A review of birds in Suffolk in 2021
Editor
Nick Mason
Greatly assisted by Philip Murphy (Systematic List) David Walsh (Rarities)
John Richardson (Photos) Phil Whittaker (Artwork)
Laurie Forsyth (Proofreading)
Published by Suffo L k N Atu RAL i S t S ’ Society Compiled by S uffo L k B i RD GR ou P 2022
Published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, the Hold, 131 fore Street, ipswich iP4 1LN
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Front cover: Marsh Warbler – Brian Small the copyright remains that of the photographers and artists.
Editorial: Nick Mason 5
Review of national and county rarities in Suffolk in 2021: Nick Mason and David Walsh 9
Black-necked Grebes attempting to breed in Suffolk: Steve Piotrowski .................................................... 12 Trimley Ringing Report 2021: Justin Zantboer ............................................................................................ 16 The Mickle Mere: Malcolm Wright 33 Movement of colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits away from the Orwell: Mick Wright 37 European Roller in west Suffolk in 2021: Peter Lack 49
The 2021 Suffolk Bird Report introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Systematic List 54 Appendices 208
List of Contributors ............................................................................................................................ 211 earliest and Latest Dates of Summer Migrants ......................................................................................... 213 A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk ........................................................................................................ 214 Rare birds in Suffolk (BBRc): Craig Fulcher and David Walsh 219 Gazetteer 221 Index of species: ................................................................................................................................ 224 the artwork in this Report is by: Richard Allen, Russ Boland, Ed Keeble, Peter Lakey, Jamey Redland, Brian Small and Jan Wilczur.
the photographs in this report are by: Bill Baston, David Borderick, Alan Chaplin, Liz Cutting, Ian Goodall, James Kennerley, Peter Kennerley, Eddie Marsh, Chris Mayne, Andrew Moon, Sean Nixon, Peter Ransome, Stuart Read, John Richardson and Phil Whittaker.
We would like to point out that many photographs were submitted, all of them of publishable quality. in the end we had to go for those that fitted in best with this year’s bird report.
Suffolk Birds is an annual publication of records, notes and papers on all aspects of Suffolk ornithology. except for records and field descriptions submitted through the county recorders, all material should be original. it should not have been published elsewhere or offered complete or in part to any other journal.
Authors should carefully study this issue and follow the style of presentation, especially in relation to references and tables. Where relevant, nomenclature and order should follow the latest published for the British List by the British ornithologist’s union (ioc list from 2018 – now updated June 2022) and available on their web site at www.bou.org.uk. english names should follow the same list.
contributions should, if possible, be submitted to the editor by e-mail and written in Microsoft Word (calibri font size 10). if typed, manuscripts should be double-spaced, with wide margins, on one side of the paper only. they must be in the final form for publication: proofs of longer papers are returned to authors, but alterations must be confined to corrections of printer’s errors. the cost of any other alterations may be charged to the author.
Photographs and line drawings are required to complement each issue. Suitable photographs of birds, preferably taken in Suffolk, can be either digital or in the form of 35mm transparencies. Artwork is also required to complement each issue. every possible effort will be made to take care of the original photographs and artwork. However, photographers and artists are reminded that neither the editor nor the SNS can be held responsible in the unlikely event that loss or damage occur.
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Suffolk Ornithological Records Committee (at time of printing):
Chair: Gi Grieco
Area County Recorders: Chris Gregory (west), Dick Walden (north-east), Gi Grieco/Steve Fryett (south-east)
Bird Report Editor: Nick Mason (non-voting)
Secretary and BBRC correspondent: Scott Mayson (sorcsec@gmail.com)
Other Committee Members: Will Brame, James Brown, David Fairhurst, Tim Humpage, Rachel Harvey, Ben Moyes.
Rare Breeding Birds Panel: David Walsh
Papers, notes, drawings and photographs: the editor (Suffolk Birds), the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, the Hold, 131, fore Street, ipswich, iP4 1LN.
Records: See inside front cover.
Suffolk Ornithological Records Committee - correspondence: the Secretary, SoRc, the Hold, 131, fore Street, ipswich, iP4 1LN - or sorcsec@gmail.com.
the weather in 2021 did not serve our wildlife well at times. By the middle of March, i had located up to six Dartford Warbler territories on Lower Hollesley common, but the attritional winds and low temperatures in April meant that there were only three remaining in May. it was the same on upper Hollesley and Sutton commons. Much of the gorse on the heaths appeared dead following these winds. on the positive side, Woodlarks survived and were in constant numbers, as were the Stonechats that often suffer in such conditions.
the autumn migration season was disappointing for many of us. there were few passage warblers etc in the usual migrant hotspots. Many were able to fly south straight through western europe to their wintering grounds – so i suppose that was a positive with no sea crossing caused by easterly winds. Personally, i also missed the main thrush arrival. i can normally rely on the twin Banks behind Shingle Street for my first Redwings and fieldfares and a Ring ouzel or two where they feed up on Hawthorn berries. in 2021 they just flew straight over us and on towards the south-east. i had to go out into my garden at night to listen for them as they passed over. every day the local press includes details of proposed housing developments in Suffolk’s towns and villages – our county is in danger, not just on the coast, of being submerged in concrete, bricks, mortar and asphalt. Please let planners know of the potentially harmful effects that any planning application, no matter how small, might have on Suffolk’s precious countryside. unfortunately, as it stands, the government has given the go-ahead for Sizewell c – let’s keep an eye on this and hope that eDf keep their word about caring for the environment. it is difficult to show trends in bird populations or movements in recent years because of the pandemic, which caused counts to be cancelled and, therefore, led to gaps in our data. We use Breeding Bird Survey data in many of our species’ accounts. the BBS has temporarily gone to using 25-year, 10-year and 2-year trends, the latter rather than the 1-year trend (i.e., year on year), missing out on 2020 data. We have tried to do the same. the same is true of the WeBS data that so many of us collect. the Bto will calculate short-term trends for waterbirds and waders when we are back to normal, regular, counting.
there are interesting articles, as usual, in this bird report. Steve Piotrowski writes about the attempted breeding of Black-necked Grebe in the north of the county in 2020. it seems that success will not be far off. our previous bird report editor, Malcolm Wright, has given us a catchup on the Suffolk Wildlife trust reserve at Mickle Mere – close to his home and close to his heart. i found it fascinating reading Mick Wright’s piece on where the colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits from the orwell estuary go. And so many people are involved in making it possible. i wondered about removing the list of all those who had sent in their observations of these godwits, but no, all should be recognized for what they do. i just felt guilty my name wasn’t on the list! Without a ringing report these days, i was pleased to be able to include Justin Zantboer’s ringing report from trimley Marshes, a year-long look at the whole business of ringing at a site. Perhaps he should have included a bit about his time and the early hours! there have not been any new species for Suffolk for a couple of years. the highlight in 2021 was, for most birders, the Roller in the west of the county. Peter Lack, one of the joint finders, writes on this event. feast your eyes on John Richardson’s photograph! thank you very much to all of you for your time and effort. once again, i must say that we are lucky to have the section writers that we do. it can take ages to work through all the records received from the county recorders, especially nowadays with thousands upon thousands of Birdtrack data. Gi Grieco starts off the systematic list with the geese and swans. He also does the gamebirds which now follow the ducks! the ducks are ably written up by Andrew Green, he who has stood down from his long-running role as north-east recorder – and what an excellent job he made of it. Nightjar, Swifts, cuckoo and pigeons then follow – covered by the dependable Darren Underwood. Darren also does the owls, Hoopoe,
kingfisher and woodpeckers’ section which is further on in the list, following the raptors. John Davies has once again done a fine job with the rails, crakes and grebes section. i am pleased that Margie Carter continues with the Stone-curlew to plover section – as i mentioned last year, it would be good to have more women contributing as well as to see them out in the field. At least we have one on SoRc now. Ed Keeble does a wonderful job on the wader section, as well as the other ways that he helps with the report. the gulls and skuas sections are either side of the terns in the British list – it is pleasing to see the effort that James Wright puts in. in between, the terns are knowledgeably covered by Brian Buffery, who is also doing the auks which now follow skuas! our SBG chairman, Chris Courtney, writes on the divers and shearwaters and Peter Lack, he who found the Roller, on the storks, cormorants and herons. then follows Chris Gregory’s raptor section. He, of course, also does the falcons, which, as before, are at the end of the nonpasserines.
the shrikes, corvids and tits are ably covered by Phil Whittaker. Nick Mason writes about the larks and hirundines and then come all those warblers; we are fortunate to have the everprofessional Peter Kennerley to cover this group. the crests, Nuthatch, treecreeper and thrushes section is written by Richard Attenborrow and the Robin, flycatchers, chats and wheatears by Steve Fryett the sparrows, wagtails, finches and buntings section is quite a large one and is ably written by Paul Gowen finally, the appendices, probable escapees and introductions, has been written by Adam Gretton.
We thank every one of the above-mentioned writers for their time and effort and good grace in the face of adversity!
there are always thankyous to give out. Volunteers all of them. All the counters, surveyors, ringers and all those who send in their records to the three county recorders. thank you all. i know that most of it is done for the love of birds, and other wildlife, but it is essential to keep our eyes on what is happening to that wildlife in these difficult, climate-uncertain days. We must
also all do what we can to prevent us losing any more through wildlife-unfriendly developments and land use. However, i must say that i see a more positive trend from many farmers and other land users.
As usual, i must give my greatest thanks to Philip Murphy who aids me with additional editing, but more importantly, spends hours searching the archives to bring the data into perspective. the report would not be the same without him. David Walsh is essential in his role in getting the rarer birds sorted. As well as being Suffolk’s correspondent with the Rare Breeding Bird’s Panel he has now taken on the sorting of rare birds in Suffolk as part of SoRc. if you have seen a rare bird in Suffolk that needs a submission to SoRc or BBRc get that submission in or you will be hassled until you do! Some people may find the process difficult but it shouldn’t be – especially if it has been photographed or multi-observed.
Phil Whittaker continues gathering the artwork for the report and John Richardson the photographs. thank you both and thanks to all those who have offered their work whether it has been included or not. the standard remains very high.
the Roller immediately came to mind for the front cover, but that is well-covered in the report with photographs. for me the most interesting event of 2021 was the breeding Marsh Warblers in the east of the county. So, i badgered Brian Small into producing the cover – a masterpiece!
Chris Gregory is taking over as recorder for the west. Good luck to him!
Many, many thanks to Colin Jakes for his 29 years (yes – 29 years!) as West Area Recorder –since January 1st 1994. What a great job he has done over those years. He has certainly made the task of bird report editor much easier than it might have been.
it was a quiet start to the year. the Hooded Merganser of unknown origin, present from December 2020, remained at Staverton Ponds, Wantisden well into the spring. A Siberian Chiffchaff was at kirton Sewage Works from 10th to 17th and a Dusky Warbler at Bto Nunnery Lakes, thetford from 17th to 23rd.
the Great Grey Shrike at Raydon on 14th, the only one of the year, relocated to capel St Mary in early March. A Black Brant at kirton from 14th to 26th was found by the same observer who identified the Siberian chiffchaff. A Goshawk, outside its normal range, was at Minsmere on 26th. At the end of the month there were two records of White-tailed Eagle, over the Blyth estuary and Westleton Heath.
A bonus for many was the Taiga Bean Goose which stayed at Hen Reedbeds from March 10th until April 4th. from 3rd until April 8th there were many observations of White-tailed Eagle across Suffolk (see systematic list), not all of the same bird. Another long-stayer was a White Stork at Lakenheath fen from 21st remaining until April 11th. A great find was a Spotted Crake at trimley Marshes on 24th.
the Rough-legged Buzzard seen during the winter at Slaughden, Sudbourne and orfordness made its final appearance on 4th. Another Goshawk was in the north-east area on 4th, this time at Reydon. the adult Grey Phalarope at Minsmere from 7th to 10th was a different bird from the second-year at Southwold from 8th to 12th. the first of five spring Wrynecks was seen at kesgrave on 10th. Possibly the same Black-throated Diver was observed off Southwold on 10th and 25th. Possibly the most watched bird of the year was the Iberian Chiffchaff at the foxhall Stadium in kesgrave. this bird was present from April 17th until June 22nd. A Siberian Chiffchaff was at Landguard on 19th and 20th. An immature Purple Heron was photographed over Lakenheath fen on 27th. three out-of-season Dotterel were at Lakenheath Warren on 28th. the first Temminck’s Stints of the spring were seen at trimley Marshes on 29th and remained for nearly a fortnight. A Hoopoe was well-watched at carlton Marshes from 29th to May 1st. the day after, the first of two Black Kites in the county was also at carlton with the other at North Warren on 30th.
At iken there was a male Kentish Plover on 3rd and 4th. on 5th and 6th, a Broad-billed Sandpiper was also at iken. A Black Kite visited Minsmere on 5th. then it was carlton Marshes again, this time a Buff-breasted Sandpiper on 6th and 7th. A Red-rumped Swallow was with House Martins at Hollesley Marshes on 7th. the only Grey-headed Wagtail of the year was at Southwold on 11th. A male Savi’s Warbler was singing at carlton Marshes on 12th. A Honey Buzzard was seen at Minsmere and Aldeburgh on 13th and, probably the same bird, on 14th at Dunwich. A singing Golden Oriole was reported at Lakenheath fen on three dates from 14th to 26th and non-adults were at both Bawdsey and Minsmere on 25th. Another good bird in a good month at iken was the Caspian Tern on 14th. two Hoopoes were in the county, firstly at Woodbridge Airfield on 14th and a second at Gazeley the day after. the first of six Pectoral Sandpipers seen during the year was at Minsmere on 18th. there was another Siberian Chiffchaff, this time at Aldeburgh on 20th.
Woodchat Shrikes were at east Lane, Bawdsey on 23rd and kessingland on 28th. At Lakenheath Fen a Savi’s Warbler sang from 23rd to 27th. the pair of Black-winged Stilts at trimley Marshes put up with raptor harassment from 28th until June 1st.
the only accepted Serin of the year was in the usual area, at felixstowe on 2nd. Male Redbacked Shrikes were seen at Leiston on 2nd and Westleton on 5th. Marsh Warblers were in the east of the county on 3rd at least. two Purple Herons were reported, at carlton Marshes, 5th and at Walberswick from 5th to 9th. Also, at Walberswick, a Red-footed Falcon was present from 5th to 7th. Another Golden Oriole was at Minsmere on 5th, this time a male. Landguard, Lowestoft, Hollesley and tunstall were visited during the influx of Rosy Starlings. A singing Common Rosefinch was at Southwold on 7th. A Great Reed Warbler was at Southwold on 9th. A singing male Marsh Warbler was at Landguard on 10th. the Collared Pratincole on 12th seen at Southwold and then Peto’s Marsh, carlton Marshes was found following an unconfirmed report of a pratincole at Minsmere. At carlton Marshes again – this time a Savi’s Warbler singing on 13th. What a spectacle the nine European Bee-eaters would have been at carlton Marshes on 13th, with the same flock gracing Gapton Marshes from 18th to 22nd. Perhaps the mostcolourful bird of the year, and certainly the most-twitched, was the European Roller, which was in the Bunker’s Barn (Lackford/icklingham) area of west Suffolk from June 23rd until July 1st. Another Purple Heron was at Minsmere, a first-summer, from 24th to 29th. the Savi’s Warbler at Minsmere was present from June 17th until July 27th. A colourful female Red-necked Phalarope was at Minsmere on 30th and July 1st.
As usual, this was a quiet month for the rarer species. there was a Black Kite over Wangford on 13th. the bird of the month was the White-rumped Sandpiper at Minsmere from 19th to
23rd. on July 26th a Gull-billed Tern spent some of the morning at Minsmere before relocating to carlton Marshes. A Purple Heron was at carlton Marshes from 31st to August 3rd.
A White-rumped Sandpiper was photographed at Minsmere on 1st where it remained until 10th. Also on 1st, a Marsh Warbler was ringed in Hollesley. A Rose-coloured Starling was seen in Gorleston on 2nd. on 4th a Red-necked Phalarope was on Havergate island. there was an exciting sequence of events when a Black Stork was first seen at Snape Maltings on 12th. two days later this bird flew south through the county, being noted at Lowestoft, kessingland, iken cliff, Havergate island and fagbury cliff. A Bee-eater flew over Minsmere on 18th. the second Spotted Crake of the year was at Snape Wetlands on 19th. Seawatching started in earnest on 23rd with a Balearic Shearwater off Minsmere. on 24th a Caspian Tern was observed fishing off Southwold.
the month got off to a good start with a Greenish Warbler at the old caravan Park at thorpeness on 2nd. it did not hang around though! there was an influx of Wrynecks in the first week, with birds seen at Hollesley, Landguard, Stoke-by-Nayland and kessingland. on 3rd a Sabine’s Gull was observed flying up the coast, being recorded at Minsmere, Southwold, kessingland and Lowestoft. A Lesser Yellowlegs was an exciting find, inland, at Gifford’s flash, Shelley on 13th; it was seen intermittently until 29th. Presumably the same Cory’s Shearwater was seen south off Southwold and then north off thorpeness and Minsmere early on 14th. A Honey Buzzard was observed moving east over Stowmarket on 16th. A first-winter Red-backed Shrike was seen at Minsmere from 22nd to 24th. An unringed White Stork was seen over Brantham on 23rd and then Alton Water on 26th. A rather quiet September came towards a close with a Honey Buzzard south over North Warren on 28th.
A Red-necked Phalarope at Hall farm, fornham St Martin on 3rd and 4th was a great find. on 9th and 10th, a Radde’s Warbler was on North Denes, Lowestoft. At trimley Marshes, a Little Bunting was trapped and ringed on 10th. Another Siberian Chiffchaff, this time at North Denes, Lowestoft, was present on 13th. A Richard’s Pipit was photographed on 17th in a field at Bawdsey. there was another Radde’s Warbler on 23rd, this time at Shingle Street. the only Pallas’s Leaf Warbler of the year was at Pakefield on 24th. the Dotterel at king’s fleet/falkenham with Golden Plovers from 30th until November 2nd was well-watched, but could be a fair-old trek to get to!
the month started slowly. the Black-throated Diver was seen at several localities between Levington and chelmondiston on 9th. four more Siberian Chiffchaffs were all sound-recorded at Southwold, 14th, Abbey farm RSPB, 16th, Southwold again, 22nd and Benacre, 25th to 29th. A Pied Wheatear, on a typical date, was at Sizewell on 14th. three Grey Phalaropes were recorded, at kessingland, 23rd, felixstowe ferry, 27th and Aldeburgh Marshes on 29th, this latter bird remaining until December 2nd. A Hume’s Warbler was at Benacre from 25th to 29th.
A Black Guillemot flew north off Southwold on 5th. After that there were four more Siberian Chiffchaffs, at Leathes Ham, Lowestoft, carlton Marshes, Lowestoft and Lakenheath fen. the Leathes Ham and carlton Marshes birds remained into 2022. A Hume’s Warbler was at Aldeburgh from 26th to 27th.
the Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis is the scarcest of the grebes in Suffolk. it is found annually in small numbers in all seasons, but particularly during winter from December to february. it is elusive and prefers larger estuaries, but is increasingly found frequenting freshwater lakes, dykes and pools. outside of the main winter period, the species is found almost exclusively at freshwater sites such as Alton Water, trimley Marshes, Lackford Lakes and Livermere Lake. ticehurst (1932) gives evidence that Black-necked Grebes (or eared Grebe as it was then known) tried to nest in the eastern counties, but their striking plumage proved too tempting for the shooters and any breeding attempt was frustrated – for example, at Woolpit, between Bury St edmunds and Stowmarket, in 1915. in recent years, summer records of Blacknecked Grebes have become increasingly frequent. Despite birds being noted regularly in full breeding plumage in suitable nesting habitat during the summer months, there has been no confirmation of successful breeding in Suffolk. However, the presence of juveniles in late summer perhaps indicates that breeding may have taken place locally.
April 28th to 30th 1979 Loompit Lake full breeding plumage
April 5th 1980 Loompit Lake full breeding plumage
April 3rd and 7th 1983 Alton Water Pair displaying Apr 7th
May 15th 1985 Livermere Lake full breeding plumage
May 9th to 19th 1986 thorington Street Res.
May 24th to 30th 1986
three in full breeding dress and including pair displaying on two occasions
Livermere Lake Pair, possibly present from May 16th
May 2nd 1987 Alton Water full breeding plumage
May 15th 1988 Alton Water full breeding plumage
May 30th to June 10th 1988 Benacre Broad
one built a nest platform and showed much aggression to the resident Little Grebes
May 15th 1989 Minsmere full breeding plumage
April 20th to 22nd 1991 Livermere Lake full breeding plumage
April 21st 1992 Lackford full breeding plumage
June 23rd to 28th 1992 thorington St. Res
April 24th 1996 Bramford full breeding plumage
May 9th 1998 Lackford full breeding plumage. Juvenile at Lackford August 6th to 11th 1998
April 21st to 24th 2000 Bramford
April 29th 2000 covehithe Broad full breeding plumage
July 12th to 27th 2000 trimley Marshes
Single July 12th to 27th but four July 17th
April 14th 2002
July 27th 2002
Black-necked Grebes attempting to nest in Suffolk
Benacre Broad full breeding plumage
Lackford
Pair. three August juveniles were also noted. Successful breeding was confirmed for the first time in metropolitan essex
May 5th 2004 Bramford full breeding plumage
Apr 27th to May 1st 2006 Lackford Partial breeding plumage
Apr 12th to 16th 2007 cavenham Pair in full breeding dress
May 2nd and May 7th and 8th 2007 Livermere Lake
Apr 24th 2009
Livermere Lake
Apr 21st 2010 trimley Marshes
July 17th 2010 Alton Water
May 18th and 19th, June 17th 2011 trimley Marshes
Single May 2nd and pair May 7th and 8th
May 18th 2012 Livermere Lake two
Apr 29th 2013 Bramford
July 17th to Aug 5th 2015 Livermere Lake Juvenile
Apr 3rd to 5th 2016 Livermere Lake Pair
Apr 25th 2016 Lackford
May 12th 2017 Livermere Lake full breeding plumage
Apr 15th 2018 Livermere Lake
May 13th 2018 cavenham
Apr 5th to May 9th 2020 Waveney Valley
Pair in full breeding plumage throughout period and two pairs present April 15th to 26th. extensive display and probably nest building.
Table 1: Black-necked Grebes frequenting suitable breeding habitat in Suffolk from April to July.
Black-necked Grebes have bred in neighbouring counties at Hilgay fen, Norfolk in 2016 (eggs laid but attempt failed), at Burwell fen, cambridgeshire in 1937 and at Wrabness, essex, in 1999, in Metropolitan/South essex in 2001, 2002, 2013 and 2019 and Hanningfield Reservoir, essex in 2020. elsewhere in Britain, a few pairs breed annually, often colonially, at lowland lakes, with numbers ranging from 41-57 pairs at 20 sites in 2019 (eaton et al. 2021).Disturbance and lack of marginal vegetation may be the most significant factors in the species’ failure to colonise suitable waters in Suffolk. the full list of spring/summer records of birds frequenting suitable Suffolk breeding habitat is shown in table 1.
in 2020, the covid pandemic caused consternation amongst the birding community and, as strict lockdown restrictions were implemented on March 23rd, many of us were left wondering how we were going to pursue our beloved hobby. in Suffolk, we are lucky to live in such a rural county, most of us living not far from the wider countryside. for me, there were two sites that were regularly checked and were within walking distance from my house in Bungay: outney common and a series of local gravel pits.
one of the pits is infamous for its array of resident wildfowl, including many species that have
been deliberately released for shooting purposes. As the gravel workings become exhausted, the lakes are being sold one by one to an italian businessman who invites shooting parties from italy for wildfowling opportunities. over the years, many exotic ducks have been noted and i have christened the site “fantasy Lake”. At one time, there were around 120 Red-crested Pochard (most of the females in leucistic plumage), Ruddy Shelduck, up to six canvasbacks, American Wigeon, chiloe Wigeon, falcated Duck, New Zealand Scaup and Marbled Duck. up to three freeflying ferruginous Ducks were noted regularly. there are obvious introductions of Pintail and Wigeon (many of them pinioned) and, in recent years, around 1000 Mallard have been released annually. in addition, a local farmer regularly tips grain into one of the lakes, which attracts an impressive non-breeding herd of Mute Swans (e.g. 179 on November 28th 2020) and threefigure counts of Greylag Geese. Amongst these were occasional Lesser White-fronted Geese. So, testing wildfowl identification skills can be fun.
My first visit of 2020 was on April 5th and, whilst scanning through the wildfowl, i noted a Black-necked Grebe in full breeding plumage. it wasn’t long before another was found, also in full breeding dress. i visited the lakes on several occasions that week, often in the company of (sadly, the now late) Paddy Shaw (PS). the birds were normally together and, as the pair bond appeared to be firmly established, there was every possibility that they would breed. the habitat was ideal for the species with reedy margins, low willows and the presence of a Black-headed Gull colony –such colonies often being close to nesting Black-necked Grebes in the Low countries.
As Black-necked Grebes are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and countryside Act and covered by the Rare Breeding Bird Panel, it was important that the whereabouts of these birds were kept secret to give them every chance of success. Also, with the covid restrictions, it was important that we did not encourage a twitch. the operators of local and national newslines and the Bto were contacted. our request was met with a mixed response, with most agreeing to withhold information, but one of the national services saying that suppression of the whereabouts of birds was against their policy. the site is strictly private, but there was a problem with a local birder who persistently trespassed and took great delight in putting out news of the “escapees”. thankfully, he didn’t spot the Black-necked Grebes! i was given a special permit in 2008 and have monitored the site ever since. However, access is not entirely free as the timing of my visits has to tie with the gravel works operators as this is, after all, a working pit.
We continued to visit the site on a regular basis and on April 15th, much to my amazement, there were four birds present, all in full breeding dress and displaying. the birds were acting as two distinct pairs and the display included what is described in BWP (cramp, S. et al. (eds.) 19771994) as “forward display”. the pair would come together with their bills open, necks arched and crown feathers raised. they swam persistently in unison close together in the same direction extending their necks forward with their heads parallel but just above the water’s surface. Rushing and diving sequences also occurred. PS managed to get some good video footage on April 18th.
Sun, Apr 5th 2020 07:45 11.30 2 Pair in full breeding plumage
Mon, Apr 6th 2020 17.15 19.00 2
Wed, Apr 8th 2020 16:30 17.00 2
Fri, Apr 10th 2020 13:45 17.15 2
Wed, Apr 15th 2020 06.15 08.00 4 two pairs in full breeding plumage
Fri, Apr 17th 2020 16:50 19.00 4
Sat, Apr 18th 2020
Black-necked Grebes attempting to nest in Suffolk
16:30 19.10 4 Both pairs displaying
Sun, Apr 19th 2020 06:40 10.20 2
Mon, Apr 20th 2020 17:30 19.30 4 Both pairs displaying Wed, Apr 22nd 2020 17:15 18.45 2 Pair frequenting a small overhanging willow
Fri, Apr 24th 2020 07:00 09.30 2 Pair still in vicinity of willow
Sun, Apr 26th 2020 07:15 11.00 4
Tue, Apr 28th 2020 17:15 19.00 2
Pair appeared to be taking nesting material under willow
Thu, Apr 30th 2020 17:00 19.15 2 Pair in vicinity of willow
Sun, May 3rd 2020 07.30 11.30 0 Neither pair could be located
Tue, May 5th 2020 17:30 19.15 2 Pair in vicinity of willow Sat, May 9th 2020 06:00 11.00 2 Pair in vicinity of willow Wed, May 13th 2020 06.30 09.30 0 Neither pair could be found
Table 2: observations of breeding Black-necked Grebes April/May 2020 in the Waveney Valley.
Sometimes, only one pair could be located. the other pair was more mobile but could often be found on one of the other lakes. the original pair frequented a corner of the lake and appeared to take nesting material under a small overhanging willow. We were convinced that the birds were going to nest. the four birds were last seen together on April 26th with the original pair lingering until at least May 9th. An exhaustive search of the lakes in the vicinity of the site was made on five additional dates in May and two in June. No Black-necked Grebes were found.
So why did they fail? the gravel-pit owners had pledged the lake to the italian businessman who had plans to convert what was then two lakes into one and to build a boathouse in one of the corners. Pumps were installed to lower the water levels so construction could get underway for the boathouse. the level was dropped by a metre and the fluctuating water levels were thought to be the root cause of their failure.
this paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Paddy Shaw, my dear friend and travelling companion, who shared the experience of watching these spectacular birds with me on many occasions. thanks are due to John Grant and David Walsh for their valuable comments on early drafts and to Simon cox and Russell Leavett for providing the essex prospective.
cramp, S. et al. (eds.) 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (The Birds of the Western Palearctic): vols i to iX, oxford university Press, oxford. eaton, M. and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel. 2021. Rare breeding birds in the uk in 2019. Brit Birds 114: 646-704. Stoddart, A. (ed) Norfolk Bird and Mammal Report 2016 and 2017. Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society. ticehurst, c. B. 1932. A history of the birds of Suffolk. Gurney and Jackson, London.
using mostly just three, sometimes five, mist nets, 2021 was without doubt another great year for bird ringing at trimley Marshes, especially given the ever-increasing challenges that we faced. our unpredictable climate did its utmost to thwart our ringing operation with unseasonably cold, wet and windy weather during late April and early May and then consistent, moderate westerlybiased winds for much of the autumn. Wind is a major issue when bird ringing as it makes our mist nets more visible and if it’s too strong, we can’t open them for fear of injuring the birds.
in addition to this, footfall on the Reserve seems to be at an all-time high with many people now using the river wall early in the morning for cycling, walking, jogging and dog walking, most of the latter, sadly, off their leads. With this being the peak time for ringing, we now find that we’re packing up much earlier than in previous years.
this makes the resilience of the birds and our small team even more remarkable, so i hope that you enjoy the report.
With another National Lockdown from January 5th to March 29th, the usual winter net lane maintenance wasn’t started until early March when, under licence from the Government and the Bto, ringers were able to commence with their studies if social distancing rules were obeyed. this made for a sluggish start to the year as can be seen from the March ringing totals with just six birds ringed of four species. these did include two chiffchaffs and two Goldcrests with the first chiffchaff ringed on March 7th.
A cold start to the month with northerly-biased winds slowing down spring arrivals. We didn’t ring our first Blackcap until 8th or Willow Warbler until 11th. A total of 51 birds of 14 species was ringed which gave us our best-ever April ringing total with the top three species being Sedge Warblers (16), Blackcaps (11) and Reed Buntings (5). Although the numbers are still relatively small, (excluding 2020 when the National Lockdown prevented us from ringing) we’ve seen a slight increase in our April numbers with 20 birds ringed during 2018 and 35 during 2019 –although this is most likely due to better coverage.
A Grasshopper Warbler ringed on 24th is a first site record for April whilst a cetti’s Warbler ringed here on March 14th 2020 was retrapped on 21st, remaining on territory until at least May 25th when he was retrapped again. interestingly, there were no returning Sedge Warblers from previous years, yet.
A mostly cold and wet month, which many birders believe led to a poor breeding season for a lot of species in the uk, which is somewhat surprising given that we ringed 124 birds of 16 species. this was by far our best May total, which was previously 89 birds ringed back in 2015, a total which included 50 young Blue and Great tits ringed in nest boxes. in stark contrast, May 2021 saw no young Blue or Great tits ringed, giving strength to the opinion that it was a poor breeding season. the top five species were Reed Warblers (33), Blackcaps (19), Whitethroat (17) and also Sedge Warblers (17) and Lesser Whitethroats (14) with the highlights being a Nightingale on 18th, Spotted flycatcher on 27th and our first Swallow of the spring on 1st.
Retraps proved to be interesting with six returning Sedge Warblers ringed in previous years with the oldest of these being a male ringed as a juvenile on August 23rd 2019. Reed Warblers were more impressive though with eight returning birds ringed in previous years. Amazingly, one of these was ringed on May 10th 2015, meaning that it would have been hatched during 2014 or before, making it at least eight years old. As Reed Warblers spend the winter in tropical Africa, it’s fairly safe to assume that this tiny bird had flown at least 80 000 kilometres during its lifetime. two had been ringed in 2016 as adults, making them both at least seven years old so that’s another 145 000 kilometres between them. three more had been ringed during 2019, with one of these ringed as a juvenile on July 14th 2019 which would most likely have been a youngster, raised on the reserve, which had returned to breed, given that he was retrapped again during the summer.
the only young birds ringed during the month were a Robin on 27th and nine Long-tailed tits on 28th.
2021 2020 2019 2018
Dunnock 1 2 0 0 Robin 6 0 1 1 Blackcap 0 2 0 0 Lesser Whitethroat 0 0 1 0 Sedge Warbler 1 5 2 0 Cetti’s Warbler 0 0 1 0 Reed Warbler 0 2 1 0 Chiffchaff 0 3 1 0 Great Tit 0 11 9 5 Blue Tit 26 43 18 11 Long-tailed Tit 7 0 10 0 Reed Bunting 0 0 1 0
Total 41 68 45 17
Ringing details – June often a quiet month for ringing as migration slows down and this year was no exception with only 67 birds of 12 species ringed. the top three species were Blue tits (29), Reed Warblers (10) and Long-tailed tit (7). the numbers of both adults and fledglings ringed were down on 2019 and 2020 which had seen 71 and 97 birds ringed respectively. the following table shows the total number of our more-regular fledglings ringed during June since 2018. interestingly, the only young warbler ringed during the month was a Sedge Warbler on 26th – nearly three weeks later than the first one ringed in June 2020. one species that did seem to fare well was Robin, with six fledglings ringed during the month. As you will see from the following pictures, birds are not the only things that are caught in mist nets!
this amazing male Stag Beetle took approximately 30 minutes of careful handling to delicately remove from our mist net. After a quick pose, he was safely released and walked off none the worse for wear which was more than could be said for my son whose finger smarted for some time after! you can see that it’s not completely true that those giant pincers lack the power to hurt. the whitening of the skin on his finger tells a different story!
After a three-week break, ringing commenced again from mid-month. A total of 238 birds of 18 species was ringed with the top two species being Sedge Warblers (158) and Reed Warblers (36). No other species managed to get into double figures and it was noted that 44% of the Reed Warblers ringed were adults and were presumed to be mostly failed breeders. the undoubted highlight of the month was a family party of three common Sandpipers, an adult and two juveniles, ringed on 25th. other unexpected birds ringed included yellow Wagtail on 21st,
kingfisher and Garden Warbler on 25th and Grasshopper Warbler on 26th. the total of 238 birds is our highest July total to date and was boosted significantly by the 158 Sedge Warblers. this was also our highest-ever July total for Sedge Warblers and with just over 10% being adults, therefore 90% juveniles, it would appear that this species at least had a relatively successful breeding season.
A recently-fledged Reed Warbler was ringed on 31st – so maybe some early failed breeders tried again.
As in previous years, August was once again the best month of the year with 756 birds ringed of 24 species. the top species were Sedge Warblers (471), Reed Warblers (155), Whitethroats (34) and Willow Warblers (20). our total was well down on August 2020’s total of 1079 which might seem surprising considering that we were ringing almost daily in August 2021. it is suspected
that the dried-out lagoons were probably a contributing factor, as the number of birds using the reserve was clearly reduced with hardly any hirundines (Swallows and Martins) or Wagtails being noted throughout the month, suggesting a lack of food / insect life. Most days saw moderate south-westerly winds too, rendering the nets useless after the first two to three hours of daylight. So, combined with the poor breeding season, all in all, we were pleased to have ringed the number of birds that we did.
Bird of the month was a stunning Wood Warbler ringed on 16th. this is our second for the site with the first ringed on August 4th 2019; surprisingly, both birds were caught in the same net site. other highlights included our first-ever common Snipe ringed on 21st, only our third-ever Spotted flycatcher ringed on 22nd, a Nightingale ringed on 21st, three kingfishers, two yellow Wagtails and six Grasshopper Warblers.
Another record-breaking month with our highest-ever September total, involving 365 birds of 23 species, ringed. top species were Sedge Warblers (134), Reed Warblers (64) and Blackcaps (32). A Grey Wagtail on 22nd is the first ringed at the site with other highlights including nine Grasshopper Warblers, all of which were juveniles and ringed between 1st and 5th, three kingfishers and two Garden Warblers.
the following table gives a comparison of the more-regular warbler numbers ringed during August and September since 2015, although from 2015 to 2017 the operation and effort were both considerably lower:
After two great months, we had our worst october for numbers since 2018 with only 127 birds of 18 species ringed. the top three species were Reed Buntings (31), Blue tits (18) and Wrens (13). this compares poorly with 215 birds ringed in 2019 and 255 in 2020. totals of several species were well below average including Robin (5), Redwing (3), Goldcrest (0), Long-tailed tit
(11) and Reed Bunting (31). Whilst a poor breeding season could have been to blame, weather conditions were probably more of a factor with strong westerly winds dominating the month. the lack of Robins and Goldcrests on Britain’s east coast was a feature of 2021. Despite all of this, we were treated to a real rarity in the nets on 10th, with a superb Little Bunting ringed early in the morning. it is a “first” for the reserve and only the fourth acceptable record on the felixstowe Peninsula; the Little Bunting remained on site after its release for most of the morning, much to the delight of a few local birders. other highlights included our second Grey Wagtail of this autumn on 10th (also only the second-ever Grey Wagtail to be ringed at trimley Marshes – see September account) our eighth kingfisher of the autumn on 17th and six Bearded tits.
Ringing details – November in stark contrast with october, another record-breaking month with our highest-ever November total involving 109 birds of 19 species ringed. the top three species were Redwings (35), Blackbirds (28) and Reed Buntings (15). the month also saw four new species added to the ringing list, these being Magpie on 7th, Water Rail on 8th, Starling on 10th and Rock Pipit on 17th.
other highlights included our third-ever Stonechat on 14th, the first two having also been ringed in November in previous years, two yellowhammers and finally our first, and only, Goldcrest of the autumn on 23rd. A cetti’s Warbler ringed on 19th is of interest – we have now ringed one in each November for the last three years. this was more of a relief this year as, like a lot of other species, they seemed to have had a tough breeding season locally with our numbers being the lowest since 2018, despite having a good october, which may suggest that maybe they bred later this year. the following table shows the numbers of cetti’s Warblers ringed during the autumn since 2018:
Recoveries (birds ringed at Trimley Marshes SWT and found elsewhere):
Ring number Species Date ringed Date recovered Location recovered Stats Finding circumstances
AVR2748
Sedge Warbler 04/09/2021 06/09/2021
CAMBS, eLy, LittLe DoWNHAM, DuNkiRk
Duration: 2 days Distance: 90km Direction: NW 307deg
controlled by another Ringer.
ARJ7964 Sedge Warbler 18/07/2020 10/05/2021
WEST YORKSHIRE, SWiLLiNGtoN iNGS.
Duration: 296 days Distance: 269km Direction: NW 318deg
Ring read in the field.
ARJ7912 Sedge Warbler 11/07/2020 23/04/2021
ESSEX, SoutH WooDHAM feRReRS.
Duration: 286 days Distance: 59km Direction: SW 232deg
freshly dead – hit a window.
APN4260 Reed Warbler 04/08/2020 12/05/2021
FRANCE, MANcHe, SARtiLyBAieBocAG
Duration: 281 days Distance: 407km Direction: SSW 209deg
freshly dead – hit a window.
ARJ7965 Reed Warbler 18/07/2020 11/07/2021
SUFFOLK, SHotLey, cHARity fARM.
Duration: 358 days Distance: 3km Direction: NW 310deg
controlled by another Ringer.
Ncy091 chiffchaff 11/07/2021 13/09/2021
HERTS, WeLWyN GARDeN city, StANBoRouGH.
Duration: 64 days Distance: 106km Direction: WSW 258deg
controlled by another Ringer.
Ncy036 Longtailed tit 17/10/2020 24/12/2021
NORFOLK, PuLHAM St MARy, HARLeStoN.
Duration: 433 days Distance: 51km Direction: N 358deg
controlled by another Ringer.
Controls (birds ringed elsewhere then re-caught at Trimley Marshes SWT).
S978914
Sedge Warbler 27/08/2021 05/09/2021
DORSET, BouRNeMoutH, HeNGiStBuRy HeAD.
Duration: 9 days Distance: 260km Direction: Ne 45 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AZt6686 Sedge Warbler 12/08/2021 26/08/2021
SUFFOLK, NeWBouRNe.
Duration: 14 days Distance: 8km Direction: S 189 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AHR3939 Sedge Warbler 03/07/2021 24/08/2021
SCOTLAND, ABeRDeeNSHiRe, NeWBuRGH.
Duration: 52 days Distance: 631km Direction: SSe 161 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AHL3523 Sedge Warbler 30/07/2021 21/08/2021
NORTHERN IRELAND, co ARMAGH, oXfoRD iSLAND.
Duration: 22 days Distance: 583km Direction: eSe 119 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AtL3768 Sedge Warbler 03/08/2021 18/08/2021
SCOTLAND, PeRtH & kiNRoSS, eRRoL, SeASiDe Dyke.
controlled at trimley Marshes. Acc9974
Sedge Warbler
S247144 Sedge Warbler 04/08/2018 11/08/2021
ABR8143 Sedge Warbler 02/08/2021 11/08/2021
Duration: 1 day Distance: 14km Direction: SW 228 deg
Duration: 1103 days Distance: 573km Direction: SSe 150 deg
Duration: 9 days Distance: 69km Direction: SSW 195 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
controlled at trimley Marshes.
controlled at trimley Marshes.
ANL6560
Sedge Warbler 22/07/2021 02/08/2021
NORFOLK, BuRNHAM DeePDALe, DeePDALe MARSH.
Duration: 11 days Distance: 118km Direction: SSe 161 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
c058753
Sedge Warbler 27/04/2021 30/07/2021
SPAIN, VALeNciA, SiLLA, ReSeRVA De LA RAtiLLA.
Duration: 94 days Distance: 1408km Direction: N 6 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
8787763 Sedge Warbler 23/07/2020 25/07/2021
FRANCE, LoiReAtLANtiQue, DoNGeS, touR AuX MoutoNS
Duration: 367 days Distance: 570km Direction: NNe 25 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AZH1919
Reed Warbler 01/08/2021 22/08/2021
SUFFOLK, SHotLey, cHARity fARM.
Duration: 21 days Distance: 3km Direction: Se 130 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AVJ4420
Reed Warbler 05/08/2021 21/08/2021
SUFFOLK, WANGfoRD, HeN ReeDBeDS.
Duration: 16 days Distance: 47km Direction: SSW 210 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AeP9691
Reed Warbler 11/05/2021 31/07/2021
KENT, RecuLVeR, BRook fARM.
Duration: 81 days Distance: 67km Direction: N 5 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
AZJ3507
Reed Warbler 17/07/2020 11/07/2021
KENT, GRAVeSeND, SHoRNe MARSHeS.
Duration: 359 days Distance: 85km Direction: Ne 46 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
S083771
Reed Warbler 05/08/2018 13/06/2021
SUFFOLK oRfoRDNeSS.
Duration: 1043 days Distance: 24km Direction: WSW 237 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
Atf1091 Blackcap 12/09/2021 21/09/2021
SUFFOLK, HoLLeSLey HeAtH.
Duration: 9 days Distance: 14km Direction: SW 228 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
S745216 Whitethr oat 26/07/2021 16/08/2021
SUFFOLK, LANDGuARD BiRD oBS.
Duration: 21 days Distance: 5km Direction: NNW 329 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
ARk9807 cetti’s Warbler 11/05/2021 07/09/2021
SUFFOLK, LeViNGtoN LAGooN
Duration: 119 days Distance: 5km Direction: SSe 149 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
NeB694 Willow Warbler 04/08/2021 10/08/2021
NORFOLK, SiLt feN fARM NR DoWNHAM MARket
Duration: 6 days Distance: 93km Direction: Se 137 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
S743267 Blue tit 19/03/2020 11/04/2021
SUFFOLK, LANDGuARD BiRD oBS.
Duration: 388 days Distance: 5km Direction: NNW 329 deg
controlled at trimley Marshes.
2021 Retraps (birds ringed at Trimley Marshes and retrapped, also at Trimley Marshes, on a subsequent date)
you will see from the following table that the number of returning warblers this year was good with six Sedge Warblers and eight Reed Warblers. Birds marked with an asterisk were caught more than once during the spring and summer of 2021 and, given the capture location data that we also keep, were assumed to be on territory and, hopefully, breeding. Most of those not marked were also most likely on territories given the time between the ringing and retrap dates. on this basis, it’s reasonable to assume that we had 13 male Sedge Warblers and five male Reed Warblers holding territory within our ringing area during the summer.
Sedge Warblers ARJ7806 and ARJ7807 are fascinating as they are a pair caught and ringed together on 25th May 2020 then retrapped together on 31st May 2021 with the male retrapped a few days later. is it possible that they actually migrate and maybe even spend the Winter in Africa together? Being an old romantic, i should love to think so. However, nothing in BWP Vol 6 suggests that this occurs – apparently males arrive on breeding grounds approximately 1 – 2 weeks before the females.
cetti’s Warbler ARJ7162 02/09/2019 23/10/2021 Male Duration: 782 days.
cetti’s Warbler ARJ7765 14/03/2020 21/04/2021 Male
cetti’s Warbler AtP6531 18/04/2021 09/05/2021 female Brood patch
Sedge Warbler AXf5454 23/08/2019 28/05/2021 Male Duration: 644 days
Sedge Warbler ARJ7806 25/05/2020 31/05/2021 * female Brood patch.
Sedge Warbler ARJ7807 25/05/2020 03/06/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler ARJ7816 25/05/2020 18/07/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler ARJ7856 07/06/2020 27/05/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler APN4096 31/07/2020 19/06/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6544 24/04/2021 02/05/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6582 02/05/2021 05/06/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6572 02/05/2021 19/06/2021 * Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6568 02/05/2021 13/05/2021 Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6571 02/05/2021 01/06/2021 * female Brood patch.
Sedge Warbler AtP6543 24/04/2021 23/05/2021 Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6537 22/04/2021 29/05/2021 Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6624 15/05/2021 31/05/2021 female Brood patch.
Sedge Warbler AtP6553 24/04/2021 26/06/2021 Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6562 28/04/2021 04/06/2021 Male Sedge Warbler AtP6668 29/05/2021 11/07/2021 Male
Sedge Warbler AtP6688 04/06/2021 19/06/2021 female Brood patch.
Reed Warbler D910659 10/05/2015 22/07/2021 * Male Duration: 2265 days.
Reed Warbler D910908 28/05/2016 23/05/2021 * Male Duration: 1821 days.
Reed Warbler D910943 23/07/2016 06/08/2021 Male Duration: 1840 days. Ringed as an adult.
Reed Warbler AXf5101 29/06/2019 11/07/2021 * female Duration: 743 days
Reed Warbler AXf5160 14/07/2019 18/07/2021 * Male Duration: 735 days.
Reed Warbler AXf5169 21/07/2019 13/06/2021 Male Duration: 693 days.
Reed Warbler ARJ7812 25/05/2020 02/05/2021 unknown
Reed Warbler ARJ7959 18/07/2020 06/08/2021 female Brood patch.
Reed Warbler AtP6636 18/05/2021 28/07/2021 * Male
Reed Warbler AtP6618 13/05/2021 23/05/2021 * female Brood patch.
Reed Warbler AtP6613 11/05/2021 21/07/2021 * female Brood patch.
Reed Bunting ADe0715 26/09/2018 05/06/2021 Male Duration: 983 days.
Reed Bunting ARJ7654 12/10/2019 27/05/2021 female Duration: 593 days.
Reed Bunting AAP8459 07/11/2020 07/03/2021 female
Reed Bunting AtP6521 11/04/2021 05/06/2021 female Brood patch.
Reed Bunting AtP6694 05/06/2021 10/10/2021 Male
Blue tit S130824 01/06/2018 03/11/2021 * Male Duration: 1251 days
Long-tailed tit LcJ835 05/10/2019 15/05/2021 * Male Duration: 588 days
Great tit ADe0925 12/05/2019 03/06/2021 female Duration: 753 days
Wren LPV908 17/11/2019 24/04/2021 unknown Duration: 524 days
The site the following maps depict our ringing area on the reserve. Map 1 shows our three main nets, in red, being the Rarities, the Pond and the Vc these are all situated close to a borrow dyke with the habitat being a mixture of light Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Reed. Map 2 shows the Path and the Port nets which are only really used at weekends and are situated on the edge of a thick Blackthorn Hedge with a mixture of rough grass and light Reed. you will see from Map 3 that the ringing area is small in comparison with the whole nature reserve, making the number of birds being caught all the more impressive.
Map 1. Map 2. Map 3.
Top – the Rarities Net. Bottom centre – Pond Net. Bottom right – Vc Net.
Top one – Path Net. Lower – Port Net. overview.
the Mickle Mere is a wetland reserve on the eastern edge of Pakenham parish in West Suffolk. it is owned by the Suffolk Wildlife trust, which bought the site and established the reserve in 2002. the reserve was extended in 2007, when the meadow to the south of the Mere was purchased. up to 2002 the site was owned by a local farmer, who grazed cattle on the grassland areas when they were sufficiently dry. the purchase of the reserve was aided by a legacy gift from William Payn, who was editor of the 1961 to 1977 Suffolk Bird Reports and wrote The Birds of Suffolk, published in 1962 (with a second edition in 1978). Bill Payn lived in ixworth, only a few hundred metres from the Mickle Mere and knew the site well.
Although small at just 17ha (42 acres) the Mere is an important reserve for many wetland species. Lying on the edge of Breckland and in one of the driest parts of the country, where water is a scarce commodity, the reserve is an oasis and attracts many birds overflying the area. Wetland sites are scarce throughout west Suffolk and south-west Norfolk and all of the principal sites which have water, such as Livermere Lake, Lackford Lakes SWt and Lakenheath fen RSPB, have important bird populations.
the Mere is situated on the wetter, western part of the reserve and to the south are water meadows, which can become completely flooded when the water levels are very high in winter and occasionally even in summer after heavy rains. Many people seem to believe that the site has only flooded since 1987, when the ixworth by-pass, which incorporated a new bridge, was built on the A143, but this is definitely not the case. in the 1990s i spoke to an elderly lady who knew the area well and she told me that the biggest flood of the Mere she had seen was back in the 1960s and other local people have confirmed this. in addition, there are a number of old records in the cambridge Bird club Reports in the early/mid-1960s of birds such as Bewick’s Swan, Goldeneye, Goosander, Smew and Bittern which indicate that the site was certainly a wetland at that time. Members of the cambridge Bird club visited the Mickle Mere and many other sites around Breckland in the 1960s and published records in their own journal.
the reserve is bounded on the north side by the A143 and to the north-east by the A1088. An unmade track known as Bailey Pool Lane lies along the eastern side; the Pakenham Stream forms the southern boundary and Mill Lane completes the boundary on the western side. A key component of the site is the Black Bourn river, which winds across the water meadows. thankfully it has never been straightened or canalized. the river supplies the water to the site whenever it rises sufficiently to overflow its banks and flow out onto the floodplain. the SWt built a hide on the west side shortly after the reserve was established and this is the main observation point for visitors, but the Mere can also be overlooked from a number of vantage points along the roads and tracks around the edge. Birders visiting the reserve should park off-road on the open area at the front of the Watermill and it is just a 100m walk to the hide.
We have lived just a few hundred metres from the Mickle Mere since 1985, when we moved down from caerlaverock in Dumfries, as i transferred to be reserve manager of the Breckland NNRs. the Mere is my local patch and i can walk there in ten minutes. i compiled a database of records for the reserve in 2014 and have up-dated this annually. the database was compiled from my own records, those of other local birders and a search of the systematic lists in the Suffolk Bird Report. the Bto also supplied a file of records from Birdtrack. the list currently contains records of 170 species plus a further 14 of birds considered to be escapees or feral.
As to be expected from such a site, the list is strong on wildfowl, waders and gulls. to date, 27 species of wildfowl have been recorded. A pair of Mute Swans often nest on the Mere or close by and occasionally small parties of both Whooper and Bewick’s Swans have been noted. in the 1980s canada Geese were the most numerous of the goose species (e.g., c.400 in January 1990) but Greylag Geese have become much more numerous since then and as the Greylags
have increased the numbers so the canadas have declined, with 120 being the most noted in recent years. up to 1000 Greylags have been recorded in the past decade. Small parties of Whitefronted Geese and Pink-footed Geese have been attracted in to join the other geese on a few occasions and there are even records of two tundra Bean Geese in 2008 and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose in 2018.
Wigeon and teal are common visitors from September through until April, with a maximum count of 276 for the former and a peak count of c.700 teal. this latter count was made during very cold conditions in January 2019 when the Mere was 70% iced over and the birds were packed into the remaining open water. teal have nested, as a female was seen with seven wellgrown young in July 2004. Gadwall nest annually if water levels are sufficient, with a maximum total of seven broods and 48 young counted in June 2014. Shoveler also nest in some years, with seven young fledged in 2004 and two broods seen in both 2006 and 2007. there are a number of records of Garganey, mainly of drakes or a pair in spring but in 2004 a juvenile remained until November 19th. conditions are generally more favourable for the dabbling ducks rather than the diving ducks and Pochard are rarely noted but tufted Ducks do breed locally and a brood of 14 was seen in 2001. Goldeneye and Goosander are infrequent and the rarest duck found was a Green-winged teal on March 16th 2009. there is undoubtedly an exchange of birds, mainly wildfowl, between the Mickle Mere and the SWt Black Bourn Valley Reserve, which lies up to three kilometres to the south, at Norton/thurston.
Grey Herons breed locally and visit the reserve daily, as do Little egrets. the latter was first recorded in March 2004 and the maximum count is of 17 on July 21st 2016. Great White egrets have become annual in the past few years and three Spoonbills visited in May 2014. two Glossy ibises were present on May 31st 2016 and spent the next month in the area and a single bird visited for two weeks in spring 2017. Water Rails are regular in winter and may possibly breed, as they have been heard calling in June.
A real highlight was the White-tailed eagle which visited on March 15th 2015. Luckily, a local birder, Paul Haines, lives in a house overlooking the Mere and he saw it arrive and quickly phoned out the news and several birders who live nearby were able to rush down and watch it causing havoc among the wildfowl in the hour it spent there. A further nine species of raptor have been recorded. there are several records of osprey; Marsh Harrier and Peregrine are fairly regular and Red kites have moved into the area in the past two to three years and can now be seen on most visits. Buzzards are also now common locally and are seen frequently. Merlins have been noted twice.
the wader list currently stands at 30 species. Lapwing is the most numerous although muchreduced in recent years. in the 1980s and 1990s flocks of up to 2000 or more used to occur on nearby fields and visit the Mere to drink and bathe but nowadays rarely more than 200-300 are seen. Likewise for Golden Plover; c.4000 were noted on an adjacent field on January 17th 2002 but no more than a few hundred have been noted in recent years. A few pairs of Lapwing nest each year but appear to suffer heavy predation and few young are fledged. oystercatchers and Redshanks arrive each spring and a pair (or sometimes two) of each species will stay to nest if water levels are suitable. Little Ringed Plover are also annual arrivals in spring and one or two pairs have bred in some years and fledged young. Avocets have visited in spring since 2004; in 2008 four were present for a week or more and courtship and mating were seen. on May 13th 2015 a pair of Black-winged Stilts spent the day at the Mere – they were seen mating in the evening but had moved on by the next morning.
Green Sandpipers are the most regular passage migrants in both spring and autumn, with a high count of 20 on August 24th 2016. Greenshank and Wood and common Sandpipers are also regular, with early May being the peak time for Wood Sandpipers. Black-tailed Godwits are annual, with a maximum count of 52 on March 31st 2006. there is clearly an overland passage of waders across the area, as every common and scarce wader you might see on the coast has appeared over the past 30 years. the scarcest are knot, with just a single record of one on April
1st 2005, Sanderling with a summer-plumaged bird on May 13th and 14th 2002 and turnstone with records in 2004 (3) and 2021. there are three records of single temminck’s Stints, all in May, in 1999, 2002 and 2010, a Red-necked Phalarope visited for two days in June 2015 and a Pectoral Sandpiper was seen on october 4th 2017.
Snipe are passage migrants, but some also winter. Passage counts include 101 on october 8th 2004 and 106 in March 1994 but the maximum count is of at least 250 present during a bitterly cold spell in early february 2021. there are only two records of Jack Snipe, but this elusive bird is almost certainly under-recorded.
So far 11 species of gull have been added to the list. Black-headed Gulls are very common yearround and at least a few pairs attempt to nest in most years, but often fail as the water levels recede and expose them to predation by foxes or water levels rise due to heavy rains and flood the nests. in 2014, 140 nests were being incubated when very heavy rains in late May produced a flood, destroying almost all of the nests. in some years an excellent late afternoon/early evening roost of gulls has developed when water levels are good, not too low nor too high. this is most often seen between february and April. Viewing conditions at these roosts are excellent as there is a sheltered, comfortable hide with the light behind the observer and the birds are only 100 to 400 metres distant. the maximum count of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls is of c.3000 on february 18th 2019, yellow-legged Gulls are seen quite often and caspian Gulls have been annual since the first on April 2nd 2006, with a maximum of five on May 6th 2014. Mediterranean Gulls have been seen in these roosts and there are three records of iceland Gull and one of Glaucous Gull. April is the month when Little Gulls are most likely to visit, with four on April 22nd 2019 being the best count, while May is the month for Black terns to drop in, with eight in both 1998 and 2000 being the peak counts. Little terns are very infrequent away from the coast, so two which visited for over an hour on May 5th 2016 was notable. Arctic terns have been seen in some springs. Some birds pay very brief visits to the reserve. i have on a number of occasions seen a bird fly in, land to feed or bathe and then fly off again after perhaps just ten minutes and this applies especially to waders in the spring. on one particular occasion a small party of Black terns arrived one day in May, did several circuits of the Mere and then departed to the east. We shall never know what we miss at a site such as this when it is unmanned, but it is probably considerable! cuckoos are still heard every spring on the nearby Pakenham fen and visit the Mere. i have twice seen young cuckoos in Dunnocks’ nests in nearby gardens in the past 25 years. the whole of the Black Bourn Valley from elmswell up to thetford provides good habitat for Barn owls and a pair often nest in a box on the site provided for them. kingfishers are resident along the Black Bourn river and often seen on the Mere. the Mere is quite well sheltered, with tall trees around much of the edge and this provides good feeding conditions for hirundines and Swifts, especially during inclement weather in April and May. Sadly, the numbers of these birds are much depleted in recent years but 100-200 can still be seen occasionally. About 10-12 pairs of Swifts used to nest in the roofs of local houses but they have been absent over the past five years, while the number of pairs of Swallows nesting in Pakenham village has declined markedly since 1985. i have counted House Martin nests on the nearby Watermill for over 30 years and had recorded a thriving colony of between 20 and 30 active nests every year, with a peak of 32 pairs in 2017, when 22 of the nests were on the rear of the building. However, the spring of 2018, the birds failed to return in their usual numbers – just six pairs nested on the front of the Mill and none on the rear. No more than seven pairs have nested in any year since. What happened to these birds is a mystery – did some disaster befall them during their migrations or in their winter quarters? yellow Wagtails are still regular on the water meadows in small numbers each spring and breed locally in arable fields in some years, while Grey Wagtails are often seen around the mill pool by the Watermill. Passage Wheatears and Whinchats are occasional migrants while Stonechats are wintering birds, with a pair present in each of the past two winters. fieldfares are another wintering species and flocks often feed on the meadows, with a maximum of 180 counted on December 30th 2018.
cetti’s Warblers moved onto the reserve in 2020 and are now almost certainly nesting along the Black Bourn river and Pakenham Stream. Sedge and Reed Warblers have been heard singing in most springs and two or three pairs of Reed Buntings also nest on the reserve. A recent addition to the bird list is the Raven which flew over on october 16th 2019 and records of this species are increasing locally year by year. in some winters Siskins and Redpolls are to be found feeding in Alders Alnus glutinosa and Silver Birch Betula pendula along the Black Bourn river.
of the 14 species recorded as escapees or feral birds, 12 are wildfowl such as Ruddy Shelduck and Bahama Pintail. Barnacle Geese are seen quite often, with up to eight noted. in April 2005 a Saker falcon flew across the Mere and perched in a large oak tree and i was amused to see a cockatiel fly over, shrieking, in March 2010.
the Mickle Mere is a difficult site to manage effectively as there is not much control over the water levels, which are dependent ultimately on rainfall and the level of the Black Bourn and also the underlying water table levels. Also, the gardens of houses along Mill Road, which are adjacent to the reserve, can flood if water levels are very high, so their inhabitants are not keen on high water levels being maintained. even when well-flooded, the Mere is quite shallow and with high levels of evaporation and transpiration occurring once the warmer weather arrives, the Mere inevitably starts to dry out. this has been exacerbated in recent years by a clear trend towards drier and warmer springs and summers, caused by climate change. So during most recent summers the Mere has been dried out fully by June or July, with no water returning until there is substantial rain in the autumn or even mid-winter. When dried out, the Mere can be a disappointing site to visit, as opposed to a visit when water levels are ideal and it can be teeming with birds.
Another problem is run off into the Black Bourn river from overflows of phosphates from a sewage works near elmswell and nitrogen run-off from farmland to the south. this causes an excessive growth of vegetation around the Mere. other management work needed is control of trees and bushes such as sallows and willows Salix sp., which would take over the reserve if allowed to grow unchecked. Grazing of the water meadows by cattle is still an important management tool. But in spite of the above problems the reserve is a valuable wetland site – do come and pay a visit. My thanks go to the many Suffolk birders who have contributed records for the site over the past two decades, especially Steve Bishop, Joe Myers, John Walshe and David West.
Michael Wright, Peter Potts, Paul Newton, Dean Backhouse and Anna Alam
Michael Wright, 15 Avondale Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 9JT, UK; Peter Potts Farlington Ringing Group, Solent Court Cottage, Chilling Lane, Warsash, Southampton, Hampshire S031 9HF, UK; Paul Newton, 28 Upper Cavendish Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8BS; Dean Backhouse, 3 Montana Road, Kesgrave, Suffolk, IP5 1ET; Anna Alam, 7 Thomas Avenue, Trimley St. Mary, Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 0YS.
Between 2008 and 2022 there were 111 Black-tailed Godwits individually colour-ringed at Levington Lagoon on the orwell estuary. these godwits have been observed 3751 times, thanks to birdwatchers in iceland, across western europe south to iberia and the uk the number of observations clearly show how valuable it is to colour ring individuals. Migration routes and movements were numerous and involved a number of different staging posts and wintering areas.
this report sets out to document the information that has been gathered from 2008 to date (2022) on the movements and timing of individual godwits between their wintering, stopover/ staging places and breeding areas. it also highlights the importance of colour-ringing individuals and to acknowledge the significance of observers in the project. the orwell project is just a small contribution in the overall project that is overseen by Peter Potts and Jenny Gill involving ringers in the uk and ireland, part of a wider colour-ringing project involving iceland, france and Portugal. there are also additional projects colour-ringing islandica godwits in Spain and the Netherlands.
Black-tailed Godwits using the orwell estuary were first individually colour-ringed in 2008 as part of a wider collaboration across the uk. the project ‘operation Godwit’ is managed by Peter Potts and involves ringers and groups who are colour-ringing and observing islandica godwits across the flyway.
Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa islandica islandica, breed in iceland with a very small number breeding regularly in orkney, Shetland and the Norwegian Lofoten islands. the breeding population in iceland has been increasing since 1900; in 2016 it was estimated at 67600 breeding pairs (Skarphéðinsson et al. 2016).
the islandica population winters in Western europe, mainly in the uk, ireland, france, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and a small number in Morocco. they may stage when on migration to wintering areas or make a direct flight. Non-breeding first-summer birds remain on their wintering sites and return to iceland to breed in their second summer when they are two years old. Breeding birds return from their grounds in iceland from late June, most leaving in July and early August, with the main passage between mid-July to September. Return passage begins in february within the wintering range with birds starting to move north. the migration to iceland occurs during mid-late April into early May, with the males arriving slightly ahead of the females. All staging and wintering areas of international importance for Black-tailed Godwits within the eu are identified and designated SPAs.
