Benacre Shrike

On Sunday 11th September, a day after I had driven back from Wales, after a very welcome call from Jane F I had great difficulty parking but decided to park in the inland "Beach" car park and walked the mile and a half walk first to the Kessingland Sluice, I met David B and his wife coming back and we had a brief chat before I joined first Jane & Paul F and Clive. We saw a Wheatear here. later James B overlooking the corner section we soon saw the fine immature Red- backed Shrike perched on top of a Hawthorn and other bushes but it was fairly distant. Being by the bushes at the rear of the Sluice scrub corner. A message saying Jake G had an Osprey flying north from benacre and James B picked it up and we saw it, a fine Osprey circling fairly distantly before it flew , Jake G and I think Ben M arrived as did Dick and I made my exit. I was walking past by the caravan park. Along Kessingland levels bushes, I saw a male Stonechat and a female Reed Bunting,I received another tweet saying 2 Ravens were circling the Shrike and heading north-east exactly where I was! So I ran made up the sandy dunes to a notable high point and saw the pair of Ravens circling and then they flew south and west. They are certainly on my Benacre list but not quite in Lizardland!

Welsh trip

On Wednesday 7th September en route to the Tally Ho pub at Hungerford to meet long lost family, I saw a couple of Red Kites, over M4. On Friday 9th September, a visit to Kenfig NNR where you have to turn immediately right after a bridge to find the site much changed by a spate of house building. The Warden told me he hadn't seen any Autumn Ladies Tresses this year due to the blazing hot drought ridden summer. I tried to look but was sadly greeted bya golf course where I had seen them 10 years previously. I small a Small White butterfly, a Common Blue and Small Heath butterflies but that was it! A trip to Cymisfael stream late afternoon was much better, a Grey Wagtail was on the road where the drain was overflowing and running water don the road. I walked to the bridges and was greated by a wonderful sight of 2 Hobbies flying in from the right and as soon as they disappeared mewing birds heralded first a Red Kite flying around in the field to the left and then joined by a Buzzard. Finally, walking along the stream as I heard a dipper by the first bridge, a Dipper was on a close rock and then flew up to a branch where it spent some time preening finally a Grey Wagtail was seen on the stream again. A Nuthatch also heard too. Finally, whilst weeding at Brodawell a Raven was heard but not seen.

Wood Pigeon in the Library

On Tuesday 6th September, an immature Wood Pigeon flew into the Library via an open door. It flew around and perched by the small roof window of this former gym and I retrieved my tripod to guide it nearer to me, it flew and very sadly hit its head on the roof which stunned it and it settled on the stage area. The painters kindly lent me a dust sheet and I threw that over the bird caught it and relased it safely outside where it flew away strongly.

Nathusius' Pipistrelle Bat at the Paget

I really enjoy my work at the Paget, especially when I am contacted as I was today, on Monday 5th September, by my colleague & friend Clare P from the Pharmacy dept, who knows of my deep love for all wildlife, she rang me at the Library at 10.15am to say they were concerned about a Bat that was clinging to a wall (& seen 2 days running) in one of the courtyards of the Paget (between ward 15 and Pharmacy) & could I enquire with the National Bat Helpline on what we could do to help the bat and remove it safely to a more suitable place. As a Hospital courtyard wasn't a suitable place, lack of food for the bat and the danger that it could mistakenly fly into the Hospital building. I rang the National Bat Helpline and they put me in touch with a lady from Wymondham but they did add I should capture the Bat using gardening gloves (because they could carry rabies and a bite could pass this onto me!) and I was advised to wear a surgical mask because we coulkd pass on Covid-19 onto the bat & then put it into a shoebox with a tea towel and some water. Problem was I didn't have anything of these apart from a box or water. We enquired in Supplies dept (who provided a tea towel) who said check with Estates & Paul H stated I should ask in Estates store where some heavy duty gloves were issues. Armed with parcel tape and scissors I punctured the box many times for air for the bat to breathe and I walked along the northern corridor where I met Clare. The bat was clinging head down on the wall at about head height (or just under). I took some pics using a separate flash gun and adjusting the settings several times. This woke the bat up and it flew a short distance perching by the leg of a garden seat. Opening my gloved hand wide, and closing my fingers to protect the hunched wings I scooped the bat up and quickly put it in the box which was then sealed up with parcel tape sealing any gaps it could squeeze out of. By this time a small but appreciative crowd had appeared and I even got an appreciative clap at the end! I then twalked outside and then decided to release the bat in the nearest woodland, driving to Bluebell wood, just 1/4 of a mile away. Walking to the farside of the wood by the tallest trees, I opened the box to se the Bat had already spread its wings and it flew stongly up and perched near the top of one of the tallest trees. A great result as the Bat could then rest up and hopefully feed up to gain its strength at night time. Many thanks to Pharmacy, particularly Claire for contacting me, Supplies & Estates for furnishing me with a tea towel and heavy duty gloves. In the evening, I posted the pics, not sure of its exact ID, I knew it was a Pipistrelle species and Rob H kindly suggested Nathusius' Pipistrelle Bat, identified by its slightly larger size and very thick chestnut furry back, which I concur with.

