Suffolk Fudge

Trip out to Suffolk today, starting at Westleton Heath. When I was last here a couple of years ago the place was crawling with Dartford Warblers. Today, zip. Last winter must have wiped out tens of pairs here. Did pick up a couple of flyover Woodlark, 2 Stonechat, loads of Whitethroats, Willow Warbler. Headed off to Dunwich Heath to try and pick up Dartford there - a quick scan from the car park almost immediately produced a male and female. I wonder why the birds here have survived when the ones at Westleton have been pretty much wiped out, maybe being close to the sea kept just enough snow off and kept a few more insects alive.

Next stop was Minsmere. Heading round to Island Mere hide, a couple of Bullfunch flew across the track - picked up the male feeding in small trees. At the same point (by a dead tree) a Garden Warbler was carrying food.

Arriving at Island Mere, scanned for Fudge Duck, but didn't pick anything up immediately. Although looked up at the right moment to see 8 Spoonbil flying to the south east. Next scan picked up a Aythya type diving repeatedly - light was really grim so it turned into a piece by piece id. Some of my worst record shots below. Eventually settled down to preen, gave a couple of wing flaps and fell asleep.

The scrape produced a Little Gull, a couple of Med Gulls, 2 Blackwits, a couple of Dunlin, Ruff, Little Tern and at least 20 Spotshank in summer plumage. Possibly most interesting though, was a Common Tern with a dark, red-based bill. Obviously first reaction was Roseate Tern, but everything else was Common Tern. Currently doing some research, but it looks like it's not as unusual as I thought.