Limosa l. limosa: the West european breeding population winters south to sub-Saharan Africa. the limosa race has been in significant decline in recent decades (Gill et al. 2007). the Dutch population has significantly declined since the 1960s. only a tiny population of the limosa (c. 50 pairs) breeds in the uk and they have largely left the uk by August.
the WeBS five-year average peak count (August – April) of Black-tailed Godwits on the Stour
and orwell estuaries between 2016/17 and 2020/21 is 2286 for the Stour and 784 for the orwell (WeBS annual reports and county bird reports/Suffolk/essex). the breeding population of Black-tailed Godwit (islandica) has been increasing since 1900 (Gunnarsson et al 2005). As a consequence, the number wintering on the orwell has also been increasing from being almost absent in the 1980s to a peak of 906 and a mean of 507 wintering birds. this is an increase of 1777% since the winter of 1984/85 (see table 1. and Graph 1.) with the highest numbers occurring during early Autumn. Table1. Black-tailed Godwit winter (November to March) means and peaks over four winter periods for the orwell estuary 2021/2022 2003/2004 1992/1993 1984/85 Mean +/Peak Mean Peak Mean Peak Mean Peak Mean 03/21 92/21 84/21 906 507 292 219 597 412 82 27 +131% +23% +1777%
Graph 1. Black-tailed Godwit population changes on the orwell estuary from 1984 to 2021 based on peak counts. Blue = Winter, Nov to Mar. orange = Autumn, Aug to oct.
Wintering Black-tailed Godwit numbers, in fact, are higher than the WeBS count indicates. A recent paper (ed keeble 2018) analysed data based on the monitoring of colour-ringed birds on the Stour estuary and showed a high level of turnover. for the Stour estuary, he calculated that more than 5000 Black-tailed Godwits use the estuary in an average year, with more than 7000 when there is a late winter influx. this compares with an average peak WeBS count of 2300. it is well known that intra-estuarine movement occurs between the Stour and orwell; the author (Wright M) on many occasions witnessed birds, in their hundreds, fly low over the water, around Shotley point, or overland and into the Stour estuary. this has been confirmed since 2008 when Black-tailed Godwits were first colour-ringed on the orwell estuary and subsequently observed on the Stour estuary.
from August 2008 until 2012, the Newton, Wright and Backhouse Ringing Group individually colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits; thereafter, Wright and Alam carried on the project up to the present time, 2022.
colour-ringing studies such as this provide data on adult survival and on how individual birds use staging and winter sites both within and between years. Another aspect of colour-ringing birds is that it generates information on movements. it is important to continually update our knowledge on when and where they move to their stopover/staging places, migration routes, how long they stay at any one place and timing of departure to and from their breeding grounds and wintering sites, especially in times of significant climate change and global warming.
By colour-ringing individual godwits there is a significantly higher re-sighting rate for colour-
marked birds than for those only carrying a metal ring. in open habitats such as mudflats, and as a consequence of godwits having long legs, their coloured rings can be identified at a distance without the need for the birds to be recaptured.
Levington Lagoon is behind the sea wall, on hinterland within the mid-reaches of the northern shore of the orwell estuary. the area is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife trust (SWt) on behalf of Suffolk yacht Harbour (SyH). Levington Lagoon is a county Wildlife Site (cWS) and SWt reserve, which comprises tall, rank grassland, reed, scrub, muddy areas, saline lagoons and a perimeter dyke. Water levels are controlled by a fresh water inlet and tidal water though sluices in the sea wall, which flood various areas during the spring tides.
icelandic Godwits are monitored through colour-ringing individuals. on the orwell estuary, at Levington Lagoon, birds are colour-ringed with three 10mm long rings on the right tibia with a combination of orange, lime, orange (oLo), which denotes that the bird was originally ringed on the orwell. on the left tibia, three more 10mm long colour rings are attached. the godwits are also ringed on the right tarsus with a Bto metal ring, which has a unique number and reporting address. the godwits in this study were caught using 60ft, 2-panel North Ronaldsay mist nets, which were erected over areas of shallow water.
Between 2008 and 2022, 111 Black-tailed Godwits were individually colour-ringed at Levington Lagoon on the orwell estuary. these godwits have been observed 3751 times at 163 locations in the uk, Western europe and iceland, thanks to the observations of many committed birdwatchers. Black-tailed Godwits were captured over the autumn and winter periods between August and March. Most birds were caught in october and November when weather conditions were more
favourable (see table 2). During the second half of winter, January to March, the winter weather conditions of wind, rain and ice on the lagoons coupled with tidal conditions, prevented catching opportunities.
Table 2. the number of Black-tailed Godwits colour ringed by month and year Year Jan Feb Mar Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 2008 6 8 10 3 27 2009 1
5 6 5 19 2010 1 5 6 2011 4 4 2012 1 1
2 5 2014 1 1 2017
6 18 2018
2 2 8 2019 4 6 1 11 2020 1 1 2021
4 5 2022 2 4 6 totals 10 5 1 9 13 30 35 8 111 the number of observations clearly show how valuable it is to colour-ring individuals. only four godwits were not seen subsequent to being ringed. By far the majority of observations were on the Stour estuary followed by the orwell estuary (see table 3.).
Table 3. Locations of colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits
Movements of Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits
Map 2. Main sites where colour-ringed BtGs were observed. in Suffolk, apart from the observations for the orwell and Stour, there were a further 120 observations involving 35 individuals. there were 91 observations at 14 staging areas during the periods of migration to and from their breeding grounds. it appears that the Deben estuary is an important staging area (see table 4.). in Norfolk, staging posts were at titchwell RSPB, cley NWt, Snettisham RSPB and Welney WWt
Table 4. observations of colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits at Staging Areas in Suffolk.
From Breeding Grounds To Breeding Grounds Staging areas Mid-July to September February to mid-May
Some examples of life histories one individual, ORL OLO (eW71306), ringed on November 27th 2011, was observed 273 times over a ten-year period. During that time, the bird was site-faithful to the Stour estuary with 254 observations there and only five observations on the orwell estuary. the only observations away from the Stour and orwell were on eleven occasions, in six of the ten years on its breeding grounds in iceland. in addition, it was observed on return migration on July 4th and 5th 2017 at titchwell RSPB reserve and July 31st 2021 at Snettisham RSPB reserve. there were nine other individuals with over 100 observations over ten to thirteen-year periods: LOY OLO (eW71025) ringed october 10th 2008 and observed 140 times over a thirteen-year period. it was observed once in 2009 at Ramsholt, Deben estuary and once at Pin Mill, orwell estuary. All other 138 observations were on the Stour or colne estuary in essex, where it was clearly wintering and staying during the migration periods.
LWL OLO (EW71042) ringed November 15th 2009 and observed 109 times over a twelve-year period, wintering on the Stour and orwell with 60 and 33 observations respectively. other observations relate to staging posts at Welney WWt reserve in March/April (5 years) before it headed on to its breeding grounds, where it has been seen in two different years in west iceland. As a returning bird, it has been observed in July at Hazlewood Marshes reserve on the Alde estuary, twice in different years in July/August in Zeeland, the Netherlands and once in September at two tree island, thames estuary.
LWN OLO (EW71044) ringed November 6th 2010 and observed 123 times over a twelve-year period, clearly wintering on the Stour and orwell with 88 and 37 observations respectively. on April 5th to 27th 2021 (14 dates) the bird used a staging post on the oare Marshes Reserve on the Swale estuary in kent and there was one record of it as a returning bird on August 2nd 2021 at Minsmere, Suffolk.
ORO OLO (EW71270) ringed on february 23rd 2012 and observed 203 times over a ten-year period and was site-faithful to the Stour and orwell estuaries. there were 165 observations on
the Stour, 38 on the orwell and two on the Deben estuary. there were five examples of godwits moving from Spain/Portugal and france to the Netherlands, leaving during the period March 10th to April 26th and being seen on their breeding grounds in iceland between April 24th and 29th. Another godwit, that appeared to be wintering in france, was first observed in iceland on April 29th. there were also thirteen examples of godwits moving from sites in england between March 3rd and April 24th and seen back in iceland between April 20th and May 5th at their staging or arrival sites on the icelandic coast; they then moved to their breeding areas. in addition, there were seven more godwits that were probably wintering in england before returning to iceland between April 20th and May 1st.
LNO OLO (EW71068) ringed on August 5th 2009 and observed 81 times up to April 24th 2015. this bird was certainly a wanderer but was only seen once back on the orwell estuary and the 47 observations for the Stour suggest that this bird was present only during the Autumn passage period. in four years, this bird left the Netherlands and arrived in iceland on or around April 24th and was seen back in the uk in three of the years between July 17th and August 9th.
Map 4. Movements of LNo oLo (eW71068).
LGN OLO (EW71024) ringed on September 29th 2008 and observed 55 times up to November 13th 2015. this bird wintered in Hampshire, Sussex and kent, and was observed at ten locations including several sites at Pagham Harbour, chichester Harbour, Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve Rainham creek and oare Marshes. there was also a single record at cley, Norfolk. there were only three observations on the orwell and 13 on the Stour, which were during the Autumn migration period between 2010 and 2015.
LNO OLO (EW71068) ringed on August 5th 2009 and observed 81 times up to April 24th 2015. this particular bird had a distinct annual pattern of movement. the observations indicate that it wintered in Portugal followed by a staging post in the Netherlands before breeding in iceland. During the following return migration, it spent the autumn passage period, July to october, on the Stour estuary. it has been observed in iceland and the Netherlands in four years and Portugal in three years.
LNR OLO (EW71034) ringed on September 5th 2009 and observed 26 times up to November 9th 2017 but has not been seen on the orwell or Stour since. twenty-three observations have been on the Medway estuary in kent and various locations on the thames estuary. the three staging posts were colne estuary, essex; Hazlewood Marshes, Alde estuary and Burton Mere RSPB reserve, cheshire.
LBN OLO (EW71073) ringed on october 17th 2009 and observed 69 times, clearly wintering on the Stour and orwell estuaries between December and April, and seen in the Autumn migration period in 2015. there were only three records away from the Stour and orwell; April 28th 2013 Loch a’Phuill, tiree, Argyll, West Scotland; october 28th 2009 on the Deben estuary, Suffolk and September 20th 2015 at Woodbridge, Deben estuary, Suffolk.
ONG OLO (EW71389, ringed on November 17th 2017 and observed 153 times. All observations during the winter and passage periods were for the Stour.
OYO OLO (EW71305) ringed on November 27th 2011 and observed 131 times. Almost all of the records are from the Stour where it was seen throughout the winter and both migration periods.
in 2019 and 2020, this bird was observed at the oare Marshes Nature Reserve in kent during June and July. Also, there was one record in south iceland in 2014.
LWR OLO (EW71041) ringed on November 15th 2009 and observed 43 times. this bird wintered in some years on the Stour and in other years on the orwell. However, in five years, this Blacktailed Godwit used the upper reaches of the Deben as a staging area before departing to iceland. this bird was also recorded three times in iceland.
ORG OLO (EW71401) ringed on october 13th 2012 and observed 27 times between october 2012 and July 2021. there were no observations on the Stour or the orwell. Apart from two observations during December 2020 at Sudbourne Marshes, the bird’s wintering areas are unknown. Most observations were on the Deben during both migration periods. two other staging areas were the ouse Washes and castle Stuart in Scotland. there was also one observation in iceland.
ORN OLO (EW71269) ringed on January 8th 2012 and observed 81 times between January 8th 2012 and August 19th 2020, was site-faithful to the Stour and only occasionally seen on the orwell. there was only one observation elsewhere at a staging post on the Deben estuary, July 15th 2015.
OGO OLO (EW71385) ringed on November 17th 2017 and observed 28 times between November 17th 2017 and September 18th 2021. Since being ringed, this bird has not been seen there (orwell) again and there are no observations for the Stour. All records relate to staging posts during the periods to and from the breeding grounds. the staging areas include titchwell RSPB, Gibraltar Point in Lincolnshire, cley Marshes NWt, Hollesley Marshes RSPB, farlington Marshes LNR in Hampshire, Boyton Marshes RSPB, titchfield Haven NNR in Hampshire and Havergate island RSPB.
the movements of Black-tailed Godwits are complex as they differ in their varying wintering areas and staging sites. in Suffolk, islandica Black-tailed Godwits can be observed in every month of the year; oversummering birds are to be found on the coast and prefer fresh or brackish marshes, for example, at Minsmere and trimley Marshes. colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits were tracked in some cases for 12 successive years, which gives a reliable indication as to how consistent their movements are over time. observations, overall and at an individual level, show a wide range of wintering and staging/ stop-over places. Some godwits use multiple sites whilst others use relatively few sites and they appear to be faithful to them in successive years, as has been shown for godwits across their migratory range (Gill et al. 2019). Also, some regularly use the same staging posts to and from their breeding grounds. the observations clearly show that some individuals were faithfully wintering on or adjacent to the orwell and Stour estuaries whilst others are only present during the autumn migration period and a few have not been seen on the orwell or Stour since they were ringed. in some cases, it appears that a few birds colour-ringed at Levington were not seen on the orwell and Stour again, whilst a few others may have only been seen a few times but frequented other sites throughout england i.e. Hampshire, Sussex and kent.
Black-tailed Godwits appear to be using the Deben estuary as a staging post for wintering birds from the orwell and Stour prior to breeding in iceland and again on return migration. in Norfolk, staging posts were titchwell RSPB, cley NWt, Welney WWt and Snettisham RSPB. the ringing site at Levington Lagoon, because of its location, provided the opportunity to catch godwits. the saltmarshes fronting the creek were used by the godwits on a flooding tide, both during the day and night, to pre-roost or roost depending on the height of the tide. Black-tailed Godwits are difficult birds to catch as they prefer to stay out on the saltmarsh, and on the high tides, which cover the saltmarsh, they fly to colton creek on the south side of the estuary. over the twelve years, a modest catch of 111 godwits was made. the exceptional number of colourring sightings, demonstrates the value of colour-ringing individual birds. the success of the project is also largely due to the 288 observers who spent time in the field
recording colour-ringed birds. it is important to continually update our knowledge on when and where waders move to their stopover/staging places and migration routes, for conservation purposes. it was pleasing to learn that many stopover/staging places listed in the report were nature reserves and satisfying to know that these sites are being managed for wildlife. their wintering grounds are mainly on estuaries, which are largely protected by various designations such as a Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSi), Ramsar sites and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). However, despite these designations, many problems are occurring on our estuaries especially here in Suffolk, which are likely to have a detrimental effect on subsequent populations of Black tailed Godwits unless prompt action is taken to protect these specialised habitats.
Gill, J.A., Alves, J.A. and Gunnarsson, T.G., 2019. Mechanisms driving phenological and range change in migratory species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 374(1781), p.20180047.)
Keeble, E., 2018. Black-tailed Godwits as an example of Seasonal turnover of Waders on the Stour estuary. Suffolk Birds 2018, pp.18 -23. Gill, J.A., Langston, R.H.W., Alves, J.A., Atkinson, P.W., Bocher, P., Vieira, N.C., Crockford, N.J., Gélinaud, G., Groen, N., Gunnarsson, T.G., Hayhow, B., Hooijmeijer, J., Kentie, R., Kleijn, D., Lourenço, P.M., Masero, J.A., Meunier, F., Potts, P.M., Roodbergen, M., Schekkerman, H., Schroeder, J., Wymenga, E. & Piersma, T. 2007. contrasting trends in two Black-tailed Godwit populations: a review of causes and recommendations. Wader Study Group Bulletin 114: 43–50. Gunnarsson, T.G., Potts, P.M., Gill, J.A., Croger, R. E., Gelinaud, G., Atkinson, P.W. Gardarsson, A. & Sutherland, W.J. 2005. estimating population size in icelandic Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa islandica by colour-marking. Bird Study 52: 153-158.
Movements of Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits
Gunnarsson, T.G., Gill, J.A., Atkinson, P.W., Gelinaud, G., Potts, P.M., Croger, R.E., Gudmundsson, G.A., Appleton, G.F. and Sutherland, W.J., 2006. Population-scale drivers of individual arrival times in migratory birds. Journal of Animal Ecology, 75(5), pp.1119-1127. Skarphéðinsson, K.S., Katrínardóttir, B., Guðmundsson, G.A. & Auhage, S.N.V. 2016. important Bird Areas in iceland. Publication of the icelandic institute of Natural History number 55. 295 pages.
We would like to thank Professor Jenny Gill and Peter Potts for proof reading earlier drafts. the authors are grateful to Suffolk Wildlife trust who manage Levington Lagoon and Johnathon Dykes of Suffolk yacht Harbour (SyH) for permission to ring waders on their land. thanks also to Nick Goldsmith for producing the maps and Richard Smith and edial Dekker for allowing us to use one of their photographs and Sue Ware for proofreading. the 3751 observations of BtGs away from the ringing site on the orwell estuary at Levington Lagoon was achieved by 288 observers. All observations are important and welcome, however, one observer, ed keeble submitted over 2400 sightings. other multiple sightings were received from Graham Appleton, Simon cox, Jenny Gill, tomas Greta Gunnarsson, ernie Lucking, David and Pat Wileman and Dudley and carol Hird. the success of this project is down to all, so a huge thanks for their observations, and for taking the time to read the colour-rings and submitting the records. Algra Hendriekus, Allard Peter, Allen R, Alves Jose, Anne de Potier, Appleton Graham, Attenborrow Richard, Bach Guillaume, Backhouse Dean, Baines chris, Bakewell David, Barber Lee, Bathgate eddie, Benediktsson Guomundur, Bennett Julian, Benson Martin, Bentall Stephen, Biddle David and Pat, Bird Rita, Blake tony, Bonser Richard, Bos frits, Bosma Sjors, Bourret N, Bowler John, Bradbury Richard, Bradnum David, Bram de Smidt, Brame William, Breeuwsma Piete, Brown Nick, Brundle Graham, Buffery Brian, Burgess Bryn, Burgess Malcolm, Burns Phil, Button chris, Buxton Stephen and kathryn, campbell David, carbonnier cecile, carden ken, carruette Phillipe, catchpole Peter, catley Graham, chambers Lesley, child Brenda, clewley Louise, cock Martin, comwell Dave, conquer Jen, cooper Steve, cornish Mark, courtney chris, cox Simon, crouzier Pierre, cutting Liz, Davis carlos, Davis carole, Dawson ian & Debra, Dayes Gary, Dekker edial, Dennis Mick, Desmots D, Dodd ian, Doe Brendan, Donaldson Lynda, Duijnhouwer Anton, Dulac Perrine and Robin, Dutton Dave, e de kergariou, easton Andrew, einarsson Arni, elsey Martin, elsom Stuart, evans Glyn, faber Rene, fairhurst David, fellows Brian, field Andy, firebrace James, fouquet Michael, francois Le Gall, fraser Bob, freemantle John, Galama Homrand, Galama ysbrand, Gardiner Gary, Geinaud Guillaume, Gerdei Delphine, Gibson Maureen, Gill Jenny, Gilmore David, Glazebrook John, Glombek Graham, Goldsmith k, Golley Mark, Goodie chris, Gooding Ashley, Gretton Adam, Grieco Gi, Grimmett Richard, Grimwood Suzanne, Gunnarsson tomas Greta, Hannington Geoffrey, Harper Stephen, Harris Gareth, Harvey Roy, Hasdell Neil, Hawkins Paul, Hayhow Daniel, Hayward tim, Healey Sue, Hearsum Diana, Hellicar Max, Henderson Brian, Hindle chris, Hird Dudley and carol, Hoekstein Mark, Holmes Paul, Holt Roge, Horellou Bernard, Hotchkiss Joan, Hudleston, Hughs Peter, Huizinga Mario, Hutchings ed, Huxley Liz, Hyden Alan, Jackson, Jackson Moria, Jarman Nigel, Jean-yves Provost, Jeffreys terry, Job ten Hom, Johannesdottir Lilja, John David, Johnson Simon, Jomat Lois, keeble ed, keep John, kennerly Pete, kerihuel christian, king Robert, kitchen charlie, kolbeinsson yann, kruger Ruth, Lacroox Marc, Lake David, Lane kevin, Lanfear Jerry, Larkin Paul, Laubin Alexandre, Leavett Russel, Ledgerton Roy, Lekieffre Alix, Leray Victor, Leslie colin, Leviez frederic, Lister Steve, Lonsdale Matt, Low David, Lucking ernie, Mao Marion, Marchant John, Marsala tony, Marsh Mike, Marston Peter, McBride Alice, McGough Dave, McManus kelvin, McNeill Dougal, Michelli Gaelle, Minter Herbert, Montchaux Geoffrey, Morgan edward, Morrison David, Mountain Jim, Mullins Alf, Munson John, Murgatroyd Lucy, Murry ken, Newson Pete, Newton Paul, Nowers Mark, odin Nigel, oldfield Paul, oliver Peter, oskarsdottir Jonina, Padfield Guy, Parker Alex, Parmaby David, Parslow John, Partridge trevor,
Patrick eric, Pell Robert, Ping Debbie, Pinnegar John, Plouchard Didier, Plume Steve, Poisson oliver, Pope Richard, Potter Laurence, Potts Peter, Powell Mike, Pratt Mike, Rae Alastair, Rafinski Alex, Rees Gareth, Rehfisch Mark, Reynard Steve, Rhymes Daryl, Robert Matthieu, Roberts Barrie, Robertsdottier Gudny, Robin frederic, Robjohns Amy, Ros Jacques, Rothery Derek, Rowsell ed, Sabiniak George, Sampson Lawrence, Sayer kevin, Schmitz Marten, Schofield colin, Scott Richard, Sells Martin, Selway colin, Sherring Alan, Sherwen Jenny, Siddle Bernard, Smale colin, Smart Jen, Smith Damon, Smith Rod, Smith Val and Bob, Sparks John, Spicer Neil, Stace Richard, Stile Darrell, Sulc Michael, Svenson Skuli, Swale Ringing Group, Swinney Steve, tanger Dirk, tanqueray, Vincen, tarbin ian, teade de Boer, tharan Margot, thomas Richard, thompson Andrew, thornton kevin, thorogood David, tijsen Wim, touzalin fred, trew Gary, tuck Denis, turner David, turner Matt, underwood Dean, Valkema Haije, Van de Linden Hans, Van de Waal, Willem, Van Duin Guus, Van yperen Wim, Vandenbrink Joop, Venables Hugh, Verhoeven Mo, Vinard Gilbert, Vonk Rick, Vootman tom, Walker tim, Walker tim, Walsh David, Walshe John, Ward Robin and Judith, Wasse Jonathon, Watmough Brian, West Rodney, Whitehead tony, Whiteman Paul, Wies Jan, Wileman David and Pat, Wright Bryan, Wright Mick, york Ray, Zantboar Justin.
if you are going to find a rare bird, and have it readily accepted by the British Birds Rarity committee, it is certainly best to have one that is simple to identify and deal with. one that is blue and orangey chestnut and about the size of a Jay Garrulus glandarius fits the bill nearly perfectly, and the morning of June 23rd 2021 produced exactly that. We were driving along the Lackford to cavenham road at around 09:00hr when we drove under such a bird (it was on the electricity wires) and turned to each other saying “ that was a Roller”. there was a car close behind so we had to go on to turn round rather than stop immediately. Having done so we were able to confirm that it was indeed a european Roller Coracias garrulus. Luckily it quite quickly moved 100m or so along the road to the vicinity of Bunker’s Barn where there was a bit more room for cars to stop safely and look. A couple of other birders arrived quickly and saw the bird following a mention on the local news group but it then flew over on to private land behind the house. Having obtained a couple of record photos we had to leave – but some observers stayed and were joined by others and after about half an hour the bird was relocated, but only for a few minutes before it flew off again, this time apparently for good.
However, at about lunchtime it was again relocated about one and a half kilometres away in a field adjacent to the A1101 between Lackford and icklingham where it was easily visible from the roadside. By then, a fair number of other people who had come to the area in the hope of seeing it. it stayed there until July 1st during which time it was seen and photographed by many observers.
the field it stayed in was ideal for a Roller with quite short grass being grazed by sheep and this allowed the bird to easily spot any potential prey from its preferred perches on fence posts or
the electricity wires from which it would sweep down to the ground to pick up large insects or, in at least one case, a Slow Worm Anguis fragilis. on one notable occasion it was harassed by a eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo unfortunately, the A1101 next to the field was busy and not very wide for an A-class road which meant that parking was something of a nightmare. the best place to park was up the road at Ramparts field which involved an 800 metres walk along the road and most observers used this route. However, sadly, a few decided that they had to park along the A1101 (there was a small layby quite close by but this could only hold five or six cars) and some even decided to use the farmer’s private drive. Needless to say, this annoyed him and we are told that the police had to be called at least once to sort out the traffic. We hope that none of these latter groups included Suffolk-based birders.
this is Suffolk’s second 21st-century record of a european Roller, the first having been on upper Hollesley common on June 13th 2011. there have now been 29 Suffolk records involving 17 in the 20th century (if we include the Rushford bird below) and two in the 21st century. the only other west Suffolk records that we can trace are from Raydon, near Hadleigh, June 1876 and Newmarket, June 1884. Both ticehurst and Payn accepted, as a Suffolk record, a Roller at Rushford in September 1902. However, Rushford is a Norfolk parish just across the Little ouse from euston – although Rushford Hall is in Suffolk!
the list and its appendices have been written using data supplied by the county’s birdwatchers and conservation organisations. Much of the data comes from Birdtrack. observers are reminded that the rarer birds might need to be authenticated before inclusion. the order has changed and follows the revised Bou list. the raw data have been collated and interpreted by the following, with many thanks to them all:
Gamebirds, Swans and geese Gi Grieco
Ducks Andrew Green
Nightjar, swift, pigeons, Darren then owls and woodpeckers Underwood
Rails and grebes John Davies
Raptors (incl. falcons) Chris Gregory oystercatcher to plovers Margie Carter
Other waders Ed Keeble
Skuas and gulls James Wright
terns and auks Brian Buffery Storks to cormorants Peter Lack
Divers and shearwaters Chris Courtney
Shrikes, corvids, Phil Whittaker crests, tits
Larks, hirundines Nick Mason Warblers, inc. Long-t tit Peter Kennerley
Waxwing, Nuthatch, Richard treecreeper, Starling, Attenborrow Dipper, Wren, thrushes
Spotted fly, Robin, chats, wheatears, other Steve Fryett flycatchers
Sparrows, wagtails, pipits,Dunnock Paul Gowen finches, buntings
Appendices Adam Gretton
the ‘official’ British list is maintained by the British ornithologists’ union (Bou) and, from 2018, uses the international ornithological congress world list. Species are included in various categories according to their status, as follows:
• category A – species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since January 1st 1950;
• category B – species that would otherwise be in category A but have not been recorded since December 31st 1949;
• category c – species that, although originally introduced by man, either deliberately or accidentally, have established self-sustaining breeding populations;
• category D – species that would otherwise appear in categories A or B except that there is doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state;
• category e – species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations are not thought to be self-sustaining. the main part of the species accounts consists of species that occurred in Suffolk in 2021, which fall into categories A and c. Where a species is included in multiple categories, this is shown in the initial status summary. categories D and e do not form part of either the British
or Suffolk lists. Species from these categories that occurred in Suffolk in 2018 are included as appendices to the main list.
the order and nomenclature follow the latest published for the British List by the Bou using the international ornithological union list (Bou 2018). this list can be accessed on their web site at www.bou.org.uk english names follow the same list. Subspecies are listed under the main species’ heading, which includes the scientific name.
the records for each species are listed mostly under the parish where the bird occurred, sometimes followed by a more precise location if known. the exception to this is at the river estuaries and larger, well-known sites criss-crossed by several parish boundaries e.g. Walberswick NNR, Minsmere, orfordness, Alton Water etc. the gazetteer towards the rear of this bird report gives locations for those sites not easily located on a standard road map.
the order of records is north to south down the coastal region, working round the estuaries, then inland from the north-east to the south-west of the county. to minimise any potential threats to site security, some records of rare breeding birds are published anonymously and under a vague site heading.
As much use as possible is made of systematic monitoring schemes such as the WeBS counts. using such co-ordinated data instead of maximum counts gives a better idea of the populations of each species wintering in the county on a given date. However, fluctuations in numbers due to changing weather patterns will affect totals and higher counts are given in the text after the table where appropriate. counts from North Warren include thorpeness Meare, church farm Marshes and the shoreline between thorpeness and Aldeburgh; the Alde/ore estuary includes the complex of the Alde, ore and Butley rivers as well as orfordness, Gedgrave reservoir and Havergate island; and the orwell includes trimley Marshes, Loompit Lake and Bourne Park Water Meadows. counts from the Stour all refer to the Suffolk side and both sides of the estuary if stated.
the larger part of the report, particularly for the more common species, is based upon ad hoc and Birdtrack records. Data of that type are influenced by the distribution of birdwatchers, the weather and other factors that result in imperfections. We are nonetheless indebted to those observers who have persevered with other studies, such as Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), constant effort Sites (ceS) and transect counts and for making the results available for use. A summary of the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is given for all those species for which meaningful data are available – further information can be found on the Bto website.
See ‘A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk’ elsewhere in this Report for information on submission of records.
the following definitions are intended as a guide to the relative status of each species:
Very common: occurs in large numbers in suitable habitat and season.
Common: occurs regularly or widely distributed in suitable habitat.
Fairly common: occurs in small numbers in suitable habitat and season.
Uncommon: occurs annually in small numbers.
Scarce: one or two records each year or restricted to specific habitats.
Rare: occurs less than annually.
Very rare: Less than 15 records in past 30 years.
Accidental: Less than three records in past 30 years. included in the status description is a note if the species is included in either the Red or the Amber List of ‘Birds of Conservation Concern’ this is a paper jointly produced by the leading bird conservation organisations in the uk. See Suffolk Bird Report Vol.47: 6-10 for further details.
the following abbreviations are sometimes used in the systematic list:-
ad = adult N = bird(s) flying north BBS = Breeding Bird Survey NNR = National Nature Reserve ceS = constant effort Site R = River cP = country Park res = reservoir Gc = Golf course S = bird(s) flying south GP = gravel pit SW = sewage works imm = immature WM = Water Meadow ind. est. = industrial estate WP = Water Park juv = juvenile WR = Wildfowl Reserve
(DARK-BELLIED) BRENT GOOSE Branta bernicla bernicla
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E.
During the first winter period the main sightings in the north-east area were around Slaughden and Aldeburgh Marshes where, between January 2nd and february 2nd, there were up to 350 birds. further up the coast there were 20 in a cliff top field at covehithe on february 20th. in the south-east records were predominantly from the estuaries. the peak first winter total was from the north shore of the Stour estuary with a WeBS count of 1520 in March (and still 1011 in April) while on the Deben estuary at kirton Marshes the highest figure was a non-WeBS count of 1350 on february 21st. At least three birds amongst the kirton Marshes flock were seen to be colourringed, as detailed below:
Colour Ring Codes: Bird 1: left leg = red with white f, right leg = black with white 6; Bird 2: left leg = white with black 1, right leg = green with white R; Bird 3: left leg = white with black 2, right leg = green with white N. Birds 2 and 3 looked paired.
elsewhere, the highest first winter site-total on the orwell estuary was a non-WeBS count of 530 at Levington creek, february 19th. colder weather in early february was presumably responsible for a southerly passage of 533 off Landguard on 8th. the monthly passage totals off Landguard are recorded in the table below:
the Stour estuary is justifiably renowned for hosting notable pre-emigration gatherings of Brent geese in late spring – this year’s total was of 830 in Seafield Bay, Brantham on May 21st. Northerly offshore passage in late May involved 32 off Minsmere, 23rd, 32 off thorpeness, 28th and 469 off Landguard, 25th; these latter birds were part of Landguard’s May total of 1805 north. the only mid-summer report involved what is likely to have been the same bird off Landguard, June 28th and July 5th.
As in 2018, southerly autumn passage was very poor. the first reports occurred on the unexpectedly early date of August 29th (see entry below for Pale-bellied Brent Goose at Havergate island) when birds were noted off Ness Point, Lowestoft. Passage was then noted along the coast in its usual blocks, initially around September 18th and 19th, that included 624 south at Landguard on the latter day. the next phase of passage was on September 26th and 27th with 437 off Southwold and 555 off Bawdsey. More passage occurred in the first week of october and again on November 14th and 15th with over 200 off Sizewell and 216 south off Landguard. on the estuaries there were lower numbers in the second winter period compared with earlier in the year with peaks of 770 at Waldringfield, Deben estuary, on December 25th, 381 in Holbrook Bay, Stour estuary, on November 12th and 106, that included 16 juveniles, at Aldeburgh Marshes on December 9th.
Stour north shore - - 1520 1011 - 283 577 1797
there was just a single record from the west with one at cavenham Heath on January 1st and 2nd which had been present at this site since December 27th 2020.
Autumn passage – a question. compare these 2021 autumn passage totals with those of 2011 i.e. only ten years ago, when Landguard’s total for october was 28599 with a peak day-total of 11697 on october 13th. As with other formerly plentiful winter visitors to Britain, are Brent Geese now “short-stopping” i.e. shifting their wintering grounds north-eastwards in response to increased temperatures? Philip Murphy
(PALE-BELLIED) BRENT GOOSE Branta bernicla hrota
Uncommon winter visitor. Amber list. there were a few more sightings in 2021, across both winter periods: North Warren: North Marsh, two, Jan 17th
Aldeburgh Marshes: Jan 26th to feb 3rd Slaughden: with eight Dark-bellied Brent Geese, Mar 21st and 22nd Kirton: up to three, Jan 9th to Mar 3rd A bird off Ness Point, Lowestoft on August 29th is the earliest autumn arrival recorded in Suffolk since 1970 when a group of eight at Minsmere, August 28th and 29th relocated on the latter date to the Blyth estuary where they remained until September 5th. there were higher totals in the second winter period:
Lowestoft: Ness Point, six north, Nov 22nd Minsmere: the Scrape, Sep 13th Thorpeness: Sep 19th
Hazlewood Marshes: two, Sep 12th
Havergate Island: six adults at the southern end of the island, associated with unseasonable cold northerly wind, Aug 30th; Nov 18th
Deben Estuary: Waldringfield, adult, Dec 22nd to 31st Felixstowe Ferry: south, Nov 13th; south, Dec 4th (presumed same as at Landguard) Landguard Bird Observatory: Nov 1st; south, Nov 13th; south, Dec 4th Stour Estuary: Seafield Bay, two, Sep 8th to 11th
BLACK BRANT Branta bernicla nigricans
Scarce visitor.
A single record for 2021, from the lower reaches of the Deben estuary where the subspecies has occurred in ten of the years so far this century.
Kirton: intermittently from feb 14th to 26th (P J Holmes et al.)
GREATER CANADA GOOSE Branta Canadensis
Common resident. Categories A, C and E.
Present all across the three recording areas, each with flocks into three figures but generally a higher number of larger flocks in the south-east. Despite being widespread, the species was only present in two 1km BBS squares, the lowest-ever total and the same applied to the number of individuals with only 22 counted, the average between 2010 and 2019 having been 114 – so a much lower number for 2021. Looking at the records sent in to the area recorders, they were found at 28 locations in the south-east compared with 22 in the west and 18 in the north-east.
the number of breeding sites was similar to the previous year, just slightly up at 28 sites, of which, as usual, the highest total was found in the west with 11. the other areas were slightly
lower with nine in the south-east and eight in the north-east. the number of pairs was down to 51 from the 60 in 2020 while the number of young recorded was much lower again, just 62 noted (117 in 2020). Again, many records do not record numbers. Amongst the breeding sites with notable information was christchurch Park, ipswich where there were six broods totalling 13 goslings on the Wilderness Pond, although of these no more than seven fledged. Also in ipswich, in chantry Park, a pair raised six goslings. Both at trimley Marshes SWt and Hollesley Marshes RSPB multiple broods were reported. At Hall farm, fornham St. Martin there were broods of six and five goslings, at Great Saxham three broods were seen while at Lackford Bridge, on the trout lakes, there were broods of six, four, four and two goslings. the highest count of the year was 700 at orford on November 3rd. there were several large counts at Hollesley and Boyton Marshes, the highest of which was c.550 on october 26th at the former site. cavenham also had regular large flocks with 500 present on December 19th being the highest, while, elsewhere in west Suffolk, there were 260 at Little cornard on January 29th and 222 at Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford on february 14th. the largest flocks in the north-east were c.150 at Minsmere on october 20th and 140 at Snape Wetlands on September 22nd.
the only Suffolk records in excess of the figure of 1604 (october Stour estuary above) are 1800, Lackford Lakes, December 1989 and a WeBS count of 2148 on the Alde/ore/Butley estuary complex in January 2013.
the canada Goose often hybridises with other goose species and a few were noted around the county in the year. Records of canada x Greylag Goose hybrids included up to five at Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford and also at cavenham Heath and Barton Mills. they were also noted at Aldeburgh Marshes, Hollesley Marshes, Landguard and Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin. canada Goose X Barnacle Goose hybrids were recorded at Minsmere and Snape Wetlands and up to three at Hollesley Marshes.
Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant; increasingly common feral resident. Amber List. Categories A and E.
During the two winter periods the north-east coastal area, predominantly between Southwold and North Warren, holds large flocks. these flocks are noted to move up and down between sites in the area. the south-east usually has one or two flocks in double figures but nothing compared with further up the coast, while Landguard often sees birds on passage past the site. in the west, as usual, there are usually only the occasional feral birds apart from one site that has had higher numbers in recent years.
Barnacle Goose bred at three sites again this year, although there was no breeding at carlton Marshes, where it occurred in 2019 and 2020. A new site, Botany Marshes, part of Snape Wetlands RSPB, was added to the list. Minsmere has always been the principal breeding site (29 pairs in 2019) but there were only four pairs recorded this year. At Botany Marshes a pair had seven young while on Havergate island a pair was noted nesting.
the largest flock of the first winter period was 650 at Southwold on January 3rd with 300 at North Warren a couple of weeks later. elsewhere in the north-east area, 40 were at Sotterley Park on March 7th and eight flew east-north-east over the oval, Lowestoft Denes and then out to
sea on May 20th. the highest flocks in the south–east were 35 at Hollesley Marshes on february 15th and 45 at Sudbourne Marshes on March 15th. there was a bit of movement towards the end of february past felixstowe, with 124 south past Landguard on 25th being the largest count. overall, 216 were noted flying south past Landguard in february.
in the autumn, numbers increased and there were generally larger counts throughout the period. the highest was c.1000 at Minsmere on october 9th and there were c.750 at Dunwich shore pools on November 9th. there were only low numbers further down the coast with 21 at Snape Wetlands in September.
in the west single birds were noted throughout the year; at cavenham Heath, Little cornard and Bto Nunnery Reserve but there were three at Livermere Lake on March 19th and the usual flock at centre Parcs, elveden peaked at 34 on November 5th. there is an ongoing Bto ringing project for Barnacle Goose in Norfolk and several of these ringed birds were noted in Suffolk including ‘many’ of the 21 birds at Snape Wetlands RSPB in September and over 25 birds in a flock of 125 at Minsmere on october 20th.
GREYLAG GOOSE Anser anser
Common resident from feral flock. Amber List. Categories A, C and E. Widely spread around the county on the various lakes and grazing marshes. Recorded from more sites in the south-east which also had some of the highest flock sizes. Similarly, the species was found in a number of sites in the west with some large flocks but it has been six years since the flocks reached four figures when in 2015 peak totals at Livermere Lake were 1100 on September 27th and 1035 on october 18th. the species was not as frequent in the north-east but still some large flocks occurred. the species was recorded in ten 1km squares during the Bto Breeding Bird Survey, with double-figures in some of the squares. the number of individuals counted was 151, the highest total since 2015.
After a large increase in the number of breeding sites last year (43), in 2021 the number reduced to 26, similar to that in 2019 (27). the highest numbers were in the west with the other two areas having equal totals. the number of pairs though was down to 53, compared with 73 in 2019 and 57 in 2020, but in contrast the number of young recorded increased, up to 120; this total is obviously dependent on the detail within the records submitted. Some notable breeding records include a pair with nine goslings at Hen Reedbeds SWt, three pairs with 14 young of various ages at church farm Marshes, Burgh castle, over 30 fledged young at Snape Wetlands and ‘multiple’ broods at Minsmere. there were eight pairs at Staverton Lakes, Wantisden, at least six broods at Hollesley Marshes and ‘multiple’ broods at Ramsholt. At culford Park there were 23 young within three or four broods, five broods at Lakenheath fen and ‘several’ broods at the trout lakes at Lackford Bridge. the largest flock of the year was 750 at Lakenheath fen RSPB on September 15th. other high counts were 710 at trimley Marshes SWt on November 5th, 600 at cavenham Pits on December 18th, 575 at Hollesley Marshes RSPB on october 9th and 562 at Alton Water on December 19th. Livermere Lake, which traditionally always had the largest flocks, had a flock of 447 on June 19th. in the north-east the highest counts were c.275 at North Warren RSPB on January 18th, 274 at Snape Wetlands RSPB on August 31st and 250 at church farm Marshes, Burgh castle on December 12th.
At Lakenheath fen a neck-collared bird was present on July 28th. this bird had been ringed three weeks previously at cranwich, between thetford and Swaffham in south-east Norfolk.
Please correct 2085 at Livermere Lake on November 11th 2007 (Suffolk Birds 2020: 67) to read 1285.
Rare winter visitor. Red List. Categories A and E. Noted at the pool by the hide at Hen Reedbeds with Greylag Geese and also flew to the fields to the north of the reedbeds. the first in Suffolk since 2018 when one was at Hollesley Marshes on february 16th.
Hen Reedbeds SWT: Mar 10th to Apr 13th (P Green et al.)
Common winter visitor northwards from Lowestoft, uncommon elsewhere. Uncommon passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. there were lower numbers in the first winter period with only two flocks into three figures involving 100 that flew north-west at easton Broad and covehithe on January 1st and 700 at flixton (near Lowestoft) on January 31st. the only other notable counts were possibly the same birds on January 2nd with 50+ at Leathes Ham, Lowestoft, 65 at Sotterley Park and 55 at carlton Marshes and 35 flew west at Bungay on January 9th. A single bird was around Southwold, Reydon Marshes and Hen Reedbeds through to March 18th with single sightings at Southwold on April 26th and May 22nd at Hen Reedbeds. in the south-east at Hollesley Marshes, but also at Boyton and Sudbourne Marshes, up to six birds were present throughout the whole period up until May 7th. At trimley Marshes there were two present, with a possible further three birds, on february 25th and this was confirmed the
following day. After that, there were just two present until March 22nd. At Pipps ford, Barking, on february 24th there were 14 birds recorded on nocturnal migration (P Whittaker). there was a single bird on White Horse Marsh, east Bergholt on April 4th with two birds north at Landguard on the same day. Landguard also had six birds fly west on April 9th. the first birds of the autumn were 27 that flew east at carlton Marshes on September 25th and, at the same site, 80 flew south on october 10th. on october 13th, 500 flew in off the sea at Dunwich beach in three groups and continued west. this was a precursor to a number of sightings over the following days including the largest flock of the year, c2500, at Peto’s Marsh, carlton Marshes on october 14th. the same day 500 flew north at Worlingham and 300 west, then north, at Wenhaston. the following day 500 flew in off the sea at Ness Point, Lowestoft. on october 17th, 400 birds were over kessingland beach and most probably the same birds were seen at carlton Marshes. the next big flock was at Barsham Marshes where 750 flew over on october 23rd and there were a few sightings from Somerleyton Marshes, the pick of which was c2000 on December 22nd. the only records in the south-east for the second winter period were from nocturnal flight calls at Pipps ford, with five on october 9th and 26 on November 11th.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. the flock of 25 that had been present at Blythburgh during December 2020 was still present in the field beside Wenhaston Lane on January 1st. the following day they were noted at Southwold town Marshes but there were no further sightings of this flock. on January 9th seven birds flew north over Minsmere and they were also seen north over Dunwich. the flock of up to 15 that was present in December 2020 at Hollesley Marshes remained with 12 birds noted until January 17th, and up to seven birds throughout february at this site and nearby Boyton Marshes and a final single bird at Sudbourne Marshes on february 21st. At trimley Marshes there were up to four birds up until mid-March then a single bird which remained at the site until May 9th was also noted nearby at Sleighton Hill, close to Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin on April 4th. Additionally, four birds were at felixstowe ferry on february 9th. there was only a handful of sightings in the second winter period; an early arrival involved a single bird on october 10th in the Lowestoft area over Ness Point and North Denes before heading north over Gunton Warren. At carlton Marshes, 21 circled low then flew off north-west on November 21st and a single bird was present on Aldeburgh Marshes on December 23rd. further south, two flew north over east Lane, Bawdsey on November 22nd.
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List. Categories A and E. the nationwide influx of this goose in November and early December 2020 had resulted in eight three-figure flocks reported from the the Suffolk coastal region (maximum 310, Gedgrave Marshes, December 9th) as well as 200 in central Suffolk at Hintlesham and peak counts of 42 and 39 in west Suffolk (Suffolk Birds 2020: 69). the effects of this influx continued into the early months of 2021. on January 1st there was some movement with c.40 seen to come in off the sea and continue high west where they were then seen heading north over carlton Marshes. the same day ten flew west over the A12 at the Blyth estuary. on the grazing marshes there were big flocks, with up to 400 at North Warren in January and then on January 25th 690 were at Aldeburgh Marshes, the largest flock noted in the county since December 31st 2010, when 725 were at North Warren. this flock, although with lower numbers, remained in the area through february and was also noted to have small parties commute between this site and North Warren. elsewhere in the north-east there were 28 at Bulcamp Marshes, Blythburgh on January 7th and up to 12, including three first-winter birds, at Mendham Lane, Homersfield from february 10th to 15th. At Benacre Broad, 30 circled overhead
and then flew south on March 2nd and at carlton Marshes there were 45 on March 7th and 32 on March 15th. During March there were up to 71 birds in the Hen Reedbeds and Reydon Marshes area with 18 last noted at the latter site on March 21st. the principal site in the south-east was Hollesley Marshes with 250 present on January 1st. Numbers lessened at this site through february and March with a single bird, possibly injured, through April and up until May 7th. Some of the flock was also occasionally noted at nearby Boyton Marshes. At Sudbourne Marshes the flock reached 330 on february 21st. the other main site was trimley Marshes with 24 present on January 9th, plus 14 at nearby Sleighton Hill, trimley St Martin. there were no further records at trimley Marshes until three on february 16th and birds remained at the site until April 16th, reaching a maximum of 36 on March 15th. elsewhere in the area other records came from Martlesham creek, with 17 on January 1st, 120 at Levington creek and across the river at chelmondiston on January 12th, 34 at cattawade on March 7th and 13th, 32 at kirton creek from March 15th to 17th and a late bird at east Lane, Bawdsey on May 9th that associated with Mute Swans. At Landguard, 47 flew north, January 3rd and one was present, grounded by fog on March 3rd. in the west, the species was only present in the first winter period. the main site was Little cornard with seven on January 1st, with the next sightings from January 28th to february 5th when ten were present, then 19 from March 2nd to 12th, which included an individual that had a neck collar with figures D1V. two were at cavenham, on the field to the entrance to Marston’s Pit, from January 1st to 11th. two were at tuddenham St Mary on January 3rd and single birds at Mickle Mere on January 3rd and from february 13th to 15th. two were at Meldham Washlands, Withersfield from March 4th to 21st while 11 were present at Lackford Bridge from March 6th to 22nd. At Sturmer Mere, kedington there were 22 on March 9th and 28 on March 19th. finally, a late bird was at Livermere Lake on April 9th. the first bird of the autumn was at Dingle Marshes on october 14th. At Slaughden, two flew in off the sea then continued south on November 7th. the first large flock was at North Warren where 60 were present on November 23rd. this site and nearby Aldeburgh Marshes were the principal localities during the period with birds again commuting between the two sites. of note, from a flock of 71 birds at Aldeburgh Marshes on December 9th, 21 were juveniles. the largest flock was at North Warren, with 280 on December 21st. other records involved three at carlton Marshes on December 19th and two on Southwold town Marshes on December 25th.
there were fewer records in the south-east and only from two sites, Boyton and Hollesley Marshes with birds present at the former site on November 21st then at the latter during December on a number of dates. the peak count was 30 on December 18th at Hollesley Marshes, consisting of 14 birds opposite the car park and a further 16 on the site’s scrape.
Locally fairly common resident. Categories C and E. unlike most years, egyptian Goose was recorded from more sites in the south-east, 29, as opposed to the west, 26, with ten in the north-east. the species is known to be quite mobile and investigates potential new water sites. in the Bto BBS the species was recorded in four 1km squares, a typical number for the last decade but the number of individuals, seven, was lower than average for that period.
the 24 locations where breeding was noted is the same as last year, of which 18 were found in the west showing that, despite being found in fewer sites this year, the area is still the most important in which the species breeds. on the other hand, there were only two breeding sites in the south-east along with four in the north-east. there was an increase in the number of pairs, up to 36, and the number of young was also much higher, 126 in total. Notable breeding records in the coastal region included four pairs at thorpeness Meare and six pairs at Snape Wetlands including one pair with six young and another with eight. in the west a pair was at Denham with ten young and pairs with eight young were present at Livermere Lake, culford Park, Gifford’s Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland and ickworth Park. there were a couple of late broods; a pair with four young at cavenham Pits on September 5th and a pair with small young at Rushbrooke on october 22nd with two goslings still present on November 16th.
in 2019 the county’s highest-ever flock of 150 egyptian Geese had been present at Livermere Lake but in 2021 this record was easily exceeded at the same site when 219 were present on July 14th. At Hall farm, fornham St. Martin there were 154 on September 12th and 122 at timworth on September 28th. other high counts were 94 in the south-east at Alton Water on August 24th, and 35 at Barsham Marshes on february 16th and 19th which was the highest count in the northeast.
thirty five were recorded off Landguard during the course of the year, with peak counts of ten west, September 20th and 14 south, october 25th.
Common resident. Green list (from Amber). Categories A and C. Widespread across the county’s wetland habitats, predominantly along the coastal marshes and through the Suffolk river valleys and lakes. Recorded from 87 locations across the county, fairly evenly split between the regions although higher in the south-east. During the Bto Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) Mute Swan was recorded from eight 1km squares, a typical number for recent years, although the number of individuals, 93, is a significant reduction from the larger totals counted in recent years (e.g., 129 in 2019, 179 in 2017).
of which 13 were in each of the north-east and south-east areas and 12 in the west. the number of pairs was also down, to 50, from 71 the previous year, while the number of young was also lower with 117 recorded (139 in 2020). in mid-June, at Lound Lakes, there was a pair with five cygnets around two weeks old on the eastern side, with another pair with seven cygnets of the same age on the western side along with another pair on a nest. At Barsham there was a pair with seven cygnets. At trimley Marshes there was one pair with six cygnets and another with two while at king’s fleet a pair had nine cygnets. At Lackford Lakes four pairs bred successfully. At culford Park, breeding attempts by two pairs failed and only one cygnet survived from a brood of four hatched out by a third pair. fewer large herds were recorded this year. Amongst the north-east sites which regularly attract larger numbers, carlton Marshes and Hazlewood Marshes again had high counts; 90 on May 30th at the former site and 109 at the latter on August 23rd. At Barsham Marshes there were 103 counted on february 24th. the Alde estuary, which is the boundary between the north-east and south-east recording areas, had a herd of 100 in the middle of the estuary on September 20th. elsewhere, in the south-east, there were large counts at the following sites; 110 at king’s fleet/falkenham Marshes on December 3rd, 108 at east Lane, Bawdsey on March 1st, 105 at Shingle Street on January 22nd and 101 at Alderton on January 6th. these last three totals are of the same herd. No three-figure herds were recorded in the west; the largest gathering was at Sudbury with 91 on November 28th, split between 63 at Brundon Mill, 21 at Mill Hotel and 7 opposite North Meadow common. elsewhere there were 48 at Livermere Lake on April 21st, 40 at Lakenheath fen on December 10th and 37 at Lackford Lakes on July 21st.
TUNDRA (BEWICK’S) SWAN Cygnus columbianus bewickii
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List (from Amber). unfortunately, the recent declines in Bewick’s Swans have seen it added to the latest Red List of Birds of conservation concern.
As with most years this species was most often found along the coastal strip in the north-east, with all but three sightings from this area. Additionally, only two records were not from the coastal region. two birds flew east over Aldringham village on January 6th. At Hinton fiveways, Blythburgh, two birds were present on January 14th and birds remained in this area, including Minsmere, until March 7th. the maximum count was nine, when seven were at Hinton Grange, Blythburgh, while two adults were at Minsmere, at the same time, on february 19th, while on february 24th, what was presumably the same nine birds flew over Minsmere work centre early morning having roosted on island Mere. A juvenile was found dead on the tideline along Barthorp’s creek by Hollesley Marshes on february 15th.
in the second winter period there were seven birds at Dingle Marshes on November 9th and what were likely to have been the same seven birds were at covehithe Broad on the same day. these birds at covehithe, including four first-winter birds, were present on a few other dates and were also noted at Blythburgh and Minsmere until the end of the year and at Lymball’s Lane, Westleton on December 30th. At Minsmere, on December 24th, there were eight birds and they included an individual fitted with a neck collar marked 354e and white alphanumeric on the left leg; this bird had been caught and ringed in the Netherlands, and was at Abberton Reservoir, essex the previous week. the year’s only south-east area record involved two at falkenham on November 29th.
the only two records away from the coastal region involved five in the Brett Valley at Shelley (just south of Hadleigh), January 9th and 16 in the Waveney Valley at Bungay on December 12th.
As above, Bewick’s Swan with neck collar marked 354e and white alphanumeric ring on left leg at Minsmere with seven other birds on December 24th. this bird was ringed in the Netherlands and was at Abberton Reservoir in the week prior to turning up at Minsmere.
WHOOPER SWAN Cygnus cygnus
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. three were on island Mere at Minsmere on January 1st and remained at the site up to March 19th when there were four present. eight flew west over Wrentham on January 2nd and these birds were also noted at frostenden and Sotterley. the highest count in the area was 17 at Benacre Broad and Pits on January 6th. close by at covehithe Broad two corpses were found on february 19th (see Bewick’s Swan above – Hollesley). At Barsham Marshes 14, including 13 adults, where present throughout the month of february and decreased to three birds on March 1st. Nearby there were five at carlton Marshes on March 6th. in the south-east the only report was of a single bird, with Mute Swans, on Sudbourne Marshes from february 21st to March 20th. Lakenheath fen RSPB was the principal site in the west for sightings, being present from January 3rd to March 30th, reaching a maximum of 200 on January 5th. A single bird was present at the site on both April 8th and May 7th. At nearby Sedge fen, Lakenheath, there were 24 on february 20th and two at ingham in the last week of January. in the north-east the first birds of the autumn were nine which flew high north-west over carlton Marshes on october 22nd. there were five birds on the sea off Sizewell beach on November 8th. from that date there were birds present at Minsmere until the end of the year, reaching a maximum of 15 on December 31st. these included birds that had been present in sugar beet fields along Lymball’s Lane, Westleton. it was considered that seven birds which flew over a house in Leiston on December 21st were possibly the same as those noted to come in off the sea at Landguard Bird observatory and head north-west earlier the same day. A further bird flew over LBo, this time south, on December 24th. elsewhere in the south-east two birds were at Hollesley Marshes on october 22nd and one at trimley Marshes on November 18th. in central Suffolk, two were picked up by nocturnal calls at Pipps ford, Barking on November 19th. from November 29th to December 19th two birds were on the Deben estuary marshes around king’s fleet and falkenham. the first returning birds at Lakenheath fen were noted on october 9th. there were 140 birds present on october 19th and then numbers increased rapidly, reaching a maximum of 2317 on November 5th, a new county record total, the previous highest being 1776, also at Lakenheath, on october 18th 2020. the following day there were 1662 at the site, including 97 juveniles, that roosted overnight and left the following morning. elsewhere, nine flew over Brandon Park Heath on November 18th and five flew over Santon Downham at High Lodge, thetford forest on December 27th.
overall, non-breeding numbers were at their peak in November and December and included the year’s highest WeBS count of 1008 on the Alde/ore estuary, November 7th and also a WeBS count of 535 on the Blyth estuary, December 19th, the highest at this site since 2008. Aside from the table, 114 were present at Havergate island, part of the Alde/ore estuary complex, May 23rd and numbers at this estuary remained significant throughout the summer months with counts at Hazlewood Marshes of 259, June 7th, 185, July 20th and 140, August 18th. in addition, a count of 115 was made at Livermere Lake, June 17th.
A total of 39 breeding pairs was reported from 17 sites, the majority in the west of the county, which is similar to last year when 43 pairs were recorded at 16 sites. Livermere Lake accounted for 12 of these pairs, although no data were received from orfordness, traditionally the main site in the county.
As usual, offshore counts peaked in the final quarter of the year. the largest daily movement involved 75 south off Minsmere, November 15th, while cumulative southerly passage off Landguard totalled 104 in october, 158 in November and 153 in December.
Uncommon feral visitor. Small breeding population. Categories C and E.
the above table shows that numbers remain at an unprecedented high. indeed, the record count of 36 set last year at christchurch Park, ipswich in September was equalled at Brandon country Park, october 19th.
Breeding was confirmed at three sites. A female was observed with three young at christchurch Park, but none survived long; a pair nested in a garden Barn owl box at occold for the second successive year and ten young left the box, but were not reported subsequently and a pair nested in a box at ipswich Golf club, Purdis farm, although no young were recorded.
Reydon: River Blyth, pair west, Mar 15th
Minsmere: male, oct 15th
Snape Wetlands: male, Aug 26th and Sep 1st
Wantisden: Staverton Lakes, Dec 19th
Martlesham Creek: seven, Aug 22nd
Ipswich: Westerfield Road, two in flight, Apr 13th; christchurch Park, female with three newly-hatched young, May 21st, but none survived by May 26th; Holywells Park, four, Jan 16th; five (three males), feb 19th; four males, June 2nd; eight (four males), oct 31st
Purdis Farm: ipswich Golf club, five (three males), feb 26th and Mar 7th; nesting pair in box and additional male, Apr 3rd and 29th; four males, May 10th; two males, June 3rd; male, July 16th
Landguard: three south close inshore, July 31st – first site record
Alton Water: two males, Jan 17th
Occold: pair nested in a garden Barn owl box and fledged ten young, Mar 2nd to May 11th
Witnesham: fynn Valley Golf club, two, May 19th
Raydon: two, May 19th
Santon Downham: 13, Jan 24th; three (two males), Mar 2nd; ten (five males), Apr 3rd; male, Apr 10th
Fornham All Saints: two, Sep 29th
Little Cornard: three (two males), Apr 18th; two males, May 13th; cornard Mere: four (three males), Apr 19th; two males, Apr 21st
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Hall, male, Sep 27th; thorington Street Reservoir: male, May 5th
Nayland: Spouse’s Vale NR, Apr 7th
Stratford St Mary: May 3rd
Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. Has overwintered. Amber list.
Lakenheath fen, the only site in the west of the region to host this popular summer visitor in 2021, enjoyed a very good year following the first on March 14th. Numbers peaked at seven in early April, the largest gathering in the county since 2014 (ten, Lakenheath fen, July 25th and up to eight, carlton Marshes, July 12th to August 1st), and, although not confirmed, breeding was very probable. elsewhere, two pairs possibly bred at Minsmere and a single pair remained at Dingle Marshes from April 5th to 26th. the last of the year was seen on the Scrape at Minsmere, october 18th.
Carlton Marshes: male, Mar 31st; three (two males), Apr 2nd; two pairs, Apr 3rd and 4th; pair, Apr 6th and 8th; three, Apr 11th; male, Apr 29th to May 1st; June 19th and 20th; juv, July 3rd to 5th, 26th and 27th and Aug 16th and 25th; two, Aug 31st; regularly, Sep 2nd to oct 3rd, with two, Sep 19th
Covehithe Broad: Aug 29th
Southwold: pair regularly, Apr 17th to 22nd
Hen Reedbeds: male, Apr 15th
Dingle Marshes: pair, Apr 5th to 26th
Minsmere: male regularly, Mar 21st to 28th; two males regularly, Mar 31st to Apr 27th, with additional pair, Apr 9th and three males, Apr 6th and 21st; male, May 14th; two males, May 15th; male, June 1st and 2nd; two males, June 3rd; pair regularly, June 14th to 28th; juv, Aug 3rd; two juvs, Aug 12th; regularly, Aug 15th to Sep 17th and oct 18th
Thorpeness: Meare, male, June 3rd
Snape Wetlands: juv, July 29th; two juvs, Aug 9th; juv, Aug 12th; adult and juv regularly, Aug 14th to 26th
Wickham Market: River Deben, pair, Mar 24th
Wantisden: Staverton Lakes, Mar 15th; pair, Mar 22nd and 23rd
Boyton Marshes: male, Apr 23rd; male regularly, May 19th to 24th, female, June 25th; adult and juv, Aug 20th; juv regularly, Aug 24th to Sep 22nd
Hollesley Marshes: June 15th; two, June 20th; June 28th and 29th; Aug 24th
Bawdsey: east Lane, pair, Mar 28th; four juvs, Sep 20th
Ramsholt: Marshes, juv, July 23rd and Aug 4th
Trimley Marshes: pair, May 3rd; female, May 4th; male, May 18th to 20th; three, June 17th and 19th; June 21st and 23rd; Sep 21st
East Bergholt: White Horse Marsh, male, May 20th to 26th
Lakenheath Fen: male, Mar 14th to 17th; three, Mar 21st and 30th; six (four males), Mar 31st; five males, Apr 1st; four (three males), Apr 2nd; five (four males), Apr 3rd; four, Apr 6th; seven (five males), Apr 7th and 9th; five (four males), Apr 10th; three, Apr 11th; two males regularly, Apr 22nd to 28th; five, Apr 29th and May 1st; one sometimes two, May 2nd to 24th; three (two males), May 27th and June 1st; two, July 14th; two, Sep 23rd
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Uncommon resident. Amber list.
Monthly counts from the key sites:
maxima
for the second successive year the maximum count exceeded 400, with 449 on the Scrape at Minsmere, March 8th. this suggests that the overall nonbreeding population remains at a very high level, although data were incomplete. Aside from those in the table, counts exceeding 50 in the first winter period were received from Hollesley Marshes of 80, March 17th, Barsham Marshes of 200, January 22nd and 250, february 17th and Snape Wetlands of 70, April 5th. Additional significant counts during the second winter period included 70 at Leathes Ham, Lowestoft, December 7th; 60 at Dingle Marshes, November 13th; 140 at Hall farm, fornham St Martin, october 3rd and 78 at thorington Street Reservoir, December 12th.
A flock of 31 flew east out to sea at Minsmere, April 23rd, while a total of 44 flew south off Landguard between August 8th and october 30th, including 12 on october 24th.
A different survey methodology was employed at Minsmere in 2021 and it produced a significantly lower breeding count than those listed in previous bird reports. Nevertheless, when compared with the equivalent counts, the tally of 17 pairs is midway between the figures of 10 and 22 for 2019 and 2018 respectively. elsewhere, breeding was confirmed at cavenham Pits, culford, Gifford’s Hall flash and Lakenheath fen; a further eight probable pairs were noted at the latter site. four pairs were reported from carlton Marshes and Havergate island, three at both Walberswick, Dingle Marshes and North Warren with two at orfordness, Hollesley Marshes and White Horse Marsh (east Bergholt). Single pairs were noted at a further five sites.
particularly during the first winter period. Aside from the table there was one additional threefigure count during the first winter period involving 200 at Barsham Marshes, february 17th. Notable mid-summer counts included 105 at Minsmere, June 14th, 140 at Snape Wetlands and 131 at Lakenheath fen, both on June 19th and 100 at trimley Marshes, June 25th. the latter site also hosted significant numbers during the remainder of the summer with 170, July 22nd and 152, August 4th. in the second winter period 205 were present at Leathes Ham, Lowestoft, December 7th. there was an excellent breeding season with a total of 132 pairs reported from 16 sites, the highest number of pairs since 2014 (135). As usual, Minsmere supported the majority with 95, the most at this reserve since 2010 (96), with 11 pairs at North Warren and four pairs at both Dingle Marshes and Lackford Lakes.
