Suffolk Birding (1 Viewer)

[GiG]

Hi, Im staying near Minsmere on Friday and Saturday - with a plan to visit Minsmere on the Saturday. Any ideas where best to go at the moment on Friday? I will be driving in from the A14/ A12 so anywhere off there on the way to Dunwich would be good.

Steve Im interested in seeing Dartford Warblers - but not too familiar with Snape Heath? is that the walk behind the music auditorium or is it the otherside of the river?

Thanks
Tina

Dunwich Heath would be a good bet for Dartfords as Steve mentioned although the Snape walk sounds good. You could go onto Thorpeness at the old caravan park (TM475603) for any migrants - there has been Whinchat and flycatchers recently.

Gi

 

[Daffyduck]

great thanks folks will let you know how I got on! ta
Tina

 

[On-Firecrest]

Bored at Bawdsey...

I went sea watching today, to remind me why I never ever go!
Between 11 and 12:50 I spent being blown in the wind at Bawdsey (east lane) for 2 Grey Plover and 2 Teal before deciding to leave for Thorpeness for the Icky, which I dipped and wasted another hour of my life staring at nothing out at sea!
So I get home and find out on RBA that there were several Sooty Shears and a Pied Fly at Bawdsey in the afternoon! Not a great day, but if we didn't have them then we'd never know the good ones. Doesn't and wont stop me complaining about it though!

So, sea watching in Suffolk, it's mostly a waste of time but, I figure there are 3 variables,
1- The weather, Northerlies best?
2- The site, Bawdsey seemed ok, but are there any sites that do much better then others? (or is that down to observer pressure?)
3- Luck!

I'd appreciate any help,
Cheers
Steve

 

[StuartReeves]

So, sea watching in Suffolk, it's mostly a waste of time but, I figure there are 3 variables,
1- The weather, Northerlies best?
2- The site, Bawdsey seemed ok, but are there any sites that do much better then others? (or is that down to observer pressure?)
3- Luck!

I'd appreciate any help,
Cheers
Steve

I can definitely sympathise! I have nearly always found Suffolk seawatching extremely unproductive. The few birds that do get reported come from sites like Ness Point, Kessingland and Southwold where there are regular observers putting in a lot of time. I suspect North to North-easterlies would be the best conditions, but I don't think that the site is too important, given Suffolk's relatively long, straightish coastline.

I managed about half an hour off of Covehithe this afternoon, with two Gannets and an extemely distant Arctic Skua the nearest thing to highlights.

 

[Cortonbirds]

Suffolk seawatching

As an experienced Suffolk seawatcher I can assure you that Suffolk is in fact often pretty good for seawatching.

The best conditions require strong northerly based winds down the north sea. On such initial days there is often a strong seabirds passage off Norfolk and the close continent. However on the day FOLLOWING this blow Suffolk is far more productive than Norfolk. This is because the birds have flown down the dutch coast in bulk but then circle round and reorientate there way back north, and are seen in good numbers passing north along the Suffolk coast. The premier site is Southwold where there is a well manned promenade shelter to watch from just south of the Pier. Kessingland also sees action due to an extremely good birder Paul Read having his house overlook the sea and watches daily for about 6 hours. Ness Point, lowestoft and Corton Cliffs are also well manned and see the action. Such conditions resulted in a Suffolk record 253 Sooty Shearwater and 9 Balearic Shearwaters passing north close inshore past Ness Point on 1st Sept 2002 on a day when NONE were seen off North Norfolk.

Strong North Easterlies are even better and on such days birds are seen on the day itself and the following day.
Strong easterlies can also produce being particuilarly good for Leaches Petrels off Suffolk in late Sept- October. In Such conditions the more southerly Suffolk watchpoints such as Landguard or even Bawdsey can produce. The thing about Suffolk is that almost any wind bar due west can produce the occaisional good sighting off Suffolk as opposed to North Norfolk which strongly requires a northerly element. Even south westerlies have produced Shearwater records off Suffolk, a paper in an old Suffolk bird report stating that this was a good wind for seawatching in Suffolk as birds come up from the southern chanel. I am not convinced off this however as I feel the vast majority of Suffolk Seabirds come via the aforementioned northern North sea route.

