Goodbye August, I received’t be sorry to see you go. Except you occur to dwell close to the coast, during which case there are many migrant waders to see, August is just about a duff month for birds in England. There’s not a lot track, many spring migrants have already departed south for his or her winter quarters, whereas the vast majority of residents are moulting, so change into shy and troublesome to see. August is arguably the least thrilling fowl month of the yr.
I maintain a month-to-month tally what number of species I’ve seen, and on the time of writing my August rating is 97, my second lowest month-to-month complete in England this yr. My finest month was June, with 130 species, however I even managed a good 115 in July. (These totals are all for England, and don’t embrace birds seen abroad). This month’s checklist is disappointing, as I’ve put some effort into discovering birds, and have visited each the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.
Cattle Egrets in North Norfolk – Twenty first-century colonists of England
Cley is one among England’s most well-known fowl reserves, in addition to one among its oldest. (It was purchased by the Norfolk Naturalists’ Belief, now Norfolk Wildlife Belief, in 1926). It’s at all times a dependable website for seeing one thing good, and it didn’t disappoint on my latest go to at the beginning of the month. Maybe most notable was a flock of 16 Cattle Egrets. This was the largest flock that I’ve ever seen in England. These egrets are new colonists in England, first breeding in 2008. Little doubt they’ll change into a lot commoner within the years to come back, as they’re a fowl that, as soon as established, tends to extend quickly.
I’m at all times fascinated by the truth that this Outdated World fowl didn’t attain the Americas till the late Thirties, having flown the 2850km from the African coast to the Guianas. They first bred in North America, in Florida, in 1953, and by 1962 had began nesting in Canada. They’re additionally comparatively latest colonists of China, South Korea and Japan, arriving in Australia through New Guinea within the early 1900s. They first bred in New Zealand in 1963. When you think about this astonishing charge of growth it appears shocking that they’ve taken so lengthy to succeed in Britain.
The black-tipped flight feathers how that that is an immature Spoonbill
One other latest colonist of England is the Spoonbill. The primary recorded nest was in North Norfolk in 2010, and numbers have elevated right here yearly since, whereas this yr nesting was recorded at a number of new websites in Jap England. I at all times get pleasure from seeing Spoonbills, although they’ve now change into a well-recognized sight on coastal reserves in japanese England. There was only one at Cley, an immature with black wing suggestions.
This go to to Cley did add a few sandpipers to my English yr checklist: Inexperienced and Curlew. I’d seen each earlier within the yr in Cyprus and Greece. Of their purple breeding plumage Curlew Sandpipers are good-looking birds. This particular person was moulting, however nonetheless predominately in summer time plumage. It was elusive and laborious to search out, and by no means got here nearer than a few hundred yards.
Later the identical day I referred to as in at Titchwell, a preferred RSPB reserve on the North Norfolk coast. Right here a lot the most effective sighting was an sudden Osprey (above). Ospreys are common migrants by way of Norfolk and Suffolk within the late summer time and early autumn however seeing one is at all times a matter of luck. This was my first in England for a number of years, although it’s a fowl I’d already seen this yr in southern Spain.
A few weeks later I visited Minsmere, the RSPB’s flagship reserve on the Suffolk coast. I hoped for a superb crop of passage waders: I noticed 10 completely different species, not an ideal complete, but it surely did embrace my first Noticed Redshanks of the yr in England, together with each Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Black-tailed Godwits and Inexperienced and Frequent Sandpipers. There have been no actual surprises among the many birds I noticed, however some massive flocks of Frequent Scoters offshore had been fascinating. Presumably these had been non-breeding birds: only a few (a mere 50 pairs) nest in Scotland, and none in England. Most of our wintering birds come from northern Europe and Siberia.
Nice White Egrets (with a Gray Heron, Mute Swans and Coots) at Lakenheath
Later within the month I visited one other Suffolk RSPB reserve – Lakenheath, an intensive reedbed reserve, created out of what had been previously carrot fields. It’s a formidable instance of habitat creation, and holds breeding Bitterns, Marsh Harriers and Cranes. Of those three, the one one which confirmed throughout my go to was Marsh Harrier. The Cranes had apparently bred efficiently, however they saved their heads down so I didn’t see, and even hear, them. My {photograph} (beneath) was taken at Lakenheath, however on a earlier go to. Worthy of notice was seeing 24 Nice Egrets abruptly – that is one other former uncommon fowl that’s colonising southern England at a outstanding tempo.
My final notable fowl of the month, and my 97th species, was a single Wooden Sandpiper (beneath) on a small Norfolk wetland reserve, Dickleburgh Moor. These dainty sandpipers are scarce migrants in East Anglia within the autumn, however a fowl you must see if you happen to attempt laborious sufficient. I’d seen loads earlier within the yr in Cyprus and Greece, however this was my first in England. It was a distant view on a sunny day, however one when a powerful wind made utilizing the telescope tough.
September is a way more promising month for birds. I’ve received one other journey to the Mediterranean developing, this time to the Peloponnese within the south-west of Greece. It’s not a vacation spot that’s in style with birders, so I’m not certain what I would discover, at all times an thrilling prospect. I’ll report right here sooner or later.