Suffolk Birds 2016

SUFFOLK BIRDS 2016

Suffolk Birds 2016

Vol. 66

West Area Recorder Colin Jakes, 7 Maltward Avenue, BURY ST EDMUNDS IP33 3XN Tel: 01284 702215 Email: colin@jakes.myzen.co.uk

North-East Area Recorder Andrew Green, 17 Cherrywood, HARLESTON Norfolk IP20 9LP Tel: 07766 900063 Email: andrew@waveney1.fsnet.co.uk

South-East Area Recorder Scott Mayson, 8 St Edmunds Close, Springfields, WOODBRIDGE, IP12 4UY Tel: 01394 385595 Email: smsuffolkbirder@gmail.com

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SUFFOLK BIRDS VOL. 66

A review of birds in Suffolk in 2016

Editor

Nick Mason Greatly assisted by Philip Murphy (Systematic List)

Bill Baston (Photos) Phil Whittaker (Artwork)

Published by SuffoLk NAturALiStS’ SociEty Compiled by SuffoLk orNithoLoGiSt’S GrouP 2017

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Published by the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o the Museum, high Street, ipswich iP1 3Qh © the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright owners.

the SNS is a registered charity No. 206084.

iSSN 0264-5793

Printed by healeys, unit 10, the Sterling complex, farthing road, ipswich, Suffolk iP1 5AP.

Front cover: Cliff Swallow at Minsmere – Brian Small the copyright remains that of the photographers and artists.

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CONTENTS

Page

Editorial: Nick Mason................................................................................................................................ 5 Weather report: Edward Jackson................................................................................................................ 7 Review of scarce and rare birds in Suffolk in 2015: Eddie Marsh.............................................................. 9 The British List: Brian Small...................................................................................................................... 19 Lackford Lakes: Mike Andrews and Colin Jakes.......................................................................................... 20 25 years of CES at Lackford: Alex Lack, Colin Jakes, Malcolm Wright and Peter Lack................................ 23 Purple Swamphen – a first for Britain: Frank Clark.................................................................................. 34 Thayer’s Gull at Minsmere in March: Brian Small.................................................................................... 36 Cliff Swallow at Minsmere: Steve Piotrowski............................................................................................ 40 Forster’s Tern on the Stour and Deben Estuaries: Ed Keeble.................................................................. 41 Stejneger’s Stonechat at Landguard: Paul Holmes and Ernie Lucking...................................................... 42 David Pearson RIP: John Grant, Adam Howe and Steve Piotrowski.......................................................... 44

The 2016 Suffolk Bird Report introduction........................................................................................................................................ 48 Systematic List...................................................................................................................................... 50 Appendices........................................................................................................................................ 169 Suffolk Ringing Report 2016: Simon Evans List of contributors............................................................................................................................ 205 Gazetteer .......................................................................................................................................... 207 Earliest and Latest Dates of Summer Migrants.................................................................................. 210 A Guide to recording Birds in Suffolk................................................................................................ 211 Rare Birds in Suffolk 2016: David Walsh Index of species:...................................................................................................................................... 216 the artwork in this report is by Richard Allen, Peter Beeson and Brian Small (front cover).

List of Plates

Plate facing No. Page 1. Whooper Swans John Richardson 40 2. Dark-bellied Brent Geese Will Brame 40 3. Pintail John Richardson 40 4. red-crested Pochard Dave Borderick 40 5. Great Northern Divers Liz Cutting 41 6. ‘sinensis’ cormorant Will Brame 41 7. Great Bittern Ian Goodall 41 8. cattle Egret Chris Mayne 41 9. Glossy ibis John Richardson 80 10. red-necked Grebe Chris Mayne 80 11. Slavonian Grebe Chris Mayne 80 12. Black-necked Grebes Ian Goodall 80 13. common Buzzard John Richardson 80 14. osprey Ian Goodall 81 15. Western (Purple) Swamphen Bill Baston 81 16. kentish Plover John Richardson 81 17. Baird’s Sandpiper Bill Baston 81 18. Lesser yellowlegs Peter Ransome 120 19. Wood Sandpiper John Richardson 120 20. caspian Gull Jeff Higgott 120 21. thayer’s Gull Jeff Higgott 120 22. forster’s tern Jeff Higgott 120

Plate No. 23. common Guillemot Peter Ransome 24. Little owl Liz Cutting 25. Short-eared owl John Richardson 26. Eurasian hoopoe Chris Mayne 27. Eurasian Wryneck John Richardson 28. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker John Richardson 29. red-footed falcon Bill Baston 30. Great Grey Shrike John Richardson 31. Willow tit Lee Gregory 32. Bearded tit Bill Baston 33. Woodlark Liz Cutting 34. (American) cliff Swallow Peter Ransome/Steve Abbott 35. Blyth’s reed Warbler Will Brame 36. Marsh Warbler Peter Ransome 37. Black-bellied Dipper Bill Baston 38. Bluethroat Peter Ransome 39. Black redstart Liz Cutting 40. Stejneger’s Stonechat Paul Oldfield 41. Mealy redpoll Peter Ransome 42. hawfinch Paul Oldfield

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Notice to Contributors

Suffolk Birds is an annual publication of records, notes and papers on all aspects of Suffolk ornithology. Except for records and field descriptions submitted through the county recorders, all material should be original. it should not have been published elsewhere or offered complete or in part to any other journal.

