Lee Woods
BINS Summer June 2014 A singing Quail was heard just west of Westleton village on 1st, two adult Spoonbills were also present on the scrape at Hollesley Marsh RSPB 1st. Further Spoonbills were seen on Hollesley Marsh 7th, south over Walberswick, with three in off at Southwold and one on the scrape at Minsmere all 8th. A smart Pectoral Sandpiper was present for four days on the winter at Trimley Marsh SWT 3rd-6th. Two Common Cranes were seen from Whin Hill, Minsmere for several days early in the month that may have indicated that something was going on? A Black Stork roaming the UK finally entered Suffolk airspace on the 5th, initially being seen south over Lowestoft, then Kessingland and finally Covehithe before drifting off north-west and disappearing. Yet another Raven was seen, this time north over Woodbridge 7th, the same day also saw a first-summer Montagu’s Harrier over Island Mere, Minsmere. A singing Savi’s Warbler took up residence at Westwood Marsh, Walberswick from 8-15th at least, also noted from this site were Great White Egret over 9th and Spoonbill 10th and Marsh Warbler on 13th. The 13th saw two Black Kites in the county, one over Westwood Marsh, Walberswick and a lingering bird over Bawdsey–Alderton area that turned out to be an escapee bearing a ring! A smart adult Rose-coloured Starling took up temporary residence along Pinewood Avenue, Lowestoft from 15-30th at least and was noted roosting in the Lowestoft harbour. The 19th saw several Bee-eaters reported, one south over Dunwich Heath then west over Minsmere, then two together over
the reedbed by Island Mere Minsmere and Eastbridge; a Glossy Ibis was also noted on the scrape. What was presumably the same Glossy Ibis was now at Boyton 21st then Hollesley the following day, before being seen briefly at Trimley Marsh also on 22nd. The escaped Black Kite from Alderton was now being widely seen in the county, with sightings from Theberton, Dunwich and Reydon on 21st before the bird settled down in the Wrentham area from 22nd until the month’s end. A second-summer Caspian Gull was seen on and off from Botany Marsh, Snape, Walberswick and Minsmere towards the end of the month. A Great White Egret spent one day on Orfordness 27th and finally good numbers of Red Kite were noted throughout this period.
July 2014 The adult Rose-coloured Starling continued to prove popular in Lowestoft and was finally seen on 19th on Burnt Hill Lane. The wandering Black Kite was noted along the A146 Burnt Hill Lane, Lowestoft 3rd before returning back to Wrentham 5th. Suffolk’s highest count of Mediterranean Gull was achieved with 310 birds being seen in fields at Walberswick 11th, also several sightings of Caspian Gull were forthcoming from this area throughout the month of various ages/moults. A white colour-ringed Glossy Ibis spent an evening on the scrape at Carlton Marsh 6th. A Storm Petrel was noted north off Corton late afternoon 9th and a Great White Egret was at Minsmere 11th presumably north over Ashwell, Sizewell the following day and a colour-ringed Great White Egret spent two days 12-13th at Trimley Marsh SWT. Up to five Wood Sandpipers were on the
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