A review of Suffolk ornithology -1984

A REVIEW OF SUFFOLK ORNITHOLOGY - 1984 R.

B.

WARREN

T h e r e w e r e s o m e n o t a b l e events in the C o u n t y in 1984, including t h e addition of t h r e e species to t h e C o u n t y list (four if old records of the Parrot Crossbill are d i s c o u n t e d ) . F r o m July to S e p t e m b e r a G r e a t W h i t e E g r e t , which spent most of its time at M i n s m e r e , was e n j o y e d by m a n y ; t h e species is, of course, now b r e e d i n g in H o l l a n d . Earlier a small g r o u p of both adult and juvenile P a r r o t Crossbills had b e e n f o u n d . A s is well k n o w n , the species bred for the first time in Britain in N o r f o l k in 1984. It is a shame that we have no firm evidence that o u t birds b r e d in t h e C o u n t y . Lastly, at L a n d g u a r d Point a T h r u s h Nightingale was f o u n d in May and a B o o t e d W a r b i e r in O c t o b e r , t h e f o r m e r b e i n g ringed.

T h e w i n t e r of early 1984 was mainly mild with only one short s h a r p shock late in J a n u a r y , which resulted in the usual m o v e m e n t s of species, including the arrival of six species of wild geese at B e n a c r e . D Ăź r i n g this period a cock Snow B u n t i n g was seen at B r a n d o n , a very rare species inland. Redwings b e c a m e m o r e n u m e r o u s than for a n u m b e r of years and there was quite an influx of Siskins. U p to 17 Shags which roosted on the pier pavilion were c o u n t e d at L o w e s t o f t , and t h e r e was a small 'wreck' of the species in early F e b r u a r y . A G r e e n s h a n k and several C o m m o n Sandpipers, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps w e r e f o u n d wintering. T h e s e species ( p e r h a p s in s o m e cases the same birds) w e r e f o u n d again at t h e end of the year. T h e W h i t e Stork, of d u b i o u s origin, was p r e s e n t f r o m 1983 and the R e d - b r e a s t e d G o o s e , one of the o u t s t a n d i n g r e c o r d s of t h e previous year, lingered into F e b r u a r y . T h e r e was an out-of-season G r e y P h a l a r o p e at L o w e s t o f t , and 4 or 5 Iceland Gulls.

O t h e r rarities included 2 Rough-legged Buzzards and 2 G o s h a w k s . A G r e a t Skua in F e b r u a r y was u n u s u a l . Shorelarks and G r e a t G r e y Shrikes were very low in n u m b e r s , a n d the latter species was not r e p o r t e d at all at the end of t h e year.

M a r c h was a very cold m o n t h a n d , as a result, s u m m e r visitors were slow in a p p e a r i n g . In r e s p o n s e t o a cold spring a n u m b e r of winter visitors lingered into M a y , as is usual these years. D Ăź r i n g the Spring there w e r e prolonged N o r t h - E a s t or East winds, b u t not 'ill winds' for bird-watchers. A p a r t f r o m the T h r u s h Nightingale already m e n t i o n e d , they brought a magnificent White-tailed E a g l e , C r a n e s at Kessingland and B e n a c r e (there was a n o t h e r at Walberswick in J u n e ) , 2 or 3 Kentish Plovers, 3 B l u e t h r o a t s , and m o r e Black T e r n s , W r y n e c k s and Ring Ouzels than usual. A notable passage of Bar-tailed G o d w i t s t o o k place at t h e e n d of April. Spring also p r o d u c e d a L e a c h ' s P e t r e l , a Little E g r e t , a R e d - f o o t e d Falcon, a Spotted C r a k e , a pair of D o t t e r e l and a T e m m i n c k ' s Stint.

S o m e s u m m e r visitors were low in n u m b e r s , especially Sand Martins, W h i t e t h r o a t s , C h i f f c h a f f s and S p o t t e d Flycatchers, attributable to the d r o u g h t in t h e Sahel region of Africa and bad w e a t h e r in S o u t h e r n E u r o p e on passage. T h e wet M a y was disastrous for g a m e birds, tits and o t h e r species.

Of b r e e d i n g birds, a F u l m a r raised at least one chick again, t w o pairs of

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Suffolk Natural History, Vol. 21

Ruddy D u c k s and at least one of Hobbies bred, but Avocets had a disastrous season at Minsmere. T h e C o m m o n and Lesser-Black-backed colonies continue to grow. Firecrestsbred, or may have bred, at fiveor more sitesnear the coast, but the Red-backed Shrike was just holding on by one or two pairs.

O n e wonders where the juvenile Wryneck found at Benacre on l l t h July came f r o m ? At the end of the season there were instances of late breeding, including a newly-fledged Bullfinch at Minsmere on 19th October. ' A u t u m n ' passage produced more shearwaters, G a n n e t s and skuas than usual and an excellent wader passage, but numbers of terns were small.