EURASIAN WIGEON Mareca penelope Common winter visitor and passage migrant. A few oversummer. Last bred 2015. Amber list. Categories A and E.
29th, 140 at Sudbourne Marshes, february 26th and 175 at iken, March 19th; along the Deben, counts included 180 at Waldringfield, January 2nd and 130 at Melton, January 27th, while along the orwell, a count of 100 was made at Wherstead, January 10th. elsewhere, 155 were present inland at Mickle Mere, March 18th. further three-figure counts during the second winter period included 150 at easton Bavents, December 27th, 200 at town Marshes, Southwold, November 16th, 115 at Sizewell Belts, November 14th and 140 at Aldeburgh Marshes, December 9th. there was the usual scattering of mid-summer records, including up to four at carlton Marshes, but no evidence of breeding was reported.
All significant offshore movements occurred from mid-September. Southerly passage off Landguard was particularly strong in october with both the cumulative total and the peak daycount the best since 2014 (2236 and 1147).
Minsmere: 475 south, oct 8th
Thorpeness: 145 south, Sep 19th; 135 south, oct 6th; 106 south, Nov 14th
Bawdsey: east Lane, 125, Sep 20th
Felixstowe: 149 south, Sep 19th
Landguard: 492 south in Sep including peak day-count of 120 on 29th; 2213 south in oct including peak day-counts of 621 on 6th, 412 on 8th, 675 on 16th and 209 on 25th; 11 north and 219 south in Nov including peak day-count of 117 south on 13th; 122 south in Dec
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope x Northern Pintail
A male of this parentage was present on Havergate island, January 8th.
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. Monthly counts from the key sites:
With many gaps and undercounts in the above table it is not possible to assess the non-breeding population. the counts from Livermere Lake in summer and early autumn, reflecting the release of captive-bred young birds for shooting, are much higher than in recent years. in fact, the count of 4800 on September 13th is the highest since one of 5800 on September 14th 1999. Aside from the table, the only additional three-figure counts received were of 105 at Homersfield Gravel Pits, february 13th and 120 at Hen Reedbeds, August 25th.
A total of 68 breeding pairs was reported from 22 sites, which compares reasonably favourably with 82 pairs from 30 sites in 2020. the two most productive sites were carlton Marshes with 18 pairs and christchurch Park, ipswich with eight pairs (and 45 ducklings counted, although how many fledged is unknown).
NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant; a few oversummer. Bred in 2016 and 2018. Amber list. Categories A and E. Harsh weather in february was probably responsible for a southerly passage of 42 past Landguard, february 8th (see eurasian Wigeon).
*monthly maxima for the first time since 2018 the year’s maximum count exceeded 300, with a WeBS count of 340 at North Warren, January 19th, the highest at this site since 2012. A non-WeBS count of 250 at Barsham Marshes, february 17th also exceeds the threshold for national importance, which is 200. there was no suggestion of breeding, although a male was seen regularly on the Scrape at Minsmere between June 1st and 21st.
Records received from the west of the county are listed below. they include a count of 70 at Gifford’s Hall, December 12th, the largest gathering in the west since 72 were present at the same site in November 2012.
Rickinghall: male, feb 9th
Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, Jan 11th
Lakenheath Fen: four, Jan 31st; two, Mar 3rd to 17th, with three, Mar 5th; Sep 15th; two, Sep 20th
Cavenham Pits: male, Jan 24th to feb 14th; two (one male), Mar 7th
Lackford Lakes: four, Aug 26th (see Minsmere below); Sep 18th; two females, Sep 19th
Mickle Mere: two (one male), feb 17th; Mar 24th
Kedington: Sturmer Mere, two males, feb 18th
Little Cornard: Shalford Meadow, two (one male), feb 21st to Mar 3rd – (see Peregrine falcon)
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Hall, 70, Dec 12th
the following coastal movements were received. Autumn passage, which began early with 22 north off Minsmere, August 26th (see Lackford Lakes above), peaked in october and was average for recent years.
Minsmere: five north, Jan 27th; six south, feb 19th; 22 north, Aug 26th; 30 south, oct 8th
Thorpeness: two south, Sep 26th; 25 south, oct 9th; three south, oct 25th; north, Nov 14th
Bawdsey: east Lane, 19, Sep 20th
Felixstowe: north, Aug 28th; two south, oct 24th
Landguard: seven south, Jan 1st; two north, Jan 6th; three south, Jan 20th; 42 south, feb 8th; north, Mar 7th; three south, Mar 11th; two north and 27 south in Sep including peak day-count of ten south, Sep 18th; 84 south in oct including peak day-count of 28 on 24th; two south, Nov 11th; three south, Nov 18th; two south, Dec 24th
During the first winter period none of the main estuaries received a complete set of WeBS visits. instead, there were significant counts from individual locations along these estuaries including 125 at iken (Alde estuary), March 19th, 160 at Waldringfield (Deben estuary), January 2nd and 220 at Levington creek (orwell estuary), January 12th. A non-WeBS count of 2000 on flooded meadows in the Waveney Valley at Barsham Marshes, february 17th is an unprecedented gathering for inland Suffolk (see also Northern Shoveler, Gadwall and Northern Pintail), while downstream of Barsham, 196 were present at Herringfleet Marshes, february 22nd. A full WeBS programme was possible during the second winter period and included counts of 3343 on the Alde/ore estuary, November 7th, the highest at this site for four years and 1449 on the Blyth estuary, December 19th, a new site record. Additional counts during the autumn/second winter period included 225 at Ramsholt, August 28th; 418 at Lakenheath fen, September 26th; 360 at cavenham Pits, November 6th; 100 at culford Park, December 30th and 150 at Sturmer Mere, kedington, December 31st.
there were scattered records from mid-May involving up to three birds from four coastal and three inland sites, but no confirmed evidence of breeding, before returning birds started to arrive from early June. the last confirmed breeding occurred in 2016.
Return offshore passage at Landguard was the heaviest since 2013. following an early singleton on June 8th, there were regular southerly movements between June 25th and December 27th, with a pronounced peak between mid-September and early october. Lowestoft: Ness Point, 191, Aug 30th
Southwold: 133, Sep 15th
Minsmere: 100, Aug 23rd; 132 north and 56 south, Aug 30th; 315 south, oct 8th
Thorpeness: 16 north and 96 south, Aug 23rd; 43 north and 60 south, Aug 30th; 126 south, Sep 26th
Landguard: 664 south in Aug including peak day-counts of 103 on 21st and 108 on 23rd and 31st; seven north and 1393 south in Sep including peak day-counts of 363 south on 15th, 207 south on 18th, 152 south on 19th and 120 south on 20th and 26th; 498 south in oct including peak day-counts of 129 on 6th and 188 on 8th; six north and 106 south in Nov
Between June 8th and December 27th, 2770 were recorded heading south off Landguard.
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca x Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis hybrid A male of this parentage was present at North Warren, April 10th.
Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Categories A and E. the sightings from Minsmere and Alton Water in November possibly involve migrants of wild origin from populations on the near-continent. the remaining records, from the west of the county almost certainly concern birds of captive origin (or the offspring of captive-bred birds).
Minsmere: female, Nov 13th to 16th
Alton Water: two, Nov 7th (WeBS count)
Lakenheath Fen: Apr 11th
Mildenhall: River Lark, male regularly, Apr 2nd to 24th
Worlington: male, feb 27th
West Stow: country Park, two (one male), Jan 1st
Lackford Lakes: two, Aug 19th
Kedington: Sturmer Mere, male, Mar 29th, Apr 22nd and May 6th and 17th
Fairly common but declining winter visitor and passage migrant. Uncommon resident. Red list. Categories A and E.
the above table summarizes numbers at all sites which had at least one count exceeding 30 and illustrates that wintering numbers remain very low. the largest gathering in the north-east of the county comprised only 18 at outney common, Bungay, february 25th.
As in the previous two summers, breeding was confirmed at two sites, with three ducklings seen at Redgrave fen, June 15th and five at trimley Marshes, June 23rd.
Peak offshore movements involved 14 south off Minsmere, october 8th and 14 south off Landguard, November 6th.
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca x Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula hybrid
A male of this parentage was present at carlton Marshes, January 1st and relocated to nearby Leathes Ham, Lowestoft, January 3rd, with subsequent regular sightings at the latter site until March 9th. it returned to Leathes Ham on December 7th with further sightings on 19th and 24th.
Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
Monthly counts from the key sites:
Jan Feb Mar Apr Sep Oct Nov Dec
Orwell Estuary - 48 50 49 21 36 58 41
Alton Water* 13 31 28 41 17 63 50 106
Lackford Lakes* 54 70 50 50 115 70 75 77
*monthly maxima
Similar to common Pochard, wintering numbers were very disappointing. in fact, the year’s highest count of 115 at Lackford Lakes, September 19th is the county’s lowest annual peak since 1973. Aside from the table, the only other significant counts involved 60 at Minsmere, february 24th, a WeBS count of 74 on the Alde/ore estuary, october 10th and 65 on a farm reservoir at Aldringham Walks, December 21st.
A total of 31 breeding pairs was reported from 14 sites. this compares with 21 pairs from 13 sites in 2020 and is the best recorded breeding season since 2013 (74 pairs of which 52 were at Minsmere).
A southerly offshore movement on october 8th involving 34 off Minsmere and 21 off Landguard is unusually large for this predominantly freshwater species and nocturnal migrant.
Fairly common, but declining, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. there was a reasonable showing in the first winter period, including long-stayers at three sites in late february/March.
Benacre Broad: male, feb 25th and 26th; two males, Mar 2nd to 14th; male, Mar 16th to 18th Dunwich: two males on sea, Mar 12th; male on sea, Mar 20th
Minsmere: female, feb 24th to Mar 6th
Waldringfield: Deben estuary, female, Jan 1st to 21st (from Dec 26th 2020)
Stutton: Stour estuary, female, Mar 6th to 21st there were two May records, the first for five years. A male flew south off Landguard and then into the mouth of the orwell estuary on 4th and almost certainly the same individual gave a repeat performance three days later. these were followed by an atypical run of summer records involving a male at Benacre Broad, July 9th, with two males present at the same site, July 13th to 15th; two at Aldeburgh Marshes, July 30th to August 1st and finally a singleton which was logged flying north off Minsmere, and subsequently corton, August 30th. the second winter period was disappointing with records from just six sites involving a maximum of four between october 18th and December 21st.
Southwold: four offshore, Nov 29th
Minsmere: two (one male) south offshore, oct 18th
Aldringham Walks: first-winter on farm reservoir, Nov 20th to Dec 21st
Thorpeness: south offshore, Dec 12th
Slaughden: two south offshore, oct 29th
Landguard: south offshore, oct 23rd
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Has bred. Amber list. in the first winter period a total of 28 was logged from nine coastal sites between January 3rd and March 8th. these were followed by a further 20 from five sites in April, including a maximum count of eight south off Minsmere on 27th, a male on Benacre Broad on 2nd and a male on the Scrape at Minsmere on 3rd and 4th.
there was one record in May (three south off Landguard on 14th), two in June (a female on the jetty on Havergate island on 12th and three south off Landguard on 19th) and one in August (five north off Landguard on 3rd).
Autumn passage began with a singleton south off Bawdsey, September 4th, but did not gain momentum until mid-october. All day-counts exceeding 20 occurred in November and are listed below. they include 180 off Ness Point, Lowestoft on 22nd, the highest day-count at a single site since 2001 (when 231 north, kessingland, November 9th).
Lowestoft: Ness Point, 52 north, 5th; 31 north, 15th; 150 north and 30 south, 22nd; 58, 28th; 37, 29th
Kessingland: 30 north, 28th
Southwold: 58 north, 4th; 123 north and 40 south, 22nd; 40 north, 28th
Minsmere: 30 north, 22nd
Felixstowe: nine north and 12 south, 22nd
Records from less-expected locations in the second winter period involved three first-winter males on the Deben estuary ranging between Bawdsey and Waldringfield, November 10th to 13th, a first-winter male on the Deben estuary ranging between Waldringfield and Martlesham creek, December 4th to 15th and a male on the orwell estuary off Landguard, December 1st to 17th.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. there were regular records in the first winter period until April 8th, including a maximum of nine off Aldeburgh, february 11th, with sightings most frequent off Dunwich/Minsmere amongst the raft of common Scoters.
Covehithe: six south, Apr 8th
Dunwich/Minsmere: six on sea, Jan 2nd; on sea, Jan 6th; three north, Jan 17th; three on sea, Mar 7th; five on sea, Mar 9th; two on sea, Mar 15th; three regularly on sea, Mar 20th to Apr 4th
Thorpeness: north, Apr 5th
Aldeburgh/Slaughden: two on sea, Jan 2nd; nine on sea, feb 11th
Landguard: two south, feb 9th; south, feb 14th
there was an unexpected sequence of sightings in August, the first since 2011, involving two north off Slaughden on 26th, three north off thorpeness on 27th and one north off Slaughden on 31st. the next was not until mid-october, which heralded the start of a steady, but unremarkable, series of records during the second winter period.
Lowestoft: Ness Point, two north, Nov 27th; two on sea, Nov 28th; on sea, Nov 30th
Pakefield: on sea, Nov 14th
Benacre: north, Nov 23rd
Southwold: south, Nov 4th; south, Nov 12th; four south, Nov 22nd; two south, Nov 27th; north, Nov 28th; south, Nov 29th; two north, Dec 3rd; two north, Dec 25th
Walberswick: two north, Dec 4th
Dunwich: north, oct 15th; three south, Nov 9th; north, Nov 14th
Minsmere: four south, Nov 22nd (same as off Southwold)
Sizewell: three south, Nov 9th (same as off Dunwich)
Thorpeness: three south, Nov 9th (same as off Dunwich and Sizewell)
Slaughden: on sea, Nov 22nd and 24th; two on sea, Nov 29th; two on sea, Dec 11th
Landguard: two south, oct 24th; north, Dec 12th; south, Dec 22nd, 23rd and 24th
Declining non-breeding resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
Accumulated monthly totals from Landguard Bird observatory are shown in the table. the cumulative annual total is the best since 2013, with peak numbers unexpectedly logged in June. All movements exceeding 100 are summarised below and include 309 off Landguard in June, the highest day-count at this site since 2016 and one of only ten day-counts greater than 300 in the observatory’s history:
Southwold: 500 north, Nov 28th; 220 north, Dec 5th
Dunwich/Minsmere: 200 north, June 24th; 175 north, Nov 15th
Landguard: 132 north, May 22nd; 309 south, June 24th
Sizeable inshore rafts were reported throughout the year, most regularly off Dunwich and Minsmere. Peak monthly day-counts of 100 or more are summarised below: Gorleston: 110, Nov 22nd
Covehithe: 100, Apr 9th; 124, May 7th; 123, Nov 13th Dunwich/Minsmere: 300, Jan 24th; 100, feb 5th, 19th and 21st; 200, Mar 9th; 150, Apr 4th; 300, June 23rd; 400, July 2nd; 150, oct 7th; 300, Nov 13th Thorpeness/Aldeburgh/Slaughden: 100, Jan 2nd; 140, feb 4th; 350, Nov 22nd Hollesley: 200, Nov 16th Bawdsey: east Lane, 250, Jan 1st
it was an excellent year for records of overland migrants. flocks of unknown size were heard during the hours of darkness flying over Melton Park, April 21st and Aldringham, May 8th. in the west of the county an impressive group of 16 (seven males) was present at Lakenheath fen, May 27th, the highest number recorded inland since a count of 18 at Lackford Lakes on March 27th 2008. finally, a female was noted at Nunnery Lakes, thetford on November 9th.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
A male at covehithe Broad, which had been present since early December 2020, remained into April and allowed many to connect with this popular species.
Covehithe Broad: male, Jan 1st to Apr 2nd
Dunwich: on sea, Jan 9th
Landguard: south, Jan 1st
All records in the second winter period were in November and again included a long-stayer, this time on the Alde/ore estuary.
Lowestoft: Ness Point, north, Nov 22nd and 28th
Covehithe: south, Nov 22nd
Southwold: north, Nov 22nd and 28th (presumably same as off Lowestoft)
Slaughden: south, Nov 18th
Alde/Ore Estuary: female on river ranging between Slaughden and orford, Nov 4th to 28th
COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula
Fairly common, but declining, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber).
Monthly counts from the key sites: Jan Feb Mar Nov Dec
Deben Estuary* 12 6 2 0 2 Orwell Estuary* 8 10 2 11 14 Stour Estuary* 30 21 15 6 26 *monthly maxima this species has recently been added to the Red list (previously on the Amber list) of the uk Birds of conservation concern due to a continuing decline in the wintering population. this worrying downturn is reflected in Suffolk where numbers are at an historic low. Besides those in the table no other count reached double figures, the highest in the north-east concerning only six on the Alde estuary at Aldeburgh, March 21st and December 26th, while in the west the largest gathering was of just three at Lackford Lakes, January 2nd. the last of the spring was a redhead at Livermere Lake on the unusually late date of May 7th. there were no further records until october 16th, when two were observed at Benacre and a single male at Bawdsey. offshore autumn passage was equally disappointing. it was most marked at Landguard, but even here a meagre total of only 14 (one north and 13 south) was logged between october 22nd and the end of the year.
An article by Nigel odin entitled “Where have all the Goldeneye gone?” based upon seawatching totals of this duck off Landguard, and numbers on the Stour estuary, can be found on pages 26 and 27 of The Harrier 204 (Spring 2021).
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). the sum total of three redheads represents a very poor year (in fact the poorest since 2007), although one of these spent eight weeks at Minsmere during the first winter period which offered some compensation.
Minsmere: redhead, Jan 31st to Mar 28th; oct 31st
Aldeburgh: Alde estuary, redhead, Dec 11th the bird at Minsmere on october 31st is the earliest arrival in Suffolk since 2011 when three flew south off Landguard, october 25th.
Locally fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Jan
Minsmere*
Thorpeness Meare*
maxima
Monthly maxima from Minsmere and thorpeness Meare, the two most reliable sites, are included in the table, although the year’s highest count of 23 (including 12 males) was recorded a few miles inland of these two sites at carlton Meres, kelsale-cum-carlton, January 5th. other records received for the first winter period comprise the following:
Blyth Estuary: 17 (three males) east, Mar 6th
Wenhaston: three north-west, feb 15th; two south-west, Mar 2nd
Wissett: fishing Lakes, redhead, Mar 28th
Dunwich: 16 south, Mar 6th
Westleton Heath: eight north, Mar 7th
Leiston: ten south, feb 8th
Aldringham: 14 north, Jan 6th; ten south, Jan 26th
North Warren: eight (two males), feb 24th; two, Mar 19th; three, Mar 21st; five, Mar 26th; two, Mar 27th; four, Mar 29th; Mar 30th; two, Mar 31st; three, Apr 3rd; two, Apr 7th
Snape Wetlands: male, Mar 3rd
Havergate Island: redhead north, Apr 27th
Hollesley Marshes: two redheads, Jan 15th
Landguard: south, feb 14th; west, Mar 20th; north, Mar 24th
Baylham: causeway Lake, male, Jan 1st and 2nd
Berner’s Heath: two north-east, feb 21st
Worlington: two redheads, Jan 2nd; redhead, Jan 31st and feb 1st; two redheads, feb 5th; four, feb 27th; redhead, Mar 1st
Cavenham Pits: two redheads regularly, Jan 17th to Apr 7th; redhead, Apr 11th and 15th
Mickle Mere: feb 10th and 12th
Little Cornard: cornard Mere, redhead, Jan 12th; two redheads, Jan 22nd; four, feb 2nd; feb 5th and Apr 12th. Shalford Meadow, two redheads, Jan 1st; up to four regularly, Jan 15th to feb 23rd; two, Mar 6th and 11th; regularly, Mar 19th to Apr 18th
Nayland: six (four males), Jan 11th
Sightings continued into May. A male was present at oulton Broad from 2nd to 4th and a first-summer male at Hollesley Marshes on 19th. the next was of an unseasonable redhead at Benacre Broad, August 28th and 29th, with no further records until the first returning winter visitors in october.
Lowestoft: Leathes Ham, male, Dec 7th; oulton Broad, redhead, Dec 2nd to 4th
Wenhaston: four south-east, Dec 31st
Sizewell: eight (three males) north offshore, Dec 5th
Aldringham: four north, Dec 10th
North Warren: five (two males), Dec 30th
Slaughden: three in off sea, Nov 26th; two in off sea, Nov 29th
Alde/Ore Estuary: Nov 7th (WeBS count); two, Dec 19th (WeBS count)
Felixstowe: redhead north offshore, Nov 28th
Landguard: south, oct 23rd; south, Nov 15th; three south, Nov 22nd; two west, Dec 7th; two south, Dec 11th; west, Dec 12th and 22nd
Alton Water: three, oct 10th (WeBS count); five, oct 29th
Needham Market: Lake, two, Dec 29th
Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, Dec 1st to 7th
Lackford Lakes: Nov 20th
Cavenham Pits: redhead, Nov 7th
Barrow: redhead, Nov 13th
Little Cornard: Shalford Meadow, two (one male), Dec 13th
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Green).
Peak monthly counts from the two principal wintering sites are presented in the table and are typical for recent years. the last of the first winter period were two south off both thorpeness and Landguard, April 22nd and these were followed by a late spring record involving two off the former site, May 28th.
there were no further records until September 8th when a singleton was seen on the Stour estuary off Stutton Ness. offshore passage in the last third of the year was light with a total of 45 logged south off Landguard between September 27th and December 26th, including a maximum of five, November 8th, while elsewhere five flew north off Ness Point, Lowestoft, November 22nd.
Away from the usual sites, redheads were present at Lake Lothing, Lowestoft, January 1st and 2nd, the Scrape at Minsmere, february 22nd and Benacre Broad, September 23rd to october 7th, with a male on the winter flood at trimley Marshes, December 18th.
Red-breasted Merganser is a scarce species in Suffolk at inland sites; the only records this century involve a pair at Weybread Gravel Pits on April 23rd 2006; a male at Gedgrave Lake on March 27th 2007 and a male at Livermere Lake on April 29th 2016.
Formerly common resident, now localised. Red List. Categories A, C and E. the species was recorded at 61 sites, the same as in 2020. Just over half of these were in the west – which continues to be the area where the species is most encountered and also with coveys of higher numbers. During the Bto BBS survey Grey Partridge was recorded from two 1km squares – about average for the last decade. the number of individuals though, 13, was the highest number since 2009. Pairs in suitable locations or possibly breeding were recorded at 19 sites; in the north-east they were at four sites including three pairs at Mutford, in the south-east at just three sites but in the west, there were present at 12 sites including a family covey at Valley farm, Hadleigh and at least three pairs at cavenham Heath NNR and 42 pairs at Wyken, Stanton (see letter below).
there was only one covey in double-figures in the north-east – ten at ellough on December 5th and one fortunate observer had one on the front lawn of their garden in Beccles. in the south-east most records were of one or two birds, the exceptions being four at Sudbourne and six at Abbey farm, Snape Wetlands RSPB. it was noted that the birds at Sudbourne were possibly introduced as was a record at Brook Hill, trimley St Martin, where game birds are released nearby. there were six locations that had coveys with ten or more birds; the highest counts of the year were 33 at kiln farm, Great Ashfield on December 4th that consisted of coveys of seven, 11 and 15 birds and the 240 at Wyken, Stanton (again see letter below). Lodge farm, Westhorpe also had high counts with 24 on September 17th and 27 on December 30th.
Dear Mr fulcher (SoRc secretary at the time), over many years i have enjoyed reading ‘Suffolk Birds’ and i am delighted that this edition has an index which helps the amateur reader find different birds.
At the risk of being a bore, i think it worth commenting on the entry for Grey Partridge on page 62 of Suffolk Birds 2020. the entry gives the impression that they are fairly uncommon, with just a few coveys; but around Wyken, near Stanton, the picture is more encouraging. for many years we have taken part in the Game conservancy counts. on our 900 acres of mostly
arable land we have increased the count from just three pairs some 15 years ago to 42 pairs this last spring, with a count of 240 ‘greys’ this autumn. i know of four neighbouring estates with similar successes. this is largely due to habitat improvement, encouraged by countryside Stewardship and some predator control, especially foxes. A good side benefit is that other species like yellowhammers and Linnets also benefit from this insect-rich habitat.
Perhaps you could pass on this note to the relevant recorders?
With thanks, Kenneth Carlisle
GOLDEN PHEASANT Chrysolophus pictus
Scarce resident. Categories C and E.
Reported from three sites in 2021. Ingham: male, feb 8th, thought to be an escape or recent release Euston: at least one male seen on five dates between Mar 4th and Apr 13th Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, Mar 14th
COMMON PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus
Very common resident; numbers augmented by releases. Categories C and E. there were far fewer records recorded or submitted compared with 2020. During the Bto BBS survey for the year both the number of 1km squares and number of individuals, 37 and 237 respectively, was very typical for the species. Lots of the records state released birds but very few actual breeding records were received; two pairs at Somerleyton Park and church, courtship at kirton creek, three pairs at Lower Hollesley common and a female with nine newly-hatched chicks at Genesis Green, Wickhambrook. A female with six chicks at Landguard, June 25th and 26th constitutes the site’s first-ever breeding record. the male was noted initially on March 5th and then from March 17th to october 24th and the female from March 26th to June 26th. there were more records, and more that had higher flock numbers, in the north-east including 44+ at Somerleyton church and 40+ at Sotterley Park. the highest counts in the south-east were 26 at kirton creek and 25 at Hollesley Marshes. there were a couple of large congregations in the west, 66 at euston on April 13th and 100 at Great Livermere on April 15th. Along Lavenham railway walk the species was noted on ten out of the year’s 12 monthly walks.
Scarce summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. five records in total – compared with three in 2020.
Felixstowe Ferry: october 3rd (P Holmes)
Newmarket Heath: male, June 16th (per Birdtrack)
Icklingham Plains: calling bird close to temple Bridge 22:10hr, July 1st (W Sutherland)
Ixworth Thorpe: thorpe carr, calling from a barley field, July 2nd (A Nairn)
Hopton (west Suffolk): calling from a barley field, July 13th and 14th (D tomlinson) 2021 is the third successive year that this species has been recorded in Suffolk in october. the 2019 bird was at thorpeness, october 5th and the 2020 bird at Snape, october 1st to 3rd. in 2017, at least one, and probably two, were at Boyton Marshes on November 21st.
Common resident; numbers augmented by releases. Categories C and E. there were fewer records compared with last year, with a roughly-even split between the north-east and the west and less noted in the south-east. With increased recording for the British trust for ornithology (Bto) Breeding Brid Survey (BBS) in 2021, after the restrictions from covid in 2020 there were 42 1km squares surveyed. the number of 1km squares in which the species
was recorded, 25, is typical of recent years but the number of individuals, 84, is the lowest since 2014. Breeding records were most prevalent in the west with pairs noted on territory or adults with broods at 12 sites particularly at Hall farm, fornham St. Martin. there were six breeding sites in the north-east including two pairs at Barsham Marshes while in the south-east there were no breeding records reported.
the largest coveys were also in the west with high counts of 80 at timworth Heath on october 6th, 66 at both Great Barton on January 28th and Barrow on November 18th and 50 at Hall farm, fornham St. Martin – all associated with released birds. the largest group in the northeast was 30+ at Shotford Heath, Weybread, on october 27th while in the south-east there were 40 at kirton sewage works on January 25th (noted to be released birds) and 50 at Ramsholt on a couple of dates with birds present further up the Deben valley between Shottisham creek and Methersgate, Sutton released for shooting.
At least three were at Landguard throughout the year, but four were present during January to March and a peak of five in April.
Locally fairly common summer visitor. Scarce migrant. Amber list. the first Nightjar of the year was located at Minsmere on May 9th and was followed by birds at Brandon country Park (three), upper Hollesley common (three) and West Stow, all on May 12th. there was then one singing at cavenham Heath on May 14th and four birds at Sutton common on the same day.
the survey work carried out in the Sandlings produced a total of 67 territories across 14 sites. this is a significant increase on the 50 territories discovered in 2020, which was a reduced figure due to covid restrictions. the 2021 total is more in line with the 69 territories reported in 2019. the largest concentrations were again around the Minsmere area, where there were 13 territories, and Sutton and Hollesley commons, where a total of 15 territories was located.
‘churring’ Jan Wilczur
there were just five reports from three sites in the east of the county during August, the latest of which was of two birds at upper Hollesley common on 24th.
Very common, but declining, summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber).
After an early report of one over ipswich on April 8th (earliest since 2016 when one was at Pakefield, April 6th), there was a gap of two weeks before the next spring report, which came from the RSPB Snape Wetlands on April 22nd (another singleton). A further 26 sites recorded their first sightings by the end of the month, most being single-figure counts, but totals of 40 birds at carlton Marshes on 28th and 50 at Minsmere on 29th are of note. Larger May flocks then included 300 at Lackford Lakes and 350 at Lakenheath fen, both on 7th, 300, again at Lakenheath fen, on 20th, 300 at Pipps ford on 22nd and 300 at Minsmere on 23rd.
the Save our Suffolk Swifts project continued putting up nest boxes across the county and
several reports were received from such boxes being used successfully – although House Sparrows Passer domesticus took a liking to them in some areas! of the breeding records received, the following involved the largest concentrations of birds.
Framlingham: total of 50 pairs recorded
Hollesley: total of 13 pairs
Woodbridge: total of 76 pairs, of which, 27 pairs were using next boxes
Hopton (near Diss): total of 25 breeding pairs present
Bury St. Edmunds: St. John’s church, 40 breeding pairs (up from 32 pairs in 2020) Autumn passage appeared to almost slip by unnoticed (unlike last year). one observer noted that the local birds left troston over the weekend of July 24th and 25th and southerly passage was noted on the coast on July 30th at Landguard. A total of 60 birds moved south over Havergate island on August 7th, followed by 300 birds flying south past Minsmere on August 8th; this latter movement occurred ahead of heavy rain. the monthly movements of birds logged at Landguard are listed below. the highest day-count the site recorded was of 371 south on July 30th.
September sightings came from a total of 15 sites and included a very late youngster that was still in a nest box at Worlington on 4th and at least 25 over christchurch Park, ipswich,2nd. the latest of these records were from Snape Wetlands on 11th, Hanchett, Haverhill on 13th and North Warren on 29th.
the aims of SoSSwifts are to protect then expand existing colonies, as well as to create new ones. We provide free surveys and advice, host Swift walks and talks then distribute their nest boxes. After fund raising, over twenty Swift community Sets (comprising four nest boxes and a call system) have been distributed widely around the county. We have targeted prominent elevations of public buildings (e.g., a dozen schools) which are happy to host. A dozen schools, three colleges and swimming pools, two museums and libraries, and both a cinema and a theatre now have them. over time it is hoped that new Swift colonies will develop in full public view for everyone to enjoy, as well as on the many private homes that now have nest boxes. it will be interesting to monitor the uptake of nest boxes over the coming years and we know that the playing of calls is vital in helping Swifts to find them. for swift Swift advice, email – Swifts@SuffolkBirdGroup.org
Eddie BathgateCOMMON CUCKOO
Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. Reports from cavenham Heath and Lackford Lakes on April 9th were the first of the year – and could, conceivably, have been the same bird. one was then present at nearby West Stow on 12th, followed by sightings from both kelsale and Levington creek on 13th, the Bto’s Nunnery Lakes reserve on 15th and the Black Bourn Valley SWt, thurston on 16th. A more widespread arrival then occurred from April 20th.
Breeding season reports were received from approximately 112 sites. the largest concentrations of birds occurred at two of the county’s premier reserves, carlton Marshes and Lakenheath fen. At least six birds were present at the former site on May 15th, whilst peak counts at Lakenheath fen included ten birds (eight singing males and two calling females) on May 27th and nine birds (six males and three females) the following day. there were also five singing males in the king’s
Cuckoo (juvenile), Hazlewood Marshes, August 13th Eddie Marsh
forest on May 28th. Juveniles were reported from a total of 19 sites, although several of the later reports were considered to be migrant birds, rather than locally-bred birds. known to be in longterm decline, this species was recorded in just 19% (eight) of the 42 Breeding Bird Survey squares covered; this compares poorly with the 62% occupancy rate found 25 years ago (in 1996). cuckoos are known to sometimes sing in darkness and this was demonstrated by two reports received from the east. on May 28th, a male was heard at 01.30hr at ipswich Golf course, Purdis Heath and another was heard singing up until 22.00hr at Westleton Heath on June 15th. September reports were received from four sites (three of which are in the west of the county); Little Livermere on 5th, Lackford and Southwold, both on 12th and, finally, Brandon Park Heath on 16th.
there were two reports of hepatic females during the year; cavenham Heath on May 4th and thorington Street Reservoir, Stoke-by-Nayland on May 5th.
Very common resident from feral stock. Categories A, C and E. there was an increase in the number of records received for this species, most coming via Birdtrack. Although this species is generally considered to be sedentary, it is still surprising that there do not seem to be any seasonal movements noted along the coast. All counts of 50 or more birds are listed below:
Gorleston-on-Sea: 122, feb 2nd; 75, May 13th; 225, oct 3rd; 70, Nov 22nd
Carlton Marshes: 65, Mar 15th
Covehithe: 50, Jan 1st
Felixstowe: Peewit Hill, 56, Mar 25th; Landguard Point, 72, Nov 8th
Ipswich: 50, oct 10th
Wherstead: 100, Jan 1st; 100, Jan 11th; 100, Jan 21st
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, 60, Apr 26th
Bury St. Edmunds: 60, Jan 17th; 80, Mar 7th; 50, Nov 25th
Haverhill: 60, Mar 3rd; 100, Mar 16th; 100, Nov 12th; 70, Dec 21st
Fairly common resident and passage migrant. Amber list. the largest counts received for the first part of the year are as follows:
Southwold: 34, Apr 27th
Kirton Creek: 46, March 15th
Witnesham: 60, feb 26th
Little Livermere: pig fields, 73, feb 13th
Eriswell: 90, March 13th
Reports of confirmed or probable breeding were received from just a handful of sites (22 sites in 2020). of these, at least ten pairs were located in christchurch Park, ipswich and ten pairs were found around Santon Downham. the Breeding Bird Survey produced a total of 50 birds across 21 of the 42 BBS squares surveyed.
Post-breeding/late-summer counts included 105 at Pipps ford, Barking on June 8th (with 35 there on August 5th) and 30 at Mickle Mere, Pakenham, June 27th, whilst a flock of 42 birds was recorded at timworth on August 16th, increasing to 50 birds on August 22nd.
Autumn passage was relatively light. Landguard logged a total of 60 birds (1301 in autumn 2019) between october 12th and November 19th, with peak day-counts of 13 south on November 8th and 26 south on November 26th. elsewhere, 30 flew south past Minsmere with Woodpigeons on october 23rd and 35 flew south-west past old felixstowe on November 8th.
the only sizeable second winter count involved 35 birds seen at knettishall Airfield on December 5th.
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Green). Reports of 400 or more birds received during the first part of the year are listed below:
Carlton Marshes: 427, Apr 29th
Sudbourne Marshes: 400, feb 26th
Westhorpe: 1200, feb 13th
Pakenham: 500, Mar 18th
Fornham St. Martin: 400, feb 14th; 1000, feb 16th
Culford: culford Heath, 400, Jan 23rd
Kersey: 480, Jan 2nd
Southerly spring passage at Landguard involved 327 between february 25th and April 9th, with a maximum total of 159 on March 23rd.
As might be expected, Wood Pigeons were recorded in all 42 of the Breeding Bird Survey squares covered in 2021, with a total of 1040 birds seen. Landguard provided the only estimate of breeding numbers with a minimum of 15 pairs nesting.
Autumn passage was noted at Landguard with a total of 1400 birds seen heading south between october 13th and November 17th. the peak movement past the site was of 702 birds on November 2nd. in addition, 300 flew high south past Minsmere on october 23rd and 240 flew south-west past old felixstowe on the same day.
High counts from the latter part of the year include the following:
Carlton Colville: peak early morning counts included 558, Dec 14th and 585, Dec 15th. All were heading north-east which would suggest local movements
Trimley Marshes: 400, oct 13th
Chelmondiston: 1500, Dec 1st
Westhorpe: 615, Dec 9th; 600, Dec 14th
Great Barton: 1000, Nov 18th
Brandon: 420, Nov 2nd
Lakenheath; 2000, Nov 13th
Bradfield St. George: 500, oct 16th
Haverhill: 700, Nov 19th; 420, Dec 3rd
EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur
Rapidly declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
the first reports of the year involved single birds at Aldringham Walks and fressingfield, both on April 24th. these were followed by birds at Mutford and West Stow (the first in the west) on April 28th and at Hulver Street, Henstead and Westhorpe on 29th. A further 16 sites reported their first returning birds during the first week of May.
in 2021 there was a national turtle Dove survey. in Suffolk, 36 territories were found in the 199 1x1 km squares visited. When combining the survey data with the records received from observers through the normal channels, 115 territories were noted from around 100 sites. in 2020, without a full survey, 106 territories from 85 sites were recorded. Despite the apparent increase from 2020 to 2021, observers in a number of areas felt that there had been an actual decline, with some early-season birds still on migration and others not lingering having failed to attract a partner. in due course we expect to receive an estimate of the county’s population based on the 2021 survey results.
the final reports of the year came from five sites during September with the latest report from each site being as follows; trimley Marshes on 7th, cavenham on 13th, Hulver Street on 19th (a sighting involving two adults and a juvenile), Martlesham sewage works on 20th and, finally, Sibton on 29th.
After only one Landguard sighting in 2020 (May 9th), the site had two records in 2021 with singles in May on 5th and 25th.
Common resident.
the largest counts received during the year are listed below:
Felixstowe: customs House, 23, Jan 3rd; 24, Jan 10th; 44, Jan 28th; 35, feb 15th
Trimley St. Martin: Gosling’s farm, 20, Nov 5th
Rickinghall: 18, Jan 17th
Barrow: 20, oct 23rd; 24, Nov 18th; 30, Dec 18th
Bury St. Edmunds: 28, Dec 25th
Chedburgh: 24, Dec 2nd; 19, Dec 16th
there is some anecdotal evidence of a population decline being noted. An observer in Sudbury commented that there was a “50% reduction in Collared Dove numbers during the first winter
period compared with 2020”, whilst an observer in Bury St. edmunds noted that the population there was “down this year”. the LBo comments “Present all year in much reduced numbers…”
A leucistic bird was noted amongst a group of birds at Gorleston-on-Sea on May 13th.
Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. this popular, but secretive species was reported from 52 sites or localities during the year, the lowest total since 2016 (54). However, covid-access restrictions imposed during the first winter period may have had a bearing on this. evidence of breeding or probable breeding was recorded at seven sites, one less than last year with the highest breeding densities noted at the wellmonitored RSPB Reserves of Minsmere (17 pairs) and North Warren (16 pairs). the highest count of birds was of the 17 pairs accompanied by a further 57 individuals at Minsmere.
Rare passage migrant; rarely oversummers. Amber List two records were received for this species, both of single birds, for only the second time in the last ten years, the last being in 2016.
Snape Wetlands: Botany Marshes, Aug 19th (A Moon, D fairhurst) – second successive year Trimley Marshes SWT: Mar 24th (P Whittaker) the trimley Marshes sighting on March 24th is particularly early. it is the first Suffolk March sighting for 25 years which involved one sheltering amongst brick rubble and on rough ground out on orfordness, also on March 24th. We read on page 132 of Steve Piotrowski’s “The Birds of Suffolk” (2003) that the previous March record had been way back on March 20th 1954 at St olaves. the last singing male to be recorded in Suffolk was at Reydon Smear, April 23rd to May 2nd 2016.
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Green). Reports for this normally very common and widespread species were much reduced this year, perhaps due in part to the covid-access restrictions imposed during the first winter period. Birds were recorded at only 48 sites or locations, less than a third of the total for 2020. confirmed or probable breeding was reported from 23 sites, less than half of the number of the previous year. five pairs raised 13 juveniles on the ponds in christchurch Park, ipswich. the highest count of wintering birds was from Brandon where 39 were recorded on January 9th (Birdtrack).
EURASIAN COOT Fulica atra
Common but declining resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. this still-common species was reported from only 35 sites throughout the county, similar to the number reported back in 2018 when the population may have been adversely affected by a spell of severe late-winter weather. it is possible, however, that this year there may have been some under-recording due to the covid restrictions imposed during the first winter period. Records of breeding or probable breeding were received from 21 sites or localities, suggesting a return to the levels recorded prior to 2020. Seven pairs were present on the ponds in Holywells Park, ipswich on April 30th. the highest counts of non-breeding birds occurred at trimley Marshes SWt where a peak of 339 birds was reported on November 18th (P Whittaker), the highest total in Suffolk since December 8th 2018 when 417 were at Lackford Lakes.
As in 2020 (Suffolk Birds 2020: 92), a single coot (same bird in both years?) was present on Wilderness Pond in the spring. in 2021 it was noted between March 29th and May 4th (March 12th to May 1st in 2020). Also, as in 2020, it created an impressive nesting platform but, as in the previous year, no mate arrived and, presumably, it moved on to another potential breeding site. During its time at Wilderness Pond it was seen to be typically aggressive to the site’s Moorhens, Mallards and Mandarin Ducks, but the coot was itself seen to be vigorously pursued by the site’s, particularly feisty, pair of Little Grebes even before their juveniles had hatched. Philip Murphy
COMMON CRANE Grus grus
Scarce passage migrant. Has bred since 2007. Amber List. confirmation of breeding was received from two sites in the county. At Lakenheath fen RSPB three pairs attempted to breed, one of which failed to get beyond the egg-laying stage but the other two pairs each successfully raised one chick. At a site on the coast, after a failed nesting attempt last year, a pair successfully hatched two chicks but, unfortunately, they failed to survive beyond approximately three weeks.
Away from the two breeding sites some 82 reports were received, perhaps indicative of the recent spread of the species within the uk. the majority of sightings were of birds in flight and most were received from well-watched sites such as carlton Marshes SWt, Walberswick and Minsmere RSPB. A fifth site record for Landguard was also reported when, on March 25th, a bird flew north over the nearby Port of felixstowe (S J Davies, N odin).
the highest counts of birds were at Lakenheath RSPB where 20 adult birds (Suffolk’s highestever site total) were recorded on November 27th (RSPB) and carlton Marshes SWt where approximately 40 birds flew high northwards on April 11th (J Grant). this constitutes the largestever flock reported in Suffolk exceeding by far the 26 recorded in october 1977, and must surely have been the most spectacular ornithological sight in Suffolk in 2021! [Perhaps it was the largest flock in Suffolk since the 1600s?]
Locally common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. With the continuation of covid restrictions during the first winter period, regular access to many sites was again limited. Breeding or probable breeding was recorded from 22 sites, an improvement on last year and closer to the numbers reported prior to 2020. covid restrictions also resulted in the abandonment of regular monitoring of wetlands and estuaries during the first winter period. However, high counts of 20 or more non-breeding birds were received from six sites with the highest being 55 recorded at Ramsholt on August 4th (S Mayson). there were several high counts from this Ramsholt site during the year but, unfortunately, the water is no longer maintained at the high levels that they were for two years.
Little Grebes on Wilderness Pond, Christchurch, Ipswich in 2021
the single bird from october 2020 remained on Wilderness Pond into 2021 (Suffolk Birds 2020: 94). it was first heard calling on January 18th and by february 17th it was in full breeding plumage. A second bird, still in non-breeding plumage, was present from february 20th and a third bird from March 13th. the latter bird was seen frequently to be pursued by the other two grebes, accompanied by much trilling.
By March 1st the first two birds were seen together in the area where nests had been constructed in 2020 and on March 21st they were building a nesting platform in an area of overhanging branches. the two breeding adults were seen with two newly-hatched juveniles on May 2nd and on May 4th there were four juveniles on the back of one of the breeding pair. the adults were excellent parents, being seen to chase away a coot, canada Goose goslings, adult Mallards and, remarkably, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull.
By May 20th only three juveniles were present and on June 6th an adult was seen chasing away all three juveniles; also on June 6th, the three juveniles were seen resting, about 50mm above the water level, on the site’s semi-submerged fallen tree trunk. it is considered that the three juveniles fledged and safely departed from the site.
there had been suspicion that a second clutch had been laid as only one adult had been seen at any one time since June 15th. As such it came as no surprise when the breeding pair was seen accompanied by three newly-hatched juveniles on July 12th; however, on this same date a swift plunge-dive by an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull resulted in one of the juveniles being taken. Despite the success of the first brood, no juveniles from the second brood were seen after August 19th.
the three adults remained on Wilderness Pond into 2022; the third bird, originally seen on March 13th, was still frequently seen being chased away by the other two adults but it was obviously determined to remain on site where, for just one day, a fourth Little Grebe was present on December 21st.
Tony Powell and Philip Murphy.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
Some 12 reports, relating to five birds, were received during the year. in the first winter period one was regularly reported for almost a month at Minsmere and a second flew south past thorpeness in mid-January. the remaining three birds were reported from Breydon and two, again south past thorpeness, in the second winter period:
Breydon: South Wall, Dec 15th (BiNS)
Minsmere: Jan 22nd to feb 21st (J H Grant et al.)
Thorpeness: south, Jan 17th (D thurlow); two south, Sep 19th (D thurlow)
Locally common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.
Breeding records were received from 18 sites, a return to the figures reported in 2019, prior
to the covid restrictions. However, covid restrictions did force the abandonment of regular monitoring of wetlands and estuaries organized through WeBS during the first winter period. the access restrictions may also be responsible for the lack of reports of high counts of wintering birds during the first winter period, with only one count in excess of 100 birds being submitted, from Alton Water where a total of 167 birds was recorded on January 23rd (M Nowers). During the second winter period a further four reports of counts in excess of 100 were received, all from Alton Water, peaking at 141 on December 19th (WeBS).
June was the only month in which this grebe was not noted off Landguard. the maximum total was four south, March 4th.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Seemingly a quieter year for this species with only 13 reports received from six sites, the majority of which relate to birds recorded in the first winter period. the Stour estuary continues to be the favoured location with up to two birds being present between January 1st and 24th. then up to three birds were recorded between March 6th and 8th with Stutton Ness providing the most reliable viewpoint. three birds were later reported from Alton Water on April 8th, two of which were in breeding plumage. the only other record for the first winter period is of a single bird reported from Landguard on March 20th. only two reports were received in the second winter period, both of single birds, one on a farm reservoir at Aldringham Walks on october 16th and the second on covehithe Broad on December 11th.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. only four records were received for this species. [Please see Steve Piotrowski’s article at the beginning of this bird report. unfortunately, neither pair was successful and despite records of successful breeding on lowland lakes elsewhere in Britain, they have yet to do so in Suffolk.]
Details of sightings are as follows:
Benacre: Sluice, inshore drifting north, feb 16th
Deben Estuary: Waldringfield, Jan 1st; Dec 13th
Livermere Lake: in summer plumage, April 9th this is the eighth year so far this century that Black-necked Grebe has been noted at Livermere Lake during the period April to July.
Waveney Valley: up to four birds on various dates, Apr 5th to May 9th
Locally fairly common summer visitor. Occasionally overwinters. Amber List. the first returning birds of the year were recorded on february 27th in the Brecks and on March 16th in the Sandlings.
the RSPB Stone-curlew team recorded 73 breeding pairs. of these, 20 were in the Sandlings, fledging 12 young, whilst 53 were in the Brecks, with 23 young being fledged. Separately, 21 pairs were confirmed breeding at sites not monitored by the RSPB and it was estimated that a further 10 pairs bred in un-monitored areas. finally, three were unconfirmed or non-breeding, giving a grand total of 107 pairs in Suffolk. Post-breeding counts in the Brecks included 29 at cavenham Heath on September 5th and 46 at Lakenheath on September 26th. in the Sandlings peak counts were 41 on August 28th and 44 on october 3rd. the latest report from the Sandlings was of ten birds on November 5th and from the Brecks, two birds at cavenham Heath on october 28th.
Rare visitor. Bred in 2014. Amber list. there was one record received. A pair was present at trimley Marshes for five days and attempted nesting, but the pair was regularly harried by Marsh Harriers and aborted the attempt. Trimley Marshes: a pair was present on the summer flood, May 28th to June 1st, (A excell et al.)
Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Common but declining resident. Amber list. the highest coastal site count came from the River orwell at Levington creek, with 550 recorded on November 25th. the highest inland count was from the Great Livermere area with 42 on March 21st. this is the highest-ever at an inland site in Suffolk, the previous maximum having been 34 at Livermere Lake on March 14th 2009.
Breeding was recorded at carlton Marshes (two pairs); Minsmere (six pairs); Hazlewood Marshes (six pairs); Hollesley Marshes; River Deben at Melton; West end Road, ipswich (one pair); Alton Water and trimley Marshes. inland records, where breeding was confirmed were from Lakenheath fen; Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford; Lackford Lakes; Hall farm, fornham St Martin; knettishall and Worlington.
A pair nested successfully on the roof of cattermoles Garage, West end Road, ipswich and two juveniles were noted. the garage owner commented that “a pair of seagulls nested on the same roof, just a few yards away”
WeBS Data:
Deben
the peak monthly totals of southerly passage off Landguard were 393 in August and 244 in July with a maximum day-total of 101 on July 31st.
FA06227 nestling 16/06/1985 Shingle Street, Hollesley, Suffolk 52°01’N 01°26’e controlled 09/07/2021 Havergate island, Suffolk 52°04’N 01°31’e – 8km Ne
FR85169 adult 23/03/1986 fagbury, trimley St Mary, Suffolk 51°57’N 01°17’e alive (ring read in field) 24/05/2021 Landguard Point, felixstowe, Suffolk 51°56'N 01°19'e – 3km Se two long-lived oystercatchers still going strong. the first bird was caught 36 years after having been ringed as a chick and the second was seen 35 years after having been ringed as an adult. in fact, oystercatcher no. fAo6227 aged 36 years and 23 days is older than the longevity record of 35 years 11 months given in Vol. 3 of BWP! However, that has been surpassed since publication and the current longevity record for oystercatcher is 41 years, one month and five days (Bto Ringing staff pers. comm.).
Fairly common resident, summer visitor and passage migrant on the coast. Increasingly regular at inland sites. Amber list.
Breeding records were received from the following locations: Carlton Marshes: 24 pairs fledged 49 young Kessingland: one pair fledged two young Benacre Broad: three nesting pairs, all failed Hen Reedbeds: bird seen apparently incubating on an island in the Blyth in early April Walberswick: five pairs nested on the Blyth and 12 on the shore pools, no information on whether breeding was successful Minsmere: 89 pairs nested, up from 72 in 2020, fledging 23 young Aldeburgh Marshes: three birds sitting on nests in early June, thought perhaps to be re-nesting attempts of birds from another location – as not present earlier in the season Hazlewood Marshes: 11 pairs nested, fledging 14 juveniles
Orfordness: 43 pairs fledged seven young Havergate Island: two pairs nested but failed at the egg stage
Boyton Marshes: 27 pairs fledged seven young Hollesley Marshes: 15 pairs nested but failed at the egg stage Trimley Marshes: six pairs bred, but no young survived Gifford’s Hall Flash: pair seen during May, and pair plus fully fledged juvenile seen on July 11th Lakenheath Fen: six pairs bred on Hockwold Washes, of which two pairs successfully fledged four young
Number of sites 11 9 7 9 14 16 14 15 13 16
Confirmed pairs 208 212 154 215 247 256 233 309 238 249
counts of 250 or more, other than WeBS, are as follows:
Iken Cliff: 325, Jan 6th
Havergate: 400, Aug 19th; 473, Aug 21st Stour Estuary: 445, Nov 12th; Seafield Bay, 460, oct 18th inland sightings of Avocets were at: Gifford’s Hall flash, Stoke-by-Nayland; Lakenheath fen and Bto Nunnery Lakes in thetford where a single bird present on March 23rd is the first for the reserve.
WeBS data: Jan Feb Mar Apr Sep Oct Nov Dec
Blyth Estuary - - 154 - - - 176 372 Alde Estuary - - - - - 157 1526 1287 Deben Estuary - 324 5 2 78 106 165 544 Orwell Estuary - - 18 59 14 128 18 490 Stour Estuary - - 209 150 16 275 376 300
only 11 were noted offshore from Landguard during the year, with a peak day-total of three on June 8th.
colour-ringed birds from Germany (1), france and the Netherlands (2) were seen in 2021, some of these being returning birds seen in previous years. the following record involves an interesting movement from cumbria. EA30526 (yellow 74) nestling 10/06/2021 canute, cumbria 54°58’N 03°02’W alive (colour-ring seen) 23/08/2021 Havergate island, Suffolk 52°04’N 01°31’e – 440km SW
the total of 24 at Lakenheath fen is the highest-ever inland site-total in Suffolk (Suffolk Birds 2020: 97).
Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Declining as a breeding species. Red list. Notable counts of 800 or more. it is likely that the february totals are linked to particularly harsh weather at the time:
Barsham Marshes: 800, feb 22nd
Carlton Marshes: 3500, feb 6th
Minsmere: 1000, feb 1st
Aldeburgh Marshes: 800, Dec 13th
Trimley Marshes: 1000, feb 18th
Timworth: 1000, feb 20th
Great Barton: 2000, feb 19th
Lakenheath Fen: 1000, Aug 5th, 1010, Aug 14th; 1000, Sep 6th Breeding was confirmed at the following coastal sites:
Carlton Marshes: 32 occupied nests
Beccles: two young
Minsmere: 32 pairs
Aldeburgh Marshes: 12 pairs
Snape Wetland: six pairs
Hollesley Marshes: no numbers
Ramsholt: Lodge farm Marshes, two pairs
Trimley Marshes: 22 pairs, no young fledged East Bergholt: White Horse Marsh, no numbers inland breeding was confirmed at Barking: Pipps ford, two pairs, nests failed
Fornham St Martin: Hall farm, no numbers
Lackford Lakes: two young Mickle Mere: no numbers
Cavenham: no numbers
Great Livermere: two pairs, two young
Lakenheath Fen RSPB: four confirmed broods
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Hall flash, three pairs, two young
WeBS data:
Blyth
it was a very poor year for Lapwing at Landguard with no sightings in either August or September. 2020’s peak day-total had been 126 south, November 30th, but in November this year only two flew south, 11 north and 11 counted on the reserve.
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Notable counts of 600 or more were reported as follows:
Breydon Water: 2000, Nov 19th; 8000, Nov 22nd
Ellough: Moor, 600, Jan 5th
King’s Fleet/Falkenham Marshes: 1600, Dec 3rd
Levington Creek: 600, Nov 25th
Chelmondiston: 1288, Dec 11th
Pakenham: 800, Nov 14th the 10000 at Breydon Water on December 30th 2020 is the county’s record total; both that 2020 figure and this year’s total of 8000 exceed the previous Suffolk record of 7500 noted 22 years ago on the Blyth estuary on December 4th 1999.
WeBS Data:
Jan Feb Mar Apr Sep Oct Nov Dec
Blyth Estuary - - - - - - 52 -
Alde Estuary - - - - - 330 407 686
Deben Estuary - - 1 19 41 370 450 1832
Jan
Orwell Estuary - - - - - 80 340 62
Stour Estuary - - - - 12 2 220 -
Southerly autumn passage at Landguard totalled 110 between July 29th and December 25th with a peak day-total of 62 on December 13th.
GREY PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. this species was recorded in every month of the year from coastal sites. counts of 100 or more came from the following locations: Havergate Island: 104, Nov 18th
Deben Estuary: felixstowe ferry, 700, Mar 8th
Orwell Estuary: Levington creek, 220, Nov 25th the only record from the west of the county is of a single bird at Shalford Meadow, Little cornard on february 12th (S Read), the first at an inland site since March 30th 2015 when one was at Lakenheath fen.
At Landguard, an intriguing observation is of 12 Grey Plovers heading north on June 21st –presumably oversummering birds? Also at Landguard, 143 were recorded flying south between July 29th and october 31st with a peak day-total of 27 on August 6th.
WeBS Data:
Blyth Estuary - - 12 - - - 43 22 Alde Estuary - - - - - 33 173 88
Deben Estuary - 305 125 2 213 283 187 386 Orwell Estuary - 2 77 19 91 324 10 340 Stour Estuary - - 2921 91 592 357 210 532
the graph above (e keeble) shows the Stour WeBS high water maxima since 1970.
Declining resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. counts of 100 or more: Hazlewood Marshes: 180, May 9th; 155, May 11th; 100, May 18th (presumably the tundrae below)
Levington Creek: 125, Sep 10th; 260, oct 12th
Trimley Marshes: 112, Aug 28th
Breeding was confirmed at the following locations:
Carlton Marshes: three pairs Walberswick: two pairs on the beach
Minsmere: two pairs, one young Thorpeness: nest with three chicks
Bawdsey: east Lane, five adults, two young Landguard: five pairs, one young reared Trimley Marshes: no numbers
Double-figure counts of birds considered to be of the race tundrae came from: Carlton Marshes: 19, May 7th and 21st Hazlewood Marshes: 100, May 18th, ten, June 1st
Alde Estuary: iken cliff, 28, May 6th Havergate Island: 14, May 30th
WeBS data:
Blyth Estuary - - 4 - - - 4 2
Alde Estuary - - - - - 23 14 7
Deben Estuary - 9 - 1 38 47 58 11 Orwell Estuary - 14 - - 133 260 62 18 Stour Estuary - - 6 1 106 71 9 52
Southerly autumn passage off Landguard peaked in August during which month 171 were recorded with a maximum day-total of 29 on August 29th.
Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. the first returning birds in the east of the county were reported at Hollesley Marshes on March 7th and in the west at both cavenham Pits and Lackford Lakes on March 27th. the Hollesley Marshes bird on March 7th is the second-earliest-ever to be recorded in Suffolk, the earliest having been on March 3rd 1997 at trimley Marshes.
Breeding was only confirmed at Pipps ford: Pipps Ford: two, possibly three, nests though in areas difficult to see. By July 18th, five recently fledged young were seen. one other juvenile was seen much later in August but not clear whether that was fledged at Pipps ford or came from elsewhere.
Between one and four birds were present at cavenham Pits from March 27th to April 21st at least. A comment from one observer was of “two pairs displaying in the new workings” on April 11th. there was no proof of successful breeding, however.
Birds were recorded at various coastal sites and from seven locations in the west of the county. Many of these were juveniles on passage. the highest site counts were of 12 birds at Pipps ford on July 30th and 14 at Hollesley Marshes, July 28th to 31st, which is the highest passage count on the Suffolk coast since August 2nd 2013 when 15 were on the Scrape at Minsmere. the last recorded sighting of the year in the west was at Lakenheath fen on September 4th and, in the east, at Botany Marshes, Snape Wetlands on September 23rd.
Rare passage migrant.
Iken Cliff: A female on May 3rd and 4th (S Westerberg) this is the 11th so far in Suffolk this century, the others having been recorded in 2001, 2003, 2005. 2006, 2008 (missed out in last year’s bird report), 2009 (two), 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Scarce passage migrant. Red list. two records were received.
King’s Fleet/Falkenham Marshes: single bird present with a flock of Golden Plovers from october 30th until November 2nd (multi-observer)
Lakenheath Warren: three, April 28th (P Dickenson} the king’s fleet/falkenham creek bird is now the latest-ever to be recorded in Suffolk, just surpassing the bird at fressingfield on November 1st 2000. the Lakenheath Warren finder’s note included “The three brightly-plumaged birds were thought to be females and were on passage”.
Locally common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. it is not possible to draw firm conclusions from the numbers below about the size of the wintering flock on the Stour in 2021 as data are incomplete; based upon what is available, the flock exceeded 3000 birds in the first winter period and at least 4700 were present in the second winter.
Away from the regular wintering flocks, there were rather few records in double figures. As expected, there were reports of small flocks of passage birds in May and into June, including 35 on the Alde estuary at iken on May 15th. these probably relate to long-distance migrants of the nominate race canutus which winters mainly in northwestern Africa, and breeds in Siberia. Late spring and mid-summer records of birds in non-breeding plumage may, however, relate to second-calendar-year birds of the race islandica oversummering along the coasts of the North Sea. there were few such records, but 13 were at Minsmere on June 21st.
Atypically, there were three records of single birds inland, each at a different season as follows:
Sudbury: feb 10th – possibly bird present nearby at Long Melford, Dec 6th 2020
Thetford: May 13th
Lakenheath Fen: Aug 29th
Autumn passage off Landguard peaked in late october, with 323 south on october 29th and 146 south on october 30th. Seventy were reported south off Minsmere on october 29th. these records coincide with the main arrival of the wintering flock in the south of the county, although many of our birds may arrive overland from the Wash.
WeBS high-water count data (with totals for the Suffolk shore of the Stour estuary and for the estuary as a whole):
Alde/Ore
Locally common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.
During the first winter period there were few reports and the only counts into double figures were from kessingland, where there was a peak count of March 5th. there were very few reports in April, except for the regular spring flock at Landguard which peaked at 36 on April 4th. Reports in May and early June were concentrated at Minsmere, with peak totals of 35 on May 22nd and 19 on June 5th. elsewhere, very few were reported.
Returning migrants were reported in small numbers from July 18th, with 15 reported at Lowestoft on September 3rd. thereafter only singles or small numbers were reported from coastal sites in the second winter period, but with 20 at Southwold on November 4th and 13 at kessingland on December 18th. there have been no inland reports since 2017 when a single bird was at Lakenheath, May 6th.
LITTLE STINT Calidris minuta Fairly common passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters. As has been the pattern in recent years, there were few reports of Little Stint and none in double figures.
in the first winter period, there was a bird on Havergate island on January 8th which may have remained into the spring, last being seen on May 15th. in addition to the Havergate bird, there were migrants at Walberswick on May 11th and at Minsmere with two on May 28th. there was an atypical mid-summer record of one at Minsmere on June 16th. there was a report of three from Minsmere on the early date of July 13th with no further reports until late August, with numbers from then increasing at Minsmere to six on September 6th. there were sightings from at least 12 coastal sites over the autumn, but none in double figures and with the highest count being of nine at Walberswick (tinker’s Marshes) on
August 31st. one flew south off Landguard on September 27th.
After three years without an inland record, there was a juvenile from September 10th to 15th at Lakenheath fen where the previous inland bird had been present on April 27th 2018.
“as in 2020 …..” (Suffolk Birds 2020: 102) to read “As in 2019 ….”
Calidris fuscicollis Rare visitor.
Remarkably, there were two records of this species, both from Minsmere but separated by a week. these are the 28th and 29th Suffolk records, involving 30 and 31 birds respectively, and the first since 2012 (Havergate, July 22nd).
Minsmere: July 19th to 23rd (c Mills et al.); Aug 1st to 10th (B J Small et al.).
Suffolk’s only multiple record involved up to three on the south side of Breydon Water, July 23rd to 31st 1996.
Scarce passage migrant.
two, maybe three, birds were recorded from trimley Marshes and, as in 2019 and 2020, none was reported on the coast north of there. it must be possible that the records from trimley Marshes in recent years relate to the same site-faithful individuals. there was an inland bird at Lackford in the autumn; this is the first inland autumn occurrence since 2006 when a juvenile remained at Livermere Lake between August 21st and 25th.
Trimley Marshes: two, Apr 29th to May 9th (P Holmes); May 18th (t Sutton)
Lackford Lakes: juvenile, Aug 20th [R Davis]
Scarce passage migrant.
