STONECHATS AND SNOW BUNTINGS

   Monday saw me walking one of my favourite circular coastal routes along the beach from the car park at Dunwich, past the shore pools, out to Westwood marshes and then back along the track to Dunwich village again. The day started in glorious sunshine and as soon as I left the car park a pair of Stonechats appeared flitting from perch to perch and although it was difficult to get close to them I managed to get a few shots which were enough to wet my appetite for a return visit to concentrate on these delightful little birds.

   Moving North with the sea on my right and the marshes and pools on my left the occasional waders were seen which included Redshank, Curlew and Oystercatcher along with the ever present Little Egrets, gulls and swans. About a mile along the coast I spotted a bit of a commotion over one of the shore pools as two Marsh Harriers rose up into the sky and then realized that the cause of this was a beautiful male Hen Harrier hunting over the marshes. Unfortunately the Hen Harrier was too far off for any photographs but as it was the first good sighting of a male this winter it made my day and made me remember how lucky we are in this area to get these increasingly rare birds visit us in the colder months. As far as I know there were only 3 or 4 pairs that bred in England this year and already 2 of the fledglings that were fitted with satellite trackers have disappeared in mysterious circumstances so to see one of these 'grey ghosts' hunting put a renewed spring in my step through the energy sapping shingle I was walking through.

   Just as I reached the point where I would normally turn inland a flock of about 40 birds took off from the marsh and flew along the shingle bank for a couple of hundred yards before settling again. Looking through the binoculars I could see that they were Twite but try as I might I could not approach them close enough for any pictures which was a shame but not totally unexpected as these birds always seem to be flighty. The last time I got close enough for photography was about 4 years ago when they had a regularly topped up feeding station along the shingle which I believe was for survey purposes. It was at this point that I nearly walked onto a group of about 20 Snow Bunting that were feeding just above the high water line and were very well camouflaged amongst the shingle. Crouching down to get a lower field of view I spent the next hour taking pictures of these very confiding birds that carried on foraging at a distance of only about 20 feet from me.

   Regretfully leaving the Snow Buntings I headed inland to find the track that headed back to the village of Dunwich stopping along the way at one of the view points overlooking the Westwood marshes and reed beds where I was lucky enough to see 2 Bitterns flying over the reeds as well as several Marsh Harriers and quite a few geese. Walking along the edge of the forest a Muntjac deer was too quick for me to photograph but looking out towards the marshes I spotted a few Red deer in the reeds at the edge of the marsh. All too soon I was back at the car park where the Stonechats were still putting on a show for a couple of photographers but I decided that the light was getting too bad but I will be back soon.

SUNSHINE AND WINTER VISITORS AT MINSMERE

   The weekend at last saw an end to the murk of the last few weeks revealing bright winter sunshine so it was with some optimism that I made my way to Island Mere hide to try and see the regular Otters and Bitterns that have been making appearances there. The early dawn light was fantastic but as the morning wore on it became apparent that the stars of the show were not going to make an appearance so at about 10 am I reluctantly left the hide and walked around the reserve to see if anything else was more cooperative.

   Walking along the path past the flooded konik field I spotted some swans swimming in the shallow water and feeding at the reed edges. Closer examination revealed two of the birds to have yellow and black bills and they turned out to be Whooper swans that have recently returned from Iceland. I wonder if these two swans are the same pair that spent the winter here last year, I certainly think its possible as Whooper swans are known to favour regular wintering sites. I took some pictures of them at close quarters in the bright light but it wasn't until I moved on that I realised that the camera was still set for the murk so consequently they appeared very vivid and I had to tone them down a bit later on the computer.

   Making my way to the shore I walked along the beach and dunes on the lookout for any Snow buntings but there were none to be found, in fact wildlife of any description was very scarce so I moved back inland a little to the North bushes which are covered in berries at the moment. Almost immediately I saw a flock of thrushes moving through the bushes, stopping now and then to gorge on the berry bounty so I manouvered to a position where I was partially hidden and waited for the birds to land on the bushes near to me. As they approached I could see that they were both Redwings and Fieldfares, the latter being much larger as well as more wary but eventually they settled to feed and I managed to get some pictures of them eating the berries.

   Both of these species are winter visitors that breed mainly in Scandinavia, North-east Europe as far as Russia and some in Iceland although there are very small numbers known to have bred in this country, mainly Scotland. As well as the size difference Fieldfares are much greyer in appearance especially on the top half of their bodies whereas the Redwings have a prominant pale stripe above the eye and a reddish flank below the wings. These were super subjects to see and photograph and the way they gorging on the berries the bushes will soon be bare for the rest of the winter and the birds will move on to more productive areas. Finally as I was waiting in the bushes I felt a presence and turning to my left slowly observed a Muntjac watching me from about 20 ft away and managed to get a single shot before it hastily disappeared from view.