Kessingland to Benacre ............................................................Gi Grieco

Kessingland to Benacre 22

March 2015

Leader: Richard Smith En route to the start of the meeting, I and a couple of other SOG members decided to stop off at Blythburgh to have a scan of the river. We found a number of waders including good numbers of Avocet, several Black-tailed Godwit that flew in with the odd Curlew and Redshank, and some Dunlin. Up river we saw a Kestrel while the other way a Buzzard and over the far shore lots of waders flew up, chased by a Peregrine. The falcon was unsuccessful and gave up the chase but then proceeded to fly over the river, turn and go right over our heads – a fantastic sight. These raptors were a forerunner of the day ahead. Of the 12 members who assembled at the car park, half were recent new members, which was lovely to see. Our first port of call was at Kessingland sewage works where we saw a single Grey Wagtail amongst the Pied, a few Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff along the hedgerow. We were all able to see a Chiffchaff in the hand a little while later as we bumped into the Kessingland Ringing Group and they had just caught one in their nets. We thanked them and headed down the path towards the church. This gave us views across the Kessingland Levels and we spent a productive time scanning the area. Standing stationary in a nearby field was a lone Grey Heron until a couple of Herring Gulls mobbed it and chased it off. One of the local hybrid Hooded Crows was there too. In the skies we started to pick up some raptors, a couple of Kestrels then a number of Buzzards, counting up to six. We then headed down to the beach and walked along to the sluice, finding two Black Redstarts and Richard briefly saw a Wheatear. Further scanning from there produced further views of raptors with the addition of a Sparrowhawk hunting a murmuration of Starlings. Out to sea were several Red-throated Divers on the sea and

Grey Wagtail