Boyton ..........................................................................Steve Fryett

Field Trip Report

Steve Fryett

Boyton RSPB and Shingle Street

14th September 2013

Leader: Steve Fryett Unrelenting overnight rain threatened the possibility of a large attendance for this autumn field meeting. Still raining with a temperature hard to contemplate following our splendid summer, just six members stepped onto Boyton Marsh without much of a flourish.

We did not stay long but noted a Marsh Harrier from the car park with just a handful of Mallard, Teal and Gadwall on the flashes. On the river we noted a single Black-tailed Godwit and Great Crested Grebe flying up stream. There were also many feeding Swallows and House Martins heading north into the weather that brightened things up a little. Shingle Street Next we headed off south to Shingle Street parking at the Coastguard cottages, then walked towards the tennis courts. Nearby in a group of elders, brambles and gorse we quickly noted a number of migrants; Whinchats were perched on the brambles with a brief appearance of Black Redstart and two Common Redstart. A female Reed Bunting, several Linnets and Dunnocks made up the species here. We had further views of the Black Redstart and located another Common Redstart nearby. The Whinchat probably numbered five or six and often moved across to the round bales of hay on Oxley Marsh. As with our previous venue hirundines were abundant, all still heading north, feeding, keeping low over the ground as they passed through. East Lane To complete our day we headed off to East Lane where conditions began to improve although we could find no warblers here at all. The lagoons held several Dabchicks, Wigeon, Teal and a single Snipe with a few Sand Martins noted amongst the hirundines. The recent Greater Scaup could not be found, but we did manage to see three juvenile Yellow Wagtails as we returned to finish the meeting.

Editor: Here’s a way to while away some of those long winter evenings with a general knowledge prize competition compiled by Clive. Unless you’re a Google whiz, this is an excellent opportunity to exercise your ‘little grey cells’. There are 50 questions in all scattered throughout this issue. Send the full set of your answers to the Editor by 31 January for marking, and we’ll announce the result of the prize draw during the February AGM. All of the answers will be published in the March Harrier. Editor’s decision will be final. In view of the desultory response to the last couple of prize-less quizzes we decided there’d be a generous one this time. Specifically a signed copy of Mark Cocker’s excellent tome.

Clive Collins Christmas Prize Competition 1. What is the ornithological connection between Sheffield, Newcastle, Swindon and The Great Exhibition of 1851? 2. Which famous lover confused a lark with a Nightingale? 3. Where could you see Great Bustards in Cambridgeshire? 4. Which is the only bird to have appeared on an English coin?