Suffolk Bird Report 2013 Buzzards w e r e seen t o c o m e 'in o f f ' over Felixstowe, 2 9 t h . A p r e s u m e d escapee was a W h i t e Stork initially seen in Norfolk at Breydon W a t e r and later seen heading over Kessingland, 6th. Great W h i t e Egrets w e r e noted at N o r t h Warren RSPB f r o m 2 5 t h and t h e n t w o at M i n s m e r e f r o m 29th until M a y 2nd w i t h one remaining until 6th. A drake Greenwinged Teal was a one-day bird at North W a r r e n RSPB, 14th and a female Ferruginous Duck w h i c h was f o u n d o n pools behind South Hide at M i n s m e r e , 17th remained t h e r e until M a y 9th. Garganeys w e r e n o t e d at Hazlewood Marshes SWT w i t h six birds present, 7 t h . A Bluethroat w a s heard singing along t h e cliff face at G o r l e s t o n , 1 6 t h , b u t was never seen, a n d t h e r e was b e l a t e d news o f a Hoopoe w h i c h was p r e s e n t f o r t w o days ( 1 8 t h and 19th) at Barking near Needha m M a r k e t . A singing W o o d W a r b l e r was present f o r a f e w days in t h e South Belt at M i n s m e r e f r o m 2 7 t h . A Hawfinch f r e q u e n t e d feeders at Bawdsey Hall for f o u r days f r o m 29th. A Long-eared O w l was f o u n d roosting at G u n t o n , 5 t h b u t may have been a r o u n d since 1st and a n o t h e r was at Benacre, 13th. Ravens w e r e r e p o r t e d f r o m Orfordness NT, 10th, M i n s m e r e , 14th and Stoke-by-Nayland, 17th and 18th. A Hooded Crow was again seen at Lowestoft, 5th. T h r e e Black-throated Divers w e r e o f f Landguard NR, 1st and a s u m m e r - p l u m a g e d Blackthroated Diver was o f f Pakefield, 10th. May M a y has always been regarded as one of t h e b e t t e r b i r d i n g m o n t h s w i t h i n t h e year, and, as e x p e c t e d , s t a r t e d o f f in g o o d f o r m w i t h m a n y scarce species being seen a r o u n d t h e county. A Hooded Crow south over Easton Bavents, 1st, started t h e ball rolling. Two Black Storks were n o t e d s o u t h over t h e reserve at M i n s m e r e , 1st, and t h e same day provided t h e first sighting of t h e year of Purple Heron w h i c h was seen at Lakenheath Fen RSPB. Two Common Cranes w e r e seen t o fly s o u t h over Boyton Marshes, 2nd. An absolutely stunning adult male Red-footed Falcon was seen over Lakenheath Fen RSPB f r o m 3rd until 2 9 t h at least, and at t i m e s s h o w i n g impeccably well. Observers w a t c h i n g t h e ' R e d - f o o t ' w e r e also t r e a t e d t o a 'reeling' Savi's Warbler f r o m 2 5 t h t o 3 0 t h at least - this bird also s h o w i n g well o n occasions. Temminck's Stints w e r e seen at Boyton Marshes on b o t h 5 t h and 1 7 t h , M i n s m e r e on 14th and Trimley Marshes, 18th. M i n s m e r e had a purple spell a r o u n d m i d - m o n t h w i t h Purple Heron, 7 t h and 8 t h , Cattle Egret o n t h e Levels o n t h e m o r n i n g of 11th, Savi's Warbler 'reeling' f r o m t h e reedbed o n 12th, 23rd a n d again o n 2 9 t h , Common Crane over t h e Levels, 1 3 t h and finally t w o Caspian Gulls, an a d u l t o n 18th and a first-summer bird t h e f o l l o w i n g day. The Cattle Egret was t h e n seen o n South Marsh, N o r t h W a r r e n o n t h e a f t e r n o o n of 11th. Honey Buzzards sightings involved t w o over Lower Hollesley C o m m o n o n 8th. An unseasonable Hen Harrier was seen t o fly n o r t h over Thorpeness j u s t inland o f t h e disused caravan park o n 6th. A local ' m e g a ' at Landguard was discovered on t h e c o m m o n o n 8 t h in t h e f o r m of a Grey Partridge, t h e last sighting of t h e species at this site being way back in 1982 - so a w e l c o m e grip back f o r many regulars! Spoonbill n u m b e r s peaked at eight birds o n Tinker's Marshes, Walberswick, 1 7 t h t o 19th, up t o six at M i n s m e r e m i d - m o n t h and several singletons seen t h r o u g h o u t t h e m o n t h up and d o w n t h e coast. A Montagu's Harrier was seen on Orfordness, 5 t h , a n d t h e same site also held a Pectoral Sandpiper w h i c h was seen briefly o n 12th before flying o f f south. The c o n t i n u e d w a t c h on Tinker's Marshes p r o d u c e d a juvenile Glaucous Gull o n 14th, a drake Garganey all m o n t h and a Little Stint on 20th. A Marsh Warbler was t r a p p e d at Landguard on 14th along w i t h a W o o d Warbler w h i c h was discovered in t h e same net o n t h e same net r o u n d ! A n o t h e r Wood Warbler was ringed o n 2 7 t h . O t h e r w i s e LBO was p r e t t y q u i e t given t h e t i m e of year! The first r e t u r n i n g Golden Oriole at Lakenheath Fen RSPB was h e a r d o n 1 6 t h and t h e n sporadically until t h e m o n t h ' s end. Also at this site a Montagu's Harrier was r e p o r t e d flying w e s t
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