So my advice would be pick your days, persevere and watch from one of the aforementioned sites, get your eye in and you will surely be rewarded as I have been over the years seawatching off Suffolk --noting Suffolk record Sooty, Manx and Gannet daily totals as well as such gems as Great Shearwater, Cory`s Shearwaters, Sabines Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and Grey Phalaropes.

James Brown

 

[GiG]

I went sea watching today, to remind me why I never ever go!
Between 11 and 12:50 I spent being blown in the wind at Bawdsey (east lane) for 2 Grey Plover and 2 Teal before deciding to leave for Thorpeness for the Icky, which I dipped and wasted another hour of my life staring at nothing out at sea!
So I get home and find out on RBA that there were several Sooty Shears and a Pied Fly at Bawdsey in the afternoon! Not a great day, but if we didn't have them then we'd never know the good ones. Doesn't and wont stop me complaining about it though!

So, sea watching in Suffolk, it's mostly a waste of time but, I figure there are 3 variables,
1- The weather, Northerlies best?
2- The site, Bawdsey seemed ok, but are there any sites that do much better then others? (or is that down to observer pressure?)
3- Luck!

I'd appreciate any help,
Cheers
Steve

Yes it was a tough day yesterday. I was leading a trip at Thorpeness yesterday so did a couple hours seawatching from Dower House early morning before the walk - we had a Fulmar and 2 Little Gulls. At Thorpeness caravan park birds were keeping there head down in the bushes due to the strong gusts. We did see a Hobby, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Turtle Doves and a Swift south. More seawatching produced a few waders, highlight being a Purple Sandpiper. Lunch on the beach down at the village with more seawatching - more waders and a distant skua! A final go at the caravan park and out to sea with 4 Gannets and a close in Curlew Sandpiper.

Gi

 

[GiG]

As an experienced Suffolk seawatcher I can assure you that Suffolk is in fact often pretty good for seawatching.

The best conditions require strong northerly based winds down the north sea. On such initial days there is often a strong seabirds passage off Norfolk and the close continent. However on the day FOLLOWING this blow Suffolk is far more productive than Norfolk. This is because the birds have flown down the dutch coast in bulk but then circle round and reorientate there way back north, and are seen in good numbers passing north along the Suffolk coast. The premier site is Southwold where there is a well manned promenade shelter to watch from just south of the Pier. Kessingland also sees action due to an extremely good birder Paul Read having his house overlook the sea and watches daily for about 6 hours. Ness Point, lowestoft and Corton Cliffs are also well manned and see the action. Such conditions resulted in a Suffolk record 253 Sooty Shearwater and 9 Balearic Shearwaters passing north close inshore past Ness Point on 1st Sept 2002 on a day when NONE were seen off North Norfolk.

Strong North Easterlies are even better and on such days birds are seen on the day itself and the following day.
Strong easterlies can also produce being particuilarly good for Leaches Petrels off Suffolk in late Sept- October. In Such conditions the more southerly Suffolk watchpoints such as Landguard or even Bawdsey can produce. The thing about Suffolk is that almost any wind bar due west can produce the occaisional good sighting off Suffolk as opposed to North Norfolk which strongly requires a northerly element. Even south westerlies have produced Shearwater records off Suffolk, a paper in an old Suffolk bird report stating that this was a good wind for seawatching in Suffolk as birds come up from the southern chanel. I am not convinced off this however as I feel the vast majority of Suffolk Seabirds come via the aforementioned northern North sea route.

So my advice would be pick your days, persevere and watch from one of the aforementioned sites, get your eye in and you will surely be rewarded as I have been over the years seawatching off Suffolk --noting Suffolk record Sooty, Manx and Gannet daily totals as well as such gems as Great Shearwater, Cory`s Shearwaters, Sabines Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and Grey Phalaropes.

James Brown

Welcome to Birdforum James.

Yes sea watching can be good in Suffolk, having read reports over the years I keep hoping to connect with a good sea bird passage one day. As you've pointed out the two points of checking the weather conditions to be on site at the right time and the time put in. Unfortunately I've not done a lot plus my trips to the coast tend to be either last minute on the day, if I'm free or pre-planned.

