The keen northerly winds seem to be relentless at the moment, although from Wednesday 10th there appears to be a predicted shift to the south and east, which should bring some welcome warmth.
The star bird of the week (possibly the year!) has to be the fine white tailed eagle that was present last Wednesday and Thursday at Buckenham and Cantley. The huge bird, often described as a flying barn door stands nearly a metre tall so really did stand out when sitting up on the gate posts!
Other sightings for the past week have included an osprey on Thursday morning along with the first good wave of swifts and at least five hobbys together. A garden warbler is singing from the Lackford Run along with a lesser whitethroat and common whitethroat nearby. Blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs are singing well along the riverbank, while at least three to four grasshopper warblers are singing from the reedbed, the easiest to hear is at the river end of Sandy Wall, but dawn or dusk is recommended for the best chances of hearing them. Up to three cuckoos have been seen together over the reedbed, while kingfishers are also being seen frequently darting around the reserve finding fish for their young, they don’t stay in the same place for long at this time of the year! Two bitterns are still booming from the reedbed as well as at lots of marsh harrier activity.
A good passage of waders has been seen at the fen throughout the last week including eight greenshank, two common sandpipers and a flock of black tailed godwits on Friday morning.
Buckenham has been better for waders with lapwing, redshank and snipe all breeding. Passage waders at Buckenham this week have included a wood sandpiper, several greenshank, four ruff, eleven bar tailed godwit (including some fine summer plumaged birds), up to 18 black tailed godwits three dunlin and a grey plover. There have been a couple of black winged stilts in the broads recently so we are really hoping that they swing by at some point soon!
With the wind in the northern quarter for the past two weeks, migration has stalled as have the temperatures! The latter part of this week and the weekend are due to be warmer with a southerly or easterly wind, so I am hopeful that the number of migrants increases and we have some better weather to watch them in.