Starting at Ferring Rife produced my first two
Willow Warblers of the year (also a patch tick), as well as a
Grey Heron, four
Moorhens, a
Sandwich Tern, a
Lesser Black-backed Gull, a
Green Woodpecker, a
Great Spotted Woodpecker, four
Skylarks, three
Chiffchaffs, a
Blackcap and five
Meadow Pipits. Walking back to the Gap, my first patch and 2018
Little Tern performed offshore and there seemed to be a small arrival of migrants, four
Wheatears dropping in and the bushes holding another
Willow Warbler and four
Blackcaps. The 2CY
Iceland Gull showed at close range in the southwestern field. Other birds included eight
Red-breasted Mergansers, 32
Turnstones, 50
Sanderlings, eight
Sandwich Terns, three
Chiffchaffs, two
Skylarks, a
Goldcrest, a
Green Woodpecker, a
Great Spotted Woodpecker, three
Meadow Pipits and a
Linnet.
With positive news from Suffolk, it was action stations and I headed to London to pick up Magnus A en-route to Carlton Marshes. Our timing was epic, the
AMERICAN BITTERN taking flight with a
Bittern just as we drew up to the crowd, most of whom had been waiting 10+ hours! Two
Barn Owls were a welcome bonus, a couple of
Marsh Harriers were quartering, five
Snipe took flight and a
Swallow flew through before we headed home triumphant!
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| male Wheatear at Goring Gap |
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| 2CY Iceland Gull at Goring Gap |
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| American Bittern (left) with Bittern at Carlton Marshes |
