Dutch on the Deben . . . 

A very high tide late morning combined with stormy grey skies and broken sunshine tempted me down to the Deben estuary in Woodbridge this morning. I enjoyed photographing Turnstone at very close range and noted one bird sporting a metal ring, colour ring and coloured ring tag on its right leg! On closer inspection, and using my photographs I was able to read the metal ring number (Z044951) and tag (CCT) and see that the bird was from Holland! I have now forwarded on the details through the BTO website and look forward to learning more of this controlled individual in weeks to come.

Spring on the Heath . . . Suffolk

I spent the morning on a local heath watching numerous Woodlark, Common Crossbill & Dartford Warblers. In the afternoon I got a garden tick as a Common Buzzard flew over and headed towards Melton at around 5pm. Yesterday saw another fabulous garden tick, when Phil spotted a flock of 19 Waxwing from the Kitchen at around 4pm (very glad I was also about at the time - this might have been a difficult garden blocker!!). Our tiny terraced abode is beginning to get quite a list!

Monday Med Gulls . . .

And again today . . . 

Siskins at the Suffolk Feeding Station . . . . 

Waxwing Wednesday - 25th Feb

There were still 20+ Waxwings in Rendlesham today. Yesterday morning numbers reached a notable 50+. Also of note - we managed to catch & ring another 10 Waxwing in Rendlesham yesterday, taking our 2009 total to 21! We actually caught 12 birds, but 2 were already ringed. One had been ringed by us in Rendlesham and the other by us in Kesgrave in January. . . . 

More Suffolk Waxwings - in Sunshine . . . 

Sunday Sortie . . . 

A quick visit to Rendlesham for the Waxwings was unsuccessful as they were not present this afternoon. Drove about local rural Suffolk lanes looking for photographic potential and ended up a Shingle Street where I saw a Little Egret, 4 Stonechat and 1 Barn Owl before dusk. As I drove back into Woodbridge  at around 4pm I spotted a flock of 25 Waxwings at the roadside at the Melton/Wilford Bridge road junction. I managed a couple of grab shots from the car before the lights changed. Later I saw 40+ Waxwings high up being spooked by a Sparrowhawk over Woodbridge. Still not on the garden list though! 

At the feeding station . . .

A few Suffolk garden bird shots taken this morning before the darkness and rain set in again and the temperature plummeted!  A Tawny Owl was very vocal around 13.00, a female Blackcap which has been present in our Woodbridge garden for several days now continues to eat apples and attack any other birds who try to feed and a Peregrine flew over my car and headed off down the river at Melton.