We have one place available the for the Bird Migration course 18-20 Sept., at Bawdsey Hall , which with no prejudice whatsoever would need to be taken up by another gent. The remainder of this year’s courses are all fully booked with bookings coming in thick and fast for 2021, so please if you would like to join us then there are still a few bedrooms left. The new format involves smaller groups to comply with Covid 19 restrictions and to ensure everybody is kept safe. We must assume that the virus will still be us in 2021, so numbers will remain restricted to six people per course.
The first of these series of Bird ID courses kicked off with a great start over the Bank Holiday Weekend. Autumn migration courses are closely linked to bird ringing and, when five attendees (Mandy, Diane, Jenny, Jone and Derek) arrived for their weekend’s course, birds were being ringed to give opportunities to see birds close up. An introductory presentation on field craft was followed by dinner at the local pub and then back to the hall in wait to see if Brock, the leader of the resident Badger cete, would appear. Badger-watching is a feature of Bawdsey Hall delighting photographers and naturalists alike as the cete visits the pond each evening. Bawdsey Hall’s spacious gardens are floodlit to give good viewing opportunities. Initially, Tawny Owls stole the show, followed by a Reeve’s Muntjac. However, Brock wasn’t going to disappoint and the gasps from the bedroom windows signalled his arrival. He waddled around the pond, rolled over for a scratch and gave prolonged views before disappearing into the undergrowth.
It was an early start for most and a wander around the specially-crafted nature trails was rewarding. However, with ringing ongoing some found it difficult to leave the ringing table. After a hearty breakfast, our first stop was Hazlewood Marshes in time to catch the rising tide. Our timing was perfect with masses of shorebirds frantically feeding within easy-watching distance and coming ever closer. Our list was gaining momentum with a good selection of common waders, but also at least four Curlew Sandpipers and two very close Spoonbills (part of the 17 that were present) putting on a breath-taking display of mutual neck-preened. Our attention was drawn to a distant group of birders, with ‘scopes trained to one direction, which culminated in super views of an Osprey perched in a dead pine beside the Alde Estuary. Much to our delight, it then gave a spectacular flypast and then proceeded to fish the now-flooded mudflats, diving fearlessly into the water.
Our picnic lunch was taken at Snape Maltings, followed by a visit to nearby Botany Marsh where a Spotted Crake had been reported. This elusive bird certainly took some finding, but eventually all had distant views. Botany Marsh is a superb wetland site and there were many birds of interest that included two Ruff, Knot and Green Sandpiper. A pair of Marsh Harriers quartered the reedbed area. Our final stop was Boyton Marshes where we were able to watch a group of ten Avocets and two Green Sandpipers feeding on a small pool. We walked to Boyton Dock, now a tourist landmark after Ed Sheeran featured it in his “Castle on the Hill” video. His “Love Song for Suffolk” tells of his time growing up in the county and his feelings about coming home. From the old dock building we viewed RSPB’s Havergate Island and Orford Ness. A lone Bar-tailed Godwit, alongside three Black-tailed Godwits, allowed identification features to be explored. Then it was back to the hall for a wash and brush-up, dinner and then more badger watching. Again Brock didn’t disappoint.
From 5.10 a.m. the next morning, a full ringing team from Waveney Bird Club was on duty to operate more nets resulting in people being woken from their beds to see the first bird of the day which was a stunning Nightingale. It was well worth an early start! Migrants were flooding through with good numbers of Sylvia warblers being ringed.
After breakfast, we made our way to nearby Lodge Marsh, Ramsholt, where a congregation of shorebirds had gathered in recent weeks. We were treated to an amazing display with more Curlew Sandpipers, a Green and two Wood Sandpipers, six Greenshanks, flocks of Ringed Plovers, Dunlins and Black-tailed Godwits with “sharming” Water Rails serenading us as we watched.
Time was pressing, so our picnic lunch was swiftly followed by a visit to Shingle Street, our last port of call. This coastal hamlet is said to be enthused by Thomas Dolby’s song “Cloudburst at Shingle Street” from his album “The Golden Age of Wireless”. Other recent attractions include the bungalow where John Lennon was living at a hermit as showcased in the romantic-comedy feature film “Yesterday”, and probably more of interest was a thin fragile shell trail that leads across the beach to the sea. This was inspired by two Danish childhood friends, Els and Lida, who in 2005 spent a week in Suffolk recuperating from a shared year of breast cancer. As they ambled along the beach, they collected gleaming white shells that were carefully arranged around a patch of red valerian growing on the beach. In subsequent visits, more shells were added after every walk to create a glowing line, symbolic of their slow day-by-day, shell-by-shell recovery. The trail now stretches 275m to the sea. It has been reported that they repair the line twice each year and they have found that many people have helped by adding to it. “Frail and transitory, like us and those who come and wonder at it, the line is a signal of courage and survival”. Bird-wise, it was rather quiet, although we did enjoy close encounters with Stonechats and Meadow Pipits. Time was rapidly running out, so it was back to the hall for our final review. An unexpected bonus in the form of a male Barn Owl greeted us on arrival. The bird had been in the care of expert rehabilitator (Peter Merchant) after being picked up in an emaciated state (weighing just 220g) a few days earlier. After much TLC it was ready for release that evening (now weighing 306g) and we were allowed to see it prior to it being taken back to the finding location.
Bird migration through the Bawdsey peninsula has since continued at a lively pace and this last weekend was no exception. Bawdsey Hall guest (Dave Morgan) – an old pall and fellow birder, located a superb Red-backed Shrike in scrub near the “posh” Martello Tower at nearby East Lane. It is known as the “posh” tower as it has been converted into a home and has a fancy roof. Today (07/09/20), there are two Red-backed Shrikes!
As a first Bird ID course in the new format, we were expecting a few teething troubles, but we need not have worried as it went like a dream! We are delighted with the feedback, some of which is included as reviews in the post script below. We have taken advice from our attendees by lengthening some of next year’s courses to four days and three nights and an additional “Siberian Week” course will be added to our 2021 Programme.
Reviews:
“It was and outstanding weekend, well-chosen sites, wonderful venue and accommodation. Bawdsey Hall was amazing, many thanks to David and Charlotte. The Course leader was pretty darn good! Admire your patience, good humour and people skills as well as your ornithological skills - made everyone feel at ease and able to join in the banter/ask silly questions. The mothing, bird ringing and wildlife watching opportunities were a huge plus. The restrictions imposed by the Covid situation did not spoil the weekend for me personally. Yes, it would have been nice to have a little social time after the course each evening, but actually I was ready to retreat to our beautiful room and nod off over a glass of wine/cuppa while looking out for the nocturnal wildlife.” Jone Aires – 4th Sept. 2020
“What a wonderful weekend indeed! I really enjoyed the whole experience. Bawdsey Hall is a great venue. The rooms were lovely and the gardens a real treat to wander round. And as for the ringing sessions!..... such a joy to see birds up close. All the field ‘work’ was great. There were some new places for me and some familiar ones too. That part of Suffolk is a real birder’s paradise! I can see why you love it so much. As you pointed out, the only thing missing was the social side of things. But hopefully next time we can all mull over the day with a glass of wine and enjoy the badgers and Tawny Owls at the same time.” Mandy Wimsett – 2nd Sept. 2020
“Thank you so much for a great course. I really enjoyed it. It was a privilege to be with someone so skilled and knowledgeable about nature. Apart from your expertise and knowledge it’s also about people skills, of which you have loads. You share and encourage in such a warm and generous way.
I loved the accommodation, the animals, the environment and weather.” Diane McLoughlin – 2nd Sept. 2020
Steve Piotrowski
7th September 2020