EAST ANGLIA
Highlights
A brief, flyover Short-toed
Eagle (at
Santon Downham, Norfolk/ Suffolk) was undoubtedly the rarest confirmed bird of the region, though there was a report of a Nutcracker at Felixstowe, Suffolk… Also in Suffolk, there was a Great Spotted Cuckoo at Easton Bavents on the afternoon of the 24th.
In association with
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
HIGHLIGHTS: A drake Green-winged Teal was at Northstowe (7th-8th). Up to four Smew were at St Ives GP (to 25th). The Kumlien’s Gull remained in Cambridgeshire and was seen at Dernford Reservoir, Smithy Fen and Foxton until 13th. A Kittiwake was at Grafham Water (1st). Also there were a Scaup and four Common Scoter (5th). A Long-eared Owl was still at Eldernell. A Black Redstart was at Cambourne (20th). For the latest bird news please phone 09068 700 245. Calls to 09068 700245 cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company access charge. Service provided by Birdline East Anglia for enquiries please call 07941333970. www.birdlineeastanglia. co.uk
ESSEX
FRINTON-ON-SEA: Maxima included 476 Red-throated Divers, a Great Northern Diver, 137 Gannets, 12 Razorbills, two Guillemots, two Spoonbills, three Fulmars, several hundred Brent Geese, Sandwich Terns, a Common Tern, Wheatears, two Garganeys, a Yellow Wagtail, 17 Chiffchaffs, two Firecrests, a Great White Egret, 1,592 Starling, 489 Woodpigeons, 382 Redwings, 72 Jackdaws, 74 Crows, 910 Chaffinches, 113 Siskins, a Hen Harrier, Red Kite, Hawfinch, Woodlark and two Bullfinches.
METROPOLITAN ESSEX: King George V Reservoir had a Red-necked Grebe, Smew, Scaup, Slavonian Grebe, Black Redstarts and two Common Scoters. An Alpine Swift was at Seventy Acres Lake, before moving to Walthamstow Wetlands. Seventy Acres also had a Scaup, Great White Egret, several Rock Pipits, Curlew, Siberian Chiffchaff, Kittiwake, Osprey and Ring Ouzel.
Dagenham Chase had an Alpine Swift, two Red-crested Pochards, two Little Ringed Plovers, a Garganey and Redstart. A Hobby was at Kelvedon. A Bittern moved up the Mardyke. Ten Red-crested Pochards and a Jack Snipe were in the Ingrebourne Valley. A Dartford Warbler was on Chingford Plain.
MID ESSEX: Abberton Reservoir had a Smew, Bewick’s Swan, Goosanders, 130 Goldeneyes, a Long-tailed Duck, Black-necked Grebe, Little Ringed Plover, Common Tern, Yellow Wagtails, a White Wagtail, Spotted Redshank, 22 Ruff, five Mediterranean Gulls, a Caspian Gull and a few Great White Egrets. A White Stork flew over Greenstead before roosting at Copford. The Blackwater held all three divers. Five Great Northerns Divers and three Slavonian Grebes were between West Mersea and Tollesbury.
Old Hall had three Great White Egrets, six Russian Whitefronts, two Whimbrels and Yellow Wagtail. There were 1,680 Black-tailed Godwits at Lawling Creek. There were 22 Red-breasted Mergansers off East Mersea. Langenhoe and Geedon Marshes had a Hen Harrier, two Short-eared Owls, a Merlin and Spoonbill. Mersea had 3,000 Brent Geese and a Black Brant.
NORTH EAST ESSEX: Holland Haven had seven Purple Sandpipers, a Yellow Wagtail, three Wheatears, a Brambling, Spoonbill and seven Fulmars. The Naze had eight Snow
Buntings, three Short-eared Owls and a Purple Sandpiper. Colne Point had a Dartford Warbler, two Spoonbills, a Black-necked Grebe, Merlin and Short-eared Owl. A Short-eared Owl was Leewick. Eleven Red Kites were at Clavering. A Black Redstart was in Great Notley. A Yellow Wagtail flew over Rayne.
RAINHAM MARSHES: Highlights included a Short-eared Owl, Jack Snipe, Water Pipit, Spoonbill, Wheatears, Sedge Warbler, Crane, a few Red Kites, an Osprey, the odd Mediterranean Gull and a Brent Goose.
SOUTH EAST ESSEX: Canvey had a Black-throated Diver, two Great Northern Divers, 15 Red-throated Divers, a Fulmar, 135 Gannets, two Eiders, two Red-breasted Mergansers, a Goosander, two Razorbills and the first Sandwich Terns. A Shag and Purple Sandpiper were at Southend Pier. The South Essex Marshes held seven Black-necked Grebes. Bowers had 169 Mediterranean Gulls and a Garganey. Four Jack Snipe were at Vange, Thirteen Water Pipits were at West Canvey.
