4 CRANES OVER THE GARDEN WTF!!! (East Leeds at 12:30 but lost to view high, possibly North)

Lesser Scaup at St Aidans this afternoon, always on far side on Main Lake but great claw back from the dip at the weekend! Patchwork Challenge #PWC2024

2 cracking Little Tern over Main Lake at St Aidans this morning, along with an Arctic Tern and 4 Avocet! Swillington Ings Bird Group

A decent few days at Swilly Ings - arrival of 4 Black Terns was great to watch after work today, alongside an Arctic Tern, Avocet & Whimbrel. My first site Grasshopper Warbler on Saturday am too with Whinchat & steady numbers of Black-tailed Godwit! 138/167 Patchwork Challenge #PWC2024

You can’t deny it, Black-necked Grebes are just stunning! Even more so when they are 15 mins away from home!

Wherever it’s from, surreal views of this drake Garganey at Manvers Lake. Glossy Ibis, Cattle Egret and Spoonbills at Fairburn area on the way back made a nice day out!

COMING UP:

Thurs 18th April - Indoor Talk ‘Savings Suffolk’s House Martins’ by Martin Tickler at Hintlesham

Sat 21st April - Carlton Marshes outdoor walk

Sat 28th April - Pound Farm Woodland outdoor walk

All going to be fantastic events, all members welcome! Details below!

Dream ACHIEVED - Male Pied Flycatcher!!! My first males ever. Quality day in Yorkshire Dales, this Common Sandpiper showed particularly well too!

Nice couple of stops on my way back North today: Great Grey Shrike before it did its usual mid-morning dispersal over the road at Weeting, and the Lesser Yellowlegs at Frampton that came to check out the bonnet of my car! Ridiculous views!

Official, Garganey is now my favourite duck 🚨- 6 on traitorous waters at Lakenheath Fen today but this drake did the decent thing and came over to the Suffolk side. 2 Crane also, and 2 Tree Pipit, Stone-curlews and 4sp of Butterfly made for a decent day in the Brecks!

Whooper Swans on the house list!!!

Swilly starting to pick up in the past week or so with some nice bits on evenings this week. Common Scoter, Wheatear, Med Gulls, Black-tailed Godwits and this evening, my first decent scarcity of 2024, Knot!

THIS THURSDAY!

Our annual AGM is at 7:30pm at Hintlesham Community Hall, including presentations, review of the birding year and a quiz! All members welcome!

Stunning show of Hawfinch at Lynford this morning. 20 in the paddocks, inc some coming to the feeding area. Singing male Firecrest too started off a class day in Norfolk, ended with Hen Harrier & SEO at Warham Greens!

These 2 drake Lesser Scaup showed well at times in front of the Billet Farm Screen at Abberton Reservoir this morning. Also about, BT Diver, Smew (redhead), Red-crested Pochard & Little Owl. 2 GNDiver on the River Orwell on the way home!

Quality day in the Brecks with David Walsh & Dad. Goshawks performed superbly and the Crossbills sang away in the sunshine. My photos poor so here are Dads from a few days ago from the same spot!

Black-throated Thrush and the drake amongst 6 Smew at Tophill Low today. Also 2 Scaup, 2 Red-crested Pochard and 14 Whooper Swan. Gull roost at Swilly on the way home had no Glauc, but 2 Casp and 2 YLG for Patchwork Challenge

Juvenile Glaucous Gull on main spit at Swilly this afternoon. A proper rarity here these days
Graham Leach
BirdGuides

Baikal Teal from Bishop Middleham this morning, always distant on Castle Lake but quality lifer for 2024! GN Diver, Slav, drake L-T Duck, Waxwing and ‘ooooo-ing’ Eider good supporting cast around Hartlepool!

2024 off to a flier at Swillington - 75 species including the ridiculously showy Glossy Ibis that is down to 10 metres at times! A bit close for phone scoping! Swillington Ings Bird Group Patchwork Challenge #PWC2024