Suffolk Birds 2005 Part 2

Suffolk Birci Report 2005 received from 119 sites across the county, compared with 90 in 2004. Indications of ita status carne from Bardwell and Brent Eleigh, where it was seen throughout the year and from Lavenham Railway Walks, where it was recorded on over 40% of visits.

The BBS located Kestrels in 33% of the 48 squares surveyed (32% in 1995, 37% in 2000), with a combined total of 23 birds. Breeding was confirmed at six sites and includeci seven pairs at North Warren, where there was a 36% decline from the previous two years when 11 pairs bred. Two pairs at Cavenham Heath raised between them an impressive tota of 11 young. Notable counts ineluded eight on Orfordness in August and September; seven at King's Fleet in August and 11 at Cavenham Heath (mostly juveniles) in July.

Passage was noted at Landguard on several dates, including two single birds past in March; one in Aprii and one in off the sea in early May. In the autumn nine were seen flyinj; south at Landguard between September 5th and November 5th, including a peak of three November 4th.

Hunting observations ineluded two instances of attempted piracy. At Lakenheath Fen one attempted to rob a Barn Owl of its prey and on Orfordness, two juveniles tried unsuccessfully to steal a Dunlin from a Hobby. There were also two reports of Kestrel feeding on roadkills plus, conversely, two reports of road casualties, one at Foxhole Heath and one at West Stow.

RED-FOOTED FALCON Falco vespertinus Rare visitor.

There was just a single record of this species in 2005, involving an immature male which put in an ali too brief appearance at Westwood Marshes in mid-June.

Walberswiek NNR: Westwood Marshes, first-summer male over the reedbed between 12.00 ami lรณ.OOhrs, then flew north, Jun.l4th. (D.A.Fairhurst et al).

MERLIN Falco columbarius Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List.

A remarkable 116 reports of this mobile little falcon were received in 2005, a huge increase on the 35 reports last year. However, almost 50% of these records were from Orfordness and so they did not reflect any increase in the number of birds likely to have been present.

An estimated four birds were present during the first winter period, a similar number to 2004. Up to two birds were present on Orfordness between January and May and these undoubtedly accounted for several sightings at other locations in that vicinity. Elsewhere, single birds were logged at Minsmere and Lackford Lakes in January and another was seen at Burgh Castle on two dates in March. Reports in Aprii carne from Minsmere, Boyton Marshes, Landguard and Levington Creek. The only sightings in May were from Thorpeness and Orfordness.

There were three reports of a female at a site in July and several from August. These ineluded a single bird seen at Dunwich, Minsmere and Southwold early in the month and two juveniles on Orfordness on August 6th. There is nothing to suggest that these two birds had been bred in Suffolk.

Likely passage birds were seen at Dunwich, September I8th; at Landguard, where singles were noted on several dates from September 5th and two on October 23rd and at Thorpeness where one flew south offshore, October 16th. In mid-September, a very approachable bird was seen on the beach at Merlin Peter Beeson Minsmere, hawking inseets like a Hobby.

74