After a blank year in 2020, there were six records as follows:
Carlton Marshes: Sep 19th and 20th (P Davison); oct 10th to 17th (A easton)
Minsmere: May 18th (J Grant), July 31st to Aug 15th (R Harvey); Sep 20th to 29th (S Abbott)
Trimley Marshes: Sep 21st (P Holmes) the Minsmere bird on May 18th is the first spring record in Suffolk since 2014 (trimley Marshes, June 3rd to 6th). there have now been ten spring records of Pectoral Sandpiper in Suffolk, with dates of arrival between April 17th (trimley Marshes, 2010) and June 10th (orfordness, 2012). the first recorded occurrence was back in 1974 on June 6th and 7th at Minsmere. However, these ten records might not refer to ten birds – it seems probable that only one bird was involved in each of the five consecutive springs between 2010 and 2014 inclusive, on three occasions at trimley Marshes and twice on
orfordness. the only inland spring record involved one at cavenham, May 15th to 17th 1994. As suggested in Steve Piotrowski’s avifauna (The Birds of Suffolk 2003), singles in late June at trimley Marshes on 30th in 1991 and Minsmere between 26th and 28th in 1975 could well have been early.
CURLEW SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea
Uncommon passage migrant. Has overwintered. Amber list. there were more reports of birds on spring passage in 2021 compared with 2020, with a total of at least ten between April 23rd and June 7th, but each involving only one or two birds. these included single birds at Alton Water on May 1st and Lakenheath fen on May 3rd, the sixth spring record for west Suffolk. there was a mid-summer record from Minsmere on June 21st, presumably an oversummering bird.
Autumn passage numbers were lower than in 2020, with no reports of more than four birds at any one site.
the first reports of the autumn were from the Deben estuary (kirton) and Minsmere on July 8th, with reports peaking in the last week of August. the highest count from Minsmere was of three on August 23rd and one was there from october 8th to 13th. there was a report of one at Hazlewood Marshes on December 30th.
PURPLE SANDPIPER Calidris maritima
Fairly common winter visitor. Scarce passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). the best site for this species remains Ness Point, Lowestoft. Purple Sandpipers were recorded there in the first winter period from January 1st until May 9th with a peak count of 24 on March 9th, the highest site-total this century. it is also the peak count since february 1991 when 39 were present on the site’s sea-defence blocks. the record total at Ness Point, and in Suffolk, is 44 on March 15th and 20th 1988. Winterers in 2021 returned there from october 10th and were present until the year’s end with a peak count of 11 on December 20th.
At Landguard up to two birds were seen from January 23rd to March 21st in the first winter period. Passage birds peaked at five south on August 22nd and up to three birds were present during the second winter period. elsewhere, one to three birds were seen primarily at the usual additional sites (Southwold, Aldeburgh/thorpeness, Slaughden and Bawdsey/Shingle Street), but also with an unexpected sighting of one with Dunlin on the orwell estuary on August 31st.
DUNLIN Calidris alpina
Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). the WeBS high water count data in the table below indicate a population of over 17000 on Suffolk’s estuaries in the second winter period, made up of over approximately 6000 on the Stour estuary (taking the estuary as a whole), 1000 on the orwell estuary, 4000 on the Deben estuary, 4000 on the Alde estuary and 2000 on the Blyth estuary. this is significantly higher than the equivalent figures of 13000 for 2019 and 12000 in 2020 and is, in part, explained by the availability of WeBS count data for the Blyth estuary for the first time for several years. there was a much heavier spring passage than in 2020, with several reports of flocks exceeding 100 birds in April and into early May when over 2000 birds were present in the county. these included 600 in Seafield Bay (Stour estuary) on May 2nd, 350 at Ramsholt (Deben estuary) on May 3rd and 1000 at iken (Alde estuary) on May 4th. on May 17th there were 80 on the jetty at Landguard. there were several inland records, including a high count of eight at Lakenheath fen on May 6th.
Numbers reduced sharply towards the middle of May, but a few remained into June, with a breeding plumaged bird at Minsmere on June 11th and 14th.
it is not clear when the first returning adults appeared in July as there were a few lingering birds over the summer, but numbers increased during the month and the first juvenile was reported on
July 24th. there were 165 at Minsmere on July 28th. Autumn passage at Landguard was from July 8th until November 15th with a maximum of 486 south on october 29th.
WeBS high-water count data (with totals for the Suffolk shore of the Stour estuary and for the estuary as a whole):
Blyth Estuary - - 815 - - - - - 757 2335
Alde/Ore Estuary - - - - - - - 246 5526 4195
Deben Estuary - 5593 263 282 - - 55 157 684 3798 Orwell Estuary - 350 309 16 - - - 113 866 894
Stour Estuary (Suffolk shore) - - 798 210 62 65 328 4225 1831 889
Stour Estuary (incl Essex) - - 1230 333 62 91 331 4229 3164 5790
Very rare passage migrant. A well-watched individual on the Alde estuary (iken) is the 19th record (and 20th individual) for the county. it is also the earliest-ever Broad-billed Sandpiper to be recorded in Suffolk. Iken: May 5th and 6th (J farooqi et al.)
Rare visitor. the individual recorded below was only present for just over a day. it is the 13th record of the species for the county and the first-ever in spring. Carlton Marshes: May 6th and 7th (c Buttle et al.)
Fairly common passage migrant. Small numbers overwinter. Red List. in the first winter period, the returning wintering bird was on the Deben estuary until May 1st. there were three at Sudbourne Marshes on January 9th and one at Minsmere in the last two weeks of January.
Spring passage through the county is generally early, with the first birds appearing in late february. in recent years this has involved only small numbers of birds and no flocks into double figures. the largest spring flocks this year were at Barsham Marshes with seven birds on March 1st and carlton Marshes, also with seven birds, on April 24th. the highest total from Minsmere was of five birds on April 25th and nowhere else on the coast held more than two birds. inland, there were a few reports of single birds including one at Lakenheath fen on March 30th and 31st. in autumn, small numbers were recorded in June and July and the only coastal site with counts in double figures was Minsmere which held 16 (made up of nine adults and seven juveniles) on August 20th. As in 2019 and 2020, there was also a small flock inland at Lakenheath fen, with 12 on September 15th; this site has attracted larger autumn totals e.g. 23, September 25th 2017 and 38, August 21st 2000.
Numbers tailed off rapidly through September and the only report in the second winter period was of two at Snape Wetlands on December 25th.
L. l. islandica: Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.
L. l. limosa: Scarce visitor. Formerly bred. Red list. there were several reports of birds of the nominate race limosa which are listed below. the
five colour-ringed birds referred to below are all known to be from the small, but increasing, breeding population on the ouse Washes and Nene Washes.
Carlton Marshes: four, May 10th; June 5th; two, June 12th
Minsmere: colour-ringed adult yo//oL(e), June 27th to at least July 24th; juv, June 28th to at least July 30th
Boyton Marshes: May 11th; colour-ringed juv BG// yL(e), July 10th to 22nd
Havergate Island: colour-ringed juv BG//yL(e), July 23rd (the bird from Boyton Marshes)
Hollesley Marshes: colour-ringed juv BG//yL(e), July 30th (the bird from Boyton Marshes)
Trimley Marshes: two colour-ringed adults WN// WL(e) and WL//RL(e), July 13th
Black tailed Godwit Russ Boland
Orwell Estuary (Freston): colour-ringed adult WN//WL(e), July 26th (one of the birds from trimley Marshes) Stour Estuary (Stutton): colour-ringed adult WL//RL(e), July 23rd (one of the birds from trimley Marshes); colour-ringed juv oR//yL(e), Aug 13th to 16th in relation to the islandica subspecies, numbers in the county in the first winter period reached a peak of at least 3000 in March (including the Stour estuary as a whole), but data are incomplete. this total includes spring migrants and winterers and there was a marked exodus in the last week of April, as is typical.
Records from the coast in early June are likely to relate to oversummering immatures and nonbreeders. there were 100 at Minsmere on June 21st, but higher numbers towards the end of the month are likely to have included the first returning migrants. Return passage was first evident from late June, with numbers increasing inland at Lakenheath fen to 14 on June 21st. there were 154 inland at Stoke-by-Nayland (Gifford’s flash) on July 11th and 11 were seen flying south along the Stour Valley at Long Melford on August 8th. in the second winter period the population reached a total of at least 4000 in November (including the Stour estuary as a whole).
Lakenheath, November 24th and 35 at Gifford’ Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, July 7th
Fairly common passage migrant and locally common winter visitor. Amber list. there were probably over 100 birds in the county in the first winter period, based on reported counts of 65 on the Alde estuary on January 6th and 72 on the Stour estuary (Seafield Bay) on January 29th, but this species is highly mobile and it is possible that there is more movement between our estuaries than we realise.
As in 2020, spring passage was concentrated into the last two weeks of April, with 65 seen coming in off the sea at Walberswick on April 23rd and the highest count being 84 on Havergate island on April 27th. Landguard recorded 33 north on April 25th and 30 north on April 27th. on the Stour estuary at cattawade, migrants reached 30 on April 26th. there were also several inland records from the west of the county during this period of passage, including four at Lakenheath on April 28th. Numbers declined sharply in May and there were a few reports from June which may have been oversummering immature birds. Based on colour-ring re-sightings, the spring passage birds are likely to have wintered on Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania. Small numbers were seen migrating south in autumn, with no reports of more than 15 birds, apart from at Landguard where 35 in the month of August, included 28 on 6th. there was one at Lakenheath on September 12th. there were few reports of more than 50 birds in the second winter period, but there was a WeBS count of 120 birds on the Stour estuary in December.
Migrants were reported from April 8th when one flew upriver on the orwell estuary at trimley Marshes. Passage peaked during the last week of April and first week of May, with over 200 birds recorded and there were several records in the first two weeks of June. the highest counts from locations recording ten birds or more are listed below:
Breydon Water (south shore): 35, May 19th
Carlton Marshes: 28, Apr 25th
Worlingham: Worlingham Marshes, 25, May 6th
North Cove (Castle Marsh): 60, May 2nd
Aldeburgh: 17, May 1st
Dunwich: ten, May 7th
Alde Estuary (Hazlewood Marshes): 17, May 9th
Havergate Island: 23, May 3rd
Hollesley Marshes: ten, April 23rd
Felixstowe: 16, April 26th
Additionally, Landguard recorded 171 birds offshore between April 9th and June 6th, with a maximum of 48 north on April 27th. there were records of one or two birds from six locations in the west of the county in spring (thetford, cavenham, icklingham, Lackford, Lakenheath and Stoke-byNayland), but no larger groups.
Southbound migrants were recorded in autumn at Landguard between June 18th and September 24th involving an overall total of 127 with a peak day-total of 17 on both July 30th and August 5th. Several double-figure counts were made over the autumn, with the largest flocks being of 30 at Breydon Water on July 31st and 20 south past Bawdsey on August 20th.
the final paragraph on the 2020 Whimbrel section should not have been there. Probably editor incompetence!
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. A few pairs still breed. Red list. Monthly WeBS counts were incomplete in the first winter period, but some numbers in the county were in excess of 2000 in the year’s first three months. Numbers reduced as birds began to migrate away from the estuaries in early spring, but there were still over 900 on the Stour estuary in April.
As is usual, there were several inland records from february which are likely to refer to returning breeders and these included 13 at cavenham on february 28th. the status of this species as a breeding bird in Suffolk remains precarious and data are likely to be incomplete, but fewer than ten potential breeding pairs were reported.
it is not possible to be certain whether mid-summer reports relate to birds which are oversummering non-breeders or to the first returning migrants, but 15 on the Alde estuary on May 15th may have been in the former category. there were 11 on the Blyth estuary on June 15th, 50 at Breydon Water on June 21st and 70 on the Stour estuary (Seafield Bay) on June 27th. Landguard recorded 177 south in June from 6th and 146 in July, with a maximum day-count of 95 south on June 25th.
in the second winter period, the population exceeded 1800 birds, which is down when compared with the total for 2019.
WeBS high water count data (with totals for the Suffolk shore of the Stour estuary and for the estuary as a whole):
Jan
Blyth Estuary - - 138 - - - - - 58 72
Alde/Ore Estuary - - - - - - - 167 389 241
Deben Estuary - 160 470 220 - - 272 233 245 35
Orwell Estuary - 14 341 304 - - - 473 127 295
Stour Estuary (Suffolk shore) - - 628 486 29 118 522 725 670 332
Stour Estuary (incl Essex shore) - - 753 916 708 428 864 999 739 464
Common passage migrant. A few birds overwinter. Amber list. the overwintering bird from 2020 was present in the ipswich Docks area until April 17th and additionally there was one at Barsham Marshes on february 4th. thereafter birds first seen in March were probably on passage, including one at kessingland on March 5th. the majority of spring reports related to one to three birds, but there were four at Minsmere on May 16th. inland records were sparse, with records of one or two birds from only seven sites.
After an inland record from Little cornard on June 7th, return passage was evident from the first week of July. thereafter there were widespread reports of single birds or small groups, but with few double-figure counts. Selected high counts of more than five birds at coastal sites are listed below. the highest count from inland was of five at Lakenheath fen on September 1st. Minsmere: ten, Aug 9th Boyton Marshes: seven, July 10th Havergate Island: 14, Aug 1st Landguard: seven, Aug 19th Stour Estuary (Cattawade): ten, Aug 22nd Landguard’s overall total for the autumn was 14 between July 8th and September 28th. in the second winter period the overwintering bird returned to the ipswich Docks area.
the report of two birds displaying at Stutton Mill on the Stour estuary on April 23rd (Suffolk Birds 2020: 108) is the first example of any potential breeding behaviour in Suffolk since 1994 when a pair was seen copulating at Weybread Gravel Pits in the Waveney Valley, May 16th. this wader has never been proven to breed in Suffolk, but the most recent Norfolk avifauna, “The Birds of Norfolk” (taylor et al., 1999) lists seven instances of breeding in Norfolk between the years 1897 and 1980.
Fairly common passage migrant. Small numbers overwinter. Amber list. there were widespread records of single birds in the first winter period from over 20 sites, the majority away from the coast; these typically involved one or two birds. there were five at tuddenham St. Martin on february 21st and four at Pipps ford, Barking in the last week of March, with this latter record likely to relate to spring migration. Migration fell away in April, with reports coming from only ten sites in the last week of April and the first week of May, of which eight were inland. the last bird of the spring was at Minsmere on May 7th. A returning bird was reported from cattawade on June 6th, a typically-early date. the highest
counts were in mid-August and highest day-counts from sites holding ten or more birds are as follows:
Minsmere: ten, Aug 13th
Snape Wetlands: 19, Aug 21st
Alde Estuary: ten, Aug 22nd
Hollesley Marshes: 11, Aug 4th
Deben Estuary: Lodge Marsh, Ramsholt, 11, July 18th there was, as, usual a scatter of reports in the second winter period from the coast and inland, but from fewer than 15 sites and none of more than three birds except for five at Lakenheath fen on November 15th and four at Pipps ford in late December.
SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus
Decreasing passage migrant. A few overwinter. Amber list. there were probably ten birds in the county in the first winter period, although some records may involve the same individuals. the highest single count from the Blyth estuary and Walberswick/Dunwich area was of five at Dingle Marshes on february 5th, with additional birds at Snape Wetlands, on Havergate island and on the Deben estuary. exceptionally, there was an inland winter record of one in the Stour Valley in the Sudbury and Long Melford area between february 10th and 15th. it is reasonable to speculate that this bird was taking refuge in the cold weather in mid-february and might be the returning bird which spends some of the winter on the Stour estuary. this is the first midwinter sighting in west Suffolk since 1995 when one was at Lackford Lakes, December 2nd.
Spring passage was light, with reports from fewer than ten sites and involving approximately 20 birds. the highest totals were of eight at Dingle Marshes on April 17th and three at trimley Marshes on May 2nd, probably involving regularly-returning birds at both sites. there was one at Livermere Lake on April 23rd and three there on April 24th, a very good inland record.
the first birds of return passage were noted at Minsmere on June 9th and, as usual, most reports came from that site. Selected high counts of seven birds or more are set out below (records from the Blyth estuary and Southwold probably relating to the same mobile birds):
Blyth Estuary: seven, Aug 30th
Southwold: seven, Sep 5th
Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, ten, Sep 23rd
Minsmere: 21, July 27th
Havergate: eight, Sep 18th
Deben Estuary: Martlesham, seven, Aug 22nd in addition, seven individuals were recorded at trimley Marshes over the month of August, but not all present at any one time. inland, one was recorded at Lackford Lakes on August 26th and two at Lakenheath fen on August 31st. one flew south off Landguard on August 5th. in the second winter period numbers appeared to be similar to those reported earlier in the
year, presumably with many of the same birds involved. there was a count of eight birds from Dingle Marshes, Dunwich, on November 19th.
for “…they did not include four at Trimley Marshes …..” (Suffolk Birds 2020: 109) to read “…. They did include four at Trimley Marshes….”).
COMMON GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia
Common passage migrant. A few overwinter. Amber list. in the first winter period from January to March, there were up to two on the Stour estuary, up to two on the Deben estuary and one at carlton Marshes. Spring passage was not recorded until mid-April, with the exception of one on the Blyth estuary on April 5th. Passage was earlier than in 2020, with some high counts in late April and two totals of over 30 birds in the first week of May. inland, numbers were low, with only one or two birds from five sites.
Alde Estuary: iken, 31, May 6th
Deben Estuary: Melton, 35, May 1st these are the highest spring totals since 2011 when there were peaks of 40, Hazlewood Marshes, May 3rd; 35, Snape, May 18th and 33, North Warren, April 30th. there were reports of a single bird at Minsmere in early June and then presumed migrants from the middle of that month with one inland at Lakenheath fen on June 21st. one flew south off Landguard, June 26th.
As in 2020, few flocks of ten or more birds were recorded on autumn passage. the regular autumn flock on the Stour estuary peaked at 21. elsewhere, there were 16 on the Alde estuary (Hazlewood Marshes) on July 20th and 23 on the Deben estuary (Melton) on September 26th. A total of nine was seen flying south off Landguard over July and August. inland, the only record of five or more was of five at Lakenheath fen in the first week of September. in the second winter period, presumed overwintering birds were recorded from carlton Marshes, Havergate island and the Stour estuary.
Passage migrant in small numbers. Amber list. the first birds of the spring arrived inland. there was one at Livermere Lake from April 23rd, one at Lakenheath fen from April 28th and one at Pipps ford, Barking on April 26th. on the coast, the first birds were at carlton Marshes and Southwold, both on April 29th. Spring passage was significantly better than in 2020, with reports from 13 sites of which four recorded three or more birds. the highest day-counts are set out below:
Carlton Marshes: four, May 6th and 7th
North Warren: three, May 5th
Trimley Marshes: three, Apr 30th
East Bergholt: White Horse Marsh, six, May 6th to 9th the first June record was of a moulting adult at east Bergholt (White Horse Marsh) on 6th and there was also a bird at carlton Marshes on 12th. Autumn passage was light and most records involved only one or two birds. the highest day-counts from sites recording three or more birds are as follows. four different individuals were recorded at trimley Marshes in August.
Carlton Marshes: three, Aug 13th and 15th
Snape Wetlands: three, Aug 12th.
Hollesley Marshes: six, July 27th and 29th. Singles were seen inland at Livermere Lake on July 9th and August 14th and Lakenheath fen on August 16th, and 29th and 30th. there were few records in September, but one was seen inland at Lakenheath fen on 1st and one at east Lane, Bawdsey on 20th.
West Suffolk: singles noted in July at Mickle Mere, 2nd and Livermere Lake, 28th
Very rare visitor. this individual is the 14th record for the county, and the first ever in west Suffolk. Stoke-by-Nayland: Giffords Hall flash, juv, Sep 13th to 29th (k Day et al.)
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Declining resident. Amber list. Data from the monthly WeBS counts on the principal estuaries are set out in the table below. Breeding data are incomplete for 2021. Significant reported totals of breeding pairs included 39 at carlton Marshes, 27 at Minsmere, two at Dingle Marshes and 14 at North Warren. Redshank were also reported to have bred at Hazlewood Marshes, Snape, Ramsholt and trimley Marshes, but there are many additional coastal breeding locations where pairs are likely to have bred. inland, two pairs bred at Lakenheath fen and pairs may have bred at cavenham, Mickle Mere and Stoke-by-Nayland (Giffords Hall flash). in autumn, there was the usual build-up on our estuaries and in the second winter period there were at least 5000 in the county. this is higher than the total of at least 4800 in 2018, when data were not available for the Blyth estuary.
DT56895 4 26.09.2019 20.04.2021 26.08.2021
DT56897 3 26.09.2019 27.04.2021
DT56889 4 31.08. 2020 26.10.2021
DT56878 4 01.08.2020 18.12.2021
DT56817 4 28.08.2019 12.04.2021 20.06.2021
DT56945 20.09.2021 31.10 & 01.11.2021
RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
Levington Lagoon Arlesford creek essex Arlesford creek essex
Levington Lagoon Burgh castle, Glebe Marsh, Norfolk
Levington Lagoon the Lake, Gunners Park, Shoeburyness
Levington Lagoon fishbourne channel Appledram, chichester
Levington Lagoon college Lake Buckinghamshire college Lake Buckinghamshire
Levington Lagoon falkenham, Deben estuary
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. Data are incomplete for the first winter period, but counts included 160 on the upper reaches of the orwell estuary on January 13th. there were 67 at Lowestoft (Ness Point) on february 15th. Small numbers of birds were reported from coastal sites in late spring, but there were 198 on the Stour estuary (Seafield Bay) on April 14th. there were several reports in June which may relate to oversummering birds or to migrants, but no counts of more than ten birds. in previous years, there has been a marked arrival in the last week of July but in 2021 arrival was more evident in the first week of August. there were 170 on the Stour estuary (Seafield Bay) on August 7th and 39 at Lowestoft (Ness Point) on August 10th. Southerly passage off Landguard in July (15) and August (79) with a peak day-count of 16 on both August 9th and August 17th. in the second winter period there were at least 750 birds in the county. there were no inland records in 2021.
a juvenile found on a farm reservoir. overall, this is Suffolk’s tenth inland record. it is also the fifth such record this century, the others having occurred in 2002 (Lakenheath), 2011 (two at Livermere Lake) and 2015 (Mickle |Mere).
Minsmere: June 30th to July 1st (R Harvey et al.)
Havergate Island: Aug 4th (D fairhurst)
Fornham St. Martin: oct 3rd and 4th (J Rankin et al.)
Scarce passage migrant and rare winter visitor. there were five records of this species this year.
Kessingland: Nov 23rd (c Darby et al.)
Southwold: Apr 8th to 12th (Multi-observer)
Minsmere: Apr 7th to 10th (R Harvey et al.)
Aldeburgh: Marshes, Nov 29th to Dec 2nd (J A Rowlands et al.)
Felixstowe Ferry: Nov 27th (P J Holmes) the Minsmere and Southwold birds are the first to be recorded in April in Suffolk since 1977 when one lingered in the Minsmere/Sizewell area between April 11th and May 3rd.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. this species was reported from over 20 sites in the coastal belt and four sites inland, which is broadly comparable with 2019 and 2020. there were four at Dunwich (Dingle Marshes) on March 9th. the first returning bird of the autumn was noted at Minsmere on September 27th and there were only four records in october, of which two were from Landguard on 11th and 24th of presumably recently-arrived birds. Records came from fewer than ten sites over November and December, but included singles at Landguard, November 11th and inland at Lakenheath fen on November 30th. there were three at flixton Gravel Pits on December 19th. the harsh weather in february, which resulted in higher-than-average totals in Suffolk of both Woodcock and Snipe, was presumably responsible for there being a
Snipe
Landguard on february 8th.
Philip Murphy
BTO Nunnery Reserve, Thetford: one, sometimes two, october 1st to November 24th
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant and declining resident. Red list. in the first winter period, there were many reports of Woodcock coinciding with the spell of hard weather in mid-february. Reports came from over 50 sites, doubtless reflecting birds becoming bolder and more likely to be seen in the harsh conditions and perhaps also reflecting an influx of birds seeking to escape even harsher conditions on the near-continent.
totals elsewhere on the english east coast during the harsh weather included 193, flamborough Head, east yorkshire, 5th and 150, cley, Norfolk on 14th (Birdwatch April 2021: 8)
the majority of reports were of one to three birds, but many tideline corpses were also located in february, including 12 at Minsmere on 17th and 15 at Hollesley on 15th. Perhaps as a result of surviving birds remaining on the coast or re-orientating, there were a number of atypically-high counts in March and April including the following:
Westleton: Heath, 16, Mar 18th
Great Glemham: 11, Apr 18th
Upper Hollesley Common: 15, Mar 9th
Mid-summer records of displaying birds came from three extensive areas in the north-west of the county, with reports indicating a minimum of 18 roding males. these totals are encouraging insofar as they suggest a breeding population still in double figures. there was a report from Westleton on July 20th which may have related to a summering bird. the first autumn arrival was reported from Landguard on october 13th but there were only two other reports from october. there were further arrivals in November, and at Landguard 14 were noted between November 4th and December 6th with a maximum of three on November 5th.
Numbers in the second winter period were lower than in 2020, with reports from over 30 inland and coastal sites but with no reports exceeding five birds.
West Suffolk: widely reported in both winter periods, maximum of seven, Honington, November 14th. it is considered that the Brecks breeding population is in decline.
COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Breeding last proven in 2007. Amber list. As is usual, reports came from widespread inland and coastal sites in both winter periods. there were some very high counts as follows, including five three-figure counts which added up to well over 1000 birds. As with Woodcock, the high counts coincided with the spell of hard weather in mid-february.
Somerleyton Marshes: 89, Jan 27th
Barsham Marshes: 150, Mar 1st
Carlton Marshes: 97, feb 10th
Aldeburgh: 120, feb 8th
Hollesley Marshes: 95, feb 12th
Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, 98, Mar 26th
Lackford Lakes: 100, feb 21st
Timworth: 100, feb 20th
Cavenham: cavenham Heath, 62, feb 12th
Mickle Mere: 250, feb 12th
Little Cornard: Shalford Meadow, 80, feb 10th and 13th
Sudbury: Sudbury common Lands, 50, feb 12th
the figure of 250 at Mickle Mere is the highest individual site total for Suffolk since 2018 when 471 were at carlton Marshes, January 21st
there has been hope in recent years that this species will recolonise the county after an absence as a breeding bird of 14 years. Reports of single birds at three coastal locations in June in 2021 (Reydon, Minsmere and Snape) may relate either to oversummering or early returning birds, but display was reported in June from Snape where a ‘drumming’ bird had been present in June and July 2020. in the west of the county, a pair on territory along the River Lark almost certainly bred, with display and ‘chipping’ calls noted into June.
Returning birds were noted from July, but generally without any spectacular counts in the second winter period. Autumn passage at Landguard totalled 16 between August 31st and November 5th with the highest day-total being four on october 8th. there were 71 at Lackford Lakes on october 27th and 55 there on November 16th. to round off the year, one flying over christchurch Park, ipswich on December 29th is the first record for the site this century.
Rare summer visitor. this is the tenth record for Suffolk, the last being in in 2017. Carlton Marshes: Peto’s Marsh, June 12th (c Buttle, A easton et al.) Southwold: June 12th (B J Small) Before this bird reached Southwold a pratincole had been reported flying north off Minsmere, which is why the observer at Southwold was primed for its appearance.
Very common passage migrant and winter visitor. Has bred since 1958. Red list.
At the beginning of the year, small numbers were noted at Landguard and this gradually increased to a peak of 135 passing offshore, January 30th. the following month numbers dropped back to single-figure counts offshore on most days, Spring witnessed a noticeable increase with 260 north off Minsmere, April 26th and an impressive passage on May 22nd with 125 south off Landguard (described as “unprecedented”), 147 north off east Lane, Bawdsey and 181 off Southwold. elsewhere along the coast, 260 flew north past Minsmere, April 26th.
it was notable year for records in the west of the county, with the first, an adult, noted at Lakenheath on March 21st. the second inland record also involved an adult at Livermere Lake, July 27th and towards the end of the year, a third record, again an adult, was at the Bto Nunnery Lakes reserve, thetford on November 28th. this year’s total of three inland records has not been exceeded so far this century but was equalled in 2004 when there were two at Livermere Lake, March 13th and another at the same site, April 13th. However, in the final year of last century, 1999, Lackford Lakes hosted three in february and a fourth in December – this count of four is Suffolk’s highest-ever recorded annual inland total.
During the late spring, the Sizewell rigs were described as “well-populated with standing room only”, May 28th. Summer breeding numbers included a count of 26 chicks on one side of the south rig but no other counts were received from Sizewell. As per usual, the Lowestoft breeding population continued around various sites in the town centre, including the main colony on the tower of our Lady, Star of the Sea Roman catholic church and the claremont Pier – but it appears that no full breeding census was carried out to determine breeding numbers and the level of success. on the claremont Pier one observer did note at least 28 active nests were present.
During the autumn and second winter period records were few and far between, but whether this was down to low numbers or poor observer coverage is unclear. Most records received for october and November only consisted of low single-figure counts from Landguard. in the final month of the year numbers picked up slightly with ten noted off Landguard, December 4th and 8th and 14 there, December 16th. Numbers peaked in December at Landguard with 22 and 26 on 29th and 30th respectively.
A single record for the year of a well-tracked juvenile seen heading north past four coastal watch points in early September;
Lowestoft: juv north, 17:57hr, Sep 3rd (R Wilton)
Kessingland: juv north, 17:25hr, Sep 3rd (c Darby)
Southwold: juv north, 17:05hr, Sep 3rd (B Small)
Minsmere: juv north, 16:42hr, Sep 3rd (J Grant)
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.
At the beginning of the year, 500 were noted at roost at Livermere Lake, January 3rd, rising to 1300 on 19th and then 2080 on January 30th. it was at Livermere Lake that the main focus of numbers remained into the following month with peak counts of 2000, february 15th and, elsewhere, 1000 were at Lackford Lakes, february 13th and 400 at Shalford Meadow, Little cornard, March 12th with 900 at Livermere Lake, March 15th.
on the coast the only notable counts were 240 at North Warren, January 19th and 1000 at Barsham Marshes in the Waveney Valley, february 4th. on the Deben estuary 411 were noted during the february WeBS count with 630 noted there during the March count. At Landguard, spring passage was observed from the end of february, with a maximum of 220, March 30th and, again, in the west of the county, 643 were noted at Livermere Lake on April 10th.
During the summer, 868 nests were noted at Minsmere which was sharply down from the 1500 of the previous year; sadly, as with 2020, no fledged young were noted. Breeding attempts in the west of the county centred around Mickle Mere with 20 active nests; at Lackford Lakes two broods were noted on the nesting raft and ‘several’ nests were at Livermere Lake but no young were seen.
typically, during July, numbers started to build up with 1500 at Livermere Lake, July 15th and on the coast at Landguard, return passage saw 322, 1462 and 347 south on July 9th, 10th and 11th respectively. on the north shore of the Stour estuary, maxima of 837 and 1120 were noted during July and August respectively. During the autumn, most sightings remained concentrated at Livermere Lake with 1800 on September 13th and 2300 at roost, November 14th; at the end of the year numbers at Livermere Lake peaked at 2500, December 20th. elsewhere 500 were noted at Lackford Lakes, December 4th and on the coast some notable late passage was observed with 214 south past Landguard, November 2nd. During the September and october WeBS counts on the Deben estuary, 2181 and 3087 were counted respectively, with 458 and 671 counted there during November and December and 851 were on the north shore of the Stour estuary during the December WeBS count.
LITTLE GULL Hydrocoloeus minutus Fairly common passage migrant. Regularly oversummers. Small numbers overwinter.
At the start of what was to be a poor year for this species, there were a small number of records, with singletons seen off Landguard, January 30th and felixstowe, february 8th. further north along the coast highlights included one south-east over Leiston, february 8th and two at kessingland, february 16th. in the west of the county, birds were noted on spring passage with two and three noted at RSPB Lakenheath, March 22nd and 25th respectively and a single bird was noted at Livermere Lake on April 1st. on the coast three were noted at carlton Marshes, April 20th and two were at tinker’s Marshes, Walberswick on April 20th and 21st. At Landguard a modest total of 14 was noted, April 23rd and the following day 20 went north. in the west of the county three were at Lackford Lakes on April 22nd and five at Gifford’s Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland on 23rd. Nearby, at Livermere Lake seven and 11 were noted, April 24th and 25th, the latter being the final sighting
of this species in the west of the county for the year. on the coast, small numbers remained into the following month with singletons noted at carlton Marshes, May 2nd and Aldeburgh Marshes, on 9th and at Minsmere a singleton was seen on and off until the month’s end. the peak of spring passage, principally at Landguard and Livermere Lake, coincided with very impressive totals elsewhere in southern england. on April 23rd peak counts involved 107, Rutland Water, Leicestershire, 81, farmoor Reservoir, oxfordshire and 76, Pitsford Reservoir, Northants. the next day there were notable counts of 120, Wissington Sugar Beet factory, Norfolk and 100, Stewartby Lake, Bedfordshire (Birdwatch, June 2021: 10).
During the summer singletons were noted at carlton Marshes, July 25th and Havergate island, August 1st but as with previous years, numbers started to build up along the coast during the summer with the main concentrations being in the Minsmere area. During June the first singletons were noted on the Scrape, increasing to double-figure counts the following month with the most notable being 11 and 14, July 20th and 29th respectively. elsewhere, ten went south off thorpeness, August 11th and 30 were off kessingland, August 14th. During the autumn numbers tailed off with most lingering around the Sizewell Rigs and thorpeness areas with a peak of 20 off Sizewell Beach, September 16th and 12 at thorpeness, october 3rd. the final sightings of the year included four seen off Benacre going north and presumably the same birds off Ness Point, Lowestoft, November 22nd. A singleton off Slaughden on November 28th turned out to be the final sighting of the year in the county.
Uncommon resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Rare breeder. Amber list.
During the first winter period, small numbers overwintered almost exclusively around the coast with up to six birds at Gunton Woodland Burial Park, January 31st. only one bird was noted away from the coast in January, at the Bto Nunnery reserve, thetford on 16th and the following month a singleton was at Hadleigh, february 15th. on the coast numbers quickly picked up during the spring with 24 at Levington reed bed, April 14th. further north, monthly maxima at Minsmere involved 300, March 30th, 200, April 13th and 40, May 11th.
Breeding at Minsmere was poor with only two nests, producing just a single fledged chick, compared with 2020 when there were 55 nests that produced no young. ten nests were recorded on the Blyth estuary, but with no information on whether breeding was successful. there were no other breeding reports received from anywhere else in the county. in the west of the county there were small numbers of oversummering birds with single adults noted at tuddenham St Mary, June 1st and Lakenheath fen, June 24th. At Great Livermere two juveniles were present, July 27th and a single juvenile there, August 21st.
During late summer, immigration of birds from the near-continent caused numbers to swell, with about 400 on the sea off North Beach, Lowestoft, Gunton and corton on August 15th and 194 were counted on the roof of corton Sewage Works, August 18th. During autumn, numbers dropped away quickly in the north of the county but birds lingered at sites further south with notable counts on the orwell estuary of 41 at trimley Marshes, September 21st and 73 at chelmondiston, october 4th. towards the end of the year small numbers lingered at Landguard with four, November 4th and three, December 23rd whilst in the north of the county the only notable count was of four at Ness Point, Lowestoft on November 15th. Surprisingly, there were no records from the west of the county in the final four months of the year.
Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Scarce breeding species. Amber list.
At the start of the year 527 were on Minsmere South Levels, January 12th but elsewhere totals were low with 80 and 100 noted at Landguard, January 1st and 14th respectively. in the west of the county, numbers were also low with 53 at Lackford Lakes, January 3rd but numbers then increased with 350 at Shalford Meadow, Little cornard, January 17th. in february, 650 were
noted at Lackford Lakes, 12th and on the following day 148 were at RSPB Lakenheath fen and 200 at Shalford Meadow, Little cornard. During the spring, 300 were noted at Shalford Meadow, March 12th and a notable count of 50 was made at Livermere Lake, April 11th. on the coast, the most notable counts were 1000 at Wenhaston, March 9th with 385 there, March 13th. the following month at Minsmere Scrape, 247 second-calendar-year birds were present, April 27th and 221 on May 3rd.
During the summer singletons were noted at carlton Marshes, July 25th and Havergate island, August 1st but there were no records of attempted breeding anywhere in the county.
During September nearly all sightings received were made away from the coast with the main highlights being 15 at Gifford’s Hall flash, Stoke-by-Nayland, 14th and 14 at Pipps ford, 26th. the following month saw more sightings from the coast with 48 and 36 noted off Landguard, october 7th and 23rd respectively. elsewhere, 20 were at Alton Water, october 10th and 25 at Bradfield St George, october 16th. towards the end of the year inland numbers dropped and most sightings were from the coast with 38 at Landguard, November 6th and 26 at Stutton Ness, December 4th. in the west of the county, 38 were at Mildenhall fen, December 15th and ten at Lakenheath fen, December 21st.
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. A few oversummer. Has recently bred. Amber list.
At the beginning of the year, the highest numbers were noted at Landguard with peak counts of 150 and 250, January 4th and 13th respectively. inland sites witnessed much lower numbers with maxima of only 28 at Lackford Lakes, January 3rd and 18 at Livermere pig fields, January 17th. Across the county numbers were low until the arrival of spring when 100 were at Havergate island RSPB, April 2nd and 56 at Landguard, April 10th. Away from the coast the most notable count was 20 at Langham, May 1st. During the summer small numbers were noted at Landguard where a pair bred within the confines of the adjoining docks. Nearby a notable summer count of 84 at trimley Marshes SWt, August 20th, presumably involved returning birds from breeding sites further north.
During the autumn and second winter period, numbers inland remained very low with most notable counts occurring on the coast. At Havergate island RSPB, counts of 20 and 38 were noted, September 18th and october 10th respectively. At trimley Marshes 31 were counted, october 7th and at Landguard 75 were recorded, october 23rd. During November this species undergoes a prominent passage with numbers increasing from early to mid-month. Peak numbers at this time included 337 at Landguard, November 15th rising to 900 there, November 19th. Numbers soon declined by the end of the month and at the end of the year the last remaining stand-out count was of 500 at Landguard, December 3rd and 150 there on 31st. on the Alde estuary, 445 were counted during the November WeBS count and 169 in December. inland numbers were poor with only a maximum of eight at Lackford Lakes, December 26th.
Scarce winter visitor. Amber list.
Records received indicate four individuals at least, including an unseasonable record of a first-summer at Hollesley Marshes in June and what is assumed to have been the same bird on the Blyth estuary during July and August. A well-watched second-winter bird was around the Southwold area towards the end of the year and one was at Landguard. there were no records from the first winter period nor were there any observations made at any inland sites away from the coast. All records are as follows;
Reydon: second-winter on pig fields, oct 5th (B Small, B Wallace)
Blyth Estuary: first-summer, Aug 21st (R Harvey); second-winter, Nov 12th to 16th (B Small, N carter et al.)
Southwold: second-winter on town marshes, Nov 8th (A Moon); second-winter at harbour, Nov 8th to 19th and 24th (B Small)
Minsmere: second-winter north, 07.37hr (same at Blyth estuary bird), Nov 14th (J Grant); juvenile on
Scrape, Dec 30th and 31st (BiNS)
Slaughden: north along Alde estuary, Nov 24th (J Davies)
Hollesley Marshes RSPB: first-summer, June 11th (M Marsh)
Landguard: Dec 3rd (N odin)
Although a dead first-summer Glaucous Gull was found at trimley St Mary on June 24th 1994, this year’s first-summer bird, at Hollesley, June 11th and on the Blyth estuary, July 16th (Autumn 2021 Harrier page 33) and August 21st is the first instance of a live bird oversummering in Suffolk since the mid-1980s. the 1980s record involved a first-winter bird which was initially located on November 22nd 1985 at felixstowe ferry where it remained until at least July 24th 1986. What is assumed to have been the same bird was located on March 30th 1987, again at felixstowe ferry, where it remained until at least April 10th 1988.
the 2021 bird at Reydon on october 5th could, possibly, have been the oversummering individual having moulted into second-winter plumage, or it is the earliest autumn arrival to be recorded in Suffolk since 2014 when one was on Havergate island on September 25th. the only other September arrival in Suffolk so far this century was on 19th at Minsmere i 2010.
Scarce winter visitor. Amber list. it was a good year for this species with possibly as many as seven different birds recorded. Most notable was a well-watched first-winter bird that spent the first four months of the year in the Lowestoft area, regularly venturing over the urban environment and becoming a welcome addition to several observers’ house lists! it was last seen on April 14th. other coastal records were one on Havergate island, March 14th and Minsmere Scrape, March 15th. in the west of the county, a first-winter bird was seen on and off around cavenham Pits and Livermere Lake during March and April. towards the end of the year, immature birds were noted singly at oulton Broad, Lowestoft and Minsmere Scrape. All records are as follows:
Hopton-on-sea: first-winter over cadiz Way, Mar 29th (J Brown)
Lowestoft, Gunton: first-winter in gull roost on church field, Jan 31st and feb 6th and 7th (J Wright); first-winter north over Priors close, feb 1st (J Wright); first-winter briefly landed on roof of house in West Side close, feb 20th (J Wright); first-winter south over Priors close, Mar 4th and 7th (J Wright); first-summer on church field, Apr 5th and 10th (J Wright); first-summer north over Priors close, Apr 12th and 14th (J Wright)
Lowestoft: first-winter in Harbour, Jan 3rd and 10th (A easton); first-winter seen from Stevens Street, Jan 23rd (A easton); first-winter on roof of Morrisons, North Quay Retail Park, feb 22nd (A easton); first-winter on North Beach groynes, Mar 11th, 20th, 24th and 25th and 27th to 30th (R Wilton, N carter); first-summer North Beach groynes, Apr 9th (R Wilton); immature on shore of Lake Lothing then flew towards Harbour, Dec 18th (BiNS)
Lowestoft, Oulton Broad: immature over oulton Broad, Dec 5th (R Holmes, J Wright)
Kessingland: first-winter, Mar 4th (c Darby)
Minsmere: immature on Scrape, 15:35hr, then south, Mar 15th (BiNS); south from beach, 09.35hr, Nov 21st (N Burfield)
Havergate Island: Mar 14th (D fairhurst)
Tuddenham St Mary: on pig field, Apr 15th (c Gregory)
Great Livermere: first-winter roosted, Mar 23rd (D Balmer, P Wilson); first-summer, Apr 25th and 27th (D Balmer, P Wilson, R Ayers)
Cavenham Pits: first-summer Apr 12th to 14th and 21st (P Whiteman, t Humpage, c Gregory)
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the vast majority of wintering birds recorded were away from the coast with peaks of 725 at Lackford Lakes and 400 at tuddenham St Mary pig fields, January 3rd. What numbers there were on the coast were concentrated at Landguard where 750 were recorded on January 13th and 30th. During february, 700 were at Lackford Lakes and 300 at Landguard, 12th.
During the spring, numbers declined but some notable counts occurred away from the usual sites; 116 were on the Deben estuary and 106 on the Blyth estuary during the March WeBS survey, 300 at Alderton pig fields, March 26th and 200 next to Sutton common, April 16th. in the west of the county where winter numbers had been concentrated at Lackford Lakes, spring passage saw maxima of 550, March 18th and 1200, April 12th at Livermere Lake.
During the summer, Herring gulls nested extensively alongside Lesser Black-backed Gulls on roof tops of industrial and residential buildings in and around central Lowestoft and Lake Lothing, in ipswich and at Landguard, where a pair reared two young on the museum roof. in the west of the county no breeding was noted, despite there being 200 at Great Livermere pig fields, June 27th and 306 there on July 11th. there was no news or data received from orfordness regarding any breeding numbers – probably because of lack of observers.
During the autumn, the pick of the main counts on the coast included 190 at felixstowe ferry, September 13th and 150 on Havergate island, october 18th. in central Suffolk, 121 were at Pipps ford, September 26th. Numbers in the west of the county gravitated around Livermere Lake, with no exceptional counts, the maximum being 100, october 16th. towards the end of the year, numbers were relatively low in the west of the county with the only stand out figure being 800 at Livermere Lake, November 7th and elsewhere 175 were at the Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford on November 30th. on the coast, at Landguard, numbers built up towards the end of the year with 600, November 15th, increasing to 800, November 22nd. on the Alde estuary, 766 were counted during the November WeBS survey and, at the end of the year, 568 were noted at Havergate island, December 31st.
CASPIAN GULL Larus cachinnans Uncommon visitor. Amber list.
Small numbers were noted at some coastal locations during the first winter period with firstwinter birds at Southwold Golf course, January 1st and Blythburgh Water tower, february 2nd. further north, two adults were at Lowestoft Ness, february 14th and six were on Minsmere Scrape, february 21st. in the south of the county, singletons were noted at RSPB Hollesley Marshes, January 1st and 17th with two there, february 12th and March 6th. in the west of the county, five were noted at the tuddenham St Mary pig fields and two were at Lackford Lakes, January 3rd. it was in the west of the county that the vast majority of the county’s birds during the year were located with up to 146 individuals recorded, of which around 110 were in the vicinity of Livermere Lake and pig fields. As in 2020, this count made possible by the careful diligence and analysis of all birds seen in terms of age and plumage by Dawn Balmer and Peter Wilson. A movement of birds during the spring saw four birds at Livermere Lake, March 19th and April 9th and eight, April 27th. Given the total number of birds seen, it is interesting to note that no double-figure day-counts were made suggesting a good turnover of birds passing through, especially during the summer. Peak counts during the summer at Great Livermere included nine, July 23rd, six, July 28th and nine August 11th, with monthly totals for that site being 42 in July and 29 in August.
During the autumn, numbers fell across the county with 13 noted at Great Livermere during the course of September and peak day-counts of nine, September 18th but with only four there as a monthly total in october and six in November. on the coast, smaller numbers were noted with three at Minsmere Scrape, September 17th and four there, october 25th. elsewhere, mostly singletons were seen at a small number of locations such as the Blyth estuary, September 16th, Lowestoft North Beach, September 25th and Landguard, September 26th and october 1st. At the end of the year, three were on Minsmere Scrape, November 9th and 18th and eight at Hollesley Marshes, November 12th with five there, November 20th. Numbers declined noticeably towards the end of the year with numbers present in the county only being in low single figures.
Fairly common summer and autumn passage migrant. Uncommon winter visitor. Amber list. in January and february only very low numbers were noted on the coast with a single adult at Blythburgh Water tower, January 1st and 2nd and the following month one at Southwold, february 15th. At Minsmere a third-calendar-year was on the Scrape on february 17th and 19th and an adult, february 21st. in the west of the county numbers were higher with eight at tuddenham St Mary and four at Lackford Lakes, January 3rd. Numbers present didn’t reach double-figures at any one locality and the birds were well scattered between a number of different sites. Peak counts were noted at Lackford Lakes with three present, february 13th, four were at cavenham Pits, february 21st and in the spring five were at Livermere Lake, April 7th.
As with previous years, numbers increased during the summer, most notably at inland sites with the highest counts consistently around Livermere Lake and pig fields area. the first notable count at that site was of ten, June 19th. the following month this had increased to 27, July 15th and 68 were on the pig fields, July 29th which is the maximum count there for the summer. At Lakenheath up to six were noted on August 4th and 14th but the main numbers of birds remained at Livermere Lake with 43 present, August 14th. on the coast, 15 were counted on pig fields at Hinton Blythburgh, August 16th, which turned out to be the only double-figure count made at any coastal (or near-coastal) site during the year. Numbers at inland sites remained high into the early autumn with 27 at Livermere Lake, September 8th and 16 at tuddenham St Mary, September 24th before declining the following month with a maximum of up to seven at Livermere Lake, october 16th. on the coast up to five remained on Minsmere Scrape, october 25th and four, November 26th. Numbers inland mostly declined to single figure counts but ten were recorded at Livermere Lake, November 7th; the same day four were noted at Hollesley/ orford Haven. During December the species was distinctly scarce across the county with only singletons noted from a small number of sites on a few dates.
Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Increasing numbers overwinter. Amber list. At the beginning of the year the bulk of numbers came from the west of the county with overwintering birds totalling 275 that roosted at Lackford Lakes, January 3rd and on the same day 250 were at tuddenham St Mary. towards the end of the month 850 were noted at the Bto Nunnery Lakes Reserve, thetford, January 21st. Numbers fell back the following month with 160 remaining at Lackford Lakes, february 12th. During the spring, numbers peaked with 900 at Livermere Lake, April 7th. At the coast, numbers were low with up to 45 at Hollesley Marshes, february 21st, 65 there, March 8th and 90, April 20th. the following month 90 were at Boyton Marshes, May 22nd. At Landguard, only low numbers were observed up to early March and the highest count was of 35, May 31st.
During the summer, as has become normal, this species nested extensively in our coastal towns including Lowestoft, centred on land and buildings flanking both sides of Lake Lothing as well as suitable chimney stacks and rooftops of residential properties in the town centre. in the south of the county breeding took place at felixstowe Docks and extensively within ipswich.
in the west of the county a pair fledged two young in Bury St. edmunds. there was no news received from orfordness regarding any breeding numbers.
As autumn approached numbers built up at the usual sites in the west of the county with 900 at Livermere Lake, which included 330 second-calendar-year birds, July 28th. At least 1800 were recorded in Lowestoft on August 25th. During the autumn, numbers at Livermere Lake peaked at 4750, September 18th and 3200 on october 16th; this site held the principal share of birds seen in the county this year. on the coast, as with the first few months of the year, at Landguard, only low numbers were noted from the end of october. elsewhere 50 were noted at both Shingle Street, September 8th and Alton Water, September 12th. towards the end of the year, numbers declined with 1200 at Livermere Lake, November 7th before falling to 165, November 14th. on the coast a notable count of 1511, an exceptional coastal mid-winter count, was recorded at Havergate island on December 31st.
Very rare visitor.
on July 26th, an adult bird was seen briefly on the south scrape Minsmere at 10:40hr. it reappeared at 11:20hr and remained until 11:45hr when it flew off west (J H Grant et al). Later in the day, presumably the same bird was seen at carlton Marshes at 14:20hr and it remained on site until 15:45hr before flying north (A easton et al). there have now been 20 records of this tern in Suffolk, involving 26 individuals and in common with all other sightings, other than the long-staying adult at Alton Water on various dates from July 29th to August 16th 2020, was seen on only one day.
the Alton Water bird in July/August 2020 was not present between July 30th and August 3rd. the suggestion on pages 41 and 121 of Suffolk Birds 2020 that the Alton Water bird was the same as that at Seaton creek, cleveland/co. Durham on August 2nd and at Snettisham, Norfolk on August 3rd is incorrect. the BBRc report for 2020 (Brit. Birds 114 (october 2021): 587) clearly indicates that the Rarities committee considers that the birds at Seaton creek and Snettisham are different individuals and neither of the two was the Alton Water bird.
Rare migrant.
An adult was found and photographed just before 18:00hr on May 14th on the Alde estuary at iken where it remained until 19:55hr before flying off north-east (c Shaw et al). it was reported on Suffolk BiNS as being seen the next morning flying over Aldeburgh Marshes at 06:55hr, appearing to follow the river south before being lost to view.
on August 24th, an adult was noted fishing offshore at Southwold for a few minutes shortly after 08:00hr (N carter, A V Moon, A Riseborough, B J Small). these are the 54th and 55th records in the county, of which 12 have appeared this century. caspian tern has been noted in Suffolk in eight years so far this century. the principal sites this century have been Burgh castle/Breydon (4) and Minsmere (3).
SANDWICH TERN Thalasseus sandvicensis
Common passage migrant, declining summer visitor. Amber list.
the first sightings of the year were of a single bird at Minsmere on March 26th followed by three at the same site on 28th. As in 2020, throughout the spring and summer the species was recorded intermittently at several coastal sites but generally only in small numbers. Some spring migration was noted with a peak count of 280 flying south past corton cliffs on May 3rd. once again, a significant flock gathered at Minsmere with numbers peaking at about 550 on April 30th. Although 33 pairs nested, only three chicks fledged but this was better than in 2020
when all breeding attempts failed.
As autumn migration got underway, the species was recorded most days along the coastal strip until mid-october. there were several notable counts, particularly at Havergate island where 430 were present on August 29th with 200 still present on September 5th. Good numbers were also noted off Landguard with a peak count of 220 on August 17th. there were a few inland records. two adults were noted at Bto Nunnery Lakes in thetford on September 5th, and at Lackford Lakes one adult was seen on August 25th with a further four present on october 9th, the latest-ever recorded, and the first october records in west Suffolk.
Sandwich terns have now been recorded in west Suffolk in 12 years so far this century. these sightings include the west’s earliest-ever record, at Norton (about eight kilometres east of Bury St edmunds), on March 26th 2017, the maximum total of Sandwich terns ever recorded in west Suffolk is of 28 at Lackford Lakes on August 28th 1991 which is also the west’s only-ever recorded double-figure gathering. Philip Murphy.
the final records were of 26 birds seen off Landguard on october 11th with a further five the next day followed by three off Shotley Point on october 24th.
An interesting bird as it has managed to go so long without detection.
DE52033 (red etD)
Juvenile 15/08/2011 ythan estuary, North east ScotLAND
Alive colour-rings read in field 12/08/2014 Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk, eNGLAND
Alive colour-rings read in field 02/07/2021 Minsmere RSPB, Suffolk, eNGLAND
Cavenham Heath: Gravel Pit, four, Aug 24th
Common passage migrant, declining summer visitor. Amber list.
Quite unexpectedly, the first record of the year was of a single bird inland at Mildenhall fen on April 14th (P Whiteman), the secondearliest-ever date for west Suffolk, only bettered by one at Lackford Lakes on April 13th 2013. the next sightings were predictable with two birds at Minsmere on 21st and one more on 25th.
Sightings in west Suffolk are rare, but there were further records with two birds at Lakenheath fen on April 28th and two at cavenham Heath Pits on May 3rd.
As usual, activity in early spring
was centred on Minsmere where numbers gradually rose, eventually reaching about 70 in July. As in 2020, a colony was established at Benacre Broad where a peak count of 84 was noted on June 2nd.
All breeding attempts failed with no young fledged from the three sites from where nesting was reported. this is the first year since 2013 that no juvenile Little terns have fledged in Suffolk.
there were no reported post-breeding gatherings and autumn passage was light with a maximum count of 11 birds flying north past covehithe on September 4th. the year’s final record is of two off Landguard on September 15th.
2020 correction on page 123 of Suffolk Birds 2020 it was stated that the earliest-ever Little tern in west Suffolk had been on April 16th 1996 at Lackford Lakes – this is incorrect. the earliest-ever was at Lackford Lakes on April 13th 2013. our apologies to the observers of this latter bird!
ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougallii
Scarce passage migrant. Red list. the number of reports has continued to increase since 2019 but, as usual, most were from Minsmere where some birds lingered for several days:
Lowestoft: two, July 1st; Aug 31st
Minsmere: June 7th to 11th; June 13th; two, June 19th to 21st; three, June 22nd; June 23rd and 24th; five, June 25th; three, June 26th; June 27th to 29th; three, June 30th; two, July 1st; July 8th; July 9th; July 11th; two, July 13th to 16th; July 17th; July 20th; Aug 2nd; Sep 19th Thorpeness: oct 4th
Landguard: May 23rd; July 19th
totals of Roseate terns reported 2012-2021
this year’s total of 20+ is the highest in Suffolk since 1966 when 23 were recorded. the bird off thorpeness on october 4th is the latest in Suffolk since 2000 when two were off Minsmere on october 22nd, the county’s latest-ever. the only other october record in Suffolk occurred in 1989 when a juvenile was off Southwold on 6th.
COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo
Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. unusually, the first records for the year were from non-coastal/estuarine sites with a single bird at Alton Water on April 5th and ten at Livermere Lake on April 11th. thereafter, sightings of birds on passage were widespread across the west of the county (Mildenhall, thetford, culford,
Haverhill, Lackford Lakes, Lakenheath) with a flock of 14 being the largest. the first sightings along the coastal strip were of ten birds at Minsmere on April 15th followed by 11 flying north past thorpeness the next day. Numbers at Minsmere increased steadily thereafter with a peak count of 485 reported on July 25th. the only breeding information received is summarised below: Carlton Marshes: at least one pair raised young Minsmere: 220 pairs nested, 90 chicks fledged Havergate Island: nesting reported but no details available Hollesley Marshes: a pair nested but no chicks reported Alton Water: 42 pairs nested on breeding rafts, 58 chicks fledged Lackford Lakes SWT: two pairs nested, two chicks fledged Southbound migration was evident from early August with counts of over 100 birds on several dates. offshore sightings continued regularly until mid-october. there was also a lengthy postbreeding gathering at Havergate island where up to 300 birds were noted between late July and early September. the last records were of a single bird at Lakenheath on october 28th (very late for a west Suffolk sighting) and two extremely late birds seen at Minsmere on November 19th. the bird at Lakenheath on october 28th is the latest-ever recorded in west Suffolk. the only other october records in west Suffolk were at Lackford on october 1st 1991 and october 21st 2000.
the two seen off Minsmere on November 19th are the latest to be recorded in Suffolk since 2011 when two flew north off thorpeness, December 5th. excluding two wintering records, these latter birds are the latest-ever recorded in Suffolk.
Fairly common passage migrant. Last breeding attempt in 2008. Amber list.
the first records of the year were of four birds at Livermere Lake on April 11th, followed by seven at carlton Marshes on April 21st. thereafter, spring passage was observed both along the coastal strip and at several inland sites. there was a notable passage on April 24th when 20 birds were at Livermere Lake and 16 were noted flying north past Landguard, where the highest spring total, 22, was noted on April 25th:
Lowestoft: three, Apr 28th.
Carlton Marshes: seven, Apr 21st; three, Apr 22nd; Apr 28th; two, Apr 29th.
Southwold: two, May 22nd.
Minsmere: three, Apr 23rd; two, May 8th; two, May 22nd.
Thorpeness: May 22nd.
Landguard: Apr 23rd; 16, Apr 24th;.22, Apr 25th; four, Apr 28th; 18, May 9th; 13, May 12th.
Trimley SWT: Apr 25th.
Loompit Lake: Apr 21st.
Weybread Gravel Pits: two, Apr 28th.
Lackford Lakes SWT: three; Apr 26th.
Livermere Lake: four, Apr 11th; Apr 21st; 20, Apr 24th; four, Apr 28th.
Lakenheath Washes: two, Apr 21st; Apr 28th.
Mildenhall Fen: Apr 26th.
there were no further sightings of birds on passage but, on June 2nd, an adult and a firstsummer bird were recorded at Minsmere. they were seen intermittently thereafter until at least July 19th.
Autumn passage was noted along the Suffolk coast mainly during August. in total, records were received of over 250 individuals, which included an amazing passage of 70 birds flying north off Minsmere on September 3rd, otherwise counts were generally in single figures. there were no inland sightings in the autumn. the autumn’s total of 250 is the highest so far this century. the final record of the year was of a single bird flying north off Minsmere on November 9th. this is the latest in Suffolk since 2013 when single birds were noted, also in November,
off Southwold, 9th and kessingland, 12th. the county’s latest-ever recorded Arctic tern was in 1982 when one frequented the Benacre/Lowestoft area, December 15th to 18th. the only other December sighting involves one at Sizewell on 9th in 2006.
WHITE-WINGED (BLACK) TERN Chlidonias leucopterus
Rare visitor. there were no submitted records in 2021.
the entry “…. two at Reydon, June 14th 1990 …” (Suffolk Birds 2020: 125) to read” …. two at Reydon, June 14th 1960 …”
BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger
Fairly common passage migrant.
Spring migration was extremely sparse with only six birds at three sites between April 11th and June 25th. this was even lower than in 2020 when just 11 individuals were noted. Bearing in mind that 132 birds were recorded in spring 2019, it had been thought that the paucity of 2020 records was possibly because coverage had been severely limited by lockdown but this now appears to be unlikely:
Minsmere: May 15th; May 25th; June 25th.
Livermere Lake: Apr 11th; Apr 28th.
Lakenheath: May 1st; May 2nd. the bird at Livermere lake on April 11th was particularly early – the only earlier Suffolk records are on April 7th 1967 (no locality given in SBR) and April 9th 2017 when there were three on the south shore of Breydon Water and one at Minsmere.
[on April 11th, there were ten common terns, four Arctic terns and a Black tern at Livermere Lake!]
in contrast, autumn passage was slightly higher than in 2019 with a little over 60 birds. Migration was first noted on July 20th and peaked in late August. only three records came from west Suffolk sites. the final sightings of the year were of single birds at Minsmere and Havergate island on September 5th:
Lowestoft: Aug 6th; Aug 10th; four, Aug 17th; Aug 20th and 21st.
Southwold: Aug 30th; Aug 31st.
Minsmere: three, July 20th; Aug 7th; five, Aug 22nd; five, Aug 23rd; Aug 29th; three, Aug 30th; Sep 3rd; Sep 5th.
Thorpeness: July 30th; four, Aug 28th; Aug 29th; four, Aug 31st; Sep 3rd.
Havergate Island: Aug 4th; Aug 7th; Aug 22nd; Sep 5th.
Hollesley Marshes: two, Aug 22nd.
Shingle Street: five, Aug 28th.
Felixstowe: two, Aug 22nd.
Landguard: Aug 21st; six, Aug 22nd; Sep 4th.
Nunnery Lakes BTO: Sep 2nd.
Culford: Sep 2nd.
Lackford Lakes SWT: Aug 31st.
August 22nd was the peak day with maximum site totals of six at Landguard and five at Minsmere.
Fairly common passage migrant. A few overwinter. Amber list. there were two records at the start of the year with singletons off Dunwich, January 2nd and Minsmere, January 3rd.
During spring passage there was a thin trickle of records, mostly noted at Landguard where six singletons were noted past offshore on separate dates between March 4th and April 5th, with
all except one, going north. further north, singletons were watched past covehithe going north, April 25th and south on April 27th and an individual was off Lowestoft going north, April 28th. in May singles flew north off Southwold on 21st and off Landguard, 22nd.
During the summer, one flew south off Minsmere, August 6th with a singleton north past Southwold, August 16th. Later that month, four were noted past thorpeness, August 27th, the same day as two went past corton and singletons were off Ness Point, Lowestoft and kessingland. there were fewer records in September with the only multiple sightings being of two off Southwold, 3rd and three off east Lane, Bawdsey, 27th. During october mostly singletons were seen but a notable exception was of five south past Minsmere, 18th. further south, two were noted past both Landguard and felixstowe ferry, November 11th and another two were off felixstowe ferry, November 22nd. During the same month, two were off Minsmere, 15th and Slaughden, 28th. the final records of the year were of singletons past Landguard, December 3rd and other singletons past Southwold and Shingle Street, both on December 5th. this ended a notably quiet year with no double-figure day-counts made.
SKUA
Uncommon passage migrant. A few overwinter. it was a very quiet year for this species and the number of records received didn’t even make it into double figures, making it scarcer than Long-tailed Skua in 2021. the first sighting came at the start of the year, with one north off thorpeness, January 2nd. During the spring only two sightings were made with northbound singletons seen off Southwold, April 25th and thorpeness, May 8th. Return passage was just as disappointing with the first sighting being of one past thorpeness, September 19th and no more sightings were made until another singleton was noted south past east Lane, Bawdsey, october 21st. the final sightings of the year fell on the same day as singletons were recorded north past Southwold, east Lane, Bawdsey and Landguard on November 22nd.
Decreasing passage migrant. A few overwinter. Red list. the first records of the year were of singletons north past Landguard, April 23rd and 27th.
During the summer a single bird was noted harassing terns off Minsmere beach, July 14th and a first-summer bird was offshore there, July 30th.
Numbers started to increase more notably from mid-August with four past both kessingland on 14th and corton cliffs on 16th. the main movement was marked with 14 past Southwold, August 28th and five past both kessingland and corton cliffs the same day. At the end of the month, six were off Southwold, 30th and on the same day six were recorded moving north off thorpeness while further south, two were off Landguard and three off east Lane, Bawdsey, 31st. four were noted off covehithe, September 4th and three north off Minsmere, September 13th and the following day four were noted past thorpeness. further south there were more daily sightings made, the majority coming from Landguard where two were noted, September 1st, 16th and 18th. At east Lane, Bawdsey, two were also recorded, September 2nd, 13th and 14th and three, September 27th.
As the autumn progressed, sightings, as expected, tailed off with the only multiple sightings being of two south off Landguard, october 2nd and 16th, with the final sighting of the year from there being a singleton north, october 30th. further north there was a similar pattern of records in october involving singletons off thorpeness, 3rd and Ness Point, Lowestoft on 5th and singletons north off Minsmere, 17th and Slaughden on 31st. the final record of the year was of a singleton off Southwold, November 22nd.
