Goodbye August, I gained’t be sorry to see you go. Until you occur to stay close to the coast, by which case there are many migrant waders to see, August is just about a duff month for birds in England. There’s not a lot music, many spring migrants have already departed south for his or her winter quarters, whereas nearly all of residents are moulting, so turn into shy and tough to see. August is arguably the least thrilling hen month of the yr.
I hold a month-to-month tally what number of species I’ve seen, and on the time of writing my August rating is 97, my second lowest month-to-month complete in England this yr. My greatest month was June, with 130 species, however I even managed a good 115 in July. (These totals are all for England, and don’t embrace birds seen abroad). This month’s record is disappointing, as I’ve put some effort into discovering birds, and have visited each the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.
Cattle Egrets in North Norfolk – Twenty first-century colonists of England
Cley is one in all England’s most well-known hen reserves, in addition to one in all its oldest. (It was purchased by the Norfolk Naturalists’ Belief, now Norfolk Wildlife Belief, in 1926). It’s at all times a dependable web site for seeing one thing good, and it didn’t disappoint on my current go to in the beginning of the month. Maybe most notable was a flock of 16 Cattle Egrets. This was the largest flock that I’ve ever seen in England. These egrets are new colonists in England, first breeding in 2008. Little doubt they are going to turn into a lot commoner within the years to return, as they’re a hen that, as soon as established, tends to extend quickly.
I’m at all times fascinated by the truth that this Previous World hen didn’t attain the Americas till the late Nineteen Thirties, having flown the 2850km from the African coast to the Guianas. They first bred in North America, in Florida, in 1953, and by 1962 had began nesting in Canada. They’re additionally comparatively current colonists of China, South Korea and Japan, arriving in Australia by way of New Guinea within the early 1900s. They first bred in New Zealand in 1963. When you think about this astonishing charge of enlargement it appears shocking that they’ve taken so lengthy to achieve Britain.
The black-tipped flight feathers how that that is an immature Spoonbill
One other current colonist of England is the Spoonbill. The primary recorded nest was in North Norfolk in 2010, and numbers have elevated right here yearly since, whereas this yr nesting was recorded at a number of new websites in Japanese England. I at all times get pleasure from seeing Spoonbills, although they’ve now turn into a well-recognized sight on coastal reserves in jap England. There was only one at Cley, an immature with black wing ideas.
This go to to Cley did add a few sandpipers to my English yr record: Inexperienced and Curlew. I’d seen each earlier within the yr in Cyprus and Greece. Of their pink breeding plumage Curlew Sandpipers are good-looking birds. This particular person was moulting, however nonetheless predominately in summer season plumage. It was elusive and onerous to search out, and by no means got here nearer than a few hundred yards.
Later the identical day I referred to as in at Titchwell, a well-liked RSPB reserve on the North Norfolk coast. Right here a lot the very best sighting was an sudden Osprey (above). Ospreys are common migrants by means of Norfolk and Suffolk within the late summer season and early autumn however seeing one is at all times a matter of luck. This was my first in England for a number of years, although it’s a hen I’d already seen this yr in southern Spain.
A few weeks later I visited Minsmere, the RSPB’s flagship reserve on the Suffolk coast. I hoped for a very good crop of passage waders: I noticed 10 totally different species, not a terrific complete, however it did embrace my first Noticed Redshanks of the yr in England, together with each Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits and Inexperienced and Widespread Sandpipers. There have been no actual surprises among the many birds I noticed, however some massive flocks of Widespread Scoters offshore have been attention-grabbing. Presumably these have been non-breeding birds: only a few (a mere 50 pairs) nest in Scotland, and none in England. Most of our wintering birds come from northern Europe and Siberia.
Nice White Egrets (with a Gray Heron, Mute Swans and Coots) at Lakenheath
Later within the month I visited one other Suffolk RSPB reserve – Lakenheath, an in depth reedbed reserve, created out of what have been previously carrot fields. It’s a powerful instance of habitat creation, and holds breeding Bitterns, Marsh Harriers and Cranes. Of those three, the one one which confirmed throughout my go to was Marsh Harrier. The Cranes had apparently bred efficiently, however they saved their heads down so I did not see, and even hear, them. My {photograph} (under) was taken at Lakenheath, however on a earlier go to. Worthy of word was seeing 24 Nice Egrets unexpectedly – that is one other former uncommon hen that’s colonising southern England at a exceptional tempo.
My final notable hen of the month, and my 97th species, was a single Wooden Sandpiper (under) on a small Norfolk wetland reserve, Dickleburgh Moor. These dainty sandpipers are scarce migrants in East Anglia within the autumn, however a hen you need to see if you happen to attempt onerous sufficient. I’d seen loads earlier within the yr in Cyprus and Greece, however this was my first in England. It was a distant view on a sunny day, however one when a robust wind made utilizing the telescope tough.
September is a way more promising month for birds. I’ve received one other journey to the Mediterranean developing, this time to the Peloponnese within the south-west of Greece. It’s not a vacation spot that’s well-liked with birders, so I’m not certain what I’d discover, at all times an thrilling prospect. I’ll report right here sooner or later.
