with a few Chaffinches and Coal tits and a couple of Bramblings. I bumped into a couple of others looking for the Great Grey Shrike, and we looked round the eastern edge of the car park drawing a blank on GGS but did get a couple of Crossbills that turned into a male, an imm male, and two females. We spent a time watching these superb birds in a birch tree, although obviously I was not too excited as for me these are a common garden bird.

After that I headed west along the river. My first time along the river, and what a great piece of habitat. Several sightings of Kingfisher and permanent accompaniment of Siskins. Great views of quite a few including a pale one, which if such a bird existed would surely be an Arctic Siskin. Nuthatch showed well, and then across the bridge at Santon Downham and more Bramblings on the opposite bank. By this point there were many other birders looking for the Great Grey Shrike, but we drew a blank as after a brief sighting in the morning it had not been seen since. There was little else to be seen here as the drizzle had set in, just another couple of Crossbills as I walked back to the car.

Then off to the old reliable of Lynford Arboretum for Hawfinch. Immediately on arrival there were a couple of Bramblings, then a few more down by the bridge, and then at the Paddocks a Hawfinch at the top of a tree. A half hour watch finally delivered five birds with splendid scope views in a tree and a few flight views, as well as a couple of Redwings and a Marsh Tit. It seems hard to believe that just a year ago I was watching sixty Hawfinches in the local wood.

Chat with a couple about Firecrest, and yes they are seen but rarely. Then back to the car, but coming back by the puddle (you know, the small puddle by the feeders about 100 yards down the path) a flock of Bramblings. About 40 birds in a range of plumages with some getting blackish heads. Very skittish flying up and then drifting down. What a sight! Surely there's nothing better in birding then a flock of these fantastic finches.

Just as I was leaving these birds and heading back to the car there was a shout and a wave from the couple I had been chatting to earlier. They were looking intently into the foliage by the entrance. I knew instantly what they were looking at and dashed up there to see a male Firecrest picking its way through the ivy. Ten minutes just a few yards away from this terrific little sprite picking its way through foliage with a few spells of total visibility out in the open was a great way to end the day, and a big thank you to the couple who found this gem and put me and several other birders onto it.