LONG-TAILED SKUA Stercorarius longicaudus
Uncommon passage migrant. this species appeared in good numbers as it did in 2020, outnumbering Pomarine Skua records.
the majority of the records came in late August with the rest in September and october but there were no spring sightings – in fact the last spring record in Suffolk involved an adult off Minsmere, May 28th 2015. All records received are as follows:
Corton Cliffs: juvs north, 06.35hr, 07.41hr and 07.45hr, Aug 28th (J Brown); north, 07.03hr, Aug 30th
Lowestoft: Ness Point, north, 07.31hr, Aug 28th (R Wilton); north, 18.40hr, Sep 2nd (R Wilton); north, 11.50hr, oct 23rd (A easton)
Kessingland: three, Aug 28th (c Darby)
Southwold: south, 16:45hr, Aug 26th (B Small); two, Aug 28th (B Small); south then east, 07:00hr, Sep 3rd (B Small); south, 07.53hr, Sep 13th; north, 07.30hr, Sep 27th (B Small, A Moon)
Dunwich: south, 16:56hr, Aug 26th (A Moon); two north, Sep 14th
Minsmere: south, 14:50hr, Aug 26th (R Drew, J Grant); north, Sep 13th (R Drew); north, Sep 27th (R Drew)
Thorpeness: north, Aug 27th; two north, Aug 28th (G Grieco); juv south, 07:52hr, Sep 14th
Shingle Street: adult north, 09:12hr, Aug 28th (S Abbott)
Bawdsey: east Lane, juv on sea before flying south, 08:20hr, Sep 19th (S Abbott); two, Sep 27th (P Whittaker) Landguard: south, oct 2nd (S Davies, P Holmes et al.)
LITTLE AUK Alle alle
Uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor. A slightly better year for this species with 39 records relating to a minimum of 25 individuals. the sightings were all in the period from october 23rd to December 12th. Apart from the final bird seen at Woolverstone Marina and a bird which stayed at oulton Broad for three days, all were seen offshore:
Lowestoft: oct 23rd; Nov 15th; Nov 16th; two, Nov 22nd; Nov 28th; Nov 29th; Dec 5th.
Oulton Broad: Dec 5th to 7th.
Kessingland: oct 26th.
Benacre: two, Nov 22nd.
Covehithe: Nov 22nd.
Southwold: oct 23rd; Nov 11th; Nov 14th; Nov 17th; Nov 21st; three, Nov 22nd; two, Nov 28th.
Dunwich: Nov 9th; Nov 22nd.
Minsmere: oct 23rd; oct 25th; Nov 7th; Nov 15th; Nov 16th; Nov 22nd; Dec 2nd.
Sizewell: oct 23rd.
Thorpeness: two, Nov 14th; Dec 1st.
Slaughden: Nov 4th.
Felixstowe: Nov 16th.
Orwell Estuary: Woolverstone Marina, Dec 12th.
COMMON GUILLEMOT Uria aalge
Common passage migrant and winter visitor. Amber list.
Around 3650 guillemots were reported in 2021 compared with 1850 in 2020 and 376 in 2019. As always, there is the possibility that birds on passage may have been seen at more than one location (or may have lingered in the area) and, therefore, could have been counted more than once. the figures include unidentified auks (2077 in 2021, nine in 2020, 39 in 2019) as the vast majority are likely to have been guillemots. the increase in sightings is, therefore, probably explained by an exceptional number of very distant birds being seen in 2020 (improved optics perhaps?).
the peak counts were on November 28th when approximately 1000 flew north past Southwold
and on January 3rd with 628 counted off thorpeness (620 flew south). the monthly totals for the last three years are shown in the table below:
Monthly totals of live Guillemots:
RAZORBILL Alca torda
Uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor. Amber list. there were records of 69 birds for the year. on the majority of dates, only one bird was noted with peak counts of eight flying past thorpeness (one north, seven south) on November 14th and four flying south off Landguard on November 7th. the monthly totals for the last three years are shown in the table below:
Monthly totals of live Razorbills: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2021 0 1 2 1 3 0 0 0 6 15 37 4 2020 32 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 7 12 6 11 2019 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 4 2 1 the table below shows the variability in the number of sightings each year: totals of live Razorbills reported 2012-2021: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 82 45 13 27 39 13 6 14 73 69
BLACK GUILLEMOT Cepphus grylle
Very rare visitor. Amber list. A single bird flew north past Southwold just before noon on December 5th (B J Small). this is only the 12th record for Suffolk, all of single birds. there was a very unexpected noncoastal record of a bird on the Stour estuary in January 2020 but, otherwise, there had been no records since one was tracked offshore from Slaughden to Lowestoft in November 2015. of the county’s 12 records, six have been noted during this century.
Scarce passage migrant. Red list. there were a remarkable 26 records, including five sightings in late May. the peak daily count was of five individuals flying north past Southwold between 07:20hr and 14:10hr on November 22nd. inevitably, some would have been seen at various locations along the coast but analysis of the records indicates there was a minimum of 22 birds:
Lowestoft: Nov 9th; two, Nov 14th; Nov 22nd.
Kessingland: two, Nov 27th.
Benacre Broad: Nov 22nd.
Southwold: May 21st; May 22nd; Nov 21st; five, Nov 22nd; three, Nov 27th; Dec 7th.
Dunwich: May 22nd.
Minsmere: May 22nd; Nov 22nd.
Thorpeness: May 31st.
Slaughden: Nov 22nd.
Bawdsey: Nov 22nd; Nov 23rd.
Landguard: oct 21st; Nov 18th; Nov 23rd.
totals of live Puffins reported 2012-2021
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 8 13 3 1 4 1 3 3 2 22
the total of 22 live Puffins is a new record annual figure for Suffolk, the previous highest being 20 in 2007. of the 38 Puffins recorded in 1983, as many as 36 were tideline corpses. the peak count of five past Southwold on November 22nd has been equalled on three previous occasions (covehithe, September 28th 1989, Southwold, october 12th 1992 and thorpeness, November 24th 2007) but the county’s highest-ever site day-count remains the six north off covehithe on october 8th 1990.
Common winter visitor and passage migrant.
As reported previously in recent editions of Suffolk Birds, it is frequently the dedicated observations and record-keeping of a select coterie of observers that provide the best insights into the movements and numbers of some of our commoner, seasonally-occurring species, such as the Red-throated Diver.
2021 started with a sizeable count, courtesy of the redoubtable Dave thurlow, of 830 ‘Redthroats’ passing thorpeness on January 2nd; that figure was substantially eclipsed by the same observer’s count of 4454 from the same location the following day (January 3rd) all but four of them heading south. As it turns out, this was to be the highest count of the year. (More than twice the peak January count of 1743 in 2020, but well short of last year’s top count of 5198 birds recorded by Dave thurlow passing thorpeness, December 6th 2020).
A further large southward passage at thorpeness was recorded, by the same observer, early in the morning of January 17th, this time involving 2519 individuals.
Later in January an estimated 1000 birds were observed by John Grant from Minsmere Beach, demonstrating once again Sole Bay’s continued significance as a winter-feeding ground for Redthroated Divers.
Hereon in, the first winter period delivered somewhat lower counts with a maximum of 236 birds seen off Minsmere during the early morning of february 27th.
As is the accustomed wintering distribution pattern for this species along the Suffolk coast, counts in the south-east recording area were lower by some magnitude, including during the first winter period. Most records concerned either individuals or small groups in single and low double figures. More notable counts included 56 birds passing felixstowe (48 north) on January 17th and 35 past Landguard, January 20th. A larger count of at least 490 birds was observed feeding off Shingle Street, January 22nd with a further 77 birds (all but seven north) past Landguard the following day (January 23rd). observations barely reached double figures during february along the southern section of the Suffolk coast, with the exception of 56 south past felixstowe on february 22nd.
early March witnessed some northward movement with 160 birds (152 north) past felixstowe ferry, March 4th. the following day saw a rather more mixed movement, with 130 off Landguard, consisting of 60 north and 70 south. However, more consistent northwards movements came later in the month on 20th with 118 north past Landguard and 130 north past east Lane, Bawdsey. further smaller movements north, of up to 53 birds continued to be observed through to midApril, off the south-east recording area.
A significant spring passage of birds moving back towards their breeding grounds, was evident
on April 9th, when some 3000 birds were observed by James Brown, flying north past corton cliffs, in a single hour (08.00hr- 09.00hr). this is an unprecedented April total for Suffolk – the only other four-figure April total this century is of 1012 off the north-east recording area on April 8th 2013.
A few later records persisted into May, with a notable 16 birds observed by John Grant off Minsmere, May 23rd.
At least two early returnees were noted off corton cliffs, August 27th. two individuals were also present a week later off Southwold, September 3rd with some further records of singles in this sector coming later in the month.
As usual, sightings of slightly larger groups picked up during october with 24 recorded off thorpeness, 9th as well as 50 present off Minsmere, 14th, while in the south-east section, totals of 12 and 31 birds, were counted passing Landguard on october 15th and 16th respectively. three-digit counts, as usual, didn’t manifest until mid-November, when 144 were seen to be moving off thorpeness, 14th, while off Minsmere some 200 were present, 22nd, and a further 650 were moving mostly north on 23rd. Meanwhile the maximum count in the south-east of the county came on November 27th when a total of 88 birds was recorded, predominantly heading south, at felixstowe ferry. the following day, 28th, witnessed the first four-digit count of the year’s second winter period, when John Grant observed an estimated 1100 passing northwards off Southwold. the final notable count for the month came, once again, from thorpeness where 401 birds were present, 30th.
the most notable count from December, and final large count for 2021, came on 12th with 1087 birds off thorpeness. A somewhat-fitting, Dave-thurlow bookend, to the Suffolk ‘Redthroat’ year!
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. three accepted records for the year underline the fact that the species continues to be a county scarcity and hence an SoRc description species. (six records 2019, four in 2020) (three further records from Landguard of singletons passing south on November 6th, December 7th and 21st, were not submitted to So so, unfortunately, cannot currently be included in the total).
Accepted records for 2021 are: Southwold: north, full-summer-plumage, 07.57hr, Apr 10th (B J Small et al.); close in, north, full-summer-plumage, 07.50hr Apr 25th (c fulcher, B J Small, N J Vipond)
Orwell Estuary: photographed, Nov 11th (e Marsh et al,), photographed) – presumably same bird reported off chelmondiston, Nov 23rd and Shotley, Nov 25th and from Levington Marina Dec 15th and 16th.
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.
Records for the first winter period were certainly rather sparse, most likely featuring five individuals. A single bird, first recorded off Stutton Ness, Stour estuary, January 3rd was quite likely the same individual reported again on January 11th and 27th. A single bird was also observed flying north past Minsmere, february 27th, with the final sightings from the first winter period occurring on March 7th, with one off kessingland and two seen from North Warren.
fortunately, the second winter period proved rather more productive, although slow to start. the earliest sighting involved a bird off Gorleston-on Sea, September 25th, with no further reports until october 10th when one was seen to drift northwards on the sea from Ness Point, Lowestoft. this or another individual was present at the same location on october 19th. october 27th brought a further two sightings of what may have been the same bird off both kessingland and Benacre.
However, from the end of october came a dearth of reports for just over two weeks, until November 14th when there was a flurry of records, although they are likely to have involved some of the same birds: singles north past Ness Point, Lowestoft at 09.35hr, Southwold at 10.30hr, one from Slaughden, three north from thorpeness (single at 08.20hr and two at 11.10hr), plus further singles past Dunwich and Walberswick. Reports then continued throughout November, with three north past Minsmere, 15th and singles off thorpeness, 21st, north past Minsmere and Dunwich, 22nd, covehithe, 23rd and finally Southwold, 25th, 27th, 28th, and 29th.
in contrast, December produced rather fewer reports, with singles south past Minsmere, 2nd, Southwold, 3rd and thorpeness, 6th. fortunately, however, the month finally delivered an individual that for a period at least, settled on the Alde estuary where, to the delight of many, an immature bird was regularly observed between December 9th and 26th.
Meanwhile, in the south-east recording area, a bird passed east Lane, Bawdsey, December 10th, and an individual was present on the orwell estuary near Woolverstone Marina, December 12th; quite likely the same bird was reported on the estuary again, from Levington creek, December 16th. finally, an individual past Southwold on December 27th concluded great-northern diver records for the year.
LEACH’S STORM-PETREL Hydrobates leucorhoa Scarce passage migrant. Red list (from Amber).
A single Suffolk record for the fourth consecutive year. Landguard Bird Observatory: south, oct 2nd (P J Holmes, N odin) the last blank year for Leach’s Petrel in Suffolk is 1999 but with its recent classification as a Red-listed species perhaps we should not be too surprised if there are some more blank years in the not-too-distant future. on page 725 of the December 2021 issue of British Birds, we read that the breeding population on St kilda, where the vast majority of the uk’s breeding Storm petrels are to be found, declined by 68% between 2000 and 2019.
Correction for “…fourth consecutive year” (Suffolk Birds 2020: 131) please read “…third consecutive year” – making 2021 the fourth!
NORTHERN FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis
Declining passage migrant. Formerly bred. Amber list. the incidence of fulmar sightings off the Suffolk coast has been on a bit of a rollercoaster in recent years for which, as previously cited, no ready explanation is available. uk breeding productivity remains broadly stable at around 0.45 chicks per pair, although, sadly, mortality among adults of this traditionally long-lived seabird, circa 31 years, is most likely increasing, at
least partly due to the widespread ingestion of plastic as well as, more recently, bird flu. (As determined by a recent 2002 – 2018 study* 92% of strand-line fulmar corpses, collected in the North Sea study area, were found to contain plastic with an average of 21 ingested items per bird. this contributed, no doubt, to the Red-listed status of our familiar nominate subspecies, glacialis in contrast with the overall Amber classification of the worldwide population. from 2018, when Suffolk Birds reported there ‘to be no cause for optimism’ as ’the worrying decline continues unabated’ with a total of 139 Suffolk sightings, 2019 witnessed an upturn to 185 sightings through to 2020’s bumper 1144 sightings! one may speculate that 2020’s lockdowns may have resulted in a greater concentration of effort on the part of some coastal observers, whose ability to otherwise roam more widely, was temporarily curtailed. However, this factor alone can hardly explain a more-than-sixfold increase!
this year’s figure of 576 reports, despite being just over half of the number seen in 2020, still represents a reasonably healthy figure, especially in comparison with other recent years. As ever, the usual caveat must be applied, with regard to the inevitable, but ultimately unknown, degree of multiple sightings of some of the same birds!
fulmars were sighted throughout 2021, bookended by three from thorpeness, January 3rd and singles from thorpeness and Landguard, December 30th. Notable counts included 14 off thorpeness, April 22nd, although the year’s peak counts all took place during the third week of May. Landguard, in the south-east sector, recorded its maximum day-total of 12 birds (the site’s only double-figure record for the year) on May 21st. However, it was the following day, May 22nd, that brought the year’s highest day-totals, when Dave thurlow recorded 45 birds off thorpeness prior to 09.30hr and Minsmere recorded 24 individuals from the beach; a further 19 birds were again off thorpeness during the afternoon. the following day, May 23rd, a further count of 32 was made from Minsmere.
for comparison, 2020 delivered substantially higher day-counts with 71 from Minsmere, March 21st and during August counts from Southwold of 67, 20th and 70, 29th.
A few double-figure records persisted during August and into the start of September, notably 14 birds north off Minsmere, August 3rd and 23 off Southwold, September 3rd.
* New tools to evaluate plastic ingestion by Northern fulmars applied to North Sea monitoring data 2002–2018 (Jan A. van franeker et al.).
Rare autumn passage migrant. Sightings of this magnificent Calonectris shearwater, in Suffolk waters are far from being annual. it is considered most likely that this year’s trio of records, given the timings, feature a single individual, tracking south from Southwold to thorpeness at least and then back north again, thereby providing the welcome opportunity for a few more fortunate observers to connect with this rare visitor to Suffolk waters.
Southwold: south, 07.38hr Sep 14th (B J Small, c fulcher, B Wallace)
Thorpeness: north, 08.03hr Sep 14th (S Mayson, LG Woods)
Minsmere: north, 08.10hr Sep 14th (J H Grant et al.)
Uncommon passage migrant.
the 78 Sooty Shearwater sightings for 2021 represent the best showing for this species for five years. it is always a pleasure to connect with one of these phenomenal, long-distance, ocean wanderers, perhaps especially, given that their closest breeding grounds are located in the falklands islands and tierra del fuego. Such geography translates to the Atlantic population covering an annual migration, typically in excess of 22500 kilometres. Heading outbound along the western littoral coast of the Atlantic and reaching sub-arctic regions around June and July,
they commence their long southbound return along the eastern Atlantic seaboard passing predominantly to the west of the uk. Annual sightings in the North Sea are most frequently driven by strong northerly winds and storms following which, the majority head back northwards, so as to track around the north coast of Scotland, in order to re-join their south-bound Atlantic passage. the latter goes a good way to explain why sightings of the species off Suffolk, vary so widely from year to year, as is borne out by the records. from 113 sightings in 2016, to 14 in 2017, just four in 2018, 59 in 2020 and 78 this year.
While some allowance has been made to eradicate the more obvious duplicate sightings, it should be assumed that some will inevitably remain!
this year’s passage commenced fairly typically with an outlying record from July 30th (a day later than last year), when a single ‘Sooty’ was observed north off Minsmere. following this, the year continued to follow the usual pattern, with no further sightings until mid-August, when single birds were again observed heading north from Minsmere and corton on August 16th and 18th respectively. Also, in accordance with the pattern of recent years, more regular sightings picked up at the end of August with the bulk of records occurring during the month of September (see table below).
there was a total of 57 records in September. Most records were of single birds, with the most notable higher day-counts occurring on September 14th, the day that also delivered a cory’s Shearwater (see above). Nevertheless, numbers remained fairly modest, with some six to eight birds seen to pass thorpeness, four north off Minsmere, and three past covehithe (no doubt with some overlap between them). to put this in context, these numbers truly pale in comparison with Suffolk’s best year for the species in 2002, when a most-probably never-to-be-repeated 700 sightings occurred during September alone. this provides, perhaps, some indication as to the long-term decline of this species, as reflected in the iucN’s Near-threatened classification. November produced four late birds with two past thorpeness, 14th, and further singles on 22nd, early morning past Southwold and observed north past east Lane, Bawdsey at 11.35hr. Such dates are by no means unprecedented; one was recorded off Southwold on November 13th 2017. No less than 14 were observed during November in 2016, a year that also delivered not only Suffolk’s latest record on December 4th from Dunwich, but also five completely unexpected sightings at the start of January, including one off Minsmere on New year’s Day, although it is thought that the number of individuals concerned may have numbered only two. Such records serve surely to underline the fact that, despite Suffolk’s seawatching, most probably deserved, reputation as a frequently unrewarding and singular pursuit, a scan of the waves can, nevertheless, pay dividends at any time of the year! Monthly totals are as follows:
Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list.
this year’s haul of up to 46 ‘Manxie’ sightings represents a decrease, approaching almost a quarter, on the recorded 60 sightings of 2020. However, both of these years show a vast improvement when stacked up against the record low, of just four sightings in 2019, a year representing the absolute nadir of Suffolk Manx Shearwater recording, a fate shared ignominiously only with 2012. the western uk breeding and summer distribution of this species necessarily makes this a farless-commonly encountered bird in the North Sea when compared with the Atlantic and irish Sea coasts of the country. As with several other seabird species, the number of Manx Shearwaters
recorded off Suffolk increased significantly in concert with the significant improvements in optics, especially in telescopes, that took place during the 1980s, which in turn helped create the concept of seawatching as a specific birding activity. As already highlighted in relation to some other pelagic species, weather patterns are also a highly influential factor. Nevertheless, whether we shall ever see a return to the heady 350 + sightings of 20 years ago, remains to be seen. this year’s ‘Manxie’ season kicked off rather later than last year’s early spring start on April 2nd. the first of 2021 all appeared on May 21st, with four south off Dunwich Beach and five south from Landguard, plus an additional sighting of one south past felixstowe Dip. Not only were these the first birds for 2021 but, as it turned out, also provided the year’s highest daycount. A further five birds were noted southbound from thorpeness the following day, May 22nd. the eventual, and notable, total of 19 records in May is in direct contrast with August and September, usually two of the busiest months for Manx Shearwater off Suffolk with, respectively, only six and seven apiece.
Minsmere was the place to be during August and September for Manx Shearwater sightings, with three north on August 2nd and single birds, one north August 6th and one south August 16th. September saw small movements on 14th, 26th and 27th (maximum of two birds). october witnessed singles northwards past thorpeness, 1st and 11th, and again past Minsmere, 11th and two on 15th.
the year’s final sightings come from Southwold, where two late birds were recorded on November 22nd (see Sooty Shearwater).
Rare, but nearly annual, passage migrant. Critically endangered. Red list. following on from last year’s near-record total of at least ten individuals, 2021 featured just a single record of this much sought-after, and sadly threatened, Mediterranean shearwater. Minsmere: south, 07:28hr Aug 23rd (R Harvey et al.)
BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra
Very rare visitor. What is assumed to have been the same wide-ranging bird, probably a juvenile, was seen as follows:
Lowestoft: south, Aug 14th (G Hawes)
Kessingland: south, Aug 14th (D Borderick, c Buttle)
Snape: Maltings, Aug 12th (H k and P Pearson)
Iken: south, Aug 14th (P J Holmes)
Havergate Island: south, Aug 14th (D fairhurst, P R kennerley, B J Small)
Fagbury: south, Aug 14th (A J Barrett)
if it is assumed that the 2011 records at Lowestoft, April 14th and felixstowe, April 11th relate to the same bird, then this year’s bird is the tenth in Suffolk so far this century. it is the first in the county since 2016 when one frequented the Shimpling/Lavenham/cowlinge area of south-west Suffolk, July 28th to 31st.
WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia
Scarce passage migrant. the free flying flock of White Storks just north of Lakenheath in South Norfolk means that records of this species in Suffolk (West Suffolk especially) have to be treated with caution as to their provenance as wild birds.
in 2021 Lakenheath fen RSPB reserve recorded single birds on many dates between March 21st and September 21st (most in April and September) all of which were assumed to be from
this captive flock. the exception to this is the bird at Lakenheath fen between March 21st and April 11th (J Rankin et al.) deemed to be acceptable by SoRc (no rings or signs of captive origin). Away from this area the only record is of a bird seen on the playing fields of the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook and nearby at Brantham on September 23rd (M Nowers), and what is assumed to be the same bird at Alton Water on September 26th.
Common passage migrant. Amber list. the pattern of records in 2021 was much as in recent previous years. there was the occasional record in January, the first 100+ record was of 162 off Minsmere on february 25th from when numbers built up through March although there were only four counts of over 500 during this month: thorpeness with 560 on 22nd, 613 on 19th and 1327 on 26th, and Ness Point with 526 on 22nd. the maximum total off Landguard was 266 north, March 26th. After April numbers were low until early August, although 122 were seen off thorpeness on May 22nd and 100 were off Minsmere on the same date. there were 28 counts of over 100 through August until year with a clear passage evident on November 14th (maximum 385 off thorpeness). this overall pattern was very much in parallel with the counts off Landguard.
The King’s Forest: “wrecked” bird taken into care, Aug 29th but subsequently died (per S evans)
Stoke-by-Nayland: east along Stour Valley, Sep 19th (D Lowe)
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Breeding recommenced in 1998. the dominance of Loompit Lake has ceased although about 70 nests were recorded there in 2021.
overall, there were fairly high numbers from January to March, and after 123 on May 15th (Havergate island) there were a few present all through the summer but none higher until early october when numbers picked up again and remained quite high until the end of the year. the highest spring counts were at Landguard from March 5th to 8th (2455 to 3713 coming in), and RSPB Havergate island with a maximum of 1900 on March 14th. the highest counts in the autumn were again at Landguard with a maximum of 165 going out and 4291 coming in to roost at Loompit Lake on November 30th although numbers were very erratic throughout the period. the only other counts of over 2000 were at Ness Point, Lowestoft with 2152 on November 24th and thorpeness with 3227 on December 1st. Most places along the coast recorded this species but there seemed to be rather few inland with the highest count being 104 at culford Park (84 were flying east) on october 16th. Lackford Lakes had 36 on September 24th and other counts in the 20s until early December, Livermere Lake had 38 on october 14th and 29 on November 14th and 30 were roosting near cavenham on September 5th and December 1st. the total of 104 at culford Park is the highest in west Suffolk since September 29th 2013 when 108 were counted at Lackford Lakes SWt. this latter site also hosted west Suffolk’s highest-ever total, of 137, in october 2002.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
As is usual there were records from the beginning of the year until early April and then November and especially December although there was one record in May (23rd at Landguard), two records in September and three in october. the Lowestoft area did not dominate as much as in some previous years and records were received from all along the coast. there were no inland records. the majority of records were of one or two birds. However, three were noted on ipswich Waterfront (february 21st) and at trimley Marshes (December 4th), four at Landguard (December 6th), five at Minsmere (December 5th) and Lowestoft Harbour (December 24th), six at felixstowe
ferry (December 6th), seven at thorpeness (December 12th) and eight at Southwold (December 5th). Whether or not the early December birds all relate to the same group is unknown. the eight at Southwold is the highest total in Suffolk since January 8th 2013 when 16 were at Lake Lothing, Lowestoft. At least ten were recorded at Landguard during December.
Uncommon but increasing visitor. there was a scattering of records along the coast especially in May and August. However, it is difficult to be sure how many birds were involved. All records mentioned are of single birds unless stated.
Barsham Marshes: Jan 25th and 26th
Dunwich/Dingle Marshes: Aug 13th
Minsmere: Aug 14th to 20th; Nov 1st to 8th
North Warren: May 6th; two, Dec 22nd
Iken: May 6th
Snape Wetlands: Aug 23rd to 31st; second bird, Aug 26th to Sep 1st
Havergate Island: May 3rd
Boyton Marshes: Aug 29th
Ramsholt: May 2nd and 3rd; May 7th, 9th and 10th
Trimley Marshes: May 9th And inland at:
Lackford Lakes: two birds briefly on June 4th after which one rather lame first-summer bird stayed until June 29th
Uncommon summer visitor. Increasingly overwinters. Breeding recommenced in 2019. Amber list. 2021 again saw successful breeding of Spoonbills in Suffolk, at Havergate island where the first sighting of the year was on March 14th. on April 24th a drone flight suggested 16 adult birds were present with three nests, a figure which had increased to eight nests by May 29th (also noted from a drone flight). By mid-August up to 27 birds were seen on the site which included juveniles (see below). No other confirmed breeding sites were noted.
Away from Havergate island birds were seen from february 23rd at Aldeburgh Marshes, until october 21st, at Minsmere RSPB and along the coast from trimley Marshes to the Southwold area and with up to four birds at carlton Marshes in May and June. the highest counts were at Hazlewood Marshes during September with regular counts of 25 to 35 birds and a maximum of 38 recorded there on September 23rd. this is the first year since 2015 with no inland records.
13 nests fledged 21 young easily our best ever year.
2020 = 3 nests fledged 4 young 2019 = 5 nest fledged 0 young (this was the first year Spoonbills bred on Havergate)
the first Spoonbills were noted back on Havergate on March 14th, with ten birds present by the end of the month. By the end of the April at least 16 birds were in the colony with four nests confirmed incubating. the first chicks were confirmed on May 3rd. Numbers of adults and nests increased throughout May and early June with the first chicks leaving the nests in mid-June and starting to creche.
By the end of July all the chicks had fledged. Monitoring was based on ground observations from hides with telescopes, with regular drone flights proving invaluable.
A summary of the nests and outcomes below: Nest 1: 2 young fledged Nest 2: 2 young fledged. Nest 3: 3 young fledged Nest 4: 2 young fledged Nest 5: 3 young fledged Nest 6: 2 young fledged Nest 7: Nest failed probably at egg stage (infertile?) Nest 8: 2 young fledged Nest 9: 1 young fledged Nest 10: 3 young fledged Nest 11: Nest failed, possibly at small chick stage Nest 12: Nest failed, probably at egg stage Nest 13: 1 young fledged
13 nests fledged 21 young David Fairhurst
Suffolk’s highest-ever site total is of 46 on Havergate island on September 12th 2020 i.e., one day after the count of 44 at Hazlewood Marshes, Aldeburgh/friston (Suffolk Birds 2020: 136).
Ousden: three flew over, Apr 23rd (per c Gregory)
Denston: Denston Hall, one flew over, June 11th (M ferris)
these birds at Denston and ousden are the first in west Suffolk at non-wetland sites since one was at Rymer Point (Barnham/fakenham Magna) pig fields on July 20th 2014.
Slowly increasing breeding population, scarce resident, passage migrant and winter visitor. Amber list.
the RSPB centre for conservation Science (Simon Wooton) has provided us with the uk National summary of Bittern breeding in 2021 and the report includes figures for 2020. overall, the national population of booming Bitterns continued to increase with the population reaching 228. the Suffolk coastal strip contributed 34 to this total (36 in 2020) with the highest numbers in the North Warren/Minsmere/Walberswick area and six in the easton Valley although they were recorded from most reedbeds from carlton Marshes down to trimley Marshes. Whether or not Bitterns bred at all of these sites is uncertain.
inland, Lakenheath fen RSPB held 11 boomers and a minimum of five active nests, and a single bird was booming at Lackford Lakes from April 9th to 24th. outside of the breeding season there were records in all months along the coast and a single bird was seen flying over Lackford Lakes entrance track on December 26th.
WESTERN CATTLE EGRET Bubulcus ibis
Uncommon but increasing annual visitor in recent years. Amber list Birds were recorded from several sites but some could refer to the same birds. Records from the coastal areas were received (single birds unless stated) from: Carlton Marshes: Apr 21st and 22nd (two birds), May 25th, July 3rd Oulton Marsh: Apr 22nd to 24th very possibly one of the birds seen at carlton Marshes Dunwich: oct 19th, likely to be the Minsmere bird Eastbridge/Minsmere: oct 1st to 22nd
North Warren: July 1st to 18th Sizewell Belts: July 20th, presumably the North Warren bird Snape Wetlands: Mar 29th to Apr 6th; oct 18th to 20th Aldeburgh: Dec 11th to 31st Ramsholt: two, Aug 1st
Stour Estuary: Seafield Bay, June 19th and 20th; cattawade, two, Sep 28th
A little inland, singles were at Bungay, April 17th, framlingham, April 10th and Belstead, february 14th.
in the west, Lakenheath fen RSPB had records from January 11th to 23rd and March 12th to April 2nd and September 29th and october 18th. A long-staying bird was first seen at icklingham on february 10th and stayed in that area until last seen on April 28th mainly, on Lackford Lakes Reserve, on a field near the western end of Lackford village or on floods at cavenham Heath NNR. Norfolk’s first breeding record occurred in 2020.
Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. there were many records from all over the county but relatively few related specifically to breeding colonies. Numbers at those counted remain similar to those in previous years and
many of the colonies also contain some Little egrets. the long-standing colony at Stutton reached ten pairs in 2021 (J turner) which is the highest it has been since 2009 but still way below the numbers in the 1980s and 1990s. otherwise, Grey Herons bred at a minimum of eight other sites. Stutton Heronry below – data supplied, as usual, by John turner.
Away from breeding colonies the highest counts were 12 at trimley Marshes on August 25th and 27th and 11 at three sites – Lakenheath fen on April 11th, Pipps ford, Barking on february 1st and Ramsholt on August 28th, with ten at Alton Water on September 12th and Hollesley Marshes on october 13th. otherwise counts of five to nine were noted all across the county at many wetlands with the highest inland (other than at Lakenheath fen) being eight at Lackford Lakes on february 12th.
the only migration records are a few from Landguard with three noted going north, March 9th, one west on May 26th and 36 during the period July 8th to December 1st with a maximum of nine south on September 20th.
Looking at the origin of records of this species it is clear that the majority come from Birdtrack and one assumes that these are records from complete lists rather than casual records. overall, there are only about half the number of records of this species than of Great White egret!
PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea Scarce passage migrant. there were seven records, probably relating to five birds, in Suffolk in 2021: Carlton Marshes SWT: adult, June 5th (R Mayron et al.); unknown aged bird, July 31st to Aug 3rd (A c easton et al.)
Walberswick NNR: adult, June 5th to 9th, perhaps the first carlton bird noted above (J tester, M tester et al.)
Minsmere RSPB: first-summer, June 24th to 29th (D eaton et al.)
Lakenheath Fen RSPB: immature, Apr 27th (D Burns) this year’s total of five birds is probably the highest since 2008 when it was considered that up to five occurred in Suffolk.
GREAT (WHITE) EGRET Ardea alba Uncommon, but increasing, visitor. Amber list.
As in recent years there were records throughout the year. there was a similar number of records received in each month except for a predominance during february to April (about half
of all received) and slightly higher numbers August to october than the rest. Previous years had suggested that the higher autumn and spring numbers continued through the winter.
Also, as in previous years, a few wetland sites dominated the records; carlton Marshes and the wider Minsmere area along the coast and Lakenheath fen inland. However almost all wetlands, including many inland sites, had a few records.
the highest counts were at Lakenheath fen with 13 on November 13th, carlton Marshes with up to 12, March 5th to 7th, eight at Lound Lakes SWt, January 7th, seven, Minsmere, March 7th and at Lakenheath fen November 18th, and six at carlton Marshes on february 28th and Lakenheath fen on September 13th. these totals at Lakenheath (13), carlton Marshes (12 and Lound Lakes (8) all exceed Suffolk’s previous individual site-total of seven at Dingle Marshes, Dunwich on April 9th 2019.
Great White egrets have bred in Norfolk each year since 2017.
A colour-ringed bird (red AAW) seen at Ramsholt on 13/07/2021 had been ringed as a chick in Somerset on 23/04/2021.
Locally common and increasing resident and passage migrant.
Most breeding records relate to those birds which have joined up with colonies of Grey Herons, of which several have been active for many years. in 2021 the largest colony in the records is a long-standing colony in south-east Suffolk with 20 active Little egret nests (down slightly from 2020 when there were 25) and which also had ten Grey Heron nests. At one inland colony there were six to eight pairs which fledged at least 12 young and nests were recorded at a minimum of four other sites.
Away from breeding colonies there were records throughout the year with slightly higher figures from July to September, before reducing a little in october and November compared with other months. these records came from all over the county. With one exception, the highest counts were all at carlton Marshes where there were 104 on July 17th, 88 on July 21st, 60 on July 16th and 56 on July 31st. Away from carlton, there were at least 80 at Hogmarsh (essex/ Suffolk border, east Bergholt) on the Stour estuary on September 8th and 56 at trimley Marshes on August 1st. there were several other counts of more than 20 along the coast and the highest inland is of 16 at Lakenheath fen february 20th.
the entry on page 138 of Suffolk Birds 2020 that the highest-ever total of Little egrets in Suffolk is 122 at Alton Water on December 16th 2012, is incorrect. this Alton Water figure was surpassed in July 2015 by 137 at an undisclosed site in south-east Suffolk (Suffolk Birds 2015: 66). information detailing the site and exact date of these 137 birds would be much appreciated.
Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list.
A total of 107 reports (including Birdtrack) were received in 2021 compared with last year’s record-breaking total of 141. Sightings came from 41 sites across the county; as usual the vast majority were from the coastal margin and the trend of individuals to linger on Suffolk estuaries from late summer into autumn continued (see footnote).
the 26 reports of passage birds in spring and early summer came from 20 sites; the first came from Halesworth on March 28th. the next sighting was over Dalham on April 6th and what was probably the same bird was seen at Lakenheath fen the following day.
Worlingham: May 10th
Halesworth: Mar 28th
Dunwich: June 4th
Minsmere: May 25th and 26th
North Warren: May 26th
Alde Estuary: May 15th and 18th
Snape: Apr 23rd
Snape Wetlands: June 3rd
Sutton: Apr 23rd
Deben Estuary: May 11th
Felixstowe: May 22nd
Stour Estuary: Apr 8th
Stutton: May 27th
Mellis: May 6th
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Hall, May 7th
Newton: May 30th
Stansfield: Apr 24th
Dalham: Apr 6th
West Row: May 5th
Lakenheath Fen: Apr 7th; May 5th and 7th; June 23rd; June 29th
the Halesworth bird on March 28th is the ninth March record in Suffolk so far this century. the earliest-ever was on March 8th 2009 at Hen Reedbeds SWt.
the 81 reports from late summer and autumn came from 21 sites, all but three of which are coastal locations. these included 32 reports from Hazlewood Marshes and the Alde estuary where birds were present on numerous dates between July and early october; these reports
included two birds on nine dates and three birds on two dates. elsewhere, a bird was present on the Blyth estuary in the second half of September and at least one individual was at Alton Water from September until late october. the last sighting was also from Alton Water, on November 26th; remarkably, an osprey was at Alton Water also on November 26th, in 2020.
Lowestoft: Aug 14th
Carlton Marshes: Sep 5th
Kessingland: Aug 14th
Blyth Estuary: Sep 15th; Sep 18th; Sep 20th and 21st; Sep 24th
Hen Reedbeds: Sep 16th
Minsmere: Aug 28th; Sep 11th
Friston: July 6th
Hazlewood Marshes/ Alde Estuary: July 4th to 8th; July 12th to 15th; Aug 16th; Aug 29th; two, Sep 3rd to 23rd; three, Sep 24th; two, Sep 25th to oct 1st; three, oct 3rd to 9th
Iken: Sep 9th
Snape: July 2nd; Sep 22nd
Hollesley Marshes: Aug 29th
Bawdsey: Sep 29th; oct 7th
Deben Estuary: Sep 24th and 27th; oct 5th; oct 16th and 19th
Felixstowe: Sep 4th
Landguard Bird Observatory: Sep 4th; south Sep 11th
Trimley Marshes: Sep 9th
Alton Water: Sep 4th; Sep 12th; Sep 29th; oct 7th and 8th; oct 24th to 28th; Nov 26th
Stour Estuary: cattawade, Aug 22nd; Aug 29th; Aug 31st; Sep 3rd; Sep 15th; Sep 17th and 22nd; Brantham, Sep 19th
Stoke-by-Nayland: thorington Street Reservoir, Aug 11th
Long Melford: Sep 12th
Denston: Aug 18th.
the Suffolk Wildlife trust is working in partnership with the Roy Dennis Wildlife foundation, a local landowner and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife trust to introduce ospreys to the Suffolk coast. they propose to move up to eight juvenile ospreys per year over a period of five years from the Rutland Water area to the Blyth estuary. they hope to begin the translocation from 2022, assuming that the ospreys at Rutland Water have a successful breeding season.
C Gregory (per SWt website)
Late note – the introduction was postponed again in 2022, this time, sensibly, because of Bird flu. it is hoped that there will be no problems in 2023. All licences, cages etc. are in place. Editor.
EUROPEAN HONEY BUZZARD Pernis apivorus
Scarce passage migrant. Amber list. there were four accepted records of this species in 2021. Spring sightings involving one, possibly two, birds came from three coastal sites in May. one was seen flying south at Minsmere and Aldeburgh on May 13th. the only other reports came in September, from Stowmarket, where a pale morph bird was seen on September 16th and North Warren on 28th.
Dunwich: Mount Pleasant farm, May 14th (M Miles)
Minsmere: single south, 11.30hr, May 13th (J H Grant, D f Walsh et al.)
North Warren: Sep 28th (J A Rowlands)
Aldeburgh: 11.51hr, May 13th (J Davies), same bird as Minsmere
Stowmarket: pale morph, Sep 16th (c fulcher)
EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus
Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List (from Green). Reports came from 113 parishes across the county, a significant drop from the 144 in 2020. this species was recorded in three of the 44 BBS squares in Suffolk in 2021* the BBS population trend graphs show a continuing decline, both at county level and across the uk. the latest twoyear trend saw a drop from +1 to -7 % across the uk and from -28 to -31 % in the east of england. there was evidence of spring passage at Landguard with singles on 19 dates, March 2nd to May 13th and two on March 15th, 24th and 30th. Also, in the autumn at Landguard, up to two were present from August 8th to the year’s end and three on october 5th and 9th and November 23rd. Breeding was confirmed at just seven sites.
*BBS data correction – No birds were recorded in tetrads across Suffolk in 2020 and two were recorded in 2019.
A plumber working in an empty house in felixstowe went out to his van leaving the house door open. When he returned, he found a male Sparrowhawk with a collared Dove in the hallway. the hawk flew off and was later found in the bathroom where it was released out of a window. the fortunate collared Dove was taken outside and released unharmed.
C Keeling
NORTHERN GOSHAWK Accipiter gentilis
Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant, uncommon resident in the Breckland stronghold nine nests were located in Suffolk, two fewer than in 2020. the adverse effects of unseasonably strong winds during the breeding season resulted in three failures. Despite this the average success rate of the Breckland population as a whole remained at 2.7 chicks per nest. of note, a pair was seen carrying nesting material at a woodland site away from the Brecks. Displaying birds were noted at several sites. one consequence of the increasing population
of this species is more competition between individuals for territories, particularly during early spring. At one popular location in Breckland up to five individuals were seen in the air together on three dates in february.
Away from the Brecks an immature bird was photographed at Minsmere on february 26th, and an adult was photographed at Reydon on April 4th.
WESTERN MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus
Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant. Increasing numbers overwinter. Amber List. covid-19 restrictions meant that the amount of coverage that observers were able to achieve was once again limited at key times of the year. therefore, roost counts and breeding details were not as comprehensive as usual.
Selected first winter period roost counts:
South Cove: cove Bottom, four, Jan 10th Walberswick NNR: Westwood Marshes, 11, Mar 21st
Minsmere: six, Jan 29th
North Warren: eight, Jan 31st
Slaughden: three, Jan 2nd
Sudbourne Marshes: eight, feb 26th
Falkenham: six, Mar 8th
Lakenheath Fen RSPB: ten, Jan 31st observations involving potential spring migrants came from Landguard Bird observatory, where five flew past between March 20th and April 30th.
Breeding data, where available, are as follows:
Carlton Marshes: four nests, all were successful, nine young fledged Benacre NNR (including Easton Valley): ten nests, nine were successful
Hen Reedbeds: three nests, two successful, three young fledged Walberswick: Westwood Marshes, four nests, no information on success Minsmere: nine nests, 16 young fledged North Warren: two nests, three young fledged
Snape Wetlands: two pairs bred on Abbey farm fledging four young in total; two also nested on Botany farm, one of which fledged three young Orfordness: three nests, five young fledged Boyton Marshes: pair fledged three young Hollesley Marshes: pair fledged three young Trimley Marshes: four young fledged from two nests
Chelmondiston: pair fledged two young Lackford Lakes SWT: a pair nested for second year running, but were unsuccessful Lakenheath Fen RSPB: 12 nests, eight successful, 15 young fledged in addition to the above, two pairs showed breeding behaviour in the Levington area in early June and another pair was suspected to have bred in south Suffolk.
Autumn passage was noted at several coastal locations and included single birds flying in off the sea at east Lane, Bawdsey on September 29th, Shingle Street on october 14th and Minsmere on october 18th. At Slaughden two were seen flying in off the sea on November 11th. elsewhere, two flew north over Havergate island on october 10th and five flew past Landguard Bird observatory between July 20th and october 6th.
counts involving four or more birds during the second winter period came from the following sites:
Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, seven, Dec 5th
Minsmere: 36, Dec 30th – equals the reserve’s highest-ever total which occurred on January 19th 2020
North Warren: ten, Nov 18th
Sudbourne Marshes: six, Nov 26th
Orfordness/Havergate Island: eight, Nov and Dec
Trimley Marshes SWT: four, Dec 24th
Lakenheath Fen: 23, Dec 31st
observations of wing-tagged birds are as follows:
Hen Reedbeds: male with red wing tags seen, Apr 11th
Snape Wetlands: female with green wing tags with letter ’M’ seen, three dates in late June and early July – probably tagged in Norfolk; male with orange tags marked with ‘H4’ was present, Aug 12th, originally tagged at cantley in Norfolk.
Livermere Lake/ Ampton: wing-tagged female, May 5th; female with orange tags, oct 28th
Barnham/Fakenham Magna: Rymer Point, juvenile with red wing tags (no date)
Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, wing-tagged female, Apr 29th
Lakenheath Fen: one with red wing-tags, Aug 28th
Hunting behaviour included an adult taking Black-headed Gull chicks at Minsmere in June, and three juveniles flying off Minsmere Beach in July, one of which was hunting in earnest some distance out to sea.
Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List. A total of 173 reports was received in 2021, a slight increase on the 153 in 2020. As usual the
majority of the reports came from the first winter period and the majority of the 135 came from the north-east of the county. these sightings came from 47 sites and indicate that at least seven birds were present across the county during the first winter period. the majority were ringtails but at least two males were seen at several coastal locations and one at Lakenheath fen roosted with a ringtail in early January. the same ringtail continued to roost at Lakenheath until April 12th and this site is now the only reliable location to see this species in west Suffolk. Many birds remained well into April and May, observations included a ringtail seen flying along the Deben estuary at falkenham on May 16th, which was thought to be this species. A male was seen at Worlingham Marshes on May 17th and the last spring report involved another male, this time at Snape, on the very late date of June 26th.
the first returning bird was seen at Lakenheath fen on october 3rd, the only other sightings this month coming from Wenhaston and king’s fleet. typically, there were far fewer reports during the second winter period and the 34 reports from 25 sites suggest that at least five individuals were present from october until the end of the year. All sightings involved ringtails except for a male seen at Hollesley Marshes on November 30th.
1st
the male at Snape on June 26th is only the second male to have been recorded in Suffolk in June this century, the other having been at carlton Marshes on 6th in 2012. Within the last 50 years the only other male Hen Harrier recorded in Suffolk in June was on cavenham Heath (site of a breeding attempt in 1918) on 12th in 1977. Ringtail Hen Harriers, however, have been noted in Suffolk in June in eight years so far this century perhaps involving as many as 12 birds. there have been records this century in 2007, 2013, 2016 and 2017; the 2007 records involved one which spent the whole of the year in the Lakenheath area and another which oversummered in the falkenham area. the last occasions on which Hen Harriers bred in Suffolk, albeit unsuccessfully courtesy of the local gamekeepers, were in 1918 on cavenham Heath and, nearby in 1929 on tuddenham Heath. Both breeding attempts are well-documented in W H Payne’s 1962 and 1978 editions of his avifauna “The Birds of Suffolk” Philip Murphy.
MONTAGU’S HARRIER Circus pygargus
Uncommon passage migrant. Formerly bred. Red List (from Amber). for the second consecutive year there were no accepted reports of this increasingly scarce species in Suffolk. the future looks rather bleak for this enigmatic species which has not bred successfully in the uk since 2019. they last bred in Norfolk in 2017 and Suffolk in 1967.
RED KITE Milvus milvus
Uncommon but increasing winter visitor and passage migrant; increasing breeding population. this species was recorded in over 200 of Suffolk’s 479 parishes in 2021, a clear indication of its increasing abundance in the county. its spread, predominantly from the west, appears to be mirroring the colonisation of the common Buzzard across Suffolk in the late 20th century, albeit
at a much slower pace. BBS data show a steady rise in numbers across the uk and the east of england but despite this none has been recorded in Suffolk during the BBS survey in the last three years.
Reports of roost sites came from two locations in the west during the first winter period – both held at least seven birds. Spring passage was fairly quiet and mostly took place during March. Movements peaked mid-month when a predominantly northward movement of birds was noted at 15 sites along the coastal margin. these included counts of five at Wrentham and four at Minsmere and coincided with a large influx of Red kites on the english south coast involving hundreds of migrants. Small numbers of migrants continued to be reported throughout the spring including two seen flying in off the sea at thorpeness in early April. A few larger groups were noted in early June, including seven at carlton Marshes and ten at Somerleyton Marshes on two dates in June.
Breeding was confirmed at seven sites; five of these are in the west of the county, where breeding was also suspected at a further six sites. Reports of successful breeding also came from two new sites, one in mid-Suffolk and another in north-east Suffolk.
Post-breeding counts included up to 15 birds on stubble fields at Ampton on August 5th and these birds were probably included amongst the 16 which roosted near Great Livermere in midAugust. At West Stow one was seen catching flying insects amongst Black-headed Gulls on two dates in September.
Reports of winter roosts in the latter part of the year came from four sites in the west. At Stokeby-Nayland, 18 were present on December 18th and smaller numbers roosted near Dalham and Stowlangtoft. By far the largest gathering occurred at Ampton where numbers gradually built up from 13 on November 7th to a remarkable peak count of 63 in mid-December. the birds provided a fantastic spectacle as they converged each afternoon to roost in areas of woodland scattered around the hamlet. Sixty-three is a new county record total, almost doubling the previous maximum, of 33, at Wrentham, June 8th 2018 and a west Suffolk site, January 19th 2019.
A real highlight of 2021 was the successful nesting of Red kites some 90m from our house (and even closer to our neighbours), a short way north of Hadleigh. Although we’d been seeing more kites in the wider area, we never dreamed that they would nest here so soon, but the whole family (mostly non-birders) was delighted that they did!
the first clear signs of interest were dogfights with the local common Buzzards over 2-3 days in early April – they appeared to establish their ‘home patch’ quite quickly, with carrion crows subsequently giving them more grief than the Buzzards. incubation began by April 14th and the first signs of hatching were on May 13th. the three young were colour-ringed [AA to Ac white on red] by Simon evans on June 16th, after a skilful climb by tom the treecreeper! the young fledged successfully.
Sadly, the adults did not return to the nest in 2022, despite the university of Suffolk livestream camera that was waiting for them. Shortly before writing this, however, four Ravens flew over towards kersey, so we hope that the avian ‘Suffolk trinity’ will soon be re-established on our patch, a real sign of hope in these uncertain times.
Adam GrettonRare passage migrant. there were four accepted reports in 2021, probably relating to two birds, all from coastal sites. the first sighting was at carlton Marshes on April 29th, this was followed by two sightings, probably involving the same bird, over North Warren the following day and at Minsmere five days later. finally, one was seen at Wangford in mid-July.
Carlton Marshes: Apr 29th (c Buttle)
Minsmere: May 5th (J Grant et al.)
Wangford: July 13th (A Riseborough)
North Warren: south, Apr 30th (J Davies et al.)yh
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE Haliaeetus albicilla
Scarce annual visitor. Amber list (from Red). Categories A and E. it was another remarkable year for this species as no fewer than four different individuals were present in Suffolk between february and April. of these, three were wide-ranging birds from the isle of Wight Release Scheme and the other was identified as being a wild bird.
the year started with the first isle of Wight bird (G463) entering Suffolk airspace on february 25th and it was then seen near Mildenhall the following day. Having spent 16 days in Norfolk, initially in Breckland and t hen on the north Norfolk coast it returned to the Beccles/ellough area of Suffolk on March 15th and then from March 20th it made forays up and down the coast for 17 days. on April 2nd this nomadic bird was back in the Brecks where it spent two days near Ampton, before flying south into essex on April 4th. it then did a u-turn and roosted near Alton Water also on April 4th. the next day it was seen flying over combs before finally departing south to essex and kent.
Around the same time, in east Suffolk, one was seen circling over the Blyth estuary on february 27th. it then flew south-west and was photographed flying low over a field at Hinton Grange, Blythburgh. the next day it flew over Hen Reedbeds and Westleton Heath and was subsequently seen at two sites in the north east, and in central Suffolk, at Stowupland, in March. What is assumed to have been the same bird was located 16 days later on April 4th in the Minsmere/ Benacre/carlton Marshes area before being seen heading north over Lowestoft on April 6th. tim Mackrill of the Roy Dennis Wildlife foundation was able to confirm that it was a wild bird, possibly from the increasing populations in Scandinavia or the Netherlands.
Amazingly, two other isle of Wight birds, G471 and G466, put in brief appearances at two sites in April in the west of the county. the former roosted near Red Lodge on April 6th and the following day a second-calendar-year female, arrived at Lakenheath fen and roosted overnight.
Third-calendar-year bird confirmed as being of wild origin by Tim Mackrill: feb 27th: Blyth estuary: (L J townsend) and Hinton Grange. (AV Moon). feb 28th: seen soaring north-west over Hen Reedbeds. (S Abbott) and over Westleton Heath (D Borderick).
Mar 15th: seen flying north over carlton Marshes (R Wilton), then further south-west over Weston (cA Buttle, R Walden) and Brampton.
Mar 19th: flying north over Stowupland. (t Stopher).
Apr 4th: seen over Dunwich and Minsmere early afternoon, then headed north and was over Benacre at 13.05hr before being photographed as it flew over kessingland at 13.10hr (D Borderick). it was finally seen over carlton Marshes between 13.19 and 13.28hr (A easton et al.).
Apr 6th: photographed flying south over Lowestoft at 09.25hrs. (M Seuneke et al.).
Isle of Wight birds: – where there is no observer attribution the information was received via the Roy Dennis Wildlife foundation website (derived from GPS tags).
G463 – second calendar-year male:
feb 25th: roosted south of Newmarket then crossed into north-west Suffolk where it was seen heading low north-east at tuddenham Heath on feb 26th (P Whiteman). it spent the night between fakenham Wood (euston) and knettishall Heath.
feb 27th: flew into the Norfolk Brecks and up to north Norfolk where it remained for 16 days.
Mar 15th: drifted south-west at Beccles/ellough/ Weston area at 11.30hr. (cA Buttle).
Mar 20th: roosted at Dunwich forest (Multi-observer).
Mar 21st: north, late a.m., Melton (P Philipps) then east, 12:10hr, tangham forest, capel St Andrew (S Mayson)
Mar 22nd: came in off the sea at Minsmere (J H Grant), then flew up the coast and was logged at several locations as far north as kessingland (D Borderick).
Mar 23rd: flew high over the South Belt at Minsmere (J H Grant).
Mar 25th: flew north over Minsmere and was tracked at various locations north to Lowestoft.
Mar 27th: returned south and was photographed over Dingle Marshes then drifted back north. (c Buttle).
Mar 29th: seen flying out to sea, briefly, at Lowestoft before returning inland (R Wilton) then flew south-east (G Hawes).
Apr 1st: iken (Birdtrack).
Apr 2nd: returned to Breckland and spent the next two days in the Great Livermere/ Ampton Water area.
Apr 4th: flew south over Sudbury and into essex before returning into Suffolk to roost at Alton Water (k Day).
Apr 5th: flew west over combs, near Stowmarket (J Walshe) and continued into essex and kent.
G466 – second-calendar-year-female:
Apr 7th and 8th: spent two days at the western end of Lakenheath fen RSPB.
G471 – second-calendar-year-male:
Apr 6th: roosted east of Red Lodge, just south of Mildenhall.
Plus – one flew south over trimley Marshes at 11.15hr on Apr 8th (G elliot) but it is not clear if this was ioW bird G466 or the wild bird last seen over Lowestoft on Apr 6th.
of individuals
the two birds in the period 2000-2009 involved two together over North Warren and orfordness on february 13th 2000.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. All the reports of this species came from the south-east of the county with the Sudbourne Marshes/ orfordness area featuring strongly again. the adult bird from 2021 remained in that area until early April and was also seen at Slaughden in early January. there were three reports in the second winter period but none were submitted to the committee.
Slaughden: Jan 2nd (S Mayson)
Sudbourne/Orfordness: overwintering adult from 2020 present in the area until April 4th. (M Linsley et al.)
Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant; increasing breeding population. firmly established as part of the county’s avifauna, this species continues to be recorded in most of the parishes across Suffolk. the BBS population graphs show that numbers in the east of england peaked in 2019, but it was recorded in 12 BBS tetrads, the same as in 2019 and 21 individuals were counted compared with 17 in 2019*. early movement from late february into March included a noteworthy count of 38 over Sudbourne Marshes on february 26th, comprising multiple pairs and migrating groups. elsewhere, 15 were over Lound and ten over both the Blyth estuary and Dunwich on february 28th. the following month 20 flew over Minsmere on March 19th, whilst inland 19 were seen at Pipps ford on the same day. A count of 24 at timworth on April 3rd is likely to have involved mostly local resident birds. Six flew north over Landguard, May 7th.
BBS Reports of confirmed breeding came from just 12 locations and included four pairs at North Warren.
A count of 18 at chelmondiston on August 23rd preceded an unprecedented movement in early autumn involving numerous birds moving south along the coastal margin. the following counts were reported on September 6th:
26 – carlton Marshes
16 – oulton
72 – kessingland
35 – Leiston
10 – Aldringham
other notable counts in September included 18 moving south over Landguard on September 12th and 15 moving steadily south at Long Melford on September 11th. finally, 25 were seen at chelmondiston on November 5th.
the figure of 72 at kessingland on September 6th is the highest-ever single site day-total to be recorded in Suffolk, almost doubling the previous peak of 38 over Sudbourne just over six months earlier on february 26th.
*BBS data correction – recorded in two Suffolk tetrads in 2020 and 12 in 2019, not ten and 24 as stated in the 2020 bird report.
WESTERN BARN OWL Tyto alba
Fairly common resident. Categories A and E. this species remains widespread and reasonably common throughout the county, unlike in the 1980s and ‘90s when its distribution was heavily biased towards the coastal strip and sightings in the west of the county were a rarity.
During 2021, breeding was confirmed at 16 sites. even in such a small sample, birds appeared to have differing fortunes with the breeding season at Lakenheath described as ‘poor’, whilst a pair at Pakenham fen are believed to have fledged all five of their brood. two late broods were reported; one chick was still in a nest box at Lackford Lakes on November 2nd and at least one was still in a tree cavity nest at chillesford on November 20th (having been present since at least late September). these records may relate to pairs that had failed to nest successfully earlier in the year.
the highest count of the year came from Lodge farm, Westhorpe on December 30th, when eight birds were reported to have been present.
LITTLE OWL Athene noctua
Fairly common resident. this species was reported from a total of 88 sites during 2021, a sizeable reduction (20%) on the total of 110 sites that reported birds during 2020, but on a par with the total of 81 sites in 2019. this reduction is likely to be, at least in part, due to the ‘lockdown effect’. Reports of probable or confirmed breeding came from 14 sites, whilst possible breeding was suspected at many others.
LONG-EARED OWL Asio otus
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Scarce resident. there was just a single bird reported during the first two months of the year – one roosting at fornham All Saints on January 28th and 29th. the next report was of a pair displaying at dusk in the south-east of the county on March 19th and 20th. Breeding was later confirmed at three sites, all in the north-west, where a total of five pairs was found. Possible, or probable, breeding occurred at another two sites, whilst single adults were reported from a further three potentially-suitable localities.
Autumn sightings commenced with an inland bird at Honington on october 1st, which could potentially have been a resident bird. Passage was again poor with just two coastal migrants seen; one at Ness Point, Lowestoft on November 5th and another at Southwold on November 22nd. the final record of the year was of a bird at the RSPB’s Snape Wetlands reserve on December 11th.
for the second successive year, there were no reports from Landguard.
SHORT-EARED OWL Asio flammeus
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Formerly bred. Amber list. Just six sites reported birds during the first winter period; Walberswick, Westleton Heath, Minsmere, Sudbourne, orfordness and Hollesley Marshes. All were singles apart from two on orfordness, January 2nd.
Spring passage appeared to commence on March 14th when one was seen at kessingland
cliffs. Landguard logged its only spring sighting on March 18th; a bird that flew south. Singles were then reported from a further 12 sites to the end of May.
What was probably a late spring migrant was seen on Havergate island on June 9th. trimley Marshes then had a bird present between June 16th and July 25th. Another singleton was seen hunting the marshes at Sudbourne on August 22nd, although this is a fairly typical date for an early autumn bird (e.g., Minsmere August 20th 2020). these mid-summer reports are interesting and raise the hope that this species may, one day, breed in the county again.
A bird that flew in off the sea at Southwold on october 6th was the first of the autumn and preceded sightings from a further 14 coastal sites, all of which were singles, apart from two at Hollesley on october 15th. December sightings related to singletons at Walberswick, Dunwich, orford and Hollesley. there were no sightings from the west of the county.
Also noted in the autumn in central Suffolk at Westhorpe, September 14th and in west Suffolk at Higham St Stephen, just east of Newmarket, october 17th.
F IELD N OTE – Rescue of a Short-eared Owl on November 19th 2021 a Short-eared owl was found by a wind farm maintenance team trapped on the cranage equipment on a wind turbine in the thanet wind farm off the northeastern coast of kent. the maintenance team transported the owl to their base in Lowestoft from where it was collected on November 21st by Dan Goldsmith, chairman of the Marine Wildlife Rescue charity. the owl was then taken to the Suffolk owl Sanctuary at Stonham Aspal where, over the next 12 days, it was carefully cleansed of the oil and grease that had accumulated on its wings. in captivity it consumed up to eight mice a day and was judged to be fully fit by December 3rd on which date DG collected the owl and released it on thurlton Marshes, Norfolk – just across the River Waveney from fritton Marshes. Dan Goldsmith, Marine Life Rescue
TAWNY OWL Strix aluco Common resident. Amber list. Birds were reported from 50 sites during the breeding season (67 during 2020). of these, confirmed breeding took place at a total of eight sites (five in 2020), including a pair using a kestrel nestbox at the RSPB Lakenheath fen reserve. Breeding was considered probable at another five sites. As with most nocturnal species, obtaining confirmation of successful breeding can be difficult and most of the confirmed reports above related to the distinctive begging calls of the juvenile birds. there was one road casualty reported – at thurston on August 27th – and another was found dead at Alton Water on November 14th.
The Christchurch Park, Ipswich, Tawny Owl in 2021 this ever-popular individual which had been present at the end of 2020 at its easily-visible daytime roost (Suffolk Birds 2020: 147) was noted daily until at least January 28th. it was seen back on its usual perch during May 25th to 31st but not again in 2021 after that date.
EURASIAN HOOPOE Upupa epops
Scarce passage migrant. Categories A and E. the spring produced three records, as below. it is possible that there is some duplication of birds involved in these sightings and the coastal ones could, conceivably, relate to just a single,
mobile bird.
Carlton Marshes SWT: Apr 29th to May 1st (M ellis et al.)
Woodbridge: Airfield, May 14th (S Abbott et al.)
Gazeley: May 15th (P Appleton per recorder)
Very rare visitor.
Lackford: Bunker’s Barn, June 23rd (P Lack, D Ridgely)
Icklingham: same bird as cavenham, June 23rd to July 1st An excellent inland find by the above-named observers. the bird was initially found between cavenham and Lackford before it quickly relocated to sheep pasture at icklingham, where it remained for nine days and delighted a large number of visitors. this becomes the 29th Suffolk record, the last being a single-day bird at upper Hollesley common on June 13th 2011. these sightings in 2011 and 2021 are, so far, Suffolk’s only 21stcentury records.
Fairly common resident. Green list. this species was reported from a total of approximately 93 sites across the county during 2022, 33 of which were in the breeding season and involved confirmed breeding at five sites and probable breeding at a further five sites. the confirmed breeding records again included two pairs utilising artificial nest holes at Lackford Lakes. Landguard recorded its only sighting of the year on october 8th.
Scarce and increasing, but not annual passage migrant. After a blank year in 2020, 2021 produced three records, including a group of nine: Bradwell: Gapton Marshes, nine, photographed, June 18th to 22nd (L Docwra et al.) – presumed same as at carlton Marshes, below Carlton Marshes: nine south-west, 07:08hr, June 13th (JA Brown) – presumed same as Bradwell, above Minsmere: Aug 18th (R Harvey, i Salkeld)
Uncommon passage migrant. Formerly bred. the five birds listed below is the best spring total since 2012 (when there were seven recorded).
Breydon Water: South Wall, Apr 21st
Lowestoft: Gunton Warren, Apr 13th (c Buttle)
Kessingland: Apr 25th (BiNS); photographed, May 9th (same bird?)
Southwold: Golf course, Apr 26th
Kesgrave: photographed in observer’s garden, Apr 10th (D Goodwin)
the kesgrave bird is the earliest spring record since one at Shingle Street, April 9th 2011. Autumn passage was ‘average’ with a total of seven birds, Hollesley being the prime site.
