Bawdsey Hall Bird Nature Blog – August 2020
Bawdsey Hall is geographically placed to allow visitors to witness the wonders of bird migration first hand. Streams of migrant birds pass over the hall every night and an early-morning walk will reveal what has dropped in to rest and feed. There are many amazing sites all within a three-mile radius of The Hall, most within easy walking distance. Waveney Bird Club carries out bird ringing activities each Tuesday and Sunday, allowing guests at The Hall to see birds close up.
We may feel that we are at the height of a wonderful English summer weather-wises, but for birds it’s time to return to equatorial Africa for their winter holidays. Last week, squadrons of screaming swifts were saying their last goodbyes to residents of nearby villages, but today the skies are silent. Cuckoos have also gone, but a few juveniles will remain to fatten up ready for the long journey ahead.
We are now at the very start of autumn migration with several Yellow Wagtails, Wood and Garden Warblers, Nightingales and Pied Flycatchers appearing at nearby watch-points in neighbouring villages of Alderton and Hollesley. Last Tuesday (4th Aug), ringers at Bawdsey Hall trapped their first juvenile Willow Warbler of the autumn and Reed and Sedge Warblers passage will soon reach its peak. It’s looking like 2020 is going to be one of the best summers of recent times for Crossbills with regular sightings on the Bawdsey peninsula.
Waders are usually the first to return from arctic nesting grounds so, those that fail with their nesting attempts, swiftly return to more southern climes. Nearby Ramsholt Marshes, is a prime site to see this in action and last Friday (7th Aug.) and impressive list of 60 species included four Spoonbills (there’s been up to 11 regularly feeding there), over 250 Black-tailed Godwits, Avocets, Green and Wood Sandpipers, Spotted Redshanks, and Greenshanks.
Today (10th Aug), nearby Shingle Street has witnessed a small fall of coastal migrants including: Whinchats, Wheatears and Lesser Whitethroats amongst more common migrants.
Dragonflies are also a feature as they hawk Bawdsey Hall ponds. The Hall has an impressive dragonfly list and species currently on the wing include: Common and Ruddy Darters; Emperors; Brown, Southern and Migrant Hawkers, Small Red-eyed Damselfly and the rare and beautiful Willow Emerald.
Add all this to daily sightings of badger and owls that feed in the Hall gardens each evening and you have all the ingredients of an amazing wildlife holiday that will come with a learning experience. There is still one bedroom left for each of my Bird ID Residential Workshops on 30 August-1 Sept and 18-20 Sept, so why not give it a go? You will not be disappointed.
Click on the link below to view Bird ID courses for 2020:
https://www.bawdseyhall.com/bird-idcourses
Click on the link below to view Bird ID courses for 2021:
https://www.bawdseyhall.com/bird-identification-courses-2021-1
Steve Piotrowski
Bird Ringer and Bird ID Tour Leader at Bawdsey Hall
10th August 2020