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A REVIEW OF SUFFOLK ORNITHOLOGY - 1985 R. B.
WARREN
The outstanding feature of the first three months of the year was the two spells of Arctic weather punctuated very fortunately by a short milder period. Our resident bird populations do not appear to have been affected as much as had been feared; reports on Wrens, for example, are very encouraging. The most obvious result of the severe weather was the big influx of waterfowl, especially Wigeon and diving ducks, above all of Smew, no doubt driven from the Yjsselmeer in Holland. January produced a small influx of Shags and a Great Skua, unusual in winter, which flew past at Minsmere. Raptors were not prominent in early 1985 apart from Hen Harriers. There were very few Rough-legged Buzzards and only three Peregrines; one would have expected more of the latter with the improvement in the breeding populations both in this country and abroad. A Red Kite was wandering in the east of the County in March. DĂźring the first winter period there were several wintering Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. Other rarer visitors included a Ferruginous Duck in Ipswich Docks and on Alton Water, and three Shorelarks, but no Great Northern Divers or Great Grey Shrikes. There were two or three reports of Waxwings. Some winter visitors had largely left by the end of March, e.g. Little Grebes on tidal water, Wigeons, Grey Plovers and Knot. Others lingered into May or even June: e.g. Brent Goose, Red-breasted Merganser, Hen Harrier and Brambling. Most Fieldfares and Redwings left early, but a very few were found in May. Summer visitors were slow to arrive. A number of Wheatears and Chiffchaffs were seen in the last week of March, and there was a Single Swallow on the 27th and a Willow Warbier on the 31st. Early arrivals included two Tree Pipits on Ist April, and the County's joint earliest Nightingale on the 6th, no doubt encouraged by some good weather in early Spring. Many migrants were very late however; noticeably so were Sand Martin, Reed Warbier, Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher. Presumed passage birds were still occurring in early June, especially at Landguard Point. When it was possible to take stock at the end of May most observers agreed that more species were down in numbers than up. Numbers of Sand Martins were again very low and House Martins were few. The Spring produced many vagrants including the County's first Collared Flycatcher at Lowestoft, second Stilt Sandpiper at Minsmere, Roller at Walberswick, Broad-billed Sandpiper at Blythburgh, White-winged Black Tern at Minsmere and five Red-spotted Bluethroats. Spring wader passage for a number of species was small and a return movement was detected before the end of June. Included was a Red-necked Phalarope at Minsmere. Notwithstanding the Arctic weather faced by our residents, and poor weather conditions faced by migrants it is good to report excellent breeding numbers for some scarcer species. The numbers of pairs of Marsh Harriers Trans. Suffolk Nat. Soc. 22
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