Gunton Warren: Aug 22nd (N carter, R Wilton)
Kessingland: Sep 7th
Hollesley Marshes: Aug 27th and 28th (multi-observer); two ringed, Sep 4th (J Zantboer)
Landguard: Sep 4th to 7th (P Holmes, N odin)
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Park flash, Sep 6th (k Day)
Uncommon resident. Red list. this species continues to be reported in small numbers. Most sightings were, again, from the north-west of the county, but a record in the south-east is a welcome addition.
Woodbridge: Broomheath, Apr 14th and 15th (D Adelson)
Thetford: two, feb 21st
Santon Downham: up to three birds reported feb 27th and Apr 12th
Cavenham Heath: several sightings between Mar 7th and Apr 25th with two birds seen on two dates; oct 26th
Lakenheath Fen: July 21st
Successful breeding was confirmed at one site.
Dendrocopos major
Common resident. Scarce passage migrant.
this species was reported from at least 128 distinct localities during the year, 71 of which were during the breeding season. of the latter, actual breeding was confirmed at a total of 13 sites. A total of 40 birds was recorded in 24 of the 42 squares covered by the Breeding Bird Survey. overall, Great Spotted Woodpeckers appear to be doing well in the county with reports coming from a wide variety of sites, including parks and gardens. the only comment received that might suggest something to the contrary was from the Lavenham Railway Walk where the species was only recorded once out of 12 monthly visits to the area. the only spring record at Landguard is of one on April 14th.
Dispersing, late summer/autumn birds were noted at Landguard on 26 dates between July 1st and November 25th. All were singles apart from three on the first date and two on July 9th.
Common resident. Green Woodpeckers were reported from a minimum of 142 sites, 76 of which were during the breeding season, with confirmed breeding reported from nine of these. the Breeding Bird Survey work produced reports of 31 birds in 24 of the 42 squares covered in 2021. the highest counts of the year involved eight birds at Weybread Gravel Pits on August 18th and seven at Long Melford on June 4th. elsewhere, counts of five birds came from Rickinghall (January 25th), Hintlesham (April 9th and July 18th), Rydal Mount, Wissett (April 24th) and cavenham Heath (June 3rd and December 18th). Landguard logged single birds on August 3rd, 5th and 15th.
COMMON KESTREL Falco tinnunculus
Common but declining resident. Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list. Reports were received from 149 parishes across Suffolk, a markedly-lower tally than the 213 in 2021.
this reflects the long-term decline of this species across the east of england and the uk as a whole. However, it was recorded in 11 BBS squares in Suffolk in 2021, compared with four in 2020 and six in 2019*. it appears to have been a reasonable breeding season for this species; reports of confirmed breeding came from 20 sites. these included a pair with four chicks in a Barn owl box on felixstowe Golf course. Sadly, another pair with four chicks failed at trimley Marshes. Dispersing juveniles were logged at Landguard from mid-summer, with a maximum of three on July 15th and 22nd and September 6th. A single bird was seen flying in off the sea at Minsmere on September 2nd. in west Suffolk one predated a whole brood of Spotted flycatchers in a garden in Denston. kestrel eW91017 6M 08.06.2018 Sycamore farm, tuddenham St Martin/culpho 22.04.2021 clopton Suffolk (Pe) (Duration 1049 days, Distance 4km, found dead)
*BBS data correction – recorded in four tetrads in Suffolk in 2020 and six in 2019, not eight and 12 as stated in the 2020 report. (the numbers of individuals seen were five in 2020 and seven in 2019).
Rare
there was just one report of this species in 2021 involving an immature male that was seen on two dates in June. Walberswick NNR: Westwood Marshes, first-summer male, photographed, June 5th to 7th. (L oxlade, M oxlade et al.)
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List. there were 73 reports of this species in 2021, compared with 88 in 2020. Sightings of this diminutive raptor came from 30 sites during the first winter period, these being equally divided between the east and the west. the 15 reports from the coastal margin came from 13 sites and the 15 reports from the west came from ten sites. these indicated that between five and seven birds were present between January and March. Away from the traditional Breck and coastal sites, single Merlins were recorded at Stowmarket, January 6th and March 23rd and Witnesham, february 17th.
Late-spring sightings involved one at North Warren on April 3rd and females at orfordness on April 6th and trimley Marshes on April 27th. in west Suffolk single birds were seen at both Lakenheath fen and knettishall Airfield on April 2nd.
Returning birds were noted on two dates in August; at Dunwich Heath on 3rd and eastbridge on 31st. Passage birds were logged at Landguard on three dates in october and one flew in off the sea at Bawdsey on october 21st.
there was a total of 42 reports for the second winter period and it is likely that seven or eight birds were present in the county from September to the end of the year. September itself was fairly quiet and produced just five sightings, all from coastal locations. in october single birds were noted at 11 locations up and down the coast between carlton Marshes and Landguard. Also, in october, two were seen hunting together on Sudbourne Marshes and nearby on Lantern Marshes, orfordness. November sightings included single birds at four coastal sites and two in the west; sightings included two at Slaughden on two dates and another, sadly, found dead near Benacre Sluice on November 6th. the year ended on a quiet note with just five reports, from Slaughden, Sudbourne Marshes, Lackford Lakes, Lakenheath fen and Mildenhall fen.
Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant. the 356 reports of this species included 177 Birdtrack records, but this total is significantly lower than the 527 in 2020. BBS data indicates a continuing gradual decline of this species across the uk in Suffolk it was encountered in just one BBS square, one more than in the previous two years!*
the earliest-ever record of Hobby in Suffolk was of a bird at Willisham on March 24th (N cant), the previous earliest was at Minsmere on April 2nd 2011.
the next returning birds were seen at Lakenheath fen and Lackford Lakes on April 6th. there were a further 35 reports from across the county during April. counts during May at favoured sites included 20 at Minsmere on 18th; 19 at Snape Wetlands on 29th and a peak count of 41 at Lakenheath fen on 11th, this being well down on 2020’s maximum figure, at Lakenheath, of 60 on May 15th. there was also a count of 15 at Westwood Marshes on June 5th.
Breeding was confirmed at six locations, and included two pairs at North Warren and a pair in a nest-box on Sutton common.
Reports of autumn passage came from Leiston where two flew south independently on September 6th, and from Landguard where three flew south on September 11th and two flew south on october 5th.
there were relatively few reports from october, but up to four remained at Minsmere until the end of the month. fittingly, the last report also came from this site on November 2nd, a repeat of last year.
*BBS correction – this species was recorded in no Suffolk tetrads in 2019 and 2020.
PEREGRINE
Uncommon but increasing winter visitor and passage migrant. Has bred since 2008. Categories A and E.
there were 434 reports in 2021 compared with 386 the previous year. this species continues to be recorded regularly across the county throughout the year. there was a significant number of reports of individuals roosting on man-made structures, such as churches, across the county, particularly those dedicated to St Mary (see below)!
Results from the 2021 BBS survey show that although this species is doing well in england, it is not doing so well across the whole of the uk. Surprisingly, it was not recorded in any BBS squares in Suffolk in 2021, in fact the last time it was recorded during a BBS survey in Suffolk was in 2008.
Single birds were widely reported during the first winter period but there were also numerous
records involving multiple sightings. Notable among these were four at Minsmere on february 20th; three at Lowestoft on March 25th and three at Landguard on two dates in March and on April 1st. elsewhere, wintering birds were reported at several traditional wintering sites up and down the coast, including Hazlewood Marshes and Hollesley Marshes. in the west of the county several wintering birds were found roosting on man-made structures, included the wintering bird from 2020 on the mast at Stradishall Airfield which was joined briefly by a second bird on January 24th. An immature bird roosted intermittently on St Mary’s church, Pakenham in January and february and nearby an adult bird was seen roosting on Stowlangtoft Water tower on two dates in March. Another bird was seen flying around the rotunda at ickworth Park in early february. Records of potential spring migrants came from thorpeness where one flew in off the sea on March 13th and Landguard where additional birds to the resident ones were noted on March 7th and 14th and April 1st. elsewhere in April, two were present at trimley Marshes until the 17th. there was the usual plethora of sightings in ipswich, including one perched on top of ipswich Hospital’s ten-storey high maternity block on March 19th, two on the spire of St Mary-le-tower church on May 19th and two over christchurch Park on June 13th. A “Peregrine box” has been erected on St Mary -le-tower since this event. in the west of the county a ringed bird present on St Mary’s church in Mildenhall on July 7th until the year’s end was identified as having been ringed as a chick in cromer, Norfolk, in 2020.
Breeding was confirmed at eight sites, the same as in 2020, including the following: Lowestoft: Lake Lothing, pair fledged three chicks
Sizewell: Power Station, eggs hatched, but presumed predated; a juvenile was seen in early July but thought likely to have been from elsewhere
Martlesham Heath: four chicks fledged on June 15th, all were ringed
Orwell Bridge: eggs were almost certainly laid, but nothing hatched
Great Blakenham: eggs were laid in a new nest box but failed to hatch
Bury St Edmunds: pair fledged three chicks which were ringed under licence
RAF Honington: pair bred, outcome unknown in addition, a pair prospected three adjacent buildings in central ipswich, whilst at felixstowe Docks the death of one of the resident birds in spring resulted in up to three birds in the area vying for territory, but there was no registered breeding at either site.
Post-breeding family groups were noted at several sites, including two juveniles with prey on the playing field at Hartismere School in eye on June 24th. At ipswich Golf course, Purdis farm, three juveniles and an adult were seen interacting on two dates in July. there were also several sightings of dispersing juveniles at Landguard from late summer. in the west two adults and a juvenile were seen at timworth on August 19th.
Summary table of confirmed number of breeding pairs in the last decade:
Notable autumn sightings included two birds at Hazlewood Marshes on September 25th and
two (possibly the same) at Sudbourne Marshes on September 22nd. Reports of single birds came from eight coastal sites and 14 inland locations during the second winter period. in addition to this, two birds were seen at Ness Point, Lowestoft on two dates; two more were at Dingle Marshes in mid-December and two frequented the Alde estuary from late September up to November at least. elsewhere, a pair was seen hunting at trimley Marshes on December 4th and three were at Landguard., December 14th and 24th in the west the returning birds were first seen back at Stradishall Airfield on September 12th (for the eighth consecutive winter) and what were presumably the same individuals from the first winter period returned to roost on Pakenham church and Stowlangtoft Water tower from November.
Hunting behaviour in the early part of the year was observed at several sites. these included one taking a Redshank on the Butley River on January 19th, a male chasing a murmuration of Starlings at Walberswick on february 21st and again a month later and a female seen chasing Pintail at Shalford Meadows, Little cornard on March 3rd. Later in the year a juvenile bird was observed unsuccessfully hunting godwits at Ramsholt on August 1st, and one made three unsuccessful passes on a Lapwing at Levington creek on November 25th.
Scarce resident. Categories C and E.
After several sightings throughout the year in the north-east in 2020, there was only one sighting in this recording area this year – one flying north over Minsmere car Park, November 16th. in the south-east recording area single birds were at Landguard, May 18th and nearby at trimley Marshes SWt, May 28th. this noisy, noticeable bird was observed in and around christchurch Park and the old cemetery in ipswich throughout the year with a maximum of eight on october 30th at the park’s arboretum. in the autumn single birds were seen at trimley St Mary in the town, September 21st, flying north at Landguard, September 22nd and 24th and again on october 1st and at trimley Marshes SWt, September 25th. Single birds were also in the Pin Mill, chelmondiston area on November 16th, Woodbridge, october 18th and Melton, october 26th. the only submitted evidence of this species having bred came from ipswich with two presumed juveniles i.e. without neck rings, being seen, february 10th (juveniles from 2020?). in the west of the county, records came from the Bury St edmunds and fornham All Saints areas. there was a maximum of three in Bury St edmunds, November 19th. A pair was present throughout the year in fornham All Saints, and breeding was confirmed with a family group of five visiting gardens in the village on December 8th.
At Lakenheath fen RSPB two birds were noted flying over on September 19th and 20th.
A pair was present at fornham All Saints between at least April 17th and october 16th and it is considered that these birds probably bred in that area. At Lakenheath fen RSPB one was present on December 19th. in central Suffolk, one was at Willisham, November 19th.
Scarce passage migrant; formerly bred. Red list.
After four in 2017, six in 2018 and three in 2019, and as many as 11 in 2020, there were only three sightings in 2021:
Westleton: Potton Hall, male, June 5th (A V Moon, A Allen) Minsmere RSPB: juv, Sep 22nd to 24th (M orchard, J Grant et al)
Leiston: (private site) male, June 2nd (J Grant)
Red-Backed Shrike Russ Boland
the entry of a juvenile at Minsmere, South Levels on June 20th (Suffolk Birds 2020 page 154) should be deleted as it is clearly incorrect. that juvenile was seen on August 20th. it was entirely the editor’s fault – i had changed the date of Justin’s bird but not deleted the wrong entry.
the pair which bred, albeit unsuccessfully, at an undisclosed site (Suffolk Birds 2020:155) constitutes the first breeding record in Suffolk since 1992 when a pair successfully reared four juveniles at tunstall. it is also the first instance of confirmed breeding in eastern england since 1992 (British Birds November 2021: 690). However, it is encouraging to read that breeding numbers in Belgium and the Netherlands have increased dramatically since the turn of the century (British Birds November 2021: 691) which offers hope that maybe this exciting bird could, in the not-too-distant future, re-establish itself as a regular breeding species in Suffolk.
LESSER GREY SHRIKE Lanius minor
Very rare visitor. there have been no sightings of this species in Suffolk since 2014 when a female was at Hollesley, September 6th and 7th.
GREAT GREY SHRIKE Lanius excubitor
Scarce passage migrant and winter visitor.
it was a lean year for this sought-after species with only two records. one was present at the disused Raydon Airfield, february 14th and nearby, a well-watched, yet free-ranging, elusive individual was present mainly in arable habitat, with hedgerows, in the capel St Mary and Bentley areas from March 5th to April 10th at least. it is likely that these records relate to a single bird. A poor year compared with 2020 when as many as 11 were recorded.
WOODCHAT SHRIKE Lanius senator
Rare visitor.
After five blank years during 2014 to 2018, a single sighting in 2019 and no sightings in 2020 there were two birds at the end of May. the last year that two Woodchat Shrikes occurred in Suffolk is 2012 when singles were recorded in June at Gunton (Lowestoft) and Walberswick.
Kessingland: May 28th (J Lyles et al.)
Bawdsey: east Lane, first-summer, male May 23rd (L Woods et al)
Oriolus oriolus
Rare passage migrant. Last bred in 2009.
After a blank year in 2018, a single sighting in 2019 and seven records in 2020 there were four confirmed records in 2021:
Minsmere: May 25th and 26th (i Barthorpe, c Moyes, R Walden et al.); June 5th (J Grant)
Bawdsey: Quay, May 25th (B Small)
Lakenheath Fen: singing male, May 14th, 25th and 26th (S Grimwade et al.)
on page 7 of the July 2021 issue of Birdwatch it is reported that, based on the sightings submitted to BirdGuides, it is estimated that as many as 150 Golden orioles occurred in Britain and ireland in spring 2021. As such, Suffolk’s total of four seems rather paltry!
EURASIAN
Common resident and scarce passage migrant Jays were recorded in 18 of the 42 BBS survey squares with 42 individuals seen.
Small flocks of presumed migrants were seen flying south in the autumn on September 24th with 14 over Minsmere RSPB and eight over thorpeness old caravan Park, where 13 birds were also noted on october 23rd.
Birds were seen moving south in the south-east recording area in autumn with 12 noted at Pipps ford, September 28th and 12 were passing over trimley Marshes SWt, october 13th also suggested southbound migration.
Landguard hosted one bird, March 23rd and 23, during the period from September 24th to November 11th, with a maximum of six on october 16th.
in the south-east, spring records from nine sites indicated sightings of single birds in suitable nesting habitat and four records of pairs in suitable nesting habitat.
in the west good numbers of birds were seen across the area with 16 in the king’s forest on october 10th. Probable breeding was noted at three sites with nest building being observed at Red Lodge, April 18th and Bto Nunnery, thetford on May 1st.
Very common resident. Records of this widespread, conspicuous bird as usual came from across the county. Magpies were reported in 30 of the 42 BBS survey squares with a total of 89 individuals seen.
Double-figure counts came from several sites in the north-east with c20 at Minsmere, March 29th and 22 at thorpeness common, october 23rd. Reports that indicated breeding came from only two sites and there were no submitted records of roost sites.
At Waldringfield, on 12th August, two seen on the back of a Reeve’s Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi were presumed to be feeding on ticks!
At Landguard, birds, as usual, were present all year with four pairs nesting, one of these rearing five young, another pair reared one young and the other two pairs nil. there were spring maximums there of 16 on both february 19th and March 15th, with a summer peak of 14, June 22nd. the autumn maximum was 17 on November 2nd.
the long-established roost site at Pipps ford in the Gipping Valley held a maximum of 121 at dusk on January 2nd (123 in 2020, 118 in 2019) and 60 were in the roost site at christchurch Park, ipswich on January 23rd.
in the west, a good number of double-figure counts suggest that Magpies are widespread and quite numerous in a variety of habitats with a maximum of 23 being seen at both Hanchett Village, Haverhill, December 13th and Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford, January 21st. Breeding evidence came from only two sites in the west.
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. this noisy, gregarious species was reported from many sites across the county. it was seen in 30 of the 42 BBS survey squares with 351 individuals recorded. the number of three-figure counts suggested that this bird is quite numerous in the north-east; e.g. 300 on Aldeburgh Marshes, December 1st, 250, Hen Reedbeds and adjacent area, March 3rd and 560, flying north towards Aldringham Walks, october 12th. indications of probable or confirmed breeding came from 23 widespread sites in the southeast, in which area 220 were at Staverton Pools and thicks, Wantisden January 26th, c. 220 roosted at Hollesley Marshes RSPB on August 23rd and 325 were recorded at felixstowe/ king’s fleet, on September 13th. one was seen plucking hair from the back of a cow at RSPB Boyton Marshes, May 10th presumably for nesting material.
At Landguard one went past north, January 26th. in spring a total of three passed north and 28 south, with 30 on site between february 26th and June 16th and a maximum of six went south, March 12th. in autumn at Landguard, a total of nine moved south, with two on site, between August 29th and october 21st, a maximum of two south September 9th and october 9th and 10th.
in the west, as is usual, the highest count came from Lakenheath fen with 1000 birds present on December 31st. two hundred were on cavenham Heath NNR, June 28th where breeding was confirmed. At ickworth Park Nt, as many as c100 pairs were recorded as a resident population across the parkland, nesting in veteran trees.
A bird showing characteristics of the Nordic Jackdaw race, Coloeus monedula monedula, was seen at Snape Wetlands RSPB, october 27th “with pale patches either side of neck base” (P kennerley).
Very common resident, increasingly scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list from Green.
Rooks were recorded in 22 of the 42 BBS squares with 466 individuals counted. treble-figure counts came from many sites across the north-east with positive nesting records from 14 of these locations; these included a record of 200+ nests on Westleton Heath NNR, March 21st. two thousand flew to roost at Wenhaston Blackheath on July 23rd, 400 were on Aldeburgh Marshes on December 1st and 240 were seen nearby at Aldeburgh Golf course and North Warren RSPB, December 12th.
in the south-east there were many reports of occupied rookeries with up to a maximum of 240 nests being noted across the area. Significant post-breeding counts included 250 at Shingle Street, August 20th, 172 trimley Marshes SWt, September 2nd and 800 in fields adjacent to the Stour estuary on December 10th.
At Landguard in spring, two flew north and 28 south with six on site from March 6th to May 18th and a maximum of five south on March 24th. in autumn, 14 passed south between october 4th and November 8th, with a maximum of five south on october 10th. in the west breeding was confirmed at 19 sites. there was one four-figure count with 1000 being present at Lakenheath fen RSPB, December 31st (see Jackdaw). there were a number of three-figure counts including, 500, Bury St edmunds (east), November 7th, 600, Long Melford, November 19th and 650, Ladygate Wood, Haverhill, January 18th.
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. this species is generally regarded as a less-sociable corvid, but despite this, many records across the county were submitted in double figures. this corvid was seen in 39 of the 42 BBS survey squares with 264 individuals recorded.
Breeding was confirmed from three sites in the north-east and many treble-figure counts were submitted including, 150, Westleton (NW), July 5th,150 at Snape Wetlands RSPB, December 12th and c300 at Wenhaston, february 13th. Presumed migrants were seen to come in off the sea at thorpeness with two, March 15th and three March 22nd. in the south-east, breeding was indicated at 13 sites across the area. concentrations of feeding or flying birds were reported at many sites mostly in double-or treble-figures. these included 229 flying over ipswich, January 12th, 140, Deben estuary, foraging on mud, January 27th and 229, Stour estuary on December 10th, presumably also foraging on mudflats? carrion crows were, as usual, present all year at Landguard. three pairs nested in the adjoining dock rearing three young each; intruding birds sometimes turn up on site and are soon seen off by resident birds. there were maxima of 29, March 9th in spring and 21, october 13th in autumn. Spring passage movements involved four moving south, february 21st, four north, 27th, seven west, March 15th and five west on 20th. the highest counts in the west of the county involved 61, Livermere Pig fields, January 30th and 50, Giffords Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, September 19th. in central Suffolk 95 were present at Lodge farm, Westhorpe, September 22nd.
HOODED CROW Corvus cornix
Scarce winter visitor. After a blank year in 2019 and two ‘Hoodies’ present in 2020, there were no records submitted in 2021. However, hybrid carrion crow/Hooded crows were present at Reydon/Southwold May 5th, corton cliffs May 13th and Benacre Ness area on october 26th.
NORTHERN RAVEN Corvus corax
Increasingly common resident and visitor. Breeding recommenced in 2018. Ravens have been present as a resumed breeding bird in Suffolk since 2018 and their onward trajectory as a resident species continued in 2021. there were no January or february records in the north-east but thereafter reports of Ravens came from a wide range of locations. A single bird was seen at Minsmere RSPB on various dates in March and october and three were there July 1st. four flew over Westleton on May 24th and five were present at Snape Wetlands RSPB on December 14th. in the south-east, Ravens were seen as singles or groups of two from March to December in a wide range of locations and habitats. Breeding was confirmed at one confidential site. four were at both Burstall on May 19th and Pipps ford, Barking on September 28th. this species was reported in every month of the year in the west with mainly one or two birds being seen at a wide range of locations. A few “presumed family groups of four birds” were seen and these records have been kept confidential alongside one confirmed breeding record in the area.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. After another lean year in 2020 for this attractive and popular irruptive visitor, the worst recorded year for Waxwing in Suffolk since 1995 (two records of single birds) and 1994 (no records0. there was only one record on a single date: Beccles: two, Jan 1st (R farrington)
Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. Amber list. BBS data show that this species was present in seven of the 42 survey sites covered with 42 individuals being noted in the north-east, three records indicated possible breeding and six were present in Dunwich forest on several dates. Birds were only reported from five sites in the area.
in the south-east, on upper Hollesley common there was a maximum of 30 recorded, April 11th with single figure totals reported from a range of other sites throughout the year. At Landguard single birds were noted on June 14th, 23rd and 26th and September 16th. five in the cottage garden at Landguard, May 5th (race not known) is an unexpected occurrence.
As we have come to expect, there were high counts from Brandon Park Heath in the west with a maximum of 37 on September 6th. A pair bred for the second year running in the roof of a house at West Stow and breeding was noted as probable in all surveyed areas of the king’s forest with 40 territories recorded across all sectors. Breeding was confirmed at four other sites with probable breeding noted at another 16 locations. the only report of birds visiting feeders was of 23 at Brandon, September 16th.
CONTINENTAL COAL TIT Periparus ater ater Scarce passage migrant
After only one in 2020 there were no confirmed sightings although the five in the cottage garden at Landguard (see above) on May 5th were thought to be “probables” though not seen by observatory Staff.
MARSH TIT Poecile palustris
Fairly common resident. Red list. this declining but well-reported species was seen in four of the 42 BBS squares with six birds noted.
As usual there was a significant number of sightings submitted, which does not accurately reflect the status of this declining species. it is quite rare now to find more than one or two birds being reported from specific sites. in the south-east, one was found at Landguard on June 22nd (S J Davies et al) – this is the fifth site record. four were seen at Ramsey Wood, Hintlesham on April 15th and nine other sites recorded breeding activity of some kind.
As in most recent years a higher number of reports came from western areas including: five, Santon Downham, April 3rd, seven, Brandon c.P. february 12th and eight, Little ouse Valley, thetford, January 9th. Breeding was confirmed at three sites and noted as “probable” at eight other sites. there was also a good number of reports of birds visiting garden feeders in the west.
Scarce, possibly now extinct, resident. Very rare passage migrant. Red List. After two sightings of Willow tit in 2017, and single records in 2018, 2019 and 2020, once again there were no accepted reports of this nationally endangered species in Suffolk in 2021, as in 2014 and 2015.
the statement on page 117 of Suffolk Birds 2014 that “it is highly probable that this species is now extinct in Suffolk” was subsequently shown to be incorrect with records in each of the years between 2016 and 2020 inclusive, but now, seven years later, it is even more likely to be true –although, again, we should love to be proved wrong! the Willow tit is still present in a few areas of south-west Norfolk so there must still be a slim chance that its nasal call will be heard again in Suffolk.
Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. this ever-present, animated bird was present in 41 of 42 BBS survey squares with 340 individuals recorded.
Breeding activity was submitted from four sites in the north-east. At a Wenhaston Blackheath garden 45 were seen including 35 juveniles, July 14th and 65 were at the same site on August 21st. there were many other double-figure counts from other locations across the north-east area including: 35, Sotterley Park, January 2nd and 36, Weybread Gravel Pits, January 29th.
in the south-east, the first passage migrants of the year were seen at Havergate island RSPB and Landguard, february 26th. from the numerous Birdtrack records submitted, significant counts included: 25, foxhall Heath, April 22nd, 20, upper Hollesley common, July 1st and 30, Butley, December 8th. Birdtrack breeding records came from 24 sites in the south-east. At Landguard birds were present all year with a pair nesting, rearing only one young. Six birds from previous years survived the winter on site with the oldest from June 2019. Spring passage ran from february 26th to March 31st plus a later new bird on May 22nd, and a maximum of seven, March 17th and 20th. the first juvenile appeared on June 8th with very few dispersing juveniles from elsewhere, June 12th to July 14th. Autumn passage at Landguard ran from September 4th to october 10th, with a maximum of nine on September 22nd. in the west records came from a wide range of sites with some high numbers being recorded including: 40, Wideham farm cottages, West Stow, January 14th, 40, Nowton Park, Nowton, August 27th, “where numbers seemed down by 25%” and 85, thetford Lodge farm, Santon Downham, thetford forest, December 27th. Breeding was confirmed at 19 sites and another two noted “probable” breeding.
Species: Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Scheme: GBt Ring no: ALR6225
Age: 3 Sex: M Sex meth: u P.ringed: 0 P.alive: 0 condition: u colour marks added: – Metal marks added: N Act1: u Act2: u Ringing date: 17-Dec-2021 08:45:00
Reg code: – Place code: ALD Site name: Alderton, Suffolk, uk county code: GBSuf Grid ref: tM3441 Accuracy 0 – co-ords: 52deg 0min N 1deg 24min e Accuracy 0 Hab1: f3 Hab2: f2
Biometrics: Wing: 64.0 mm. Weight: – g. time: -hrs Remarks:Ringer: o R S Slessor, 5181
Ring not Verified Age: 5 Sex: M Sex meth: S colour marks added: – Metal marks added: – Act1: u Act2: u finding date: 04-Mar-2022 13:00:00
Reg code: – Place code: MeLtoN Site name: Melton Park, Woodbridge, Suffolk, uk county code: GBSuf Grid ref: tM2852 Accuracy 0 – co-ords: 52deg 7min N 1deg 19min e Accuracy 0 Hab1: f3 Hab2: A1
Biometrics: Wing: 65.0 mm. Weight: 11.8 g. time: 13:00:00hrs finding condition: 8:20 Movement: 9 Subsequent capture by Ringer intentionally taken Remarks: -
Duration: 77 days Distance: 13 km Direction: 333deg (NNW) finder: S Abbott, 2964
GREAT TIT Parus major Very common resident and scarce passage migrant.
BBS Data recorded this species in 40 of the 42 squares surveyed, with 187 individuals counted which suggests a slight decline on previous years (223 in 2018, 259 in 2019). in the north-east Birdtrack records came from a range of sites with some indicative and confirmed breeding data included. At Middleton, 27 were present on January 21st. Regular monitoring at Rickinghall, in central Suffolk, produced a maximum of 21 on May 16th. in the south-east, 15 were counted between Nacton and Levington on the banks of the orwell on December 14th and 15 between Shottisham creek and Methersgate, Sutton, on the Deben estuary on December 17th. At Landguard, birds were present all year with four pairs nesting. Seven birds from previous years survived the winter with the oldest from July 2014. one on
february 6th preceded spring passage which ran from february 26th (same date as Blue tit) to April 9th plus a later new female on June 2nd; there was a maximum of 11, March 15th. the first juveniles were recorded on June 3rd with dispersing juveniles turning up from elsewhere until August 1st, with a maximum of 12 on several dates. Autumn passage ran from September 5th to october 26th, with a maximum of six on several dates.
As in previous years, the west of the county provided the highest number of breeding records with “possible” or “confirmed” notes included from 16 sites across the area. the highest count of 30 came from thetford Lodge farm, Santon Downham, December 27th.
EURASIAN PENDULINE TIT Remiz pendulinus
Rare visitor.
After one in 2017, two in both 2018 and 2019, and one in 2020 there were no sightings of this sought-after sprightly, nimble and rare reedbed visitor in 2021. this is the first blank year since 2016.
there were no Penduline tits in Suffolk in 2021. However, the following ringing recovery certainly deserves a mention.
KBJ013 full-grown female 13/11/2019 orfordness, Suffolk 52°05’N 01°34’e caught by ringer 10/10/2021 Saeftinghe, Zeeland , NETHERLANDS 51°21’N 04°12’e – 199km eSe this is the first British-ringed Penduline tit to be recovered in the Netherlands. Remarkably, it is not the first foreign recovery of a Penduline tit ringed at orfordness. one ringed there on 04/11/2003 was caught in the south of france on 02/11/2004. (see page 192 of Suffolk Birds 2004 for full details)
Uncommon resident.
the highest counts of this attractive, spry and dexterous reedbed dweller, as is usual, came from Suffolk’s coastal areas, with small groups of wanderers in the winter away from the larger reedbed areas.
Breeding was noted at 14 sites, the same number as in 2020. At Walberswick there was a full survey and 63 territories were located. the maximum count at carlton Marshes SWt was of 14, october 23rd and two pairs are known to have bred at the reserve.
At Hazlewood Marshes SWt, 80 were present on September 22nd, with 50 at eastbridge on September 24th and october 7th. Hen Reedbeds SWt held 30 birds on January 30th. the highest submitted report from Minsmere RSPB, was of a group of 20, “noisy, mobile feeding birds” on September 22nd and at Walberswick’s NNR Westwood Marshes a group of 20 juveniles was seen on June 7th, on which date 12 were at Snape Maltings. there was also a respectable number of records of small groups of wandering birds in varied localities in the winter, autumn, and early spring in the south-east. for example, seven were present at felixstowe ferry on october 29th and four at Levington Reedbed on february 15th. the only counts in the west were, as expected, at Lakenheath fen RSPB, with a maximum of only 14 being seen on June 20th. Breeding was confirmed at the reserve with birds seen “carrying nesting material” and “adults carrying food”.
Fairly common breeding species. Scarce on passage and in winter. Green list. the only spring record was at Landguard on May 5th. Records were received from the west throughout the year. in the first two months there were
five at Brandon on January 1st, an impressive count of 15 in the north-east section of the king’s forest on february 4th and 16 on Berner’s Heath on february 21st. Breeding data showed that there were active pairs at the following sites: the king’s forest up to 20 in whole forest
Barnham cross common 1 Brandon Park Heath 3 cavenham Heath 8 Berner’s Heath/icknield Heath 8 Deadman’s Grave, icklingham 3 knettishall Heath 2 Lakenheath Warren 2 Mildenhall Woods 1
Post-breeding records, which included a bird at Risby on october 9th, involved 16 on the heathland of Brandon country Park on october 3rd and at least ten there on December 30th and at least 13 in the north-east of the king’s forest on october 8th. in the north-east of the county birds were recorded as far north as Walberswick (singing on April 23rd) but the vast majority of the records came from the Minsmere, Westleton and Aldringham areas. eight were on Leiston common on January 1st, six on Westleton Heath on february 23rd and five at Blackheath, Wenhaston on february 27th. Breeding was recorded at: Dunwich forest 8 pairs Minsmere 26 pairs Westleton common 5 pairs North Warren and Aldringham Walks 8 pairs Snape Warren 4 pairs there were records of birds flying south in the autumn, including six at Minsmere on September 25th and seven past North Warren on october 16th. At the end of the year between four and ten were seen in a stubble field in Aldringham between November 9th and December 20th. in the south-east birds were recorded throughout the year. eight were on Sutton common on January 27th, eight on upper Hollesley common on february 4th and nine in the tunstall forest area on february 11th. Breeding figures received were similar to the previous few years. these figures do contain birds that have actually nested on arable land next to a piece of heathland. tunstall forest area 12 pairs
Rendlesham forest 4 pairs
Woodbridge Golf course 8 pairs
Woodbridge Airfield 10 pairs
Sutton Heath 2 pairs
Sutton common 11 pairs upper Hollesley common 12 pairs
Lower Hollesley common 7 pairs
Purdis Heath 1 pair there was a movement south on october 22nd and 23rd including 17 at Landguard, three at Shingle Street and a single bird over Heath Road, ipswich. the Landguard day-total is the highestever at that site, the previous highest having been 11 on october 15th 2019. there was an overall autumn site-total of 33 at Landguard, just surpassing the previous of 32 in the autumns of both 2019 and 2020. Single birds were also recorded at Shingle Street and Landguard on November 2nd.
EURASIAN SKYLARK Alauda arvensis Common, but declining, resident, passage migrant and winter visitor. Red list. As with Woodlarks, Skylarks were heard singing in each month of the year. there were large gatherings recorded across the county, but especially in the west. in the first
part of the year 70 were at chilton, near Sudbury, on March 30th, 80 were at Long Melford on January 1st and ingham on february 13th, 100 at Stonham Aspal on January 17th and Hulver Street and Mutford on february 11th while 150 was an impressive count at Westleton on february 10th and 11th.
Breeding was recorded, or presumed because of singing birds, in locations across the county. the highest concentrations of pairs or singing birds involved 28 at carlton Marshes and 26 in each of the western and eastern sections of the king’s forest and also at knettishall Airfield.
knettishall Airfield is obviously good for Skylarks and there were 112 at this SWt reserve in post-breeding groups on August 10th. A flock of 150 was counted there on November 13th with 80 on 22nd of that month. Also in the west, 125 were counted at ixworth on october 12th. At framlingham, a total of 100 was recorded on November 27th but the largest gathering of the year involved an estimate of 370 by Peter kennerley of a flock feeding in a wheat field at easton Bavents on December 27th.
At Landguard there were six records between January 8th and february 8th, and a maximum of 36 south on february 8th during a spell of particularly cold weather. Spring passage was from february 17th to March 30th with later singles on five dates. there was a maximum of three south on february 20th and 22nd. Dispersing juveniles were noted July 29th and August 1st. one on September 16th preceded autumn passage between September 26th and December 14th, with a maximum of 26 south october 24th with up to two grounded during this period. Monthly totals (courtesy of Landguard report), noting the lack of individuals observed moving north, were:
Decline in the totals of passage Skylarks at Landguard the extent to which this species has declined (it has been red-listed since 1996) is clearly illustrated by the following totals at Landguard – an overall total of only 287 in autumn 2021 but 2335 just in october in 1990. Philip Murphy the increase in Woodlarks in the same period is presumably not related?
HORNED (SHORE) LARK Eremophila alpestris
Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.
it was another good year for Shore Lark with birds recorded all along the coast in the second winter. it is possible that there were as many as 14 individuals involved here, but the Hollesley flock could have been those from Slaughden. However, there were none in the first winter period.
Kessingland: Nov 19th to 21st
Minsmere: two, east Scrape, Nov 16th – only one seen 18th and 19th
Slaughden: five, Nov 14th; two, Nov 16th; three, Nov 24th
Hollesley Marshes/Orfordness: five, Nov 28th to
Dec 16th
Landguard: oct 20th to 23rd the Hollesley birds crossed the estuary on several occasions and could be seen moving between there and the tip of orfordness and on occasions were seen further south at Shingle Street. this lark has been seen at Landguard in october in 13 of this century’s 22 autumns (i.e. up to and including 2021).
Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Green list. in 2019 it was the RSPB with the earliest records. in 2021 it was the ‘turn’ of the Suffolk Wildlife trust to record the first two sightings – at carlton Marshes on february 27th and then, a few days later, two at Lackford Lakes on March 9th. the next bird was at Brantham on March 14th. the carlton bird is the second-earliest for the county, following two at Bawdsey on february 21st 1990.
there was a major arrival on April 1st. Late March to early May records included:
Carlton Marshes: 120, Apr 11th; 110, May 6th
North Cove: 300, May 19th
Hen Reedbeds: 120, Apr 1st; 400, Apr 13th
Minsmere: 100, Apr 1st; 100, Apr 23rd
Thorpeness Meare: 200, May 4th
Snape Wetlands: 150, Apr 1st; 80, Apr 5th
Trimley Marshes: 70, Mar 31st
Loompit Lake: 120, Apr 1st; 100, Apr 7th; 100, Apr 25th
Alton Water: 60, Apr 6th; 100, Apr 25th; 150, May 5th
Lackford Lakes: 60, Mar28th; 200, Apr 5th; 100, Apr 8th
Cavenham: 60, June 2nd
Lakenheath Washes and Fen: 120, Apr 1st; 80, May 6th
As in recent years, breeding data were rather scant. Some of the previous breeding sites may have been destroyed, as at Pipps ford where the bulldozed gravel workings were only supposed to be temporary. None bred in the well-observed colony at Minsmere.
Kessingland: Heathlands, 12 pairs
Thorpeness: old caravan park, 123 pairs
Wenhaston: Blackheath sand pit, 65 used holes
Chillesford: crag pit, 70 to 75 pairs
Martlesham: Adastral Park, six pairs
Wherstead: six pairs
Stutton Ness: eight or nine pairs
Autumn passage at Landguard was between June 10th and october 5th, with an overall total 304 and maximum day-count of 60 south on August 11th. there were 200 at Minsmere on August 7th.
the last of the year, in october, were singletons at cavenham Pits on 3rd, Landguard on 5th and Minsmere on 7th.
Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Green list.
in 2019 the first arrived on february 17th and in 2020 on March 3rd. in 2021, it was not until March 27th that the first arrived, at both carlton colville and the Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford. the next record was of two at Landguard on March 30th followed by a steady stream of records.
Large congregations, typically over water, in spring:
Carlton Marshes: 85, Apr 11th
Aldeburgh Marshes: 85, May 14th
Snape Wetland: 50, Apr 9th; 100, May 2nd
Hollesley Marshes: 120, May 9th
Landguard: 432 south, May 10th
Trimley Marshes: 100, Apr 28th; 148, May5th
Loompit Lake: 90, Apr 5th
Alton Water:100, Apr 11th
Pipps Ford: 121, Apr 10th
Thetford: Nunnery Reserve, 120, May 3rd
Lakenheath Washes/Fen: 50, Apr 25th
Long Melford: Sewage Works, 100, Apr 21st; 150, May 3rd; 200, May6th; 125, May15th
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Hall, 400, May 14th yet again breeding data were in short supply. Martin Peers, in the west, recorded breeding at Lackford, Denham, Barrow, knettishall, the Black Bourn Valley, and Barton Mere. it was also recorded at West Stow country Park. At Lambert’s Lane, Sudbourne, half of a flock of 12 on July 20th were juveniles, at Boyton Marshes three pairs used the concrete war structures and on July 7th at the gun emplacement at east Lane, Bawdsey, more than half of the 30 birds present were recently-fledged young.
Autumn gatherings included:
Blythburgh: 200, Sep 9th
Wenhaston: 60, Sep 11th
Shingle Street: 800, Sep 7th
Landguard: 364, Aug 1st; 495, Aug 11th; 180, Sep 9th; 447, Sep 11th – all movements south Westhorpe: Lodge farm, 50, Aug 4th
Late birds included individuals at Livermere Lake from october 16th to 31st, at both Landguard and Havergate island on November 9th and Landguard, again, four days later. there was one at Minsmere on November 18th and three at Walberswick on November 19th but the last of the year was at Herringfleet on December 20th.
the Swallow at Herringfleet on December 20th is the second-latest-ever to be recorded in Suffolk having only been surpassed by the individual at the Strand, Wherstead on December 29th 2019. Swallows have been noted in Suffolk in December in eight of the 11 years between 2011 and 2021 inclusive. the only other December record this century prior to 2011 was in 2000 at Sizewell on 16th.
it is always worth including the wonderful data that are produced at Landguard, which certainly reflect what happens on the coast. Swallows were noted there from March 30th to November 13th. there was a spring maximum of 432 south on May 10th. Autumn passage was from at least June 25th, with maxima of 364 south on August 1st, 495 south, 11th and 447 south on September 11th. Small numbers also occasionally loitered on site with a maximum of 15 on August 25th.
Again, we have figures that suggest a fall in numbers of some of our common species. Landguard’s overall autumn total of 3049 is only 48% of 2019’s figure of 6408. it is somewhat alarming that 40 years ago, it was estimated that about 65000 moved south at Landguard between late August and late october 1981.
COMMON HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbicum
Common, but declining, summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber to Red list as of 2021. As with many of our insectivorous birds, House Martins are now on the Red List of conservation concern. Numbers have really fallen over recent years. you may have read in the Spring Harrier 2022 that there is a new charity – House Martin conservation. Good luck to them. the first birds of 2021 arrived at the end of March at cavenham Heath and Pits on 26th and
Hen Reedbeds on 27th. on April 4th one was at Loompit Lake and the next day at Snape Wetland. there were a number of large congregations in spring:
Heveningham/Huntingfield: mostly Heveningham Hall Lake, 60, May 15th
Snape Wetlands: 80, May 2nd; 100, May 10th; 200, May 15th; 80, May 30th
Hollesley Marshes: 60, May 26th
Loompit Lake: 30. Apr 30th
Pipps Ford: 121, May 1st; 115, May 3rd; 100, May 6th
Long Melford: Sewage Works, 125, May 15th; 80, May 24th
As usual breeding data were sketchy, with most records coming from the west of the county. it was recorded at Middleton, Potton Hall, Westleton and at Pixey Green (Stradbroke/Wingfield), where 52 birds (26 pairs) were still active on July 18th with fledglings and youngsters from previous broods in evidence. At least six nests were in Hollesley. in the west records came from Great Wratting, timworth, fornham All Saints, Badwell Ash, Stowlangtoft, fakenham Magna, icklingham, knettishall, Haverhill and Stoke-by-Nayland.
there were several large gatherings in the autumn before birds left for Africa. these included: Weybread: Gravel Pit, 80, Aug 18th
Snape Wetlands: 60, Aug 17th; 700, Sep 11th
Boyton Marshes: 280, Sep 10th
Shingle Street: 400, Sep 7th; 100, Sep 9th and 10th; 175, Sep 12th; 120, Sep 16th
Trimley Marshes: 104, Sep10th
Landguard: 174, oct 16th
Stowlangtoft: 76, July 2nd
Lackford Lakes: 500, Aug 30th (good numbers through the month); 80, Sep 1st
Livermere Lake: 75, oct 3rd
Long Melford: 70, Aug 31st there were some late birds, at Dunwich on october 26th, North Warren, october 25th, old felixstowe, November 8th and the last, again at North Warren, on November 18th. Monthly totals at Landguard (data supplied by LBo):
on page 166 of the 2020 Suffolk Bird Report, passage totals at Landguard for August to october inclusive have been 2017 – 2241, 2018 – 2058, 2019 – 944 and 2020 – 833. the equivalent total in 2021 is only 336, unfortunately continuing the downward trend. in 1981, i.e. 40 years ago, at least 23000 were counted passing south over Landguard between early September and the end of october with about 4000 on September 13th.
Scarce visitor. there was a single record in 2021, at Hollesley Marshes on May 7th (J kornjaca, N Mason). the bird was viewable from the viewing platform for about an hour. this spring sighting brings the Suffolk total of this increasingly-regular visitor from southern europe to 55 records involving 62 birds, and all since the first on April 21st 1987 at eastbridge.
Fairly common resident and rare passage migrant. occasional cold snaps appear to have little effect on this species which continues to consolidate its presence across the county. Movement restrictions during the lockdown limited some organised survey work, especially on the larger coastal reserves, from which data are lacking. totals for most RSPB reserves included here are based on individual observers’ assessments
made within accessible areas; in most cases the overall site totals will be higher. Despite this caveat, the number of sites holding singing birds, and peak counts at some locations, have increased since last year.
Although reports came from fewer sites in the west of the county (25), several locations produced higher totals than those in the east. Double-figure totals of singing birds include 20 or more at Lakenheath RSPB and 13 at Lackford Lakes SWt. in the east where suitable habitat abounds, cetti’s Warblers were reported from at least 110 locations, although only Minsmere RSPB reached double figures with 12, followed by nine at carlton Marshes SWt
Away from breeding sites, Landguard recorded three single birds, on April 20th, September 23rd and october 23rd to 26th.
Very common resident and scarce passage migrant.
the Long-tailed tit remains widespread and numerous throughout the county with many sites reporting double-figure totals. estimates of 40 at Hazlewood Marshes SWt, 37 at cavenham Heath, 35 at Brandon Park Heath and 30 at Loompit Lake, trimley St. Martin were the largest flocks reported during the year but many more refer to double-figure groups. At Landguard, where the species does not breed, dispersing birds included two on february 25th and one on 26th, two on March 15th, one on March 21st and one on April 3rd.
Very unexpectedly, there were no reports from Landguard in the autumn.
Long-tailed tit is often overlooked by observers intent on more charismatic quarry and it is widely under-reported in the county. No significant reports were received this year and of the submissions made to the county recorders and Birdtrack, the overwhelming majority indicate their presence but lack details. for example, fewer than 15 mention breeding activity and just one included details, reporting 14 juveniles in a flock at trimley Marshes SWt if you would like to have a better understanding of this endearing species, please add details or a field note when you submit your observations to the county recorders.
Scarce spring and autumn migrant. Last bred in 2003. Red list.
A disappointing year with just three reported. the worst year since 2018 when there were also only three reports, this being the lowest figure since 2011 when there were no sightings.
Southwold: May 15th (A Moon)
Dunwich: Dunwich Heath Nt, Sep 12th
Trimley Marshes SWT: trapped and ringed, Aug 16th (J Zantboer)
Very rare visitor. Recorded in the county for the third consecutive year.
Benacre: Beach farm, photographed and sound recorded, Nov 25th to 29th (c Buttle et al.)
Aldeburgh: 1st-cal-yr, Dec 26th and 27th (c Mee et al.) the elusive individual at Benacre frequented the densest thickets in the clifftop copse at Beach farm where it remained mostly silent and unseen throughout its five-day stay. occasionally it was given to bouts of calling which helped observers to locate it. Despite three arriving in 2019 and one in 2020, this remains a very rare late autumn vagrant and the county total now stands at 12. of these 12 records, five have been in Lowestoft. the Aldeburgh bird is by far the latest-ever to have occurred in Suffolk (the Benacre bird was for a month!). eight of the records have occurred in November and the earliest remains the first Suffolk sighting at Sizewell between october 18th and 23rd in 2003. We await Suffolk’s first overwintering bird. And. Perhaps rather surprisingly, the first Landguard record, although one was at felixstowe ferry on November 9th 2019. All of the remaining records had occurred between Sizewell and corton. to the end of 2020, there had been at least 31 Norfolk records.
Fairly common autumn passage migrant. Has overwintered and occurred in spring. Amber list. Having become accustomed to receiving a bumper autumn crop of our favourite Siberian waif, it came as something of a shock for many observers to return to numbers typical of the late 1990s and early 2000s. there were none in September, just 12 in october and five in November; it’s been 15 years since fewer were recorded, when just 12 occurred in 2006. it is also only the second year since the turn of the millennium without a September record (also no September records in 2019), and many observers failed to catch up with this species in the county in 2021. the lowest annual total so far this century is eight in 2000 – described as “about average for the last decade” (Suffolk Birds 2000: 126). the first of the autumn was at Gunton from october 6th to 10th, followed by up to four in the Lowestoft area from october 7th to 15th including two at Lowestoft North Denes on 10th. elsewhere, singles appeared at Dunwich on october 9th, Southwold on october 10th and 15th, kessingland on october 17th and Pakefield on october 24th. even Landguard fared poorly with just two on october 10th and another on 14th. in November, singles were found along the twin Banks at Shingle Street on 5th, thorpeness on November 5th to 7th, Southwold on 8th, Walberswick on 9th, and the last of the year was at thorpeness on November 15th.
Rare autumn passage migrant. First mid-winter record in 2017. With just one record, this was a very disappointing year, the worst this century since 2006, 2012 and 2014 when there were no reports in Suffolk.
Pakefield: oct 24th (J Gearty et al.)
Rare autumn visitor.
Lowestoft: North Denes, oct 9th and 10th (R Holmes et al.)
Shingle Street: photographed and sound recorded, oct 23rd (J A kennerley, P R kennerley et al.) two records from typical coastal locations on expected dates. the county total rolls on to an impressive 33.
Rare visitor, principally in autumn. Occasionally overwinters.
Thetford: Nunnery Lakes reserve, photographed and sound recorded multiple times, Jan 17th to feb 23rd
the 37th record for the county and the first from an inland location. During its protracted stay at the Nunnery Lakes reserve in thetford (which extends into Norfolk), it appeared on the Suffolk side of the River Little ouse on several dates between January 17th and february 23rd. Dusky Warbler is usually one of the latest autumn rarities to reach us and mid-winter records are not exceptional, this being the sixth to have been found in Suffolk in the period between December and february.
Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the first of the year was at cavenham Heath on March 29th, followed by singles at both Hollesley Marshes RSPB and Lakenheath RSPB on March 31st. thereafter, single birds were recorded daily in the first two weeks in April from scattered coastal and inland locations or settled onto breeding territories. Arrivals became more widespread in the second half of April and into May when birds on passage were found at many coastal sites. Landguard recorded its first of the spring on April 9th and last on May 27th, with peak counts there of 12 on April 20th and May 6th. Despite the catastrophic decline in the east of the county, the breeding population in the west of the county is still fairly healthy. the stronghold remains the king’s forest where a survey covering 80% of suitable habitat estimated 86 territories, based on singing males and/or pairs. Several other sites in the west held three or more singing males but only two additional locations recorded double-figure totals; Brandon Park Heath and Newmarket Heath, both of which held ten singing males. the population in the south-east of the county is now almost extirpated; the only reports of singing males in late May and June came from Rendlesham forest, Woodbridge Airfield and upper Hollesley common. in the north-east, carlton Marshes SWt remains the coastal stronghold with up to four singing males in late April and May. other notable reports included five singing, and presumably holding territory, at fressingfield on May 22nd, while four at outney common, Bungay, on April 14th may have been migrants although two were still there on June 3rd. Reports of confirmed breeding came from the king’s forest and Newmarket Heath in July, but the only report in the east was at Westleton common where a pair was feeding six fledglings on May 31st.
Return passage began at Landguard on July 13th and peaked there at 21 on August 10th and 11 on August 23rd. Apart from 20 or more at trimley Marshes SWt on August 10th and 13 at Havergate RSPB on August 29th, no other site posted daily totals that exceeded five. Birds at Brandon Park Heath on September 13th and Lakenheath fen RSPB on September 19th were the latest in the west, and the last of the year was at Landguard on october 8th.
Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Increasing numbers overwinter. this remains one of our most numerous and widespread summer visitors, and with increasing numbers now overwintering, it can be found in the county throughout the year, though it’s uncertain as to whether the birds that winter in the county also breed here. Wintering birds were widely reported throughout January and february, from ten locations in the south-east, seven in the north-east and 14 in the west. Most sites held just one bird, but two or three were reported from seven sites in the west, two in the north-east and two in the south-east. Notable winter totals included four at West Stow cP on January 1st, six at Melton sewage works on January 3rd, four at Barsham Marshes on January 26th, five at Belstead Brook Park, Pinewood/Wherstead on february 11th, five at Shalford Meadow, Little cornard, on february 18th and four at cavenham Heath NNR on february 27th. the first reports of singing birds came from Belstead Brook Park on february 22nd and 25th and shortly after this the first migrants began to arrive.
Passage at Landguard was noted from March 3rd, with further reports coming from the observatory on most days from March 16th, peaking at 12 on March 29th, and continuing until
June 5th, this being the last day with more than one bird present and taken as the end of the spring passage. Dispersing juveniles were present at Landguard throughout July and into August.
During the breeding season, singing birds occur in almost every patch of woodland with some understorey, or overgrown scrubby corner with a few taller trees, even within urban areas, and the county breeding population must number several thousand pairs. Surveys of extensive sites revealed at least 100 singing birds in approximately half of the king’s forest, while in the Belstead Brook Park monitoring area, 51 territories were located, up from 43 in 2020. counts and/or estimates of singing males at smaller defined sites included 20 at Bradfield Woods SWt, 18 at Sycamore farm, culpho, 17 at oulton Marshes and Ramsey Wood, Hintlesham, 16 at North Warren RSPB, 15 at Westleton Heath, and 14 at the Nunnery, thetford, Minsmere RSPB and Brandon Park Heath.
Autumn passage at Landguard extended from August 29th to November 16th, with notable daily totals of 16 on September 22nd, 15 on September 25th and october 7th, and a maximum of 20 on october 10th. other locations failed to match these totals, the nearest being 14 at thorpeness common on September 18th.
from the last week of November until the end of the year reports of presumed wintering birds came from 16 locations. Most of these held three or fewer birds but higher counts involved up to six at Woodbridge, and four at both of the Nunnery, thetford, and Long Melford sewage works.
Scarce visitor in late autumn and winter. Rare in spring.
Siberian chiffchaff enjoyed its best ever year in the county with 12 records involving 15 individuals.
Lowestoft: Denes, heard, oct 13th (J cyprus); Leathes Ham, two, photographed and sound recorded, Dec 19th into 2022
Carlton Marshes SWT: two, photographed and sound recorded, Dec 28th into 2022
Benacre: Beach farm, photographed and sound recorded, Nov 25th to 29th (c Buttle et al.)
Southwold: Might’s Bridge, sound recorded, Nov 14th (c fulcher); another sound recorded, Nov 22nd (c fulcher, N J Vipond); Sewage works, Dec 31st (B J Small)
Aldeburgh: marshes, singing male, photographed and sound recorded, May 20th (P R kennerley et al.)
Snape: Abbey farm RSPB, sound recorded, Nov 16th (D fairhurst)
Kirton: Sewage works, photographed, trapped and ringed, Jan 10th to 17th (P J Holmes et al.)
Landguard: trapped and photographed, Apr 19th and 20th (S Davies et al.)
Lakenheath Fen: RSPB, two, photographed and sound recorded, Dec 21st (J A kennerley, P R kennerley)
the wintering bird at kirton sewage works had been ringed at Landguard on November 8th 2020. this was followed by three migrants in April and May, a particularly good spring showing. the remainder arrived in the autumn but, in contrast with poor showings by yellowbrowed and Pallas’s Leaf Warblers in 2021, Siberian chiffchaff appeared in exceptional numbers although only one of these, in Lowestoft on october 13th, arrived in what is the peak arrival period for these other two species. of the remainder, four were found in mid- to late November and quickly moved on, and a further seven were located in late December, with birds at Lowestoft and carlton Marshes remaining into 2022.
Very rare visitor.
Kesgrave: foxhall Stadium, Apr 17th to June 22nd, photographed and sound recorded (M L cornish et al.)
When discovered this iberian chiffchaff showed exceptionally well in the small group of birches Betula which marked the centre of its territory. initially these trees were largely bare of leaf cover and for the first few weeks of its stay it fed and sang from mid-storey to the upper canopy. it continued to maintain this territory throughout the remainder of its stay although becoming more elusive as leaves emerged, and could be challenging to locate as singing became less frequent towards the end of May and into June. on one occasion a common chiffchaff was singing from trees adjacent to where the iberian had been singing minutes earlier, but no interaction between the two was noted.
the fifth record for the county, and the earliest-ever, albeit by only two days (April 19th 2020, Minsmere). 2021 is the third successive year in which iberian chiffchaff has been recorded in Suffolk.
Rare visitor.
Thorpeness: old caravan Park, Sep 2nd (M Hellicar, J Morris)
Another single on a typically-early autumn date lifts Suffolk’s all-time total to 22.
Very rare visitor.
Southwold: June 9th (A J Rowlands, B J Small)
this singing male is yet another exciting rarity to add to Southwold’s golden patch in spring 2021, but one that didn’t linger much beyond its initially discovery. the 19th record for the county involving 20 birds. the only multiple occurrence involved two at North Warren RSPB, June 18th to July 2nd 1961.
SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Green).
the Sedge Warbler is by far the most abundant and widespread summer visitor to wetlands throughout the county. While it favours extensive wetlands, it can be found breeding wherever smaller, damper pockets of suitable habitat exist, some of which are insignificant within the sterile agricultural landscape. it is, however, the larger wetland reserves which attract substantial numbers during the breeding season and on passage. in particular carlton Marshes SWt and Lakenheath fen RSPB each held between 35 and 45 singing males in April and May although these counts were incomplete, as were estimates from many of the larger coastal reserves including Minsmere RSPB and Westwood Marshes NNR, although these probably held similar or larger populations. in the south-east, where wetlands are smaller and more fragmented, Boyton and Hollesley RSPB reserves held a combined total of at least 32 singing males although most sites in this region held single-figure totals. outside of these managed, protected sites, the Southwold –easton Bavents area alone hosted in the region of 35 singing males, 18 were counted along the River Lark Valley near cavenham in late April and a further 17 were singing behind Shingle Street in June.
As expected, the first arrivals appeared in late March with singles at Lackford Lakes SWt on 29th, Hen Reedbed SWt on 30th and several sites on 31st including carlton Marshes SWt, Minsmere RSPB, trimley Marshes SWt, Lakenheath RSPB, and Southwold where six were reported – an exceptionally high number for March. By the end of the first week in April reports came from all parts of the county as new arrivals settled onto breeding territories and began singing.
Landguard recorded just five in spring between April 20th and May 21st, while autumn passage produced just three singles, on July 25th and 29th, and August 3rd. in contrast, ringing at nearby trimley Marshes SWt produced some exceptional totals, including 158 ringed in July, 471 in August and 134 in September. the last report from the west of the county came from the Nunnery, thetford, on September 21st, while in the east late migrants continued to trickle through for another week, with singles at North Warren RSPB and trimley Marshes on September 29th. the last of the year, and only october record, was at trimley Marshes on 12th.
Common
As is often the case, birds arrived in the west of the county a few days before they did so in the east. first recorded at Lakenheath fen RSPB and cornard Mere, Little cornard on April 10th, Lackford Lakes SWt on 11th and Minsmere on 13th. thereafter, widely reported throughout the county from April 20th, when Landguard recorded its first of the season. Migrants continued to trickle through Landguard until June 15th, peaking at five on May 14th.
the distribution of this widespread and often numerous summer visitor within the county closely mirrors that of Phragmites reed, which is often used to support the nest structure. Many sites, some retaining only the most dejected and moth-eaten patches of reed, held one or two breeding pairs – suggesting that the species is doing well in the county as these smaller sites may absorb birds which cannot establish territories at major sites which are occupied at their optimum density. Within the west of the county, at least 75 singing males were counted at Lakenheath fen RSPB and 30 along the River Lark Valley between West Row and Barton Mills. other sites hosting 20 or more singing males included Westwood Marshes NNR, Minsmere and North Warren RSPB – although accurate counts from these important sites are not available. elsewhere in the east, the reed-filled ditches in the Shingle Street area held at least 26 singing males, and 23 sang at trimley Marshes. Perhaps the most surprising and rewarding discovery was a total of 31 singing from the various reedbeds in Belstead Brook Park, on the outskirts of ipswich – a herculean effort by David Walsh to monitor the breeding birds on his patch.
Although this species is one of the most-favoured host species of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, there were no reports of brood parasitism this year involving Reed Warblers.
Birds began to disperse from mid-July onwards with the first at Landguard appearing on 13th. At nearby trimley Marshes SWt, 36 were ringed in July, 155 in August and 64 in September – while some of these would be locally bred, the August and September totals reveal the peak passage period. there were surprisingly few reports in october, these coming from carlton Marshes SWt on 2nd, North Warren RSPB on 3rd, Levington on 8th and the last of the year at trimley Marshes on 10th.
Ringing recovery colour marked, cauldwell Hall farm, Hollesley – 18/07/2020 controlled, Welwyn Garden city, Hertfordshire – 15/05/2021 301 days 119km 255° WSW
MARSH WARBLER Acrocephalus palustris
Scarce migrant. Bred in 2010. Red list.
Breeding occurred at one site in the county where up to five singing males and three presumed females were noted between June 3rd and July 4th. Shortly after their arrival, courtship behaviour and nest building were observed, but the birds then became elusive. towards the end of the period one bird was seen carrying food, but it is not known whether breeding was successful. Away from potential breeding sites there were just two reports
Hollesley: adult female trapped, ringed and photographed, Aug 1st (R Duncan, e Zantboer et al.)
Landguard: singing male, photographed and videoed, June 10th (W J Brame et al.)
the 2020 total of at least 14 birds is the highest ever recorded in Suffolk, exceeding the previous peak of 11 in 1994. (NB up to 12 in 2021 – the second-highest Suffolk year-total).
“Hollesley trapped and ringed, June 20th” (Suffolk Birds 2020: 174) – correct date is July 20th.
ICTERINE WARBLER Hippolais icterina
Increasingly rare passage migrant. there were no reports of this species in Suffolk in 2021.
SAVI’S WARBLER Locustella luscinioides
Rare summer visitor. Has bred. Red list.
A good year for this species with four singing males, two of which were present for just one day.
Carlton Marshes SWT: Whitecast Marsh, male in song, May 12th, sound recorded (A c easton); Share Marsh, male in song, June 13th, sound recorded (A c easton), also present Norfolk
Minsmere: male in song, June 17th to July 27th, photographed and sound recorded (M Buckingham, R M Harvey et al.)
Lakenheath: RSPB, male in song, May 23rd to 27th, photographed and sound recorded (D thompson et al.)
COMMON GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Locustella naevia
Uncommon and declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
During the breeding season, singing birds were reported from nine sites in the north-east, eight in the south-east and five in the west of the county. the first of the year was heard at Lakenheath fen RSPB on April 13th, with one at Lackford Lakes SWt the following day. the main arrival began on April 20th when one was at Landguard and singing birds were heard, mostly at reedbeds, throughout the county. As expected, most sites hosted just one or two singing birds although some extensive sites supported more, including up to five at Lakenheath fen, four at carlton Marshes SWt and three at Aldeburgh Marshes. No data were forthcoming from the larger coastal reserves.
Away from breeding sites, trimley Marshes SWt enjoyed an excellent autumn passage. the first, a juvenile, was ringed there on July 26th, followed by five singles ringed between August 1st and 30th, and a further nine in early September including three on 3rd, four on 4th and the last of the year on 5th. Landguard’s only autumn record involved one on September 2nd.
EURASIAN BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla
Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Overwintering birds are widely considered to be from eastern and southern Europe.