An Alpine Swift flew over Hadleigh Downs. A Hen Harrier was at Bowers and Fobbing. Another was on Wallasea, with two Short-eared Owls, a Merlin, Spoonbill, Great White Egret, nine Barnacle Geese, 106 Mediterranean Gulls and a Yellow Wagtail. Foulness had a Hen Harrier, Black Redstart and two Short-eared Owls. A Green Winged Teal was at East Tilbury. A Dartford Warbler was at Tilbury.
A White Stork flew over Westcliff. A Black Brant was at Stow Marsh. There were five pale-bellied Brent Geese, two Merlins and two Great White Egrets at Bradwell. A Hooded Crow was at Deal Hall. A Black Redstart was in Doddinghurst. A Hobby was at Hanningfield Reservoir. Howard Vaughan
NORFOLK
HIGHLIGHTS: Two Alpine Swifts were at Sheringham (20th-25th) and up to three, but most of the time two, were at Cromer (21st- 27th). Sightings of single Alpine Swifts were at Sidestrand (20th), Cley (20th), Winterton (21st), Kelling (22nd), Honing (22nd), Gorleston (23rd) and Burnham Norton (30th). A Hume’s Warbler was at Overstrand (31st). Up to 10 Shore Larks were at Holkham and up to three were at Holme. The Long-billed Dowitcher remained at NWT Cley Marshes throughout March. A Dotterel was at
Buckenham Marshes RSPB (7th). The juvenile Pallid Harrier that roosted on the saltings between Warham Greens and East Hills seemed to have gone missing but reappeared (16th-24th). A Short-toed Snake Eagle was reported at Santon Downham (21st). Up to three Ferruginous Ducks were at Filby Broad but only one Smew. A Ferruginous Duck was at Hickling Broad (12th). Five Tundra Bean Geese were at Titchwell RSPB (1st), and five were at Wickhampton (10th). The Tundra Bean Goose at Buckenham Marshes RSPB remained until 9th. A Black-necked Grebe was offshore anywhere between Titchwell RSPB, Holme and Brancaster and a Slavonian Grebe was at Heacham south beach (16th-24th). An Iceland Gull was seen off Sheringham (12th & 17th), Weybourne (18th), Sidestrand (19th) and Cley and Blakeney Point (28th). A Long-eared Owl was at Glandford and Swanton Novers.
NOA HOLME BIRD OBSERVATORY: Maxima included two Red-throated Divers, five Red Kites, 54 Eiders, 3,000 Common Scoters, 14 Red-breasted Mergansers, seven Great Crested Grebes, two Guillemots, three Shore Larks, 18 Snow Buntings, 14 Ruff, 13 Stonechats, three Spoonbills, 200 Golden Plovers, two Goosanders, four Gannets, 13 Marsh Harriers, 40 Black-tailed Godwits, two Ravens, two Rock Pipits, two Redpolls, two Siskins, two Firecrests, five Sandwich Terns, five Barn Owls, 15 Sand Martins, three Swallows, ten Snipe, 15 Chiffchaffs and a Manx Shearwater, Red-necked Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Greenshank, Woodcock, Merlin, Peregrine, Razorbill, Water Pipit, Bearded Tit, Wheatear, Black Redstart, Woodlark, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail and Willow Warbler.
NOA REDWELL MARSH: Highlights included three Barn Owls, a Bean Goose, Kingfisher, 75 Golden Plovers, a Water Pipit, four Mediterranean Gulls, a Garganey, Fieldfare, two Barnacle Geese and seven Sand Martins.
CLEY AREA: Highlights included seven Spoonbills, two Water Pipits, 30 Snow Buntings, a Caspian Gull, White Stork, Black Redstart, two Cranes, an Iceland Gull, Osprey and Bittern. Sophie Barker (www.noa.org.uk) and for the latest bird news please phone 09068 700 245. Calls to 09068 700245 cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company access charge. Service provided by Birdline
East Anglia for enquiries please call 07941333970. www.birdlineeastanglia.co.uk
SUFFOLK
HIGHLIGHTS: A first summer Great Spotted Cuckoo was at Easton Broad before flying north (24th). Up to two Lapland Buntings were at Easton Bavents (30th-31st). Two Alpine Swifts flew south over Felixstowe (19th). The Eastern Yellow Wagtail was at Carlton Marshes SWT throughout. Up to six Waxwings were at Ipswich (to 15th), up to six were at Carlton Colville until 4th and four were at Oulton Broad (21st). A Glossy Ibis was in the Slaughden area (to 6th). A Tundra Bean Goose remained at Hollesley Marshes RSPB or Boyton Marshes RSPB until 26th. The Curlew Sandpiper was seen again on the River Deben at Melton. A Smew remained on the Alde Estuary until 3rd. A Red-necked Grebe was off Dunwich (1st) and two Twite spent several days there. A Black-necked Grebe was at Trimley Marshes (from 24th). For the latest bird news please phone 09068 700 245. Calls to 09068 700245 cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company access charge. Service provided by Birdline East Anglia for enquiries please call 07941333970. www.birdlineeastanglia.co.uk