Gi

 

[On-Firecrest]

Hi Stuart, James and Gi,
Definately some food for thought there,

So...

Weather - The day after northerlies or north easterlies are best, although strong easterlies can produce in late sept/oct time.

Site - Southwold is best but anywhere can produce (although the better site seem to be in the north of suffolk?)

Luck - Time and effort, once you've got your eye in.

That all makes sense, i'll try and give Southwold a go if the weather looks good some time this autumn.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Duke Leto]

Hi

I would urge anyone who regularly watches wildlife in Suffolk to join and contribute the Suffolk Wildlife newsgroup on Yahoo groups. It more for other groups then birds but there is some bird stuff and certainly at the moment you won't get overwhelmed with messages.

Cheers

Steve had a search for the group on yahoo groups but drew a blank can you offer any more?
Thanks

 

[Karl J]

Still a good thread i see, just wish i could get out over the border more to contribute but can't at the minute.

Interesting stuff James & Gi

Duke, this thread might help

 

[Daffyduck]

Back from the Suffolk coast and feeling rather windswept! but at least I had a dry day yesterday compared with parts of cambridgeshire.

Went to Dunwich heath at around 6pm on Friday (when the rain had stopped) managed to bag a Wheatear on the cliff top in the car park. Then 2 gannets out at sea and a passing comorant. Nothing else around and it was too wet earlier to go to Snape Heath so had to make do with Snape Maltings shops instead and a nice cup of coffee :eat:

Saturday, had house martins outside Ship Inn Dunwich, plenty of blue tits, sparrows and great tits in the hedgerows. Onto Minsmere, across the heath, noticed a group of Red Deer, one male with huge antlers, too far away to get a decent photo.

I was doing an artcourse at Minsmere but managed to see the following and attempted to sketch a few! :
treecreeper, bartailed godwit, avocet, 6 x spotted redshank, 2 redshank, teal, gadwall, barnacle geese, graylag, canada, ringed plover, black tail godwit, lapwing, mallard, 4 little gull, common term, juv. black back, 2 swifts flying south, 4 swallows near the sluice, 2 sandwiche terns, heron, a distant marsh harrier, pied wagtails.

In all, the numbers were pretty poor probably cos the water levels were quite high and it was pretty windy. Not one of my most memorable days but it could have been worse! I could have got soaked too.:-O

 

[Cortonbirds]

seawatching today

While the North east is dripping with migrant passerines we have to make do with staring at the horizon.

Today produced a fine Pale-bellied Brent Goose close north off Ness Point, Lowestoft. A protracted seawatch off Corton Cliffs in the afternoon produced Sooty Shearwater, 2 Manx Shearwater, 15 Arctic Skua, 2 Great Skua, 50+ Gannet, 5 Little Gulls and many Terns. Nothing like the action off North Norfolk then tho they did have optimal conditions wheras ours were pretty poor (due west mainly)

James

 

[StuartReeves]

Had a couple of hours around Benacre & Kessingland this morning, unfortunately timed to just miss the reasonable Skua passage early on. A couple of Whinchats, a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff was the best of it, along with a reasonable southward movement of hirundines (and a single swift). My, admittedly rather limited, seawatching produced only two Grey Plovers and a few teal. On current forecasts we're due some South-easterlies on Tuesday, It'll be interesting to see if we get any passerined or reorientating seabirds off of teh back of taht.

PS, Welcome to Birdforum James.

 

[Songkhran]

As an experienced Suffolk seawatcher I can assure you that Suffolk is in fact often pretty good for seawatching.

The best conditions require strong northerly based winds down the north sea. On such initial days there is often a strong seabirds passage off Norfolk and the close continent. However on the day FOLLOWING this blow Suffolk is far more productive than Norfolk.

Kessingland also sees action due to an extremely good birder Paul Read having his house overlook the sea and watches daily for about 6 hours. Ness Point, lowestoft and Corton Cliffs are also well manned and see the action. Such conditions resulted in a Suffolk record 253 Sooty Shearwater and 9 Balearic Shearwaters passing north close inshore past Ness Point on 1st Sept 2002 on a day when NONE were seen off North Norfolk.