Wintering birds were well represented throughout the county, with many reports in January and february of single birds, or occasionally two, coming to gardens in Great Glemham, Woodbridge, Melton, Waldringfield, ipswich, Belstead Brook Park, Stutton, Stowmarket, Lackford Village, tuddenham St Mary, Hadleigh, Great cornard and Bury St edmunds.
in an article in the february 2022 issue of British Birds we read that research from the Bto has shown that some Blackcaps which breed in france and northern Spain head north to the uk to winter, rather than south to the Mediterranean Basin. Recent research has also shown the Blackcaps overwintering in the uk originate from at least seven different countries in southern and eastern europe including france, Spain and Poland.
the first singing bird was heard in ipswich on March 9th, followed by another in Melton on 13th, although these may have been overwintering birds. Arrivals began in late March with Landguard reporting its first of the year on March 24th. thereafter, reports came from all parts of the county in the last week in March, with up to five singing at Peewit Hill, felixstowe, on 30th.
Arrivals at Landguard peaked on April 20th when 23 were on site, and one there on June 6th marked the end of spring passage.
A partial survey in the king’s forest revealed 65 singing birds, by far the highest count from a single, albeit extensive, location. Most sites held ten or fewer singing males, although there were a few notable exceptions including 20 at Ramsey Wood, Hintlesham, 17 at Minsmere RSPB, 16 at both Santon Downham and Bradfield Woods SWt and 15 at Lackford Lakes SWt.
Autumn passage was protracted, with dispersing birds in late summer and overwintering birds towards the end of the year clouding the picture. At Landguard, dispersing adults arrived on July 4th and 5th, and August 3rd, while at least seven juveniles were recorded between July 5th and August 3rd. Autumn passage at Landguard was considered to extend from August 28th to November 20th, peaking at ten on September 22nd and 25th. elsewhere, few other sites recorded double-figure daily totals, the exceptions being ten at Bto Nunnery, thetford on September 4th, ten at thorpeness on September 20th and as many as 30 at Sycamore farm, culpho on September 28th. Apart from five at Landguard on 15th october, no site reported more than three in a day in october. in December, presumed wintering birds were reported from Woodbridge, ipswich, Mildenhall, Lavenham and thetford.
Ringing recovery colour marked, cauldwell Hall farm, Hollesley – 05/09/2020 controlled, Punta Bianca, cueta, Spain – 11/03/2021 187 days 1875km 197° SSW
Ringing recovery colour marked, cauldwell Hall farm, Hollesley – 20/09/2020 controlled, Sint Amands, Antwerpen, Belgium – 10/10/2020 20 days 222km 121° eSe
Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant. in spring, the Garden Warbler is rarely recorded away from breeding locations and this year was no exception. Just two reached Landguard in spring, with one on May 8th and two there the following day. Prior to this, the first of the year was noted at Lackford Lakes SWt on April 16th. thereafter, there were daily sightings throughout the county from April 21st onwards, as migrants arrived on breeding territories.
Although remaining widespread in the east of the county, the Garden Warbler isn’t a numerous breeding species here and most observations during the breeding season refer to single, singing birds. exceptions, albeit at extensive sites, include three in freston parish and three at ipswich Golf club, Purdis farm, seven at outney common, Bungay, six in Belstead Brook Park and five along the River Alde Valley at Snape all in April, four at Minsmere RSPB and Westleton common in May, and three at Pipps ford from June to August. extensive sites in the west of the county still account for the majority of breeding season reports, headed up by 22 singing males in the king’s forest and 19 along the River Lark Valley between Hengrave and Barton Mills in June. elsewhere in the west, eight were at Lackford Lakes SWt on April 30th, eight at Santon Downham and Bradfield Woods SWt in May and up to eight at thorington Street, Stoke-by-Nayland in May and June.
Autumn passage was something of a damp squib with many well-watched coastal locations failing to record the species. even well-watched Landguard recorded only four individuals, with single birds on August 14th and 15th, September 6th and 21st, and october 15th, the latter being the last sighting of the year in the county.
BARRED WARBLER Curruca nisoria
Scarce passage migrant, principally in autumn. Two spring records (1960 and 1987). there were no reports of Barred Warbler in Suffolk in 2021, but there is an addition to the two
in 2020, a rather late description received! this is the first blank year since 2011.
Boyton: Sep 11th (G Riley)
LESSER WHITETHROAT Curruca curruca
Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant. three unusually early birds were reported in 2021; at Westhorpe on March 1st and again on April 1st, Bentley on March 24th and Lakenheath RSPB on March 31st. As these dates fall outside the expected passage period it is likely that these birds may have overwintered locally. More typically, spring arrivals became apparent in the second half of April with the earliest at Brookhill Wood, foxhall, on April 18th, followed by singles at Blythburgh and Bury St edmunds on April 23rd. thereafter, singing birds were widely reported throughout the county. At Landguard, where the species numbers are monitored daily, the first of the year arrived on April 28th and passage continued until at least May 27th, with numbers peaking at ten on May 9th to 11th.
Alongside passage birds, five pairs bred at Landguard with juveniles noted there from June 26th, making this one of the best sites for this species in the county. elsewhere, most breeding locations held just one or two singing males but exceptions included five at Black Bourn Valley SWt, thurston, on May 6th, six at Sycamore farm, culpho, on May 9th and eight there on May 23rd, five at trimley Marshes SWt on May 11th (where 14 were ringed in May) and four at Dunwich Heath the same day. in the west of the county, five were still at Black Bourn Valley SWt on August 29th, three remained near Lackford on September 4th, with the last at timworth on September 22nd, although some of these may have been on passage.
from late August onwards, migrants appeared at many of the popularly-watched coastal sites albeit in lower numbers than expected and southbound passage was generally disappointing. Some of the higher numbers occurred at thorpeness and included six on August 21st, seven on September 2nd and six on September 18th. in the south-east, passage at Landguard extended from at least August 5th to September 25th, with one or two on most days, three on September 4th and 5th, and five on August 23rd. five at felixstowe ferry on September 14th is also notable while the last in the south-east was at east Lane, Bawdsey, on September 29th. Just two were reported in october, at thorpeness common on 16th and at Minsmere RSPB on october 23rd.
COMMON WHITETHROAT Curruca communis Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Green).
Singles at White Horse Marsh, east Bergholt, and Lakenheath fen RSPB both on March 31st are unusually early, appearing ten days before the main arrival which began on April 9th with singles at Landguard followed by Hollesley and thetford on April 10th. thereafter, there were regular sightings of this widespread and numerous summer visitor throughout the county.
the March 31st records at east Bergholt and Lakenheath fen are Suffolk’s second-earliest ever in spring, the earliest-ever having occurred in 2019 on March 23rd when single birds were recorded at both Lowestoft and Worlingham. in 2006, an overwintering bird was present at felixstowe ferry between february 11th and March 2nd.
As the spring progressed it became increasingly difficult to separate migrants from breeding birds, especially at coastal sites. At Landguard, where six pairs nested, spring passage extended from April 9th to June 4th, peaking at ten on May 7th. Double-figure counts of territorial singing birds were made at many sites including 19 at outney common, Bungay, and 30 or more at thorpeness common on May 9th. While the breeding population appears healthy and relatively stable throughout the county, some observers reported local declines. future monitoring at locations with smaller breeding populations may warn of an impending population decline in future years. thankfully, healthy populations were still being reported elsewhere including 11 at Black Bourn Valley SWt, thurston, and 14 at Lakenheath fen RSPB in May, and 12 at Lackford in June.
August saw migrants at most of the expected coastal sites with some notable concentrations including approximately 20 at thorpeness common on August 21st and 27th which may have included some local breeding birds and their offspring, alongside migrants. As September progressed, numbers declined, as breeding birds departed, particularly in the west of the county, where the latest included singles at Lackford Lakes SWt on September 20th and Bto Nunnery, thetford on September 24th.
At Landguard, autumn passage peaked on September 7th with a high count of 13, and the last sighting of the year, also at Landguard, occurred on September 25th.
Uncommon local resident. Scarce visitor. Amber list.
Surveys of the Sandlings heathland during the 2021 breeding season revealed 135 pairs of Dartford Warbler, a figure close to the 5-year mean of 133 pairs. this represents the secondhighest total for the county since breeding began but down on the record 163 pairs in 2020. A total of eight pairs breeding in Dunwich forest on land managed by forest enterprise, the highest total at this site since breeding was first recorded here in 2016 and up from six pairs in 2020. of the 40 pairs located at Minsmere, at least two males were holding territories in the dunes along the coast, though proof of breeding was lacking.
freezing temperatures accompanied by heavy snowfall in late January appear to have adversely affected the southern heaths, where numbers fell from 57 pairs in 2020 to just 18 in 2021. conversely, the Minsmere/Westleton/Dunwich/Walberswick heaths’ population remained stable with 98 pairs in 2020 and 2021, although the number of pairs at each individual site changed. Heathland at North Warren and Aldringham Walks RSPB showed the greatest gain, increasing from four pairs in 2020 to 13 in 2021. However, some surveys may have been impacted by restrictions imposed during the covid-19 lockdowns so year-on-year comparisons may have exaggerated the apparent fluctuation in numbers. this should become clearer in 2022.
Away from the breeding locations just two were reported. one was at Landguard on october 10th, and what is assumed to have been the same individual was seen there again on four dates between November 6th and 19th. the only report from the west of the county came from Great Barton where one was associating with european Stonechats Saxicola rubicola on the edge of a sugar beet field from february 15th to 17th (D cawdron).
COMMON FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla
Regular, but uncommon, breeder and passage migrant. Some overwinter. the firecrest is a fairly well-established breeding bird in the uk with 2000 territories in 2016 according to the Bto. [on page 751 of the December 2019 issue of British Birds, the Rare Breeding Birds Panel had estimated that by 2017 the breeding population of firecrests in Britain was likely to exceed 6000 pairs]. overall in the county, there were 134 records from 37 sites compared with 168 records from 64 sites in 2020. in the north-east there were 70 reports from 19 sites compared with 94 reports from 31 sites in 2020. these records, which were mostly of single birds, included three at Dunwich on April 1st. At Minsmere nine were counted over the year, including one report of two. there was a smaller number of records in the south-east, which produced 38 from 11 sites compared with 52 from 26 in 2020. three birds were seen at both Staverton, Wantisden on January 1st and Landguard on March 20th. At Landguard spring passage lasted from March 20th to April 16th, with a maximum of three on March 20th and one as late as June 7th. there were no firecrests recorded in the autumn. No birds were ringed at trimley Marshes SWt this year. the total lack of firecrests at Landguard in autumn 2021 is surely the remarkable negative report of the year. it is likely that this is the first autumn since regular recording commenced at Landguard in 1977 that no firecrests have been recorded at this well-watched site. in its western strongholds, there were 26 records from seven sites, compared with 22 from 11
in 2020, mostly from Santon Downham and Brandon, where three were seen on May 2nd and 22nd with one case of probable breeding recorded.
Very common resident and passage migrant. the Goldcrest is one of Britain’s commonest breeding birds with 790000 territories in 2016 according to the Bto and an estimated 37 million pairs in europe (european Breeding Bird Atlas 2). Nationally, the Breeding Bird Survey nationally has shown 2802 individuals in 1162 BBS squares, double the result in 2020, but very similar to 2018 and 2019. Locally the survey produced 27 individuals from nine BBS squares, which more or less, reflects the national trend. in Suffolk, there were 141 records from 90 sites compared with 824 from 170 in 2020. in the north-east, there were only ten records from six sites with a maximum of eight at Minsmere on July 1st. those which referred to breeding pairs comprised two each from Minsmere and North Warren. there were 35 south-eastern records from 23 sites compared with 93 from 29 in 2020 with a maximum of 20 at Rendlesham forest, capel St Andrew on March 21st. At Landguard, spring passage was from March 20th to April 23rd with a maximum of only four on March 24th; autumn passage was from September 24th to october 16th, but consisted of just seven birds with a maximum of two on october 9th. the trimley Marshes ringing report mentions three individuals consisting of two in March and one in November. the spring passage at Landguard in 2021 is the worst since 2010 when none was recorded at this site, although an impressive autumn passage there peaked at 120 on october 10th. the 2021 autumn passage at Landguard is likely to have been the worst so far this century. in the west, there were 96 reports from 61 sites compared with 158 from 56 in 2020 and ten breeding pairs were recorded compared with 15 in 2020. there was a group of 25 at Brandon Park Heath on october 4th, one of nine double-figure counts at this site in october and November.
Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. Amber list (from Green). the commonest British bird according to some sources, the Wren is ubiquitous in Suffolk although it has moved from Green to Amber on the List of Birds of conservation concern. in england the Breeding Bird Survey showed an increase of 1% between 2019 and 2021. there is little to be read into the total of 328 birds from 40 BBS squares in Suffolk, although it is a very similar result to every year from 2014 to 2019. Also, in the national RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, the species was in 18th place in both 2020 and 2021, but the average for the 2021 east of england Bto Garden Birdwatch was slightly down. Apart from this, there were 224 records submitted from 75 sites/gardens compared with 2372 from 236 in 2020. the smaller number is perhaps due to the effects of freedom from lockdown. in the north-east recording area, there were 39 records submitted from 21 sites compared with 2107 from 135 in 2019. the largest gatherings reported were 30 at Southwold on April 27th and St cross elmham on June 8th. there were 15 breeding pairs at flixton Hall, flixton also on June 8th. carlton Marshes also reported 11 breeding pairs.
in the south-east, there were 153 reports from 59 sites, (112 from 28 in 2020) of which the highest count of 30 was at upper Hollesley common on July 1st. Records were submitted for four breeding pairs in the area. At Landguard three pairs bred as in 2018 and 2019 with juveniles appearing from June 22nd and at least two individuals overwintered including one from August 2017. Spring passage at Landguard lasted from March 1st to May 27th and autumn passage from September 12th to November 27th with a maximum count of 12 on seven dates. At trimley Marshes, 30 birds were ringed (28 of them between July and December); one bird ringed in 2019 was recaught on April 24th. in the west there were 32 records from 14 sites, (153 from 73 in 2020), of which the highest
count was 38 at Rickinghall on May 16th. there were also ten breeding pairs reported.
EURASIAN NUTHATCH Sitta europaea
Fairly common resident.
the Nuthatch is obtrusive and showy and, therefore, well known to birders and non-birders alike. its ranking on the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch remained at 20th from 2020 to 2021. the Breeding Bird Survey nationally showed a substantial increase over 2020 when recording was limited due to the pandemic, but over the last ten years, the increase is 13%. Locally, there were three individuals from three BBS squares, which is, as usual, clearly an under-recording. ten individuals were counted at Minsmere during 2021.
the number of records submitted in 2021 was 260 from 98 sites compared with 284 from 108 in 2020, with 19 reports of confirmed breeding. there were 44 records from 20 sites in the northeast including five at Sotterley Park on January 2nd and 79 from 19 in the south-east including seven at Hintlesham Golf course on August 22nd. the west of the county again provided the highest proportion, with 137 records from 59 sites, with the most seen at any one time being nine at Nowton Park, Nowton near Bury St edmunds on January 30th. there were 18 breeding pairs reported in the county’s western stronghold.
A Nuthatch was seen and heard in christchurch Park, ipswich on January 14th 2021 – the first site record since 2014.
Philip Murphy
EURASIAN TREECREEPER Certhia familiaris
Common resident. Four records of C. f. familiaris (Northern Treecreeper). the treecreeper is a widespread and fairly common bird throughout both country and county and probably under-reported because of its unobtrusive nature. the Breeding Bird Survey nationally produced 701 individuals from 498 BBS squares and locally reported 12 individuals from five squares. As in previous years, there were few records of more than a single pair at any one site with no counts of more than nine individuals, these being at Brandon Park on September 7th. A total of 250 records from 110 sites was reported, compared with 577 from 155 in 2020. these consisted of 15 from seven sites in the north-east (304 from 55 in 2020), 131 from 39 in the south-east (161 from 41) and 104 from 64 in the west (112 from 59). Breeding was reported from four sites in the north-east, two in the south-east and 12 in the west and no more than nine individuals were seen together anywhere in the county. there were six at both Sibton Park on July 16th and Minsmere on July 19th, and seven at Ramsey Wood, Hintlesham on April 26th. However, Brandon country Park still seems to be the stronghold for this species as there were between four and nine individuals there on four dates between September and December.
ROSY STARLING Pastor roseus
Rare visitor. Categories A and E. After the 2020 invasion, 2021 was another excellent year for the irruptive Rosy Starling and there were seven sightings in Suffolk as a result. the 55th Suffolk record was an adult male seen on June 6th and 7th at Landguard (P Holmes et al). Soon after, Landguard also produced records 56 and 57 on the 9th (W Mackie) and 15th (P J Holmes, W J Brame et al). the 58th was photographed on a Hollesley rooftop with common Starlings on June 10th (D Pipe, R Pipe). the 59th was at Lowestoft also on June 10th (A c easton), 60th at tunstall on June 15th (M tripp) and 61st at Gorleston on August 2nd (Rare Bird Alert). Seven records is the highest-ever annual total in Suffolk.
Very common but declining resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the Starling has been on the Red List of Birds of conservation concern since 2002 and, although it is still practically ubiquitous in europe, there are a few signs of recovery. in Britain the species improved from 3rd to 2nd between 2020 and 2021 on the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch table and in the east of england Bto Garden Birdwatch it is at the same level as the average for 1994 to 2020. unsurprisingly, the Suffolk Breeding Bird Survey stayed at a steady level of 328 birds from 17 BBS squares compared with the previous five years apart from 211 from 11 1km BBS squares in 2020. this Suffolk result is comparable to the national version of the same survey, where the count has only dropped from 21675 to 20646 birds since 2012. there were 458 records submitted to recorders from 106 sites compared with 1642 from 151 in 2020. these consisted of 92 records from 33 sites from the north-east of the county, 300 from 42 in the south-east and 66 from 31 in the west.
Breeding was reported from five sites in the north-east (91 individuals of which 48 were juvenile), nine sites in the west (244 including 139 juveniles) and one from the south-east. these 15 compare with 18 in 2020.
the number of flocks of 10000+ going to roost involved only seven compared with 18 in 2020 and nine in 2019. the largest flock was 15000 compared with 50000 in 2020 there were also seven counts from 10000 to 20000, but, interestingly a total of 99 of 1000 or more compared with 38 in 2020.
Most of these were in the north-east including:
Hen Reedbeds: 15000, Nov 14th and 17th
Reydon Smear: 10000, Jan 4th and feb 4th Blythburgh: 10000, 11th Nov Leiston: 10000, Dec 16th in the south-east, there were no counts of 1000 or more, the 1466 at Landguard, below, not being one flock. the largest in the west is as follows: Lakenheath: 5000, Nov 17th
At Landguard, the species was present all year although scarce in the winter months with a spring maximum of 72 on March 13th. one pair nested. there was a midsummer peak of 800 on June 11th. Visible movements in the autumn totalled 7954 between october 10th and November 25th, with a maximum of 1466 on october 24th (N odin).
the date of the 60000 Starlings at Minsmere was incorrect. it was given as April 30th, clearly a very high total for such a late date. the correct date was November 7th, quite close to the figure of 50000 at Minsmere on November 17th.
Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Red). the once-familiar Song thrush’s population has been stable over europe recently, but is now a welcome sight wherever seen. Nationally, the Song thrush seems to be gradually reversing its long-term post-war decline; the uk Breeding Bird Survey recorded a 225% increase between 2020 and 2021 (and is holding its own against other years pre-2020). However, the species averaged slightly below the average number of garden visits for the period between 1995 and 2020 on the Bto Garden Birdwatch 2021 survey results. the Suffolk Breeding Bird Survey showed the number of individuals reported as 91 compared with 36 in 2020 and the third highest since 2012; the number of BBS squares occupied also increased from 16 to 35. the number of records received for this familiar garden bird was 174 from 84 sites compared with 1007 from 192 in 2020. [this to me suggests people, in 2020, recording more at home because of covid – ed].
in the north-east, there were 24 records from ten sites with a maximum of 12 from thorpeness on January 9th. there were no significant reports of breeding. in the south-east there were 93 records from 44 sites and the largest gathering noted was of 400 at felixstowe on January 12th, presumably related to colder weather at that time – were they immigrants escaping even harsher weather on the continent? the west produced 57 records from 30 sites, with only two breeding reports. there was a gathering of 30 birds reported at Bury St edmunds on January 30th as a maximum.
At carlton Marshes SWt, two pairs bred as well as single pairs at Minsmere and North Warren.
At trimley Marshes SWt, seven birds were ringed between october and December only.
At Landguard, at least one bird successfully overwintered. New birds turned up January 2nd and 16th. Spring passage ran from March 21st to April 29th, with a maximum of ten on April 20th. one pair bred rearing two young. Dispersing juveniles were noted on July 5th and 13th. Autumn passage was between September 10th and December 2nd plus a later bird on 29th and 30th, with a maximum of 70 on october 8th.
MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus
Fairly common resident and scarce passage migrant. Red list. the Mistle thrush still seems to be maintaining a reasonable population in Suffolk. the Breeding Bird Survey showed little change with 24 individuals from 12 BBS squares compared with 16 from four in 2020, when the lack of observers during lockdown will have contributed to the low totals. Nationally, the Survey recorded 2321 birds from 1210 squares, which is largely comparable with the last ten years, so the Suffolk figures may be an indicator of concern. this species also recorded significantly below the east of england average for all other years on the Bto Garden Birdwatch survey during 2021.
Suffolk recorders sent in 235 records from 116 sites compared with 533 from 151 sites in 2020. Breeding was reported from seven sites, compared with 20 in 2020, but is still probably a case of under-reporting. the reports broke down as follows (number of records from number of sites): North-east: 22 from 15 South-east: 68 from 32 West: 145 from 69 there were few notable double-figure counts, but they did include the following:
Barsham: clarke’s Lane, 20, Aug 7th Staverton Park: 30, Sep 14th
Lackford Village: 30, Aug 23rd
Minsmere recorded only four individuals in 2021 with one breeding pair and there was also one pair at North Warren. At Landguard there was one from february 5th to 7th and in the spring, one on March 22nd. Mid-summer birds were noted on June 17th and 27th. in autumn there were nine from october 9th to November 10th with a maximum of three on November 3rd plus a later one on December 15th. None was observed at trimley Marshes this year.
Meticulous recording by observers at Landguard since the early 1980s has shown the Mistle thrush to be a regular visitor to this well-watched site.
Peak annual totals occurred in the first half of the 1980s with maxima of 40+ in 1984, 25 in 1985 and 23 in 1983. totals were lower in the 1990s with peaks of 24 in 1992, 17 in 1996 and ten in 1993.
the level of recording has been maintained at LBo this century with the highest annual counts being 21 in 2000 and 18 in each of 2004, 2010 and 2016.
Probably many of the birds have originated in Suffolk but direct immigration has been noted at Landguard on october 29th 1983 (2) and autumn 2002 (3). further up the coast, at Southwold, six flew inland on September 11th 1993 and up to three flew south on four dates between September 19th and october 13th 1992.
Groups of eight have been noted flying south over Landguard in the autumns of 1982, 1987 and 1994. Nine which flew south over LBo on february 12th 1991 were part of a cold weather movement at that time.
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Red). the Redwing, from observation, has maintained its winter abundance in the county, far more so than its fellow Scandinavian visitor, the fieldfare. Numbers in gardens during both winter periods were good in the east of england Bto Garden Birdwatch Survey as well. even so, as a winter visitor to Suffolk, it was present in lower numbers in 2021 than in 2020, with 315 records from 103 sites compared with 539 from 143; 171 of these were in the early months and 144 in the autumn. Most of the decrease was in the second period. Will this be reflected in the spring 2022 figures?
in the north-east of the county there were 45 reports from 15 sites (17 from ten ‘spring’, 28 from ten ‘autumn’) with a highest first winter count of 120 at Wrentham on January 2nd. in the south-east there were 171 records from 48 sites (120 from 42 ‘spring’, 51 from 19 ‘autumn’) with the highest first winter counts being 350 at Holbrook on January 2nd and 200 at Great Bricett on January 20th. in the west there were 99 reports from 40 sites, (34 ‘spring’, 65 ‘autumn’) with a first winter maximum of 150 at Whepstead on february 8th. over the whole county there was a total of 19 three-figure first winter flocks.
At Landguard birds were noted on eight dates from January 1st to february 13th, with a maximum of ten on february 8th. Spring passage ran from March 9th to May 3rd, peaking at ten on March 22nd.
At Minsmere only 66 birds were noted over the year. the last spring sighting in the north-east was at thorpeness on May 5th, the same date as the last in the south-east at trimley Marshes SWt and, in the west, at Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford.
in the north-east the first record of the autumn was at thorpeness on october 8th, in the south-east, the earliest was at Bredfield on october 9th and there was a report from the west at Maidscross Hill, Lakenheath on october 3rd.
there were 48 reports of migrant flocks involving 100+ birds during the second winter period, including 14 of over 1000. Passage was particularly evident on october 12th and 13th. the peak autumn counts were:
Snape: 1500, oct 12th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, 1695, Nov 5th
Brandon Park: 2000, oct 13th the highest count in the south-east was of 600 over christchurch Park, ipswich on october 13th (see Ring ouzel). At trimley Marshes, few birds were seen except for three in october and
35 in November. At Landguard, autumn passage was between october 8th and November 19th, with a maximum of only 40 on November 4th plus a later movement December 18th to 28th.
Field Note on Redwings regurgitating seeds on January 30th we had a flock of Redwings frequenting the Holly tree at the end of our garden in central ipswich as they had done for several days before and after according us a great deal of pleasure watching them. While doing this i noticed that one individual was feeding and then regurgitating the seeds. i didn’t see any of the others doing this and, for the next few days, one bird (presumably the same one) repeated this behaviour. obviously, some of our ipswich food didn’t suit its Scandinavian taste! Richard Attenborrow. RF93852 1st-year 25/03/2019
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Already widely distributed and abundant, the Blackbird actually enlarged its range between the two european Breeding Bird Atlases. in the national Breeding Bird Survey, Blackbird numbers doubled between 2020 and 2021 mirroring the steady increase in numbers over the last ten years excluding 2020, and it stayed 4th in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch table. the Suffolk Breeding Bird Survey resulted in 358 individuals being reported from 39 1km. BBS squares compared with 168 from 20 in 2020. Generally, there were less in gardens in the east of england in 2021 than the average for 1994 to 2020 on the Bto Garden Birdwatch. Suffolk recorders submitted 422 records from 130 sites compared with 2558 from 205 in 2020 and reports of breeding came from 20 sites. in the north-east, there were 80 reports from 38 sites with a maximum of 40 on thorpeness common on November 11th. there were three breeding pairs at carlton Marshes SWt. in the south-east, there were 297 reports from 67 sites and the maximum was 65 at Sycamore farm, culpho on November 29th. there were also 50 at Woodbridge on february 9th during a spell of colder weather. At Landguard, six males and seven females survived the 2020/21 winter and ten pairs nested. the maximum on spring passage (february 26th to May 11th) was 16. the first juvenile was noted on May 19th with dispersing juveniles turning up until September 7th. Autumn passage, which lasted from September 29th to December 25th, had a peak total of 110 on November 4th, this being the highest site total at Landguard since November 3rd 2017 when 123 were present. thirty-four birds were ringed at trimley Marshes during october to December. in the west there were only 45 reports from 25 sites and the maximum count was 50 at Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford on November 14th.
LL17236
1st-year male 24/10/2019
caught by ringer 27/12/2021
FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
Landguard Point, felixstowe, Suffolk 51°56’N 01°19’e
Log, Ana Sira, Sokndal, NORWAY 58°16’N 06°25’e – 777km NNe
A flock of fieldfares is a sight that brightens up a winter’s day for many of us. Although still familiar, anecdotally, there seem, once again to have been fewer than usual locally. this is borne out by 2021’s second winter figures, which are comparable with the Bto Garden Birdwatch 2021 east of england figures. compared with 438 records from 163 sites in 2020 (216 in the first winter and 222 in the second winter period), there were 267 from 130 sites in 2021 (194 and 73). these broke down by area as 34 (17 and 17) from 25 sites in the north-east, 118 (103 and 15) from 52 in the southeast and 111 (74 and 37) from 53 in the west. there were 60 reports of flocks involving 100 individuals or more (compared with 46 in 2020) including one with more than 1000 individuals. of these, 41 were in the first winter period and 19 in the second.
During the first winter period the most notable counts, all at inland sites, were:
Denham: 530, Mar 20th Great Bricett: 300, Jan 12th Westhorpe: Hall farm, 200, Mar 3rd the last sightings in spring seem to have been nearly simultaneous throughout the county with one at Beccles Marshes on May 6th. in the south-east, the last sighting was on May 5th at trimley Marshes SWt and in the west on May 6th at kentwell Hall, Long Melford. At Landguard there were two on January 13th, one 15th, one 21st, 47 on february 8th with up to two on five dates to 25th – presumably in response to particularly cold weather in early february. Spring passage consisted of singles March 15th to 25th, plus a later bird May 3rd and 4th. in the second winter period, the first record was on october 2nd at christchurch Park, ipswich, with further birds seen at Minsmere by 8th and Brandon Park on 9th. Passage at Landguard lasted from october 10th to December 25th, with maxima of 78 on November 4th, 65 on December 18th and 81 on 25th. it would seem that early November witnessed the peak of autumn passage. over the county, the most notable flocks of 100 or over were as follows:
Westleton: 350, Dec 24th
Trimley Marshes: 911, Nov
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, 1010, Nov 5th the total of 1010 over the Bto Nunnery Reserve, thetford (above) on November 5th is the highest in Suffolk since January 17th 2018 when 1259 flew south over Landguard during a spell of colder weather.
Fairly common passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters. Red list. the Ring ouzel is a welcome sight on passage near most of the east and south coasts of Britain, but there were noticeably fewer reports in Suffolk in 2021 than in 2020, involving 73 records from
33 sites compared with 193 observations at 55 sites in 2020. of these, 51 were in spring and 22 in the autumn.
the north-east produced 31 spring migration records, the first of which was at Lowestoft, April 10th and last at North Warren, May 8th. four birds were reported from Minsmere during the year. the south-east had 12 spring records, starting on March 22nd at Landguard and culminating in one at Bawdsey, May 6th. there were also eight spring sightings in the west of the county, of which the first was february 13th at Long thurlow, Badwell Ash (possibly a bird that had overwintered) and the latest was one at Barnham, April 25th. for comparison the first and last dates in 2020 were as follows:
Spring: North-east. first: April 8th, last: May 2nd South-east. first: April 19th, last: April 30th West. first: March 15th, last: April 30th the autumn produced nine reports from the north-east, 13 in the south-east and none in the west. Most of these reports were single individuals. the earliest sightings came from both christchurch Park, ipswich (over with about 600 Redwings) and Snape on october 13th. the latest were at Ness Point, Lowestoft on November 29th in the north-east, November 20th at Landguard in the south-east.
Again, for comparison, first and last dates in 2020 were as follows: North-east. first: September 17th, last: october 18th South-east. first: September 27th, last: october 27th West: one record on october 14th.
Most records were of a single bird with a few twos. three were seen at both Worlingham on May 1st and Walberswick on April 29th and 30th.
At Landguard, single birds were noted in the spring on March 22nd and April 21st. Autumn passage was noted from october 21st to November 2nd with a maximum of two plus a later bird on November 20th.
the Lowestoft bird on November 29th is Suffolk’s latest-ever November record.
Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list.
May 9th saw the first reports in all three county recording areas with sightings at thorpeness common and Aldeburgh in the north-east, east Lane, Bawdsey and Swilland in the south-east and kentwell Hall, Long Melford, with a second bird also at Long Melford in the west. A steady passage was seen in the county from the middle to the end of May. one regular recorder from forward Green, earl Stonham noted three back in his garden on May 18th. Landguard recorded passage from May 19th to 27th with a maximum of five on May 27th. up to the end of May records from the north-east came from seven sites with 11 sites in the south-east and 17 sites in the west.
Birdtrack Field Note
for the 26th consecutive year an observer in Great cornard recorded Spotted flycatchers, always a pair, in his garden. their first arrival date in 2021 was May 10th.
Breeding in the north-east was noted at five sites: Redgrave fen, flixton, Sotterley {two broods}, Wenhaston and Sibton Park. there were five breeding sites in the south-east including a family party seen at the regular SWt site of foxborrow farm, Melton on July 15th, two pairs at Seafield Bay with young on July 12th and at forward Green, earl Stonham a pair was noted with three young on June 28th. the west remains the key area with breeding noted at 17 sites involving 23 pairs with several double-brooded. there were a further 13 sites where breeding may have taken place. the top site was Brettenham with birds noted at seven locations with a minimum of four nests and 12 young. Denston recorded four pairs present on July 4th. the total of breeding pairs,
including possible breeding pairs, was 46 which is a notable increase over the 32 pairs in 2020. family parties were reported from Sibton Park with seven, August 15th, Redgrave fen, four, August 23rd, Wixoe with eight on August 8th, seven at ickworth Park, August 23rd and six at Brandon Park Heath on August 29th.
Autumn passage was noted from a number of sites with peak counts from Southwold Sewage Works with three, September 4th, two, Landguard, September 12th, two, Bosmere Lake, creeting St Mary August 27th and six, Brandon Park Heath, September 16th. final records came from Sproughton on September 26th, Lowestoft, North Denes and Westleton Heath both September 28th and Brandon Park Heath (two) on September 29th. the graph below from Birdtrack records shows how 2021 spring and summer reporting rate was lower than the historical rate. However, an improvement was seen during the autumn.
Very common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor. Reports of first winter gatherings came from:
Weybread: Gravel pits. 23, Jan 29th
Rickinghall: 16, Jan 7th; 16, feb 9th
Martlesham: Adastral Park, 20, feb 20th
Belstead Brook Park: 20, feb 11th
Rushmere St Andrew: 20, feb 24th
Lidgate: 16, feb 4th
Lackford Lakes: 19, feb 13th
unexpectedly, only two birds overwintered at Landguard during this period one of which was ringed in September 2015, ageing this bird to be at least six years old. Nineteen overwintered at Landguard in winter 2019/2020.
Spring passage at Landguard was noted from february 26th until May 5th with a maximum of eight on April 20th. Later high counts were noted at Rickinghall with 29 singing males, May 16th and Brandon Park Heath with 19 on April 30th. Despite being a common species there were almost no breeding records of note. the highest autumn counts were from:
Corton: cliff. 19, oct 11th
Lowestoft: North Denes, 25, oct 3rd
Shingle Street: 20, oct 14th
Landguard: 45, oct 8th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Lakes. 42, oct 2nd
Brandon: Park Heath, 31, oct 9th
During the second winter period peak counts included 23 at carlton colville on December 31st At least ten birds prepared to overwinter at Landguard.
XT16980
1st-year 11/09/21
caught by ringer 08/10/21
Ventes Ragas, Silutes, LITHUANIA 55°19’N 21°10’e
Landguard Point, felixstowe, Suffolk 51°56’N 01°19’e -1362km WSW
S742785
1st-year 13/10/19
Landguard Point, felixstowe, Suffolk 51°56’N 01°19’e
caught by ringer 25/03/21 eemshaven, Groningen, NETHERLANDS 53°25’N 06°52’e – 410km eNe
COMMON NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos.
Fairly common summer visitor and scarce passage migrant. Red list. first reported from Alton Water on April 8th, North Warren, April 9th, Great Bealings, April 12th, Wherstead Parish, April 12th and the Hadleigh River Walk (two) on April 13th. Good numbers of singing Nightingales were reported by the end of April from:
Westleton: Heath, eight, Apr 22nd
Minsmere: five, Apr 25th
Martlesham: top Street, seven Apr 20th
Loompit Lake: five, Apr 27th
Wherstead Parish: eight, Apr 28th
Hadleigh: Broom Hill, four Apr 20th; River Walk, four Apr 21st.
Lakenheath: Maidscross Hill, nine, Apr 25th. Spring passage at Landguard in April involved three on 20th and one on 22nd. During May the highest counts were reported from:
Wenhaston: seven, May 15th.
Sizewell/Kenton Hills: four, May 2nd.
Aldringham: common, eight, May 24th
Swilland: Sycamore farm, six, May 9th
Belstead Brook Park: five, May 24th
Alton Water: five, May 2nd
Bentley: Dodnash and Manton Hall Woods, eight, May 8th
Lackford Lakes: four, May 11th in the north-east reports came from 18 sites with confirmed pairs from Wenhaston (three), Minsmere (24) and North Warren (14). in the south-east a survey of territories conducted by David Walsh within the Shotley Peninsula produced an excellent count of 78 territories with the key areas being Alton Water (21), Wherstead Parish (20) and Bentley (nine). Reported in the south-east from about 73 sites, breeding was confirmed at Woodbridge Airfield, Sutton Hoo, Bromeswell, Melton (two), trimley Marshes and Sycamore farm, Swilland. in the west of the county reports came from a total of 22 sites.
overall, the total of sites across the county reporting this species was at least 113, a 24% improvement over 91 territories in 2020. there were a few records noted in July and August: Hazlewood Marshes, July 4th, Great Glemham, July 4th, trimley Marshes, with two of which one was ringed, August 21st and the last of the year in the west at Maidscross Hill, Lakenheath on August 11th. one was at Landguard, August 12th to 18th and a second bird, August 14th. the graph below illustrates how territories in the three Suffolk sectors have fluctuated over the ten-year period from 2012 to 2021 inclusive. However, the ten-year trend remains stable.
Red-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica svecica Rare passage migrant. there were no records in 2021.
White-spotted Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula Rare passage migrant. there were no records in 2021.
Fairly common passage migrant. Amber list. Another very poor spring passage with just two records; a female at Minsmere Sluice on May 3rd and a late report from Landguard on June 2nd. this is the first June record in Suffolk since one at Minsmere on June 7th 2007.
Autumn passage was not as good as in recent years with the first report coming from Aldringham Walks, August 18th then corton, kessingland, Benacre Pits and Minsmere all reporting singles on August 22nd.
Peak counts were noted at: Kessingland; Sewage works, four Sep 4th. Southwold: three, Sep 4th
Landguard: three, Aug 24th; three, Aug 30th; four, Aug 31st
A total of 21 sites reported this species, all from the coast except just one record from the west at the Bto Nunnery Lakes, thetford, on September 2nd. the final reports, all involving singletons, were noted from Landguard September 11th, Lowestoft September 16th and finally at thorpeness on September 18th.
Ficedula parva Rare passage migrant. there were no records in 2021. the last blank year was 2016 with the only other blank years this century being 2011 and 2006.
BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros.
Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters. Amber list from Red list 2021.
there were just a few first winter reports, involving singletons, from Lake Lothing on february 24th, Shingle Street, february 28th, Landguard, february 25th and what might well have been the same bird at two sites in Pakenham in february at Puttocks Hill, Great Barton, february 14th and Queach farm on 24th. the start of spring passage is often difficult to determine but one assumes the following early sightings are such:
Lake Lothing; Mar 7th
Hen Reedbeds: Mar 7th
Tunstall Forest: Mar 30th
Hollesley: two, Mar 30th
Felixstowe Ferry: Mar 24th
Landguard: passage from Mar 29th
Trimley Marshes: two, Mar 24th
the highest spring counts were noted at these three coastal sites:
Lowestoft: six, Apr 4th
Southwold: three, Apr 10th
Landguard: six, Apr 3rd
Less typical records from inland of the coast involved:
Bramfield: two, Mar 31st
Saxmundham: Mar 16th
Ipswich: Holywells Park. May 26th
Bentley: Dodnash fruit farm, female, May 12th
Stowmarket: Mar 27th
Hadleigh: Apr 8th
Denston: Mar 28th
Fornham All Saints: Marham Park, male, Mar 20th and 21st
Barton Mills: Apr 20th
During the spring, records came from a total of 45 sites in Suffolk which suggests that this species is increasing as a passage visitor to Suffolk.
the total of 14 breeding pairs is eight more than in 2020 (six confirmed and two probable) with records as follows:
Lowestoft: four pairs bred
Sizewell: at least one pair bred with female seen constantly collecting food, May 29th Landguard: two pairs. one in the fort area raised two broods of one and two. the other nested nearby failing on the first attempt but reared young on the second. it is possible some further pairs bred within the dock as other juveniles occurred on the reserve Lakenheath and Mildenhall RAF bases: estimated to be seven pairs across the two sites. one brood of five was ringed Autumn passage involved some excellent reports from the Lowestoft area with peak counts of five, September 28th, six october 2nd, four, october 23rd and six, November 11th. elsewhere there were four noted at Sizewell, November 8th and three at Landguard, September 16th. entering into the second winter period, reports of individuals came from Landguard, November 23rd, easton Bavents, November 25th and Slaughden, December 13th.
COMMON REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus. Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. An early individual was noted at carlton colville on March 31st, which is the earliest since one was present at orford on March 31st 2005. there was a good spring passage with the following reports; Mount Pleasant, Dunwich, April 7th, Landguard, April 9th (two) and 18th and May 5th and Bto Nunnery Lakes in thetford April 9th. there were three noted at Minsmere on April 15th with five reported from upper Hollesley common on May 1st. Around 15 sites in the coastal belt reported sightings including less typical records from outney common, Bungay, April 22nd and Padleywater, chillesford, May 29th. further sightings were recorded in the west from the kings forest (NW) April 19th and May 5th (two), the kings forest (central), May 2nd and May 16th, Berner’s Heath, May 9th and 14th and Brandon Park Heath on April 30th and May 13th. it was a reasonable breeding year with a total of 27 pairs in the county, (28 in 2020). All sites are listed:
Minsmere: five pairs
Staverton Park/Thicks: five pairs
Woodbridge Airfield: four pairs
Sutton and Hollesley Commons: 12 pairs
Kings Forest (NW): one pair
A bird at Walberswick on July 7th could have originated from an undiscovered breeding site nearby.
As in 2020 it was another poor autumn passage with the first being inland at Bto Nunnery Lakes, thetford, on July 31st. the bulk of the records came from the north-east during the last week of August and first week of September with the highest count being of only four at Dingle Hills, September 6th. in the south-east two at Landguard, September 7th was the maximum total. the last record from the west was at Brandon Park Heath on August 23rd with the final sightings from the coast at thorpeness common on September 18th and Landguard, November, 5th, which is the latest record in Suffolk since November 15th 2001, also at Landguard.
WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra.
Declining passage migrant. Last bred in 2004. Red list. there was an average spring passage reported for this declining species with all records listed. All were singles unless stated:
Carlton Marshes: Apr 28th
Lowestoft: North Denes, May 9th
Kessingland: May 16th
Benacre: May 2nd
Covehithe: May 2nd
Easton Bavents: June 2nd
Reydon: easton Marshes, May 6th
Southwold: May 3rd; May 11th
Westleton Heath: May 4th
Minsmere: May 3rd; May 26th; June 8th
Bawdsey: east Lane, two, May 8th
Landguard: May 9th; May 11th; May 16th
Lakenheath Fen: May 5th
Autumn passage started with one at Minsmere on August 3rd with the peak numbers not appearing until early September. the following highest counts were noted:
Lowestoft: North Denes five, Sep 3rd
Easton Bavents: four, Sep 4th
Minsmere: four, Aug 29th; five, Sep 5th
Aldeburgh Marshes: 14, Sep 2nd; six, Sep 10th
Alde Estuary: ten, Aug 24th
Landguard: passage from Aug 14th to Sep 9th – with a max. of four Sep 2nd
Hollesley Marshes: five, Sep 4th
All records from the west are listed below:
Hadleigh: three, Aug 31st
Stradishall: Airfield, oct 4th
Long Melford: Aug 22nd
Fornham St Martin: Aug 28th
Cavenham Heath: maximum of four between Sep 11th and 13th – a female and two juveniles were seen associating with a group of chats and buntings (M. Peers)
Brandon: Park Heath, Sep 8th 1984.
finally, the last reports of the autumn came from Dunwich Heath with two on october 20th and finally a singleton at Minsmere on November 11th. there have been 12 November records of Whinchat so far this century and a December record from 7th to 10th in 2009 at Alton Water where Suffolk’s latest-ever autumn bird was present from 9th to 24th December 1984. there is also a remarkable mid-winter record involving one inland at Honington, January 20th 2007.
Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Widespread throughout the first winter period, peak counts in January were recorded at: Carlton Marshes: six, Jan 24th
Sudbourne Marshes: four, Jan 8th Hollesley Marshes; four, Jan 15th
Sutton Common: four, Jan 21st
Stradishall: Airfield, four, Jan 6th
Berner’s Heath: four, Jan 10th; 14, feb 21st
Brandon: Park Heath, four Jan 22nd The King’s Forest (NW): 12, Jan 31st; six, feb 21st
Reports from central Suffolk came from Stonham Aspal where a female was present on January 21st and January 31st and a male on february 20th and at Pipps ford with one on several dates from January 1st until february 17th. there were several good spring counts, involving breeding birds returning to territories, from: Dunwich Heath: ten, Apr 13th Minsmere: ten, Apr 24th
Upper Hollesley Common: eight, Mar 23rd
Lower Hollesley Common: seven, Mar 31st Cavenham Heath: five, Mar 14th Spring passage at Landguard involved singles on ten dates between february 24th and March 21st.
During 2020 the pandemic restrictions reduced reporting coverage to 90 breeding pairs but 2021, without too many restrictions, saw an exceptional breeding season recorded with a county total of 139 pairs represented by 63 pairs in the north-east, 40 pairs in the south-east and 36 pairs in the west.
the key breeding sites were (totals of breeding pairs):
Dunwich: 13
Westleton Heath: seven Hollesley Commons: 16 Woodbridge Airfield: eight
Brandon: Park Heath, eight The King’s Forest: central sector, 14 Cavenham Heath: five there were some impressive post-breeding gatherings, indicative of a good breeding season, from:
Westleton Heath: ten, Sep 7th
Hollesley Marshes: seven, oct 10th
Shingle Street: seven, Sep 18th
Upper Hollesley Common: eight, Sep 17th
Sutton Common and Heath: 14, Sep 11th; eight, oct 13th
Cavenham Heath: eight, Sep 12th; nine, oct 3rd
Brandon: Park Heath, 21, Aug 22nd; 39, Sep 8th; 29, Sep 24th; 14, oct 23rd the count at Brandon of 39 on September 8th is the highest individual site-total ever recorded
in Suffolk, surpassing the 31 recorded on orfordness on March 24th 2008. once again records came from throughout the county during the second winter period with notable counts from:
Herringfleet Marshes: four, Dec 15th
Dunwich Heath: six, Dec 22nd
Minsmere: nine, Nov 11th
Sizewell: four, Nov 11th
Shingle Street: five, Nov 23rd
Lakenheath Fen: three, Dec 21st the only autumn record from Landguard involved one, october 9th to 11th. the Birdtrack graph shows the reporting rate improvement during 2021 over the historical trend, which is reflected in the exceptional breeding season reported in 2021.
Common passage migrant and very localised summer visitor. Amber list, from Green list, 2021. three sites recorded the first spring sighting, Minsmere, Hollesley Marshes and Landguard all on March 25th. the first two reports from the west, both of two birds, were at Great Waldingfield Airfield and Sudbury on March 27th. there was a notable passage during the last week of March with high counts from:
Benacre Broad: three, Mar 26th.
Covehithe: four, Mar 29th
Minsmere: three, Mar 31st
Shingle Street: six, Mar 27th
Bawdsey: east Lane, four, Mar 29th
Pipps Ford: three, Mar 29th
Chilton: six, Mar 29th
Cavenham: four, Mar 29th the highest counts in April were noted at: Minsmere: five, Apr 30th
Thorpeness Haven: five, Apr 25th
Shingle Street: seven, Apr 12th
Landguard: eight, Apr 9th; seven, Apr 27th; nine, Apr 30th
Cavenham: four, Apr 18th
the bulk of spring passage records were noted in early to mid-May with the highest counts from:
Corton: eight, May 3rd
Kessingland: ten, May 8th; 12, May 11th
Hen Reedbeds: five, May 5th
Minsmere: eight, May 9th
Shingle Street: 24, May 10th, all Greenland race (P kennerley)
East Lane: seven, May 8th
Landguard: 15, May 3rd; 31, May 7th; 17, May 9th; 12, May 11th
Cavenham: five, May 7th the highest-ever spring passage day-totals at Landguard are 114, April 20th 2006 and 110, April 26th 2013 – these are also Suffolk’s highest-ever spring passage day-totals. Most of the May records probably relate to birds of the Greenland race leucorhoa Away from the coast there were some interesting records from Butley High corner (three) on May 7th, Belstead Brook Park, May 9th, Saxmundham (two), April 23rd, Laxfield, April 24th and Walsham le Willows (three) on May 7th. the last reports in the spring were from Weaver’s Marsh, Sibton Green on May 29th and cranmer Green, Walsham-le-Willows, June 5th. the only breeding report in the county, once again, came from orfordness with only one confirmed pair, this low count hopefully due to reduced reporting coverage. the first signs of autumn migration were noted in July with early singletons reported from carlton Marshes 4th and Butley, 31st, followed by Minsmere on August 3rd. the main autumn passage occurred from the end of August through to mid-September with peak counts from: Lowestoft: North Denes/Ness Point. five Sept 2nd, five Sept 4th; six Sept 5th Kessingland: Beach, four Aug 28th; nine, Sept 5th; five, Sept 11th; four oct 4th Aldeburgh Marshes: four, Sept 2nd Boyton: five, Aug 31st Havergate Island: five, Sept 4th Hollesley Marshes: four, Sept 12th Bawdsey: east Lane, seven, Sept 20th Landguard: eight, Aug 31st; 12, Sept 7th in the west of the county the first autumn report came from knettishall Airfield (two) on August 10th with records coming from 12 sites including more unexpected sighting of singles at Hadleigh, September 17th, Layham, September 5th and Warren Hill, Newmarket, September 19th with the last sighting in the west noted from cavenham Heath on october 4th and 5th.
Landguard recorded five on october 3rd with a late report from the same site of a singleton on october 25th. the final report involved an individual at Walberswick on November 4th. Northern Wheatears have been recorded in November in Suffolk in 17 of the 22 autumns so far this century. the county’s latest-ever is one at Bawdsey on November 30th 2014 – when will there be a December one!?
Rare visitor.
Sizewell: 1st-cal-year female, Nov 14th (J Badley, J A Rowlands et al.) this is only Suffolk’s fourth Pied Wheatear, the others occurring in 1994, 2009 and 2015.
WHITE-THROATED DIPPER Cinclus cinclus
Rare visitor. Amber list there have been no records since 2016.
EURASIAN TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
Uncommon and declining resident. Scarce passage migrant. Red List. few records of birds were recorded in the east of the county. the only significant numbers were reported from the west where winter feeding is now no longer undertaken, which has,
inevitably, resulted in significantly-reduced flock sizes.
Peak counts were:
Fornham St Martin: 20, feb 27th
Ampton: 20, Mar 21st; 20, Dec 21st
Timworth: 20, Jan 25th; timworth Heath, 50, Jan 2nd; 30, Jan 23rd the only reports from Landguard are of one on site, August 23rd to 29th and three south, September 22nd.
HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus
Common but declining resident. Red List. this once-common bird continues to be poorly recorded throughout the county with few significant flocks but may be more populous than records show. flocks of 40 or more birds were recorded at the following sites:
Kesgrave: 50, Aug 18th
Stour Estuary: Hogmarsh, cattawade, 100, Aug 3rd
Barrow: 100, July 22nd; 50, Nov 25th
Long Melford: 50, Sep 4th
Sudbury: 50, feb 21st
At Landguard 30 to 35 pairs nested at the cottage and fort. fourteen birds were retrapped from previous years, with the oldest being from August 2017. the year’s peak counts were 140 on July 31st and August 1st and 21st.
DUNNOCK Prunella modularis
Very common resident and fairly common passage migrant. Amber List. this species is noted across the county with no significant counts at any location other than Landguard common. counts of more than ten were recorded at: Shingle Street: 16, feb 27th; 12, Nov 8th
Ipswich: Pipers Vale, 12, feb 8th
Lakenheath: Maidscross Hill, 11, Apr 14th
At Landguard up to 12 pairs nested. Spring passage was between february 26th (same date as Blue tit and Great tit) and May 16th with a maximum of 30 on both April 19th and 20th. Autumn passage at Landguard was from September 1st to November 16th with a maximum of 25 on several dates.
WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flavissima
Rapidly declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the first birds of the year were at Snape and carlton Marshes on April 2nd, a week earlier than in 2020.
there was confirmed breeding at Butley, chelmondiston, icklingham, Risby, Mildenhall fen and West Row with probable breeding at a number of other sites, predominantly in the west of the county.
there were nine counts of ten or more birds:
Burgh Castle: 83, evening roost, Aug 24th
Aldeburgh Marshes: 22, Sep 11th
Hollesley Marshes: 14, Apr 23rd
Ramsholt: 20, Aug 3rd
Trimley Marshes SWT: 12, Aug 25th to 27th; 28, Sep 3rd
Rickinghall: 14, May 16th
Mildenhall Fen: 12, Aug 1st
Lakenheath Fen: ten, Sep 21st to 23rd
Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s Hall, 12, Apr 21st; 30, Apr 29th Spring migration at Landguard involved 12 birds, far fewer than in previous years e.g. 34 in
2020, 83 in 2016, between April 13th and May 18th. Autumn migration involved a total of 95 birds between June 28th and october 6th. this is the highest autumn total since 2016 when 241 were recorded.
2020 Addition
in west Suffolk, breeding was also confirmed at timworth and Poor’s Heath, Risby with probable breeding at an additional three sites.
Blue-headed Wagtail M. f. flava
Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list. Birds were reported on spring passage from six sites in the county: Carlton Marshes: up to two, Apr 29th to May 6th
Walberswick: Apr 29th
Boyton Marshes: two, Apr 7th and 8th
Hollesley Marshes: Apr 23rd; June 6th
Trimley Marshes: Apr 14th Fakenham Magna: Rymer Point, May 2nd the Rymer Point bird is the first record of this nominate race in west Suffolk since 2013 when there were two at Gifford’s Hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, April 20th and one on April 21st.
Grey-headed Wagtail M. f. thunbergi
Scarce passage migrant. Amber list. there was a single record in 2021. An adult male in the north-east corner of the town marsh, Southwold.
Southwold: May 11th (R Moores et al.) – photographed
EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla tschutschensis Accidental. After the previous two exciting years, there were no records in Suffolk in 2021.
the bird at carlton Marshes, November 24th to December 6th is considered by the British Birds Rarities committee to be the same secondcalendar-year male as that at Dunwich, November 5th to 16th (British Birds october 2021: 616). Accordingly, this adjusts the Suffolk total to five records involving four birds.
Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list, from Red. this colourful bird continues to be well-observed. However, few sites held more than three birds. the sites holding four or more birds are:
Lowestoft: kensington Gardens, five, Sep 11th; North Denes, five, Sep 24th (presumably passage birds)
Trimley Marshes: four, Sep 5th
Barking: Pipps ford, four, oct 1st
West Stow: four, June 14th
Brandon: four, Jan 1st; Sewage Works, five, July 1st
Santon Downham: four, Apr 3rd
Long Melford: Sewage Works, four to eight, Apr 1st to Aug 30th
Autumn migration at Landguard involved 163 birds (39 in 2020) between August 21st and November 1st, with a peak count of 16 south, September 10th. this is the best year since 2015 (165) but 2014 remains as the record year with 218.
A minimum of ten pairs was confirmed to have bred in west Suffolk (k Venus).
PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
Very common resident, passage migrant and winter and summer visitor Green List. this species is widely distributed in the county with flock sizes similar to previous years. Significant counts across the county were:
Blythburgh: 50, feb 1st
North Warren RSPB: 70, Jan 16th
Hollesley Marshes RSPB: 85, Nov 19th
Needham Market: Needham Lake, 67, Jan 1st
Bury St Edmunds (North): 50, Jan 1st
Long Melford: Sewage Works, 106, Jan 20th; 63, Nov 26th; 57, Dec 29th
Little Cornard: cornard Mere:,70, May 4th
Haverhill: 103, feb 4th
Autumn passage at Landguard was noted from September 30th to october 29th with only 38 south (179 in 2017) recorded and a maximum of 18 on october 7th. At least four pairs nested in the adjoining dock, with these birds and their offspring regularly feeding on site with a maximum of 22 on July 26th.
White Wagtail M. a. alba
Fairly common passage migrant. Amber list.
As usual this species was recorded predominantly on coastal spring passage with few autumn records. there were single records from nine sites in the west of the county, including Shimpling, which rarely gets a mention! the first spring sighting was at Lake Lothing on March 3rd. there were only four records of four birds or more as follows:
Benacre: Beach farm, six, Mar 16th; seven, Apr 15th
Southwold: six, Apr 11th; town Marshes, up to 14, Mar 31st and Apr 1st Hollesley Marshes: up to six, Mar 9th to Apr 24th two of the September birds were in the west; knettishall Airfield, 10th and Lakenheath Washes, 7th. Landguard recorded one on September 16th.
RICHARD’S
Rare visitor.
for the second year running there was only a single record of Richard’s Pipit. the bird was at Bawdsey, staying for one day only but seen by many observers: Bawdsey: in field opposite picnic site, photographed, oct 17th (S Davies et al.)
Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. this species is regularly recorded on spring and autumn passage along the Suffolk coast together with sightings at long-standing sites in the west of the county. Significant counts of passage birds were reported from coastal sites: Lowestoft: North Denes, 84, Sep 24th Westleton Heath: 55, Sep 16th Hollesley Marshes: 40, Mar 1st; 60, Mar 7th; 100 south, Sep 16th Shingle Street: 40 south, Sep 12th
Felixstowe: 41, oct 23rd; felixstowe ferry, 50, Nov 9th
Significant inland counts were:
Barking: Pipps ford, 44, feb 9th
Long Melford: 50, Jan 17th; 40, Dec 12th; Sewage Works, up to 90, Nov 3rd to 21st
Mildenhall: 40, feb 1st
Brandon Park Heath: 63, Sep 18th; 74, oct 9th; 42, Nov 19th
Spring passage at Landguard was noted from february 8th to April 24th with a maximum of 46, in off, on April 9th. Autumn passage was from August 30th until December 27th with a total of 2424 birds south including maximum day-counts of 376 south on September 26th and 496 south on october 7th; the monthly totals of southerly passage involved 1141 in September, 1274 in october, 88 in November and four in December.
Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. this species continues to be seen predominantly in the west of the county with the king’s forest and thetford forest being its strongholds. in the north-east and south-east of the county, there was no sign of breeding with most of the records being of single birds, with three exceptions:
Landguard: three, Aug 30th
Trimley Marshes: two, Aug 20th; two, Sep 4th
Barking: Pipps ford, three, nocturnal flight calls, Apr 13th the picture in the west of the county was again significantly different with the majority of birds recorded in the king’s forest (all sections) and breeding confirmed/probable at 11 sites. the first of the year was reported from Parsonage Heath, elveden, thetford forest on March 29th. Multiple counts were as follows:
Berner’s Heath: four, May 14th
Cavenham Heath: two, June 4th
The King’s Forest (Central): two, Apr 29th and May 17th
The King’s Forest (North-west): up to six, Apr 29th to Aug 14th
The King’s Forest (South-west): five, May 19th
The King’s Forest (North Stow): seven, Apr 21st
Elveden: two, May 2nd
Brandon: country Park, three, May 22nd; Mayday farm, two, June 21st; two July 15th; Brandon Park Heath, up to 18, Apr 30th to Sep 22nd
Thetford Forest (Central): four, June 15th
Thetford Forest (Olleys Farm): three, June 15th
Thetford Forest (Redneck Heath): five, June 8th
Autumn passage at Landguard involved only eight birds south between August 23rd and September 20th.
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.
As expected, all records were from coastal sites, with the sole exception of birds seen at Lakenheath. the majority of sightings were of one or two birds with multiple counts being fewer than in 2020. the last bird recorded in spring was at Minsmere Levels on April 14th. the first of autumn was at Lakenheath on october 22nd.
Records of four or more birds were noted from only three sites, all of them managed by the RSPB (seven sites in 2020) as follows:
Snape Wetlands: Botany Marshes, six, Dec 8th; four, Dec 17th
North Warren: five, feb 11th; seven, Nov 24th
Lakenheath: five, feb 22nd; four, Mar 21st; four, Nov 14th
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. this species is regularly seen along the county’s coast and estuaries in the winter months. During the year there were numerous reports of up to four or five birds with counts of six or more at eight sites:
Kessingland: eight, Mar 13th
Aldeburgh Marshes: seven, Jan 25th
Havergate Island: 15, oct 14th; 14, oct 18th; 30, Nov 2nd; 18, Nov 5th
Shingle Street: 25, Dec 2nd; 40, Dec 7th
Deben Estuary: Waldringfield, 15, Jan 3rd; Hemley, seven, Nov 7th; falkenham Marshes, six, Nov 6th.
the last bird of spring in the county was at trimley Marshes on May 1st, the latest spring record since 2010 when one was at undisclosed site on May 12th. the first of autumn was at Landguard on September 19th. At Landguard there were 56 bird days between September 19th and November 23rd with a maximum of six south on october 8th.
Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Categories A and E. this common species is widely distributed throughout the county with flocks regularly recorded prior to migration and in the winter moths. flocks of 50 or more were reported from 12 sites (ten sites in 2020) with peak numbers as follows:
Wenhaston: 50, Mar 21st
Westleton: 50, feb 11th
Boyton Marshes: 60, Mar 21st
Upper Hollesley Common: 60, Mar 20th
Knettishall Airfield: 50, Jan 3rd; 80, Jan 5th; 70, Nov 20th
Culford Heath: 120, Jan 23rd
Timworth Heath: 50, Jan 23rd
Hundon: 54, Nov 13th
Tuddenham St Mary: 250, Dec 21st
Icklingham: Berner’s Heath, 90, Jan 10th
Mildenhall Fen: 70, Dec 15th
Brandon Park Heath: 55, oct 25th
Autumn migration at Landguard was between September 12th and November 30th with a total of 703 south/in off the sea and a maximum day-count of 220 on october 24th.
BRAMBLING Fringilla montifringilla
Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. the number of records and sites of this winter visitor continues to fluctuate with the number of small to medium flocks this year significantly increased from those of 2020:
flocks of 20 or more were reported from ten sites (two in 2020) with peak numbers as follows: Upper Hollesley Common: 30, Apr 10th; 35, Apr 14th – presumably pre-emigration gatherings
Landguard: 23, oct 7th
Tuddenham St Mary: 150, Dec 21st
Cavenham Heath: 50, Nov 25th
Icknield Way: 40, Dec 30th
Santon Downham: 20, Mar 21st and Apr 3rd; Lodge farm, 70, feb 28th; 40, Apr 10th; 30, Dec 27th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve: 30, Nov 4th
Lakenheath Fen: 25, Apr 15th – also, presumably pre-emigration gathering
Sudbury: 65, Nov 16th
Spring passage at Landguard was noted from March 16th to April 18th but with a total of only six birds. Autumn passage at Landguard was recorded from october 7th to November 29th with a total of 139 birds and a maximum of 23 on october 7th. this total of 139 birds has only been exceeded this century by 220 in 2010 and 160 in 2013.
Uncommon resident and rare passage migrant. Red List.
the majority of records are of single birds, mostly in the first winter period, with few noted from october onwards. the total of 25 at ellough is the highest in Suffolk since the invasion year of 2017 when a peak of 30 was recorded at culpho on November 21st.
Birds were recorded from the following sites:
Ellough: up to 25, Jan 15th to 29th; nine, feb 20th
Sotterley Park: up to 21, Jan 1st to Mar 12th; 11, Dec 20th; two, Dec 24th
Minsmere: oct 12th
Sizewell: June 24th
Snape: oct 13th
Aldeburgh: Golf course, Nov 3rd
Sudbourne: May 18th
Chillesford: May 1st
Martlesham Heath: oct 21st
Purdis Farm: ipswich Golf course, May 14th
Onehouse: oct 30th
Great Finborough: oct 30th
Hengrave: six, Apr 21st
Lackford Lakes: four, Mar 28th; five, Mar 29th
Elveden: up to 16, Jan 2nd to 18th; two, Dec 21st
Brandon: nine, Jan 1st; six, Jan 2nd; single, Dec 13th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, oct 23rd
Common but declining resident. Amber List. this popular species continues to be widely reported throughout the county.
