The climate forecast was grim, and the truth was even worse: New Yr’s Day 2025 was horrible, beginning with gale-force winds, then giving manner, because the wind misplaced its venom, to regular, persistent rain. I used to be out, strolling Emma my spaniel, at first mild, earlier than the rain began, however buffeted by the vicious wind. I had my binoculars with me, so was capable of admire my first Marsh Harrier of 2025 because it flew up from its reedbed roost on my native fen. Sadly, there wasn’t a lot else to see, so by the point we’d returned for breakfast my listing had barely reached double figures. The rain quickly began, making certain that there was little incentive to exit once more and search for birds. My New Yr’s Day fowl listing completed on a mere 17 species, most of which have been seen within the backyard. With 200 my goal for the 12 months, this was a modest begin.
Precisely 36 years earlier than, I had began my 12 months within the South Atlantic. To be extra particular, I used to be on Pebble Island within the West Falklands. My diary famous that New Yr’s Day 1989 had dawned gray and windy, “so there was little incentive to stand up, and it wasn’t till 5.45am that I ventured out”. By 8am I’d walked six miles and seen a modest 26 species, however there have been some crackers amongst them, starting from Black-necked Swan to Rufous-chested Dotterel. “It was a delight to see a flying flock of 20 Chilöe Wigeon” I wrote, “calling to one another with loud wheeos, virtually like being on the marshes at dwelling”. The climate wasn’t nice: “there have been some fleeting bursts of sunshine, as soon as a bathe of rain, and all the time the wind”.
Black-necked Swan within the rain: one among my 39 species on a New Yr’s Day depend within the Falklands
Although I could have solely seen a mere 26 species, I had seen so much birds. “To the north there was a continuing passage of Black-browed Albatrosses, a whole lot of birds so far as the horizon, their white undersides catching the sunshine as they sheared into the wind. There have been many Big Petrels, too, and on my stroll again I finished to observe two feasting on a lifeless Magellanic Penguin. It was slightly like watching vultures on a kill, and the black and white penguin appeared remarkably like a chunk of zebra.”
I completed my itemizing that day at 6.30pm, by which period there wasn’t actually a lot else to search for, although there was loads of remaining mild (sundown was after 9pm). My tally was a mere 39 species, however a fairly good rating for a single day within the Falklands. I did see some reside Magellanic Penguins, not simply the lifeless one, however these have been the one penguins of the day. Every week earlier than, on Christmas Day on Sea Lion Island, I’d seen 5: King, Macaroni, Rockhopper, Gentoo and Magellanic. It’s value going to the Falklands only for the penguins: all the opposite birds are a bonus.
Although my Falklands New Yr’s Day listing could have been modest, it was one among my most memorable begins to the 12 months. This 12 months was forgettable however happily the subsequent two days – 2nd and third of January – have been vivid and sunny, although very chilly, giving me the inducement to exit and search for birds. On the 2nd I didn’t enterprise quite a lot of miles from dwelling, however I pushed my 2025 listing as much as the half century mark, a complete that included a few good birds: a Raven (a fowl that’s growing in numbers right here in Suffolk) and an sudden Brief-eared Owl. The latter was solely my second native sighting within the 20 years I’ve lived in Suffolk.
My first Sparrowhawk of the 12 months, sitting on the sting of the marsh
The next day my birding pal Andrew and I made an early begin for Frampton Marsh, an RSPB reserve in Lincolnshire, on the sting of the Wash. The latter is the biggest pure bay in England, with quite a few rivers draining into it. It’s a huge space of in depth salt marshes, sand banks and dirt flats, attracting internationally vital numbers of wildfowl and waders.
Geese on ice: two Canadas and a Greylag
A fantastic drake Goldeneye
Frampton Marsh is freshwater, however borders the Wash, so our stroll took us previous the swimming pools and lagoons created and managed by the RSPB, then on to the seawall and out to the Wash. Not surprisingly, my 2025 listing quickly began to develop. There was a wealthy number of wildfowl to be admired, with Wigeon, Teal, Pintail, Shoveler, Gadwall and Teal all wanting magnificent within the low winter solar. A number of Goldeneyes have been a bonus, whereas a celebration of Whooper Swans selected to fly proper over us, an impressive sight. The waders included all of the anticipated species: Redshank, Ruff, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Ringed Plover and Lapwing. After I went to analyze a male Sparrowhawk, sitting on the sting of the marsh, I flushed a number of Snipe.
Whooper Swans
Pintail
It was an extended trek earlier than we have been lastly capable of view the Wash itself, but it surely was a stroll that was enlivened by flocks of Fieldfares, feasting on the hawthorn berries. It’s been a poor winter domestically for Fieldfares, that are winter guests to us from Scandinavia, so these have been birds I loved seeing.
A passing Fieldfare
Once we lastly reached our vacation spot, with the huge wilderness of the Wash stretching out earlier than us, it was like reaching one other world. There may be few locations in England as wild, unspoilt and unvisited as this, so it was a deal with to have the ability to sit and take in the sounds and sights. Brent Geese have been chuntering away, their guttural calls so evocative of the coast in winter, whereas the occasional Curlew known as, its plaintive notes carrying far throughout the mudflats. Crowds of silent Oystercatchers have been roosting shut by – these are normally the noisiest of birds, however not when they’re at relaxation. Work with the scope produced distant flocks of Knots (50,000 winter right here), together with Dunlins, Redshanks and Bar-tailed Godwits.
Look fastidiously and you will notice Oystercatchers on the sting of the mud
There have been geese, too. Wigeon have been probably the most quite a few, however there have been scores of Shelducks, and a few Crimson-breasted Mergansers. We appeared in useless for the Eider and Slavonian Grebe that had been reported earlier, when the tide was excessive, however they have been to not be seen.
Wigeon
Darkish-bellied Brent Geese
Brent Goose overhead. They don’t seem to be a quarry species, so in contrast to most wild geese they don’t seem to be cautious
Nightfall falls early in the beginning of January, and because the mild began to fade a whole lot of Golden Plovers flew into roost on the freshmarsh. The sunshine had practically gone after they all took off, wanting like big Starlings as they twisted, turned and soared overhead. It was solely later, after I downloaded my images, that I noticed that they had been spooked by a male Hen Harrier, simply seen in my {photograph}. Because of this I’ve photographed a fowl this 12 months that I’m not conscious of getting seen. Hopefully my subsequent coastal outing will produce a tickable Hen Harrier.
Golden Plovers at nightfall, flushed by a Hen Harrier
Penning this, on 8 January, my 12 months whole has reached 89, the newest addition a Peregrine tiercel (male) that I watched catch a Starling this afternoon. (It was on an area farm the place I used to be strolling my spaniel). By the top of the week I hope to have topped the 100, as I’ve plans to go to the Suffolk coast on Friday. The subsequent 100 will come far more slowly.