Rarities included a Honey Buzzard, Single Red and Black Kites, a Montagu's Harrier and a second Red-footed Falcon in September. Rare waders were represented by one or two Kentish Plover and Temminck's Stints, 2 Whiterumped Sandpipers, 4 Pectoral Sandpipers, and 2 Red-necked Phalaropes.

O t h e r vagrants included a Caspian Tern in July, a Bee-eater in August and a Tawny Pipit in September. Rare warblers were 4 Icterine Warbiers, a Barred Warbier, 2 or 3 Yellow-browed warblers and a Pallas's warbler.

As in recent years, there was a sprinkling of August Fieldfares, and in September Brent Geese began arriving earlier than usual.

From 5 t h - 7 t h October there was a dramatic 'fall' of migrants noted, particularly in the early hours at Landguard Point and Lowestoft, caused by the tail-end of hurricane 'Hortense'. The estimated numbers included thousands of thrushes and several hundred Blackcaps, and there were several rarities including a Bluethroat, 2 'Siberian' Stonechats, 2 Redbreasted Flycatchers and one or more Great Grey Shrikes.

There was an incursion of Little A u k s on November 6th with scattered records over the rest of the month, a second Leach's Petrel was seen off the coast, and a second Grey Phalarope at Lowestoft. This month was characterised by its mildness and there was a period of southerly winds f r o m North Africa. These were no doubt responsible for the County's latest Black Tern, and an unprecedented movement of Swifts in the second week of the month.

Of winter visitors, we have only heard of one Waxwing, but Twites and Snow Buntings were in good numbers. In addition to the species mentioned earlier, at least 3 Black Redstarts were wintering, and a Whinchat was found at Alton W a t e r in D e c e m b e r . Rare ducks at the end of the year were a Ring-Necked Duck at Benacre and a male Ferruginous Duck at Alton Water.

There has been brought to our notice a tree roost of Cormorants on the River Stour, near Long Melford, with an oral history going back about 100 years; this roost is not mentioned in W. H . Payn's 'Birds of Suffolk'.

It must be stressed that some of the afore-mentioned records still await adjudication by the National Rarities Committee and the County Records Committee and are not necessarily authenticated records.

As has already been advised I have taken over as County Bird Recorder from D e r e k M o o r e , following his appointment as Director of the Suffolk Trust for Nature Conservation. Not everyone seems to know however that he remains editor of the Bird Report and Chairman of the Records Committee. May I express the hope that you will support me by sending in records promptly, preferable monthly, and at least quarterly. There is a tremendous

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A REVIEW O F SUFFOLK ORNITHOLOGY -

1984

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amount of work involved in the Recorder's job and it will greatly help if the work can be spread over the year.

R. B. Warren 37 Dellwood Avenue Felixstowe I P 1 1 9 H N Fungi Battarraea phalloides (Dicks.) Pers. This rare fungus has been known to me for many years from a sandy bank at Blyford. The site is one of the County's verges protected by the Suffolk Trust. This fungus has a rigid, ochre-brown stem 10-25cm high, covered in shaggy fibres, seated in a membranous cup, and, when mature, is capped by a powdery rusty brown spore mass. I found two specimens on another sandy bank at Campsea Ash (TM35, v.c. 25) on 3 April 1984. These were exposed by the removal of a fallen tree. Later in the year two more specimens appeared. Dried specimens were shown to memb e r s a t the A G M .

Coprinus radians (Desm.) Fr. While photographing a colony of the Winter Fungus or Velvet Foot (Flammulina velutipes) in the Alder Carr at Rushmere, near Ipswich, I noticed an unusual reddish-brown mossy mycelium on a fallen elm and also spreading over surrounding dead leaves. After searching my books for information without success I sent specimens to Dr E. A. Ellis, who identified it as C. radians. He writes: 'At one time it was given a separate name in Mycelia sterilia, being known as Ozonium auricomum, until its connection with Coprinus was recognised. It is common on decaying elm logs lying in damp places.' Perhaps I have not been observant enough in the past!

When a photograph of this fungus was shown at the Society's A G M Mr E. Milne-Redhead commented that he had also seen the fungus growing on elm logs recently.

F. G. Simpson.

Rhodotus palmatus (Bull, ex Fr.) Maire syn. Pleurotus palmatus (Bull, ex Fr.) Quel. Because of the large number of dead elms in the county resulting from the attack of Dutch elm disease some fungi have become more abundant recently. R. palmatus was once considered rare, but I saw it twice in 1984, most recently on dead elms at the Rodbridge picnic site north of Sudbury on 30 October. This is a very attractive apricot coloured fungus up to 10cm across, with an inrolled margin and pink tinged gills. Unfortunately, although it has a pleasant smell, it is not edible.

Hericium ramosum (Merat) Letellier. This fungus appears as a whitish cushion covered with spines and, although far from attractive looking, is edible. A mass of this unusual fungus appeared on a horse chestnut log used as a temporary Support for a display case in the Museum at Mildenhall. This must be one of the most extraordinary habitats for a fungus.

G. D. Heathcote.

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