Seven sites recorded five or more birds: Ellough: five, Dec 24th
Bungay: five, Jan 20th
Wenhaston: six, feb 21st
Thorpeness: five, oct 23rd
Ixworth: Black Bourn Valley NR SWt, seven, Jan 7th
West Stow: 15, Mar 20th
Thetford BTO: five, Jan 7th
Landguard’s sole record involved a single bird on March 25th.
Rare passage migrant. Bred in 1992. there was a single record in Suffolk in 2021.
Southwold: singing first-summer male, photographed, June 7th (R Drew, B J Small)
EUROPEAN GREENFINCH Chloris chloris
Common, but declining, resident and passage migrant. Red list from Green. Categories A and E. this species continues to show no increase with the sites holding small flocks being the same as the past few years: counts of 20 or more birds were recorded from eight sites as follows:
Shingle Street: 46, Nov 23rd
Felixstowe Ferry: up to 40, Nov 16th to Dec 4th
Badley: up to 24, Jan 15th to Apr 3rd
Bury St Edmunds (West): up to 45, Jan 3rd to Apr 30th
Great Barton: 20, Aug 29th
Fornham All Saints: 20, feb 14th
Barrow: 22, Mar 20th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, 24, Jan 30th; up to 40, Nov 3rd to Dec 30th the autumn passage at Landguard involved 56 moving south between october 3rd and November 19th, with a maximum of 13 on october 28th. this is Landguard’s second lowest-ever autumn total – the lowest is 22 in 2018.
TWITE Linaria flavirostris
Declining winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List.
As in the previous years, the most-regular counts came from Dunwich and Walberswick. there were first winter reports as follows:
Dunwich/Walberswick: up to eight, Jan 2nd to Mar 12th
Deben Estuary: Stonner Point, Sutton, feb 14th – the only bird in 2021 reported away from Dunwich/Walberswick there were second winter reports as follows: Dunwich/Walberswick: up to 14, Nov 9th to Dec 30th
COMMON LINNET Linaria cannabina
Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Overwinters in small numbers. Red List.
Significant flocks were recorded in both winter periods with Barnby and cavenham having 1000 or more birds present in february. these totals are remarkable by modern-day standards. they are the largest feeding flocks in Suffolk since July/August 1991 when about 3000 foraged on oilseed rape stubble on trimley Marshes.
Significant flocks were reported from the following sites:
Barnby: 1000, feb 9th; 2000, feb 14th
Westleton: 500, Dec 31st
Aldringham: up to 400, Jan 21st to Mar 3rd
Shingle Street: 200, Sep 3rd
Wantisden: Staverton Park, 275, feb 2nd
Erwarton: 300, Jan 19th
Brantham: 310, Mar 6th
Monk’s Eleigh: Stackyard Green, 310, Nov 29th
Westhorpe: 300, feb 26th; fairoaks farm, 200, Dec 3rd
Knettishall: 200, Jan 5th; 250, Nov 13th; 200, Nov 20th
Timworth: 200, Jan 25th and feb 8th; timworth Heath, 600, Dec 24th
Cavenham: 200, Jan 11th; 1000, feb 4th
An estimated 30 pairs bred at Landguard with several more nearby, similar to the previous year. Autumn passage at Landguard involved 1167 south between october 2nd and December 2nd with a maximum day-count of 243 south on october 22nd. twenty-two adults were retrapped from previous years at Landguard with the oldest from May 2018. the maximum site-totals were 180, April 9th and 220, August 22nd. the 1167 south is the highest autumn passage total at Landguard since 2017 when 2857 were recorded.
COMMON REDPOLL Acanthis flammea
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. 2021 saw an increase in the number of sightings of this species after the poor showing in the previous year. Birds were reported from 13 sites with the following five holding more than a single bird: Minsmere: two, Mar 17th
Upper Hollesley Common: up to four, Mar 23rd to 30th Hintlesham: Golf course, three, Mar 31st; two, oct 31st West Stow: three, Mar 7th Brandon: three, Mar 6th obviously, March is an excellent month for finding common Redpolls! the only Landguard record was a notably-late individual on May 13th.
LESSER REDPOLL Acanthis cabaret
Declining winter visitor and passage migrant. No evidence of breeding since 2006. Red List. After the exceptional number of large flocks (100 or more birds) in 2020, 2021 recorded birds in most of the usual sites but flock sizes were considerably reduced with only four recording 100 or more.
Significant counts of 40 or more birds were as follows:
Minsmere: 40, Mar 3rd; 50, Mar 17th Capel St Andrew: 40, Mar 21st Hollesley: 45, Mar 4th; 45, Nov 16th
Wantisden: Staverton Park, 130, Jan 3rd
Upper Hollesley Common: 40, Mar 8th; 120, Apr 4th Melton: Riverside, 60, Jan 1st to 7th at least Hintlesham: Golf course, 50, Jan 3rd Santon Downham: 100, Apr 3rd Culford Park: 40, Mar 24th
Knettishall Heath: up to 50, Jan 1st to Mar 31st Cavenham Heath: 50, Mar 28th Brandon: 130, Mar 2nd Little Cornard: 57, Jan 21st
Spring passage at Landguard involved 27 between April 1st and May 20th. Autumn passage at Landguard totalled 85 birds between october 11th and November 21st with a maximum of ten south on both November 8th and 17th. Autumn passage totals at Landguard can vary enormously. 2020 witnessed the site’s best-ever passage with 2333 recorded whereas only 14 were recorded in 2019, the lowest-ever total. the only other double-figure autumn totals at Landguard so far this century have been 46 in 2014 and 54 in 2006. S744083 1st-year 29/09/2020 Landguard Point, felixstowe, Suffolk 51°56’N 01°19’e caught by ringer 13/05/2021 calf of Man, ISLE OF MAN 54°03’N 04°48’W - 473m WNW
also a recovery of a Landguard-ringed Lesser Redpoll in Nottinghamshire.
PARROT CROSSBILL Loxia pytyopsittacus
Rare winter visitor. Amber list. there were no records in Suffolk in 2021.
RED CROSSBILL Loxia curvirostra
Locally common resident and irruptive visitor. the number of records and sites of this species have fluctuated over the past few years. following on from 2020 the majority of records were in the first quarter with no significant sightings in the latter part of the year. crossbills are a highly-mobile species so there is a distinct possibility of duplicate recording of flocks particularly between feeding and roosting areas: Significant flocks were reported in the following locations:
Bungay: outney common, 15, Jan 31st
Westleton Heath: 23, Jan 2nd; 20, Jan 13th
Dunwich Heath: 16, Jan 21st; 25, Apr 27th
Minsmere: 20, feb 5th; 350, over, Apr 4th
Capel St Andrew: 15, Mar 21st
Upper Hollesley Common: up to 27, Mar 8th to Apr 13th
Sutton Common: 60, Mar 21st
Sutton Heath: up to 23, feb 1st to Mar 2nd
Purdis Farm: ipswich Golf course, up to 20, feb 22nd to Mar 25th
Santon Downham: up to 50, Apr 3rd to May 3rd
Knettishall Heath: 30, May 20th
West Stow CP: up to 16, Jan 11th to feb 25th
The King’s Forest (north-east): 17, feb 21st; ten, Apr 2nd
The King’s Forest (north-west): ten, Jan 17th; 50, Mar 2nd
The King’s Forest (south-east): 15, Jan 5th
Cavenham Heath: 12, Apr 28th
Icklingham: ten, Apr 16th; 40, May 3rd; 19, Apr 25th; Berner’s Heath, 12, Jan 10th; 36, feb 14th; 25, feb 21st
Denston: Denston Hall, ten, Jan 25th
Brandon: Brandon Park Heath, up to 30, Jan 13th to May 16th; 16, Aug 15th; Mayday farm, 43, Mar 12th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, up to 17, Jan 2nd to feb 1st
Brandon Park Heath: up to 30, Jan 13th to May 16th; 16, Aug 15th
the total of 350 over Minsmere on April 4th is Suffolk’s highest-ever individual site day-total, just exceeding the previous maximum of 330 which flew south over Landguard
June 28th 1997.
Very common resident, summer visitor and passage migrant. Increasingly overwinters in small numbers.
the number of records and sites of this species continue to fluctuate for no apparent reasons: Apart from Landguard, counts of 100 or more birds were recorded from only three sites with peaks as follows:
Shingle Street: 120, Sep 12th – presumably on passage Felixstowe: old felixstowe, 237, oct 23rd – presumably on passage
Lakenheath Fen RSPB: 100, Aug 6th; 120, Dec 21st Spring passage at Landguard involved 186 south between March 15th and May 30th with a maximum of 17 on May 3rd. in autumn visible passage at Landguard saw 5417 recorded moving south from September 11th to December 16th with a maximum of 996 south on october 21st with an autumn maximum of 74 grounded birds on September 19th. Although very impressive the above figure of 5417 is only 24% of the 2017 figure of 22894!
EUROPEAN SERIN Serinus serinus
Rare migrant. Amber list. there was one record, which involved a single bird over a residential area of old felixstowe: Felixstowe: south over Sunningdale Drive, 13:00hr June 2nd (W J Brame)
EURASIAN SISKIN
Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Very scarce breeder. 2021 was a typical year for this species with records throughout the county from suitable sites in both winter periods. counts of 100 or more birds were recorded from 12 sites (13 sites in 2020) as follows: Westleton Heath: 100, Jan 3rd to 13th
Minsmere: 150, Mar 3rd
Wantisden: Staverton Park, 160, Jan 3rd; 120, Jan 26th; 170, feb 2nd
Upper Hollesley Common: 150, Apr 15th
Landguard: 124, Nov 20th
Wherstead: 120, feb 7th
Lackford Lakes: 100, Dec 16th
Cavenham: 150, Jan 1st; Heath, 150, Mar 4th; Pits, 250, Dec 18th
Brandon: Mayday farm, 440, Mar 12th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, 120, Jan 15th; 200, Jan 30th; 150, feb 15th; 120, Dec 6th; 100, Dec 27th
Spring passage at Landguard involved 41 between March 8th and June 12th. Autumn passage at Landguard involved a total of 983 from September
29th to December 13th with maxima of 90 south on November 10th and 124 south on November 20th. the count of 983 is only 20% of the site’s record autumn total of 4903 in 2020.
LONGSPUR
Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. there were records from ten coastal sites during the last three months of the year with only
Aldringham Walks having more than a single bird on any one day:
Kessingland: Dec 17th to 21st
Benacre: Nov 27th and 30th
Walberswick: Nov 2nd
Minsmere: oct 31st
Aldringham Walks: two, oct 16th
Thorpeness: Nov 23rd
Deben Estuary: king’s fleet, Nov 22nd to 24th
Felixstowe Ferry: Nov 22nd to 23rd –same bird as king’s fleet, above?
Landguard: Nov 10th Trimley Marshes SWT: Nov 19th
the bird on September 8th 2020 at Shingle Street is the earliest autumn arrival since 2010 when Suffolk’s earliest-ever autumn bird was at thorpeness, August 30th.
Locally common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. Most records continue to be from the expected coastal locations. Records were also noted in November from two inland sites, chedburgh and Brandon in the west of the county. Significant coastal flocks were very mobile and duplication of recording must be assumed. the total of 70 at kessingland is the county’s highest since february 2012 when 80 were also present at kessingland.
Peak totals were noted at:
Corton: 12, Nov 5th
Lowestoft: Pakefield, 45, Nov 14th
Kessingland: up to ten, Jan 6th to feb 27th; up to 70, oct 24th to Dec 29th
Benacre: up to ten, oct 26th to Dec 10th
Dunwich/Walberswick: up to 16, Jan 6th to 21st; up to 50, Nov 2nd to Dec 28th
Minsmere: Beach, up to 17, oct 23rd to Nov 19th
Aldeburgh Marshes: up to 20, Dec 19th to 22nd
Bawdsey: east Lane, Nov 23rd
Felixstowe Ferry: Nov 1st; two, Dec 19th
Landguard: up to ten, Nov 2nd to Dec 25th
Trimley Marshes: up to five, Nov 11th to 18th
Stour Estuary: Brantham, Nov 12th
Chedburgh: two, Nov 6th
Brandon Park Heath: Nov 17th the records from chedburgh and Brandon are the first from west Suffolk this decade. the chedburgh record is the first-ever to be recorded in west Suffolk involving more than one bird. So far this century, Snow Buntings have been recorded from west Suffolk in 2004, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021; in five of these seven years, the observations have been made in November.
CORN BUNTING Emberiza calandra
Locally common resident. Scarce passage migrant. Red List. Records were received from the county’s traditional sites suggesting a degree of stability in this species status.
Significant site counts were: Chelmondiston: 12, Aug 12th; 34, Nov 13th; 15, Dec 16th
Mildenhall Fen: 15, Dec 15th
Lakenheath Fen RSPB: ten, Mar 2nd
Haverhill: Ladygate Wood, seven, Jan 29th in the east of the county, singing birds were recorded at three sites; chelmondiston, Holbrook and capel St Andrew. in the west, breeding was confirmed at Mildenhall fen and Risby with singing males also at knettishall, Lakenheath (Sedge fen) and Worlington. Singles were at Landguard on March 30th and May 12th.
YELLOWHAMMER Emberiza citrinella
Common but declining resident. Uncommon passage migrant. Red List. this species was well recorded in 2021 with a greater proportion of the flocks reaching and/or exceeding 100 birds in both winter periods. counts of 100 or more were at the following sites:
Alton Water: 100, Jan 17th
Bacton: 300, feb 20th
Westhorpe: 200, Jan 7th; 150, feb 2nd; Lodge farm, 100, feb 26th and Mar 2nd Knettishall: Airfield, 100, Jan 5th; Hall farm, 200, feb 11th Hinderclay: 100, feb 14th Tuddenham St Mary: 350, Dec 21st Chilton (nr Sudbury): 200, Jan 3rd Spring passage at Landguard between february 22nd and April 22nd totalled 12 birds, with a maximum of four south on March 21st. there were only three singles south in the autumn, on october 25th, November 2nd and November 8th.
LITTLE BUNTING Emberiza pusilia
Very rare visitor.
A single record this year, Suffolk’s 17th (involving 20 birds), was, trapped, ringed and photographed – just reward for the herculean effort put in by the trimley Marshes ringing team during 2021, led by the Zantboer family. See Justin’s Ringing at trimley Marshes article earlier in this bird report
Trimley Marshes SWT: oct 10th (D Zantboer, J Zantboer et al.)
COMMON REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus
Common but declining resident. Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list. the year showed a similar number of both records and sites as in 2020 with flock sizes also similar with two notable exceptions being at Bacton and knettishall with february flocks of
400 and 250 respectively. these two counts are impressive, however, still some way below the county’s record of 676 on November 3rd 2010 at Lackford Lakes.
Peak counts within the county were:
Reydon: Smear, 30, feb 8th
Stutton: Stutton Mill, 27, Jan 4th
Bacton: 400, feb 20th
Westhorpe: Shrubbery farm, 40, feb 20th; Lodge farm, 80, feb 26th
Knettishall: Hall farm, 250, feb 11th; Airfield, up to 45, Jan 1st to 5th; up to 50, Nov 22nd to 30th
Timworth: up to 50, Jan 10th to 27th
Tuddenham St Mary: 60, Dec 21st
Spring passage at Landguard involved singles on six dates between february 21st and March 31st and two on March 22nd. Autumn passage at Landguard involved 29 from September 25th to November 23rd with a maximum of four south on october 13th, 23rd and 25th.
Species that would otherwise appear in categories A or B except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in Britain in a natural state. the three species below also occur in category e.
RUDDY SHELDUCK Tadorna ferruginea
Morocco and Turkey east through Central Asia to Tibetan plateau. Winters to south of breeding range, with majority in Indian subcontinent. Feral population breeds in northern Europe. Categories B, D and E.
Southwold: town Marshes, juv male, Aug 22nd and 23rd
Fornham St Martin: July 18th, Sep 4th, oct 3rd, Nov 9th
Livermere Lake: possible egyptian Goose hybrid, May 31st and from June 12th to July 14th, apparently paired with an egyptian Goose; seen again, Aug 25th and Sep 5th
Risby: possible hybrid, Dec 18th
Lakenheath Fen: Sep 23rd
WOOD DUCK Aix sponsa
Canada to northern Mexico, Cuba and Bahamas. Categories D and E.
Thorpeness Meare (and vicinity): female, feb 11th to 24th; Mar 20th; Mar 29th; Apr 10th; June 13th
Wantisden: Staverton Park, Aug 27th
Barking: Riverside farm, eclipse male, Aug 27th; Pipps ford, Mar 1st; Apr 2nd; Aug 1st; Aug 7th –presumed same as at Riverside farm
SAKER FALCON Falco cherrug
Breeds from eastern Europe east to Manchuria, winters south to Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula. Category D and E.
Slaughden: apparently a ‘pure’ Saker, oct 27th
Long Melford: sewage works, carrying a woodpigeon, Apr 13th
Species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining. Where a species is also placed in other categories of the British List, this is indicated in the species’ summary.
WHITE-FACED WHISTLING DUCK Dendrocygna viduata
Breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and much of South America.
Lakenheath Fen: Mar 23rd
BAR-HEADED GOOSE Anser indicus
Breeds by lakes in central Asia from Mongolia to the Tibetan plateau. Winters throughout the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar (Burma). the records below are thought to refer to the same pair.
Minsmere: pair, feb 27th, then from Apr 4th to June 24th. With two small young from May 24th Aldeburgh: North Warren, two south, Mar 29th
EMPEROR GOOSE Anser canagica
Breeds north-eastern Siberia and western Alaska. Winters from southern Alaska to northern California.
Lower Stour valley: single, Mar 8th; Apr 9th; May 6th; Nov 3rd, 9th and 17th Stour Estuary: cattawade, June 3rd; July 14th; July 26th – presumed same as above
ROSS’S GOOSE Anser rossii
Breeds in arctic Canada and winters in the southern US and Mexico. Also in Category A.
Shotley: Shotley Marshes, feb 22nd
SWAN GOOSE Anser cygnoides
Breeds north-eastern Asia, winters central China.
Parham: found on the same large pond for the last five years (and previous Parham records back to 2010), feb 28th; Mar 14th
BLACK SWAN Cygnus atratus
Through much of Australia and Tasmania. Category E.
Aldeburgh: North Warren, June 9th
Hazlewood Marshes: Aug 30th to Sep 25th
Snape Wetlands: oct 3rd
SOUTH AFRICAN SHELDUCK Tadorna cana
Widespread across most of South Africa north to Botswana and central Namibia. Minsmere: Scrape, Mar 15th (note that one was also present the previous year at Minsmere, March 14th to 20th 2020)
MUSCOVY DUCK Cairina moschata
Southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Brazil.
Withersfield: sewage works, two, Jan 25th and feb 15th
YELLOW-BILLED PINTAIL Anas georgica
Mostly in the southern areas of South America, but also north to Ecuador. Mildenhall: on River Lark, Apr 4th
LESSER SCAUP Aythya affinis
Breeds Alaska and north-west America, migrates to central America. Flixton Gravel Pits: first-winter female, feb 13th
HOODED MERGANSER Lophodytes cucullatus
Southern central Canada to south-eastern USA. Also in Category A. the colour-ringed male at the Wilderness Pond in christchurch Park had been present from August 2019 and through 2020, but was not reported after April 24th 2021. the Staverton bird from 2020 was present as below.
Butley: Staverton Lakes, female (apparently unringed), Jan 1st, 3rd and 17th; feb 22nd and 23rd; March 17th
Ipswich: christchurch Park, long-staying colour-ringed male, Jan 2nd and feb 20th to Apr 24th. Presumably the same bird on the River Gipping (yarmouth Road bridge) with Mallard, Jan 25th and 27th
2020 Correction
the statement on page 212 of Suffolk Birds 2020 that the released female Hooded Merganser was only interested in the site’s female Mallards is incorrect. it was the site’s male Hooded Merganser that was only interested in the female Mallards – it completely ignored the female Hooded Merganser.
HELMETED GUINEAFOWL Numida meleagris
Widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sudbourne: Mar 31st
REEVE’S PHEASANT Syrmaticus reevesii
Forests of central and eastern China.
Pakenham: Queach farm, two males, Nov 18th
Chedburgh: two on disused airfield, oct 28th to Dec 16th
GOLDEN PHEASANT Chrysolophus pictus
Forests of central China. Also in Category C.
Recorded from three sites in 2021, all thought to be escapees or released birds. this is a repeat of the entry in the game bird section of the systematic list
Ingham: male, feb 8th
Euston: male – presumed released bird as in recent years, Mar 4th; single bird Mar 29th; three further sightings up to Apr 13th
Thetford: Bto Nunnery Reserve, Mar 14th
INDIAN PEAFOWL Pavo cristatus
Breeds throughout the Indian subcontinent from eastern Pakistan south to Sri Lanka.
Blyford: single, May 29th
Southwold: sewage works, Apr 22nd and 29th
Walberswick: six, oct 7th, are thought to be wandering in the area
Herringswell: six males, May 1st; seven males, July 21st
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK Buteo lineatus
Resident in eastern Canada and the US, with a western population in California. Hunston: Aug 21st
LAUGHING KOOKABURRA Dacelo novaeguineae
Eastern and south-western Australia.
this is thought to be the same bird that was reported from Long Melford in Suffolk Birds 2016 as being present in 2015 and 2016 (then not identified to species level) and is thought to have been present since then.
Glemsford: Mar 9th
Long Melford: same bird as above, near Parsonage farm, Apr 1st
GYR FALCON Falco rusticolis
Breeds in the arctic and sub-arctic from Alaska to eastern Siberia. Also in Category A. Stowmarket: ‘gyr-type’ seen over combs ford and perched on pylons, oct 4th
EASTERN ROSELLA Platycercus eximius
Native to south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. Not actually on official Bou list!
Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, Mar 25th
CRESTED MYNA Acridotheres cristatellus
From central China to northern Indochina.
Great Livermere: late May
COMMON MYNA Acridotheres tristis
Native to southern and south-eastern Asia, and widely introduced elsewhere.
Landguard: the second site record, July 13th, the first site record having been on May 16th 2014
HOUSE FINCH Haemorhous mexicanus
Resident from southern Canada to Mexico.
Southwold: July 11th and 30th
Dunwich: presumably same bird as above, July 2nd to 4th – seen to have a green colour-ring
Whilst every effort has been made to make this list as comprehensive as possible, some observers names may have been inadvertently omitted. if your contribution has not been acknowledged, please accept my sincere apologies. it is doubtful that all those who only submit to Birdtrack will feature here.
S Abbott, D Adelson, P Aldous, S Alderman, P Allard, A Allen, D Allen, N Andrews, P Appleton, R Attenborrow, M Avery, R Ayers.
M Bacon, A Baird, D e Balmer, P Barker, i Barthorpe, D Basham, D Baskett, B Baston, e Bathgate, D Beamish, c Beaumont, R Bedwell, R Belson, BiNS, Birdline east Anglia, Birdguides, Birdtrack (thousands), S Bishop, D Borderick, G S Bowen, k Bowman, B Bradnum, D Bradnum, W J Brame, L Broadbent, M Broughton, J Brown, J A Brown, S Brown, D Buckingham, M Buckingham, B Buffery, J Burgess, M Bunn, N Burfield, N Burton, t Butler, B Buttle, c A Buttle.
N calbrade, B calversbert, N cant, D carr, M carr, D carter, M carter, N carter, M cartwright, i castle, M cavanagh, D cawdron, c chapman, t child, R chittenden (Birdline east Anglia), B clarke, J clark, A clements, P collins, G conway, J copp, M L cornish, J corton, c courtney, J cracknell, D crawshaw, L cuthbert, H cutting, L cutting, J cyprus.
c Dale, c Darby, J Davies, P Davison, J Dawson, k Day, D Dean, M J Deans, c Deeks, A Dent, M Dick, G Drake, R Drew, R Duncan, G Durrant, A c easton, D eaton, eBird, M ellis, D elliott, G elliott, J evans, S P evans, J everett, H ewing, A excell.
A faiers, D fairhurst, M fairley, R farrington, J ferguson, M ferris, N firman, R flindall, R flindall, c flynn, c ford, forest enterprise, L forsyth, J frank, S free, S fryett, c fulcher.
c Garrett, J Gearty, P Gilson, Gipping Valley Birders, J Glazebrook, c Good, A Goodall, A Goodey, M Gooch, J Gooding, D Goodwin, P Gowen, c Grafton, J H Grant, P Green, A M Gregory, c Gregory, A Gretton, G Grieco.
R e Hammond, B Harrington, B Hart, M Hart, R Harvey, R Hastings, G Hawes, D Hayward, M Hellicar, c Herrington, J Higgott, P Hobbs, R Hoblyn, J Hogg, Hollesley Wardens, S J Holloway, P J Holmes, R Holmes, P Holness, D Hovell, A Howe, S V Howell, c Hughes, t Humpage.
c R ireland, e D Jackson, c J Jakes, S Jarvis, G J Jobson, R Joliffe, R Johnson, H Jones.
e keeble, c keeling, H keepin, M kemp, J kennerley, P kennerley, t kerridge, A kettle, S kingdon, P kitchener, A king, H king, N king, J kornjaca
P c Lack, Lackford Lakes Log, Lackford Ringing Group, M Lagerbird, Landguard Bird observatory, P Lancaster, D Langlois, Lavenham Bird club, J Lawley, R Leavett, P Leman, J Lewis, D Linsley, M Linsley, M Livesey, N Loth, k Loveridge, D Lowe, Lowestoft Lounge Lizards, J Lyles.
t Mackrill, P Maddison, M Marsh, R Marsh, J Mason, N J Mason, t Mayhew, N Mayo, S Mayson, c G Mcintyre, B Meadows, c Mee, Mickle Mere Log, A Miller, M Miller, S Miller-Smith, c Mills, S Minns, Minsmere RSPB, A V Moon, N J Moran, J Mountain, G Mowles, B Moyes, c Moyes, P W Murphy, R Murray, A Musgrove, c Mutimer, J Myers.
A Nairn, P Napthine, National trust orfordness, Natural england, S Nixon, R Noble, P Norfolk, North Warren RSPB, M Nowers.
t A oakes, N odin, M offord, P oldfield.
R Padman, e Patrick, B Pearson, D Pearsons, M f Peers, P Phillips, D Ping, D Piotrowski, S H Piotrowski, S P Piotrowski, B Pleasance, R Plowman, M Pollitt, L Potter, B Potterton, A Powell. k Puttick
A Rafinski, A Raine, J D k Rankin, P J Ransome, N Rawlings, S Read, L Record, G Richardson, J Richardson, D Ridgley, G Riley, P Riley, A Riseborough, A Rivett, D Robertson, A Rowlands, i Rowlands, J A Rowlands, Roy Dennis Wildlife foundation, RSPB Lakenheath, RSPB Minsmere, RSPB North Warren.
i Salkeld, P Sewell, c Shaw, P Shaw, A Sheppard, N Sherman, J Shrimpton, N Sibbett, N Sills, o Slessor, B J Small, J Smith, P Smith, R c Smith, S Smith, R Stace, G Stephens, P Stopher, t Stopher, R Stewart, Suffolk Wildlife trust, W Sutherland.
M taylor, D thurlow, D thomson, M tickler, G tidman, D tomlinson, L townsend, J trew, c N tricker, trimley Marshes SWt, J turner.
D k underwood.
k Venus, k Verlander, P Vincent, N Vipond, L Vocadio, R Vonk.
R Walden, B Wallace, D f Walsh, J D Warnes, J Walshe, S Waters, Waveney Bird club, R West, WeBS counters, West Suffolk Birders, D White, P Whiteman, P Whittaker, P Wigens, R Will, B Wilson, P M Wilson, R Wilton, R Wincup, G Woodard, B Woodhouse, B e Whybrow, L G Woods, M Wortley, A Wren, J Wright, M t Wright, R M Wright.
R f york, e Zantboer, J Zantboer.
With apologies to anyone we have left out!
DEPARTURES
Date Locality Date Locality
Garganey Mar 14th Lakenheath oct 18th Minsmere osprey Mar 28th Halesworth Nov 26th Alton Water
Hobby Mar 24th Willisham Nov 2nd Minsmere Stone-curlew feb 27th Brecks Nov 5th Sandlings
Little (Ringed) Plover Mar 7th Hollesley Sep 23rd Snape Whimbrel Apr 8th trimley Marshes Sep 24th Landguard
Wood Sandpiper Apr 23rd Livermere Lake Sep 20th Bawdsey
Little tern Apr 11th Mildenhall Sep 15th Landguard Black tern Apr 11th Livermere Lake Sep 5th Minsmere/Havergate
Sandwich tern Mar 26th Minsmere oct 24th Shotley common tern Apr 5th Alton Water Nov 19th Minsmere
Arctic tern Apr 11th Livermere Lake Nov 9th Minsmere
Nightjar May 9th Minsmere Aug 24th Hollesley
Swift Apr 8th ipswich Sep 29th North Warren cuckoo Apr 9th cavenham/Lackford Sep 16th Brandon turtle Dove Apr 24th Aldringham/ Sep 29th Sibton fressingfield
Wryneck Apr 10th kesgrave Sep 7th kessingland/Landguard
Sand Martin feb 27th carlton Marshes oct 7th Minsmere Swallow Mar 27th carlton Dec 20th Herringfleet colville/thetford
House Martin Mar 26th cavenham Nov 18th North Warren
Wood Warbler May 15th Southwold Sep 12th Dunwich Willow Warbler Mar 29th cavenham oct 8th Landguard
Sedge Warbler Mar 29th Lackford oct 12th trimley Marshes Reed Warbler Apr 10th Lakenheath/ oct 19th trimley Marshes Little cornard
Grasshopper Warbler Apr 13th Lakenheath Sep 5th trimley Marshes Garden Warbler Apr 16th Lackford oct 15th Landguard
Lesser Whitethroat Apr 18th foxhall oct 23rd Minsmere common Whitethroat Mar 31st east Bergholt/ Sep 25th Landguard Lakenheath
Ring ouzel feb 13th Badwell Ash* Nov 29th Lowestoft
Spotted flycatcher May 9th Six locations Sep 29th Brandon Nightingale Apr 8th Alton Water Aug 21st trimley Marshes
Pied flycatcher May 3rd Minsmere Sep 18th thorpeness
Redstart Mar 31st carlton colville Nov 5th Landguard Whinchat Apr 28th carlton Marshes Nov 11th Minsmere Wheatear Mar 25th Minsmere/Hollesley/ Nov 4th Walberswick Landguard
yellow Wagtail Apr 2nd Snape/ oct 6th Landguard carlton Marshes
tree Pipit Mar 29th elveden Sep 22nd Brandon
* May have overwintered (otherwise - Mar 22nd Landguard)
the foundation stone of any report is the data upon which it is based. unless we all submit our records diligently, and in a usable form, then the Suffolk Bird Report will not be a comprehensive account of the birds recorded in Suffolk.
the recording of the county’s avifauna is the responsibility of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, working in close co-operation with the Suffolk Bird Group. the linchpins of the system are the Recorders, who are the initial point of contact for all records. Because of the volume of records in Suffolk the county has been divided into three areas. See the inside front cover for a map and addresses.
observers are reminded that Suffolk works to Watsonian vice-county boundaries, taking in areas that are now administered as Norfolk, cambridgeshire or essex. the most significant area affected is that of Lothingland, the northern limits of which follow the River yare and include the south side of Breydon Water. We have retained these original boundaries as we feel that sensible comparison of data can only be made from year to year if the recording area is kept constant.
All observers are requested to submit their records monthly. We also suggest that the following format be followed:
(a) Location (precise place name from the ordnance Survey map plus parish if ambiguous). oS grid reference should be added if in any doubt or if reporting breeding locations.
(b) Species
(c) Date
(d) Name and address of observer
(e) Sex/age – male, female, juvenile etc.
(f) Abundance – count numbers, frequency, etc.
(g) type of record – dead, ringed, etc.
(h) other comments considered relevant – behaviour etc. in particular see the list below for particular information required for each species. All claims of national rarities should, of course, be accompanied by a full description. the Recorder will automatically forward this to the British Birds Rarities committee (BBRc). if submitting a list of records for one particular site, please put all details at the top of the list and annotate with sex and/or frequency. Remember, if in any doubt as to the value of any record, please send it in!
A spreadsheet is available for submitting records and can be downloaded from the SBG website. this can be sent electronically to the Recorders and is a much easier and quicker method for them. Whilst this is not essential, we would encourage all those who can to use this method of submitting their records.
All records come under the scrutiny of the Suffolk ornithological Records committee (SoRc) and for rare or scarce species, verification is sought – i.e. photographs, field sketches, witnesses, sound recordings (for calling or singing birds) and (most importantly) written descriptions. the SoRc ’s policy for vagrants, classified as national rarities, is clear; records should be channelled through the county Recorder to be considered by the British Birds Rarities committee (BBRc), whose decisions are accepted by SoRc. A full list of species that are considered by the SoRc follows. the committee may also request further details regarding any other species that, in the opinion of the committee, is out of context in terms of season, habitat or numbers.
A list of records which have not been accepted for publication can be found in Appendix iii and includes those which have been circulated to the respective committees but were considered unacceptable due to either the identification not being fully established or, more rarely, a genuine mistake having been made. it does not include records still under consideration.
the following list shows all the species recorded in the county and thus this is also a checklist for Suffolk. for any species not listed, a full description will be required. the list shows those species accepted into categories A, B and c, as per the British ornithologists’ union (see the introduction to the Systematic List for more details). Note that a large number of species included can also fall into categories D and e (basically as escapees); a description of such a bird may be requested but will be essential if it is believed that the bird is of wild origin.
A reminder that turtle Dove, yellow Wagtail, Nightingale, Spotted flycatcher, Marsh tit and corn Bunting have all been moved from category 4 to category 3 – records of all of them would be appreciated.
A reminder that Black-throated Diver and Grey Phalarope have been moved from 3 to 2, especially for those seen flying at sea. this seems to have been a little contentious but is necessary for inclusion in the Suffolk Birds. Senior observers have even struggled to identify them at distance.
SBG/SoRc would also like to receive any breeding records for the following species: Kestrel, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Swift, Sand and House Martin (colonies), Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting.
there have been a number of changes in categories from BBRc. So no longer BBRc, but records and descriptions still required by SoRc, the following have moved from 1 to 2: Surf Scoter, Whitebilled Diver, Black-winged Stilt, Lesser yellowlegs, Penduline tit, Arctic Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Red-flanked Bluetail and citrine Wagtail. Moving in the opposite direction from 2 to 1 are the following: Lesser Scaup, ferruginous Duck (again!), kentish Plover, Subalpine Warbler, Ashyheaded Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit, Arctic Redpoll and Rustic Bunting.
As a reminder, having moved from category 3 to 2, are Golden oriole and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (away from the Brandon/Santon Downham area).
unusually, as in 2020, there were no additions to the Suffolk list in 2021.
Red-legged Partridge 4
Grey Partridge 3 common Quail 3 common Pheasant 4 Golden Pheasant 3
Brent Goose - Dark-Bellied 4
Brent Goose - Pale-Bellied 3 Brent Goose - Black Brant 2 Red-breasted Goose 1 canada Goose 4 Barnacle Goose 3 Snow Goose 1 Greylag Goose 4 taiga Bean Goose 2 Pink-footed Goose 3 tundra Bean Goose 3
Greater White-fronted Goose 3 Mute Swan 4 tundra (Bewick’s) Swan 3 Whooper Swan 3 egyptian Goose 3 common Shelduck 4 Ruddy Shelduck * 1 Mandarin Duck 4 Baikal teal 1 Garganey 3 Blue-winged teal 1 Northern Shoveler 4 Gadwall 4 eurasian Wigeon 4 American Wigeon 2 Mallard 4
Northern Pintail 4 eurasian teal 4 Green-winged teal 2 Red-crested Pochard 3 common Pochard 3 ferruginous Duck 1 Ring-necked duck 2 tufted Duck 4 Greater Scaup 3 Lesser Scaup 1 common eider 3 king eider 1 Surf Scoter 2 Velvet Scoter 3 common Scoter 3 Long tailed Duck 3 Bufflehead 1 common Goldeneye 4 Smew 3
Red-breasted Merganser 3 Goosander 3 Ruddy Duck 2 european Nightjar 3 Alpine Swift 2 common Swift 4 Pallid Swift 1 Pacific Swift 1 Great Bustard 1 Macqueen’s Bustard 1 Little Bustard 1 Great Spotted cuckoo 1
yellow Billed cuckoo 1 common cuckoo 3 Pallas’s Sandgrouse * 1 feral Pigeon 4 Stock Pigeon 4 common Wood Pigeon 4 european turtle Dove 3 oriental turtle Dove 1 eurasian collared Dove 4 Water Rail 3 corncrake 2 Little crake 1 Baillons crake* 1 Spotted crake 2 Western Swamphen 1 common Moorhen 4 Allen’s Gallinule* 1 eurasian coot 4 Sandhill crane 1 common crane 3 Little Grebe 4 Red-necked Grebe 3 Great crested Grebe 4 Slavonian Grebe 3 Black-necked Grebe 3 eurasian Stone-curlew 3 eurasian oystercatcher 4 Black-winged Stilt 2 Pied Avocet 4 Northern Lapwing 4 Sociable Plover 1 european Golden Plover 4 Pacific Golden Plover 1 American Golden Plover 2 Grey Plover 4 common Ringed Plover 4 Little Ringed Plover 4 killdeer 1 kentish Plover 1 Greater Sand Plover 1 eurasian Dotterel 2 Whimbrel 4 eurasian curlew 4 Bar-tailed Godwit 3 Black-tailed Godwit 4 Ruddy turnstone 4 Great knot 1 Red knot 4 Ruff 3 Broad-billed Sandpiper 1 Stilt Sandpiper 1 curlew Sandpiper 3 temminck’s Stint 3 Sanderling 3 Dunlin 4 Purple Sandpiper 3 Baird’s Sandpiper 1 Little Stint 3 White-rumped Sandpiper 2 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 2 Pectoral Sandpiper 3 Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Long-billed Dowitcher 1
eurasian Woodcock 3 Jack Snipe 3 Great Snipe 1 common Snipe 4 terek Sandpiper 1 Wilson’s Phalarope 1 Red-necked Phalarope 2 Grey Phalarope 2 common Sandpiper 3 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Green Sandpiper 3 Lesser yellowlegs 2 common Redshank 4 Marsh Sandpiper 1 Wood Sandpiper 3 Spotted Redshank 3 common Greenshank 3 Greater yellowlegs 1 cream-coloured courser * 1 collared Pratincole 1 oriental Pratincole 1 Black-winged Pratincole 1 Black-legged kittiwake 4 ivory Gull 1 Sabine’s Gull 2 Slender-billed Gull 1 Black-headed Gull 4 Little Gull 3 Ross’s Gull 1 Laughing Gull 1 franklin’s Gull 1 Audouin’s Gull 1 Mediterranean Gull 3 common Gull 4 Ring-billed Gull 2 Great Black-backed Gull 4 Glaucous Gull 3 iceland Gull 3 european Herring Gull 4 American Herring Gull 1 caspian Gull 3 yellow-legged Gull 3 Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 Gull-billed tern 1 caspian tern 1 Lesser-crested tern 1 Sandwich tern 4 Little tern 4 Sooty tern 1 Roseate tern 3 common tern 4 Arctic tern 3 forster’s tern 1 Whiskered tern 1 White-winged tern 2 Black tern 3 Great Skua 3 Pomarine Skua 3 Artic Skua 3 Long-tailed Skua 3 Little Auk 3 common Guillemot 3 Razorbill 3
Black Guillemot 2
Atlantic Puffin 3
Red-throated Diver 3 Black-throated Diver 2 Great Northern Diver 3 White-billed Diver 2 Black-browed Albatross 1 european Storm-petrel 2 Leach’s Storm-petrel 3 Northern fulmar 4 cory’s Shearwater 2 Sooty Shearwater 3 Great Shearwater 2 Manx Shearwater 3 Balearic Shearwater 2 Black Stork 1 White Stork 2 Glossy ibis 3 Northern Gannet 3 european Shag 3 Great cormorant 4 eurasian Spoonbill 3 eurasian Bittern 3 American Bittern 1 Little Bittern 1 Black-crowned Night-heron 2 Squacco Heron 1 Western cattle egret 3 Grey Heron 4 Purple Heron 2 Great egret 3 Little egret 3 Western osprey 3 european Honey Buzzard 2 Greater Spotted eagle 1 eurasian Sparrowhawk 3 Northern Goshawk 2 Marsh Harrier 3 Hen Harrier 3 Pallid Harrier 1 Montagu’s Harrier 2 Red kite 3 Black kite 2 White-tailed eagle 2 Rough-legged Buzzard 2 common Buzzard 3 Western Barn owl 3 european Scops owl * 1 Snowy owl 1 tawny owl 3 Little owl 3 tengmalm’s owl* 1
Long-eared owl 3 Short-eared owl 3 eurasian Hoopoe 3 european Roller 1 common kingfisher 3 european Bee-eater 2 eurasian Wryneck 3 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 4 Green Woodpecker 4 Lesser kestrel 1
common kestrel 4 Red-footed falcon 2 eleonora’s falcon 1 Merlin 3 eurasian Hobby 3 Gyr falcon 1 Peregrine falcon 3 Ring-necked Parakeet 3 Red-backed Shrike 3 isabelline/Daurian Shrike 1 Lesser Grey Shrike 1 Great Grey Shrike 3 Southern Grey Shrike 1 Woodchat Shrike 2 Red-eyed Vireo 1 eurasian Golden oriole 2 eurasian Jay 4 eurasian Magpie 4 Nutcracker 1 Red-billed chough * 2 Western Jackdaw 4 Rook 4
carrion crow 4 Hooded crow 2 Northern Raven 3 Bohemian Waxwing 3 coal tit 4 crested tit 2 Marsh tit 3 Willow tit 2 eurasian Blue tit 4 Great tit 4 eurasian Penduline tit 2 Bearded Reedling 3 Woodlark 4 eurasian Skylark 4 crested Lark 1 Shore Lark 3 Greater Short-toed Lark 2 Sand Martin 4 Barn Swallow 4 House Martin 4 Red-rumped Swallow 2 cliff Swallow 1 cetti’s Warbler 3 Long-tailed tit 4 Wood Warbler 3 Western Bonelli’s Warbler 1 Hume’s Leaf Warbler 1 yellow-browed Warbler 3 Pallas’s Leaf Warbler 2 Radde’s Warbler 2 Dusky Warbler 2 Willow Warbler 4 common chiffchaff 4 (Siberian chiffchaff) 2 iberian chiffchaff 1 two-barred Warbler 1 Greenish Warbler 2 Arctic Warbler 2 Great Reed Warbler 1 Garden Warbler 4 Aquatic Warbler 2
Sedge Warbler 4
Paddyfield Warbler 1 Blyth’s Reed Warbler 2 eurasian Reed Warbler 4 Marsh Warbler 2 Booted Warbler 1 eastern olivaceous Warbler 1 Melodious Warbler 2 icterine Warbler 2 Lanceolated Warbler 1 Grasshopper Warbler 3 River Warbler 1 Savi’s Warbler 1 Blackcap 4 Garden Warbler 4 Barred Warbler 3 Lesser Whitethroat 4 common Whitethroat 4 Dartford Warbler 3 Marmora’s Warbler 1 Spectacled Warbler 1 Subalpine Warbler 1 Sardinian Warbler 1 common firecrest 3 Goldcrest 4 eurasian Wren 4 eurasian Nuthatch 3 eurasian treecreeper 3 Short-toed treecreeper 1 Rosy Starling 2 common Starling 4 White’s thrush 1 Ring ouzel 3 common Blackbird 4 fieldfare 4 Redwing 4 Song thrush 4 Mistle thrush 4 Spotted flycatcher 3 european Robin 4 Siberian Blue Robin 1 Bluethroat 2 thrush Nightingale 1 common Nightingale 3 Red-flanked Bluetail 2 european Pied flycatcher 3 collared flycatcher 1 Red-breasted flycatcher 2 Black Redstart 3 common Redstart 3 Whinchat 3 european Stonechat 3 Siberian Stonechat 1 Stejneger’s Stonechat 1 Northern Wheatear 3 isabelline Wheatear 1 Desert Wheatear 1 Pied Wheatear 1 White-crowned Wheatear 1 Dipper 2 House Sparrow 4 Spanish Sparrow 1 eurasian tree Sparrow 3
Alpine Accentor 1
Dunnock 4
Western yellow Wagtail 3
Blue-headed Wagtail 3
Grey-headed Wagtail 2 Black-headed Wagtail 1 Ashy-headed Wagtail 1 eastern yellow Wagtail 1 citrine Wagtail 2 Grey Wagtail 3 Pied Wagtail 4 White Wagtail 3 Richard’s Pipit 2 Blyth’s Pipit 1 tawny Pipit 2 Meadow Pipit 4 tree Pipit 3 olive-backed Pipit 2
Red-throated Pipit 1 Water Pipit 3 Rock Pipit 3 chaffinch 4 Brambling 3 Hawfinch 3 eurasian Bullfinch 3 trumpeter finch 1 common Rosefinch 2 european Greenfinch 4 twite 3 common Linnet 4 common Redpoll 3 Lesser Redpoll 3 Arctic Redpoll 1 Parrot crossbill 2 Red crossbill 3 two-barred crossbill 1
* not recorded as wild since at least 1949
Key:
1 National Rarity – detailed description required.
2 county Rarity – notes detailing observation will always be required.
3 All records requested – supporting notes may be requested.
european Goldfinch 4 european Serin 2 european Siskin 4 Lapland Bunting 3 Snow Bunting 3 corn Bunting 3 yellowhammer 4 Pine Bunting 1 ortolan Bunting 2 cretzschmar’s Bunting 1 cirl Bunting 2 Little Bunting 2 Rustic Bunting 1 yellow-breasted Bunting 1 Black-headed Bunting 1 Reed Bunting 4 White-throated Sparrow 1 Lark Sparrow 1
4 Specific records – records of breeding, large counts, earliest/latest dates, unusual inland records or migration/weather-related movements requested.
Craig Fulcher and David Walsh
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus iken, 2cy+ male, May 3rd-4th (S Westerberg et al.)
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus iken cliff, 2cy+, May 5th–6th (J farooqi et al.)
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
Southwold, 2cy+, June 12th (B J Small); presumed same, carlton Marshes SWt, June 12th (c Buttle, A c easton et al.)
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Minsmere RSPB, 3cy+, July 26th (J H Grant et al.); presumed same, carlton Marshes SWt, July 26th (A c easton et al. per Suffolk Recorder)
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
iken, 3cy+, May 14th (c Shaw et al. per Suffolk Recorder); also seen Norfolk Southwold, 2cy+, August 24th (N carter, A V Moon, A Riseborough, B J Small)
Black Stork Ciconia nigra
Snape Maltings, 2cy+, August 12th (H, k & P Pearson); presumed same, Lowestoft, August 14th (G Hawes), kessingland, August 14th (D Borderick, c Buttle per Suffolk Recorder), iken, August 14th (P J Holmes per Suffolk Recorder), Havergate island RSPB, August 14th (D fairhurst, P R kennerley, B J Small per Suffolk Recorder) and fagbury cliff, August 14th (A J Barrett); also seen essex
European Roller Coracias garrulus
Lackford and icklingham, 2cy+, June 23rd to July 1st (P c Lack et al. per Suffolk Recorder)
Hume’s Warbler Phylloscopus humei
Benacre, 1cy+, November 25th–29th (c Buttle et al.)
Aldeburgh, 1cy+, December 26th–27th (c Mee et al.)
Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus
foxhall Heath, kesgrave, 2cy+ male in song, April 17th to June 22nd (M L cornish et al.)
Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Southwold, 2cy+ male in song, June 9th (J A Rowlands, B J Small)
Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides
Whitecast Marsh, carlton Marshes SWt, 2cy+ male in song, May 12th (A c easton per Suffolk Recorder)
Share Marsh, carlton Marshes SWt, 2cy+ male in song, June 13th (A c easton per Suffolk Recorder); also seen Norfolk
Lakenheath RSPB, 2cy+ male in song, May 23rd–27th (D thompson et al. per Suffolk Recorder) Minsmere RSPB, 2cy+ male in song, June 17th to July 27th (M Buckingham, R M Harvey et al.)
Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
Sizewell, 1cy female, November 14th (J Badley, J A Rowlands et al.)
Records found not proven 2021
BBRC: Black Stork Ciconia nigra Holbrook August 15th iberian chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus Minsmere RSPB April 18th
SORC:
cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis Bawdsey September 27th Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Rushmere St Andrew January 27th Black kite Milvus migrans Minsmere May 19th
this gazetteer gives locations for sites listed in the main checklist section of this issue of Suffolk Birds. the intention is to make it easier for newcomers to birdwatching, or those less familiar with the county, to be able to locate sites. Specific sites are given a six-figure ordnance Survey reference where appropriate; larger sites are given a four-figure reference for the 1km square in which they are situated. Whilst a complete list of all sites would obviously be of most use, it would of necessity, be very long. therefore, it does not, in general, contain parish names, which are easily located by reference to a standard road map. if anybody would like to add postcodes or similar to these sites – please let us know!
Aldeburgh town Marshes tM450560
Alde estuary tM3957-4450
Aldringham common tM458606
Aldringham Walks tM4661
Alton Water tM1436
Ampton Water tL8770
Barham Pits tM1251
Barnhamcross common tL8681
Barsham Marshes tM4090
Barton Mere tL910668
Bawdsey Marshes tM340390
Belle Vue Gardens, Lowestoft tM550944
Benacre Broad tM530828
Benacre Pits tM535842
Bentley tM120385
Berner’s Heath tL7976
Blundeston Marshes tM5095
Blyth estuary tM4575-4776
Botany Bay tL675854
Bowbeck tL9475
Boxford tL9640
Boyton Marshes tM3946
Brackenbury cliff, felixstowe tM322360
Brent eleigh tL943480
Breydon Water tM4706-5107
Bromeswell tM3050
carlton Marshes tM4991
campsea Ashe tM3256
castle Marshes tM475915
cattawade Marshes tM0932
cavenham Heath tL755725
cavenham Pits tL763715
christchurch Park, ipswich tM164454 cobbold’s Point tM315349
combs Lane Water Meadows tM043581
cornard Mere tL887391
corton railway line tM537579 corton sewage works tM539982
cosford Hall, Hadleigh tM013446 cove Bottom tM4979 covehithe Broad tM524808
Deben estuary tM2850-3238
Dingle Marshes tM4872
Dunwich Heath tM4768 eastbridge tM452660 east Lane, Bawdsey tM354401 easton Broad tM518794 elveden tL8279 erwarton Bay tM2333 euston Lake/Park tL9079 fagbury cliff tM270346 falkenham Marshes tM3138 felixstowe ferry tM3237 fisher Row tM507927 flixton GP tM3187 foxhole Heath tL735776 fressingfield tM260775 fritton Decoy/Lake tM4800 frostenden tM4781 Gedgrave Marshes tM410480 Gifford’s Hall tM0137 Gipping Great Wood tM075625 Glemsford tL8348 Groton tL9642 Gunton Warren tM5495 Hardwick Heath tL854625 Hare’s creek, Shotley tM244360 Haughley Park tM000620
Havergate island tM4147 Hazlewood Marshes tM435573
Hengrave Hall tL824686 Hen Reedbeds tM470770
Herringfleet Marshes tM468977 Herringswell tL7169
Hinderclay fen tM025788
Holbrook Bay tM1733
Hollesley Marshes tM375450 Holywells Park, ipswich tM175435
Homersfield Gravel Pits tM287855 icklingham Plains tL7573 ilketshall St Lawrence tM3883 ipswich Golf course tM207433 ipswich Wet Dock tM169439 kedington tL7046 kentwell Hall, Long Melford tL863479 kessingland Levels tM530850
kessingland sewage works tM533857 king’s fleet tM310379 king’s forest, the tL8173 kirton creek tM292417 knettishall Heath tL952804
Lackford Lakes tL800710
Lake Lothing tM5392
Lakenheath fen tL7085
Lakenheath Warren tL7580
Lakenheath Washes tL7085
Landguard tM2831
Lavenham railway walk tL9049
Layham pits tM021402
Leathes Ham tM530933
Leiston Abbey tM444643
Levington creek tM237383
Levington Marina
tM246380
Lineage Wood, Lavenham tM890485
Livermere Lake tL882716
Long Melford churchyard tL868468
Long Melford sewage works tL855459
Loompit Lake tM255377
Lound Waterworks tG501007
Lowestoft Harbour tM5592
Market Weston fen tL980787
Martlesham creek tM2647
Mayday farm tL7983
Mickle Mere tL937699
Middleton tM4267 Minsmere tM4766 Minsmere Levels tM4667
Mutford tM4988
Needham Market Lake
tM094548
Ness Point tM555936
North Denes, Lowestoft tM551951
Northfield Wood tM024600
North Warren tM4658
Nowton Park tL866615
Nunnery Lakes tL872815 old Newton tM0562
olley’s farm tL824815
orfordness tM4654-3743
orwell Bridge tM175413
orwell estuary tM1641-2534
outney common, Bungay tM3290
oulton Broad tM5192
oxley Marshes tM370435
Pakefield Beach tM5389
Pakenham fen tL930680
Peewit Hill tM289338
Pipps ford tM108538
Potter’s Bridge tM509791
Puttockshill tL898695
Ramsey Wood tM065430
Ramsholt Marshes tM298423
Redgrave and Lopham fen tM046797
Redgrave Lake tM055767
Reydon Marshes tM485766
Santon Downham tL818878
Sedge fen, Lakenheath tL6784
Shelley tM0338
Shingle Street tM365425
Shotley Marshes tM248350
Shottisham creek tM3043
Sizewell Beach tM4763
Sizewell SWt tM460640
Slaughden tM464555
Snape Wetland tM385585
Sole Bay tM5177
Sotterley Park tM460850
Southwold Boating Lake tM510769
Southwold town Marshes tM500754
Spinny Marsh tM292428
Staverton thicks tM3650
Sternfield
tM3961
Stonham Aspal tM1359
Stour estuary tM1032-2433
Stradishall Airfield tL7452
Stratton Hall tM254388
Stutton Mill tM133330
Sudbourne Marshes tM4553 Suffolk Water Park tM120485
Sutton common tM3247 Sutton Heath tM308478 tangham tM355485 temple Bridge, cavenham tL758728 theberton Grange tM438652 thetford Heath tL845800 thorington Street Reservoir tM012352 thorpeness common tM475604 thorpeness Meare tM4659 tinker’s Marshes tM484760
trimley Marshes tM2635 trinity Hall farm, Moulton tL693651 tuddenham Heath tL7472 tuddenham St Martin tM1948 ufford tM300525 undley tL6981 upper Abbey farm, Leiston tM453646 Walberswick NNR tM4674 Waldingfield airfield tL8943 Waldringfield Pit tM274438
Walpole tM3674 Wangford Warren tL758842 Westleton Heath tM4569
West Stow country Park tL800713 Westwood Lodge tM465737
Westwood Marshes tM4773 Wetherden tM0062
Weybread GPs tM2481 Wherstead Strand tM173408
Wilford Bridge tM291501 Wolves Wood tM055440 Wordwell tL828720 Workhouse Green tL9037
Alpine Swift -
American Golden PloverAmerican WigeonArctic RedpollArctic Skua 122
Arctic tern 120
Avocet 90
Baird’s SandpiperBalearic Shearwater 130
Barn owl 147
Barnacle Goose 59
Barred Warbler 175
Bar-tailed Godwit 101 Bean Goose 59
Bearded tit 161
Bee-eater 149
Bewick’s Swan 62 Bittern 134
Black-browed AlbatrossBlack kite 143
Black Redstart 189 Black Stork 130 Black tern 121
Black-throated Diver 126 Blackbird 183
Blackcap 174 Black-headed Gull 111 Black-necked Grebe 88 Black-tailed Godwit 99 Black-winged Stilt 89 Bluethroat 188 Blue tit 159 Blue-winged tealBlyth’s Reed WarblerBrambling 199
Brent Goose 54 Buff-breasted Sandpiper 99 Bullfinch 200 Buzzard 146 canada Goose 55 carrion crow 157 caspian Gull 115 cattle egret 134 cetti’s Warbler 166 chaffinch 199 chiffchaff 169 citrine Wagtailcoal tit 158 collared Dove 84 crossbill 203 common crane 86 common Gull 112 common Rosefinch 201
common Sandpiper 103 common Scoter 73 common tern 119 coot 86 cormorant 131 corn Bunting 206 corncrakecory’s Shearwater 128 crossbill 203 cuckoo 81 curlew 102 curlew Sandpiper 98 Dartford Warbler 177 Desert WheatearDipper 194 Dotterel 95 Dunlin 98 Dunnock 195 Dusky Warbler 168 eider 72 egyptian Goose 61 feral Pigeon 82 ferruginous Duck 71 fieldfare 184 firecrest 177 fulmar 127 Gadwall 66 Gannet 131 Garden Warbler 175 Garganey 65 Glaucous Gull 113 Glossy ibis 132 Goldcrest 178 Golden Pheasant 79 Golden oriole 155 Golden Plover 92 Goldeneye 75 Goldfinch 204 Goosander 76 Goshawk 139 Grasshopper Warbler 174 Great Black-backed Gull 113 Great-crested Grebe 87 Great egret 135 Greater yellowlegsGreat Grey Shrike 155 Great Northern Diver 126 Great Reed Warbler 171 Great Skua 121 Great SnipeGreat-spotted Woodpecker 150 Great tit 160 Green Sandpiper 103
Green-winged tealGreen Woodpecker 151 Greenfinch 201 Greenish Warbler 171 Greenshank 105 Grey Heron 134 Grey Partridge 78 Grey Phalarope 108 Grey Plover 93 Grey Wagtail 196 Greylag Goose 57 Gull-billed tern 117 Guillemot 123 Hawfinch 200 Hen Harrier 141 Herring Gull 115 Hobby 152 Honey Buzzard 138 Hooded crow 158 Hoopoe 148 House Martin 165 House Sparrow 195 Hume’s Warbler 168 iceland Gull 114 icterine Warbler 173 isabelline ShrikeJack Snipe 108 Jackdaw 157 Jay 156 kentish Plover 95 kestrel 151 kingfisher 149 kittiwake 110 knot 95
Lapland Longspur 205 Lapwing 91 Leach’s PetrelLesser Black-backed Gull 116 Lesser Grey Shrike 155 Lesser Redpoll 202 Lesser Scaup 209 Lesser-spotted Woodpecker 150 Lesser White-frontLesser Whitethroat 176 Lesser yellowlegs 106
Linnet 201
Little Auk 123
Little Bittern 134
Little Bunting 206
Little crakeLittle egret 136
Little Grebe 88
Little Gull 111
Little Owl 147
Little (Ringed) Plover 94
Little Stint 96
Little Tern 118
Long-billed Dowitcher -
Long-eared Owl 147
Long-tailed Duck 74
Long-tailed Skua 122
Long-tailed Tit 167
Magpie 156 Mallard 68
Mandarin Duck 64
Manx Shearwater 129
Marsh Harrier 140
Marsh SandpiperMarsh Tit 159
Marsh Warbler 173
Meadow Pipit 197
Mealy Redpoll -
Mediterranean Gull 112
Melodious Warbler -
Merlin 151
Mistle Thrush 181 Montagu’s Harrier 142 Moorhen 86
Mute Swan 61 Night HeronNightingale 187 Nightjar 80
Nuthatch 179
Olive-backed PipitOrtolan BuntingOsprey 137
Oystercatcher 89
Pacific Golden PloverPallas’s Warbler 168
Pallid HarrierPallid Swift -
Pectoral Sandpiper 97
Penduline Tit 161
Peregrine 152
Pheasant 79
Pied Flycatcher 188
Pied Wagtail 197
Pink-foot 58
Pintail 69
Pochard 71
Pomarine Skua 122
Puffin 124
Purple Heron 135
Purple Sandpiper 98
Quail 79
Radde’s Warbler 168
Raven 158 Razorbill 124
Red Kite 142
Red-backed Shrike 154
Red-breasted Flycatcher 189
Red-breasted GooseRed-breasted Merganser 77 Red-crested Pochard 71
Red-flanked BluetailRed-footed Falcon 151 Red-legged Partridge 79 Red-necked Grebe 87 Red-necked Phalarope 107 Red-rumped Swallow 166 Redshank 106 Redstart 190
Red-throated Diver 125 Red-throated PipitRedwing 182
Reed Bunting 206 Reed Warbler 172
Richard’s Pipit 197 Ring Ouzel 184 Ring-billed GullRinged Plover 94 Ring-necked DuckRobin 186 Rock Pipit 199 Roller 149 Rook 157 Roseate Tern 119
Rose-ringed Parakeet 154 Rosy Starling 179 Rough-legged Buzzard 145 Ruddy DuckRuddy Shelduck 208 Ruff 99
Rustic BuntingSabine’s Gull 110 Sand Martin 164 Sanderling 96 Sandwich Tern 117 Savi’s Warbler 173 Scaup 72
Sedge Warbler 172 Semipalmated SandpiperSerin 204
Shag 131 Shelduck 63 Shore Lark 163 Short-eared Owl 147 Short-toed LarkShoveler 65 Siskin 204 Skylark 162 Slavonian Grebe 88 Smew 76 Snipe 109
Snow Bunting 205 Snow GooseSong Thrush 180
Sooty Shearwater 128
Sparrowhawk 139
Spoonbill 132 Spotted Crake 85 Spotted Flycatcher 185 Spotted Redshank 104 Starling 180
Stock Dove 82 Stonechat 192
Stone-curlew 89 Storm Petrel 127
Subalpine WarblerSurf ScoterSwallow 164
Swift 80
Tawny Owl 148
Tawny Pipit -
Teal 70
Temminck’s Stint 97
Tree Pipit 198
Tree Sparrow 194
Treecreeper 179
Tufted Duck 72
Turnstone 107
Turtle Dove 84
Twite 201
Water Pipit 198 Water Rail 85 Waxwing 158 Wheatear 193 Whimbrel 101 Whinchat 191 Whiskered TernWhite-fronted Goose 59 White Stork 130
White-rumped Sandpiper 97 White-tailed Eagle 144 Whitethroat 176
White Wagtail 197
White-winged (Black) Tern 121 Whooper Swan 63
Wigeon 68
Willow Tit 159
Willow Warbler 169
Woodchat Shrike 155
Wood Lark 161
Wood Sandpiper 105
Wood Warbler 167
Woodcock 108
Woodpigeon 83
Wren 178
Wryneck 150
Yellowhammer 206
Yellow-browed Warbler 168
Yellow-legged Gull 116
Yellow Wagtail 195
Founded in 1929 by Claude Morley (1874–1951), the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology, to promote a wider interest in natural history.
Recording the natural history of Suffolk is still one of the Society’s primary objects, and members’ observations are fed to a network of specialist recorders for possible publication, and deposited in the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service.
Suffolk Natural History, a review of the County’s wildlife, and Suffolk Birds, the County bird report, are two high quality annual publications issued free to members. The Society also publishes a quarterly newsletter and holds two Members’ evenings a year in Spring and Autumn.
The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society offers a joint membership with the Suffolk Bird Group at a reduced subscription. This entitles joint members to receive literature and attend the meetings of both organisations.
If you are not yet a member of the Society but would like to join visit www.sns.org.uk
Editorial: Nick Mason 5
Review of national and county rarities in Suffolk in 2021: Nick Mason and David Walsh 9
Black-necked Grebes attempting to breed in Suffolk: Steve Piotrowski .................................................... 12
Trimley Ringing Report 2021: Justin Zantboer ............................................................................................ 16
The Mickle Mere: Malcolm Wright 33
Movement of colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwits away from the Orwell: Mick Wright 37 European Roller in west Suffolk in 2021: Peter Lack 49
The 2021 Suffolk Bird Report
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 51 Systematic List 54 Appendices 208
List of Contributors 211
Earliest and Latest Dates of Summer Migrants ......................................................................................... 213
A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk ........................................................................................................ 214
Rare birds in Suffolk (BBRC): Craig Fulcher and David Walsh 219 Gazetteer 221
Index of species: ................................................................................................................................ 224