The thing about Suffolk is that almost any wind bar due west can produce the occaisional good sighting off Suffolk as opposed to North Norfolk which strongly requires a northerly element.
So my advice would be pick your days, pe

rsevere and watch from one of the aforementioned sites, get your eye in and you will surely be rewarded as I have been over the years seawatching off Suffolk --noting Suffolk record Sooty, Manx and Gannet daily totals as well as such gems as Great Shearwater, Cory`s Shearwaters, Sabines Gulls, Long-tailed Skuas and Grey Phalaropes.

James Brown

Interesting discussion, i hope as a north norfolk seawatcher you don't mind me adding my two pennies worth

really good what Dan says, and perseverance is the key, think one thing you guys have got the Norfolk doesn't is the chance for some decent spring seawatching, as someone who has also done spring channel birding i know the buzz of Spring Poms but they sensibly seem to get to Lowestoft then cut out NE in the Spring, but sites like Kessingland and Bawdsey seem to get their fair share in the Spring + LTS. Fair play to Paul Read

Also ive noticed that Hopton has had some good sightings this year with very regular reports, Pom and BLack Tern come to mind and its a stones throw from Suffolk so sure stuff going past there filters down further south

Just to say it i think until this year people in North Norfolk used to think that you wouldn't see anything except in Northerlies but this year certain sites have been well manned and tunred up stuff in Easterlies, SW's W's SE's - again perseverance the key.

As Dan says the stuff happens the day after a blow in North Norfolk which happened to day so surely tomorrow is a good chance to score with Cory's, LTS etc.

 

[Cortonbirds]

seawatching

Your right, Hopton is indeed a stones throw from Suffolk....in fact drop it AT YOUR FEET and your in Suffolk /wink. I dont feel like bringing up that very heated discussion again tho, but suffice to say I actually live in Hopton and make my allegiances to Suffolk rather than Norfolk. The pager Hopton reports are mainly Ian Smith I think and hes a good birder who finds some good birds there, but its in a bit of a bay. I view from Corton cliffs which looks over a similar area but sticks out far more.
The good sightings in all winds off North Norfolk this year can I think be attributed to long staying roaming birds such as the Blaearic Shears in my opinion but certainly it is worth seawatching off most coasts in all winds as good birds can still be seen. I have done my share of North Norfolk seawatching and used to share the Sheringham shelter with the likes of Kevin Shepherd many times and on good northerly based blows North Norfolk is certainly far better than Suffolk for seawatching, as evidenced today, with dark blue deep blue water and many birds. However like i said Suffolk can produce scarce on a greater number of dates due to the geography tho the numbers are no where near as impressive.

James

 

[Karl J]

Can't compete with the in-depth knowledge on here but for anyone with an interest in walking and / or public transport i thought i'd put up an interesting (imo) link i came across on a train today - East suffolk Lines Walks it's called, which is a fairly self-explanatory title all about walking routes between train stations in E. Suffolk.

 

[Original PaulE]

peregrine

while i was coming across the orwell bridge this morning a juvenile peregrine flew across in front of me it was quite a good if brief view,i was doing about 60 at the time
i'm presuming that it was one of the ones that hatched on the bridge has anyone else heard anything about how the others are getting on have there been many other local sightings by the size i would say the one i saw today was female i know an adult male has been seen at landguard recently

 

[Cortonbirds]

Corton site guide

For anyone thats thinking of visiting my local patch of Corton this autumn ive just uploaded a site guide on my website http://www.freewebs.com/cortonbirds It really can be an excellent site for migrants in September. If anyone does visit the site please leave any sightings for me via my guestbook.

 

[StuartReeves]

I was one of the few Suffolk birders not to see Honey Buzzard today - not so far anyway... However, I did find a nice juvenile Rose-coloured Starling at Benacre. For a while it showed well with the starling flock on the wires but once the flock dispersed then reassembled, it didn't reappear. Hopefully it is still in the area though.

 

[Original PaulE]

i did see a honey buzzard today and the two dotteral at landguard which made it three lifers for the day as i had earlier gone to see the red necked phalarope at east mersea which all told made it 6 lifers for the week with the great skua, cory's shearwater and the sabine's gull at cley last sunday
so all in all it's been a pretty good week
cheers