WESTERN SWAMPHEN-MINSMERE,SUFFOLK

I was just walking out of Burton RSPB on sunday afternoon after seeing a Spotted crake when I received a twitter message that a Purple Swamphen had been found at Minsmere in Suffolk. The bird was apparently ringing, so I just drove home and thought nothing more of it. I then received a text of Fred fearn saying that the bird was now apparently unringed after photos had been taken and it had been re identified has a Western race that breeds in Spain and Portugal. There have been several records of Purple Swamphen in Britain,though these have generally related to Grey headed Swamphen which are kept in captivity in this country and most records have been found to be escapes out of someones collection like the Saltney bird in Chester in July 2010.There has been a northward dispersal of this species though in France in 2016, so you never no it was a good insurance tick!Anyway plans were made by the other lads who were going down in the morning which really gripped me off but I couldn't do anything till tuesday regarding being in work monday morning and having a busy workload but I new I would end up going and hopefully the bird would stay.

The bird showed all day on Monday, so when I left off work in the evening I made the long journey with my partner Dianne to Suffolk.We arrived at Minsmere just after 11.30pm and slept in the car. I set my alarm for 5am and it was soon going off so we made are way straight down to the south hide in the pouring rain!When Will It Stop? I soon picked up the Swamphen weaving in and out of the far reeds,it had stayed and I had seen it.Thankfully the bird had stayed in its favourite area that it had been in for the last two days because it could easily have just disappeared into the vast reed beds at this reserve.

WESTERN SWAMPHEN

The weather was now getting even worse, and we were both bloody freezing and wet throwing. I just fired away a few record shots of the Swamphen that won't win any prizes and walked back to the car. Another downpour came down, so we dived into a hide for shelter and took a quick look at what was about. Black-tailed godwits were in good numbers, along with 6 Spotted redshanks.

BLACK TAILED GODWITS

A Marsh Harrier was sitting perched distantly, and 4 bearded tits were seen from the hide.

MARSH HARRIER

Just as we were about to leave the hide, I picked up a bird flying over the reed bed.

BITTERN IN FLIGHT

The rain had now eased a bit, so we headed back to the car. On are way back, we saw a water rail and a young family of Whitethroats.

WATER RAIL

COMMON WHITETHROATS

The reserve opened at 9.00am, so we nipped into the cafe and had some much-deserved breakfast and a hot drink.

    A JUVENILE ROBIN KEPT US ENTERTAINED WHILE HAVING ARE BREAKFAST

Moving on from Minsmere, we called in at Westleton Heath, which I last visited on the 11th of May 2008, to try and see a spectacled warbler, which I dipped, which was eight years ago. How time flies.

THE COMMON HEATHER WAS IN FULL BLOOM ON WESTLETON HEATH

A good walk around the heath soon produced 9 Dartford warblers and a Woodlark flyover.

9 DARTFORD WARBLERS WERE SEEN ON THE HEAD

Getting back to the car, the rain started again, so we decided to head back north. The Swamphen was in the bag, and it is now up to the powers that be to decide if it is an escape or a true vagrant to our shores. Like the Chestnut Bunting, Dalmation Pelican, and Lammergeier, we will just have to wait and see! If the Chinese Pond Heron can go on!!!!!!

ACRE NOOK AND LAPWING HALL POOL BIRD SIGHTINGS LATE JULY

LAPWING HALL POOL SIGHTINGS:
On the 23rd I was walking around the pool when a Redstart flew in front of me and landed in some bushes.I couldn't believe it but it was just reward for the amount of hours I have put in this year.

REDSTART A FIRST FOR MY NEW PATCH

The Tree sparrows are still showing on each time I visit and now have young.

TREE SPARROW

On the 24th a Common Scoter arrived which stayed until the 26th and another Black necked grebe was found on the same day which was still around on the 30th.

COMMON SCOTER ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE PATCH

Pochard are still on the move and numbers vary from day to day there were three on the pool on the 27th.Numbers of Tufted duck reached over 50 by the 28th along with 9 Great Crested Grebes.

POCHARD

ACRE NOOK SIGHTINGS:

Another Mediterranean gull was found in with large numbers of gulls on the 25th along with 3 Black tailed godwits.Numbers of Curlew reached 40 plus by the 20th along with over 100 Lapwing by the 28th.

BLACK TAILED GODWIT

GOOD NUMBERS OF BIRDS HAVE DROPPED IN ON ACRE NOOK

A Common Sandpiper dropped in on the 21st.Teal numbers have reached 12 along with 8 Mandarin Duck.A Hobby flew over on my dinner hour on the 26th.

COMMON SANDPIPER

AFTERNOONS BIRDING AT BURTON RSPB

I visited Burton RSPB this afternoon to try and see the juvenile Spotted crake that has been showing all week.I met up with Colin wells on arrival who is the warden for the site who soon put me straight on the bird has it came out of the reeds and showed for a few seconds before scurrying off back into the reeds. I was lucky to have seen the bird so quick as some birders had waited hours.The nine Spoonbills were also showing well in front of the reception hide along with 200 Black tailed Godwit and 2 Spotted Redshank.

9 SPOONBILLS

SPOTTED REDSHANK

A good afternoons birding which was finished with a stunning Marsh Harrier over the reeds.