Poor morning but better later.

On sunday 4th September, I managed to miss the Wryneck which had flown west of Link's road carpark and the Golden Plover in the compound. The only things of note was a fine male Migrant Hawker just west of Link's road compound and a Grayling the flew towards the eastern edge of Warren Hoiuse copse and 2 Wheatears seen by the southern edge of the Link's road compound. Later on some Essex birders were nipping in and out of the Bird's Eye bushes in the active pursuit of the male Redstart, I saw it twice flushed out and perched briefly in the small trees. But I did see a Whinchat on the fence and 4 Wheataer. Returning just after 5pm, there was nobody about and a total of 5 Wheatear seen plus the male Redstart flew out 4X to perch in the little trees as I waited patienly for it and managed a few shots. Intersting to see a Mimic Hornet Hoverfly briefly perched on the fence.

Saturday evening at the Netposts

On Saturday 3rd September, again walking down by the Bird's Eye bushes, 4 Wheatear seen by the Netposts and 2 Whinchat mainly perched on the fence. I joined Rob H and photo'd an obliging Pied Flycatcher in trees along the western end , the male Redstart was again seen at the end, and together with Alison & Chris A and later Julie, we saw the fine male Redstart perched by the A frame fence at the corner of Bird's Eye. Again the adult winter Little Gull flew over before flying north again. Finally the Pied Flycatcher appeared again along the western end of the line of Bird's Eye bushes by the netposts.

Elusive Wryneck at Benacre

On the morning of Saturday 3rd September, I parked at the entrance to Beach farm, behind the Ferguson mobile and phoning jane I was instruced to walk past the farm and carry onto the beach rather than take the track south by the turnstyle by the Farm. I first saw Ali, who said the Wryneck had flown towards the Paddocks filed but it had buried itself in a hawthorn bush by the side pof the path. Walking down halfway I joined Jane & Paul F and we looked at the bush, albeit against the light and the fine Wryneck hopped up to the top left of the bush where views were obtained before it flew north past the Paddocks field and buried itself in the copse. We walked to the Sluice area and spotted 5 Wheatear. We were joined by Carl B & Kevin also spotted a fine winter plumaged Knot flying south and it settled on the beach by the south side of the Pit but unfortunately a dog walker put the bird up and it continued flying south. We went back to the paddocks field where we were joined by David saw a Pied Flycatcher along the hedgerow in a large tree flick about plus 3 immature Goldfinches perched in the tree. taking the track south by the turnsyle we walked past the 2 pillboxes and going in na field west of the bush, we saw the Wryneck tenetaively venture out on a large trunk running parallel to the ground barely a foot above it. I walked the other side and the fine Wryneck flew up from the track and again disappeared into the bush.

Friday evening at the Netposts

On Friday evening, straight after work, I looked at the Net posts and 4 Wheatear and 2 Whinchat seen, The fine male Redstart seen only fleetingly mainly at the end occasionally perched in one of the small trees planted by the Birds Eye bushes. Nice to see Derek & Gillian M arrived and I pointed out some of the birds, as we lookeds a small feeding flock of Gulls was in the sky above the netposts area and I picked the excellent adult Winter Little Gulls that continued feeding before flying north.