Authors should carefully study this issue and follow the style of presentation, especially in relation to references and tables. Where relevant, nomenclature and order should follow the latest published for the British List by the British ornithologist’s union and available on their web site at www.bou.org.uk. English names should follow the same list.

contributions should, if possible, be submitted to the editor by e-mail or on a cD/DVD and written in Microsoft Word. if typed, manuscripts should be double-spaced, with wide margins, on one side of the paper only. they must be in the final form for publication: proofs of longer papers are returned to authors, but alterations must be confined to corrections of printer’s errors. the cost of any other alterations may be charged to the author.

Photographs and line drawings are required to complement each issue. Suitable photographs of birds, preferably taken in Suffolk, can be either digital or in the form of 35mm transparencies.

Artwork is also required to complement each issue. A payment of £12 will be made to the artist for each original drawing.

Every possible effort will be made to take care of the original photographs and artwork. however, photographers and artists are reminded that neither the editor nor the SNS can be held responsible in the unlikely event that loss or damage occur.

Authors may wish to illustrate their papers, but this will be subject to the illustrations being of the standard required by the editor and the decision on such matters will rest with him or her.

Material submitted for publication should be sent to the editor no later than March 1st of each year. Authors of main papers may request up to five free copies of the journal. Any opinions expressed in this report are those of the contributor and are not necessarily those of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society or the Suffolk ornithologists’ Group.

Suffolk Ornithological Records Committee (at time of printing): Chair: Brian Small Area County Recorders: Colin Jakes, Andrew Green, Scott Mayson Bird Report Editor: Nick Mason (non-voting) Secretary: Craig Fulcher (craigfulcher@btinternet.com) Other Committee Members: Will Brame, Lee Woods, Dave Fairhurst, Lee Gregory, James Brown.

BBRC correspondent: Dave Walsh ADDrESSES Papers, notes, drawings and photographs: the Editor (Suffolk Birds), the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, c/o the Museum, high Street, ipswich iP1 3Qh. Records: See inside front cover.

Suffolk Ornithological Records Committee – correspondence: the Secretary, Sorc, c/o the Museum, high Street, ipswich iP1 3Qh – or craigfulcher@btinternet.com.

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Editorial Nick Mason

When enquiring as to whose name should go next to a fairly uncommon bird, the person i asked commented “not really sure why anyone needs crediting. It’s the sad bastards who count greylag geese and black headed gulls who need crediting!” As it happens i couldn’t agree more with much of that sentiment but i don’t think they are sad, just local heroes. And many of the people who find rare birds are both skilful and put in the hard work (and some of them like to see their name in print!).

So here we are, not the sad ones, the local heroes, the WeBS counters of long-standing:Stour Estuary: Michael Bamford, Ken Barnard, Jane Crapnel, Roy Leavett, Mark Nowers, Rod Plowman, David and Kay Roberts, Richard Stace, Rick Vonk, David Wimpress, Dawn Woodroffe, Suzanne Grimwood, Ed Keeble, Nigel Banham, Chris Baines. orwell Estuary: James Davidson, Ian Amos, Margaret Regnaultt, Mick Wright, Mike Buckingham, Phil Mathews, John Lewis, Edward Hutchings, Peter Merchant, Stephen Marginson, Roy Smith, Will Brame, Nev Rayment, Sue Rayment.

Deben Estuary: Karl Randall, Nick Mason, Gary Whatley, Robert Johnson, Laurence Potter, Dave and Jude Carr, Phil Whittaker, Trummy Mayhew, Bruce Harrington Ernie Lucking.

Alde Estuary: Mervyn Miller, James McLeod, Mike Pratt, Rodney West, John Davies, Chris Seabrook, Terry Bugg, Ian Castle, David Crawshaw, Lyndsey Record, Dudley Shepherd, Reg Etheridge, Norman Lloyd, Dave Fairhurst, Peter Smith, Jeremy Clark, Geoff Woodward, Mike Marsh.

Blyth Estuary: Adam Burrows, Paul Lacey, David Pearson (riP), Maddie Dwyer, Justin Carrell, Kelly Barrett, Sam Oxley, Will Russell. there are, of course, others who stand in at times. And there are the BBS and other project surveyors and ringers! they are all wonderful too! thanks are due to Edward Jackson who, again, has précised the Suffolk weather, for 2016. A new man has written the review of the year and with great enthusiasm. Eddy Marsh took on Lee Woods’ role and went way beyond the call of duty. our look at a reserve this year centred on Lackford Lakes – which is celebrating 30 years since its opening. An extra piece of Breckland heath is being bought – good news for Stone-curlews and the Breckland vegetation. Mike Andrews and Colin Jakes have written about the birds on the reserve and Alex Lack, Colin Jakes, Malcolm Wright and Peter Lack have taken us through 25 years of their constant Effort Site activities on the site. More articles like that, please!

2016 was an amazing year in Suffolk for rare birds and we even had a ‘first’ for Britain. the Western Swamphen at Minsmere was found by Frank Clark and he has written an article on the event. in autumn, the cliff Swallow at Minsmere was equally popular and this has been written up by Steve Piotrowski. the other Suffolk first soon followed with the forster’s tern on the Stour and later the Deben. Ed Keeble has described this event. Paul Holmes and Ernie Lucking have written about their impressive identification of the Stejneger’s Stonechat at Landguard – at present a form of Siberian Stonechat but which next year will be a new species, when we move to the ioc list. for an explanation of this read Brian Small’s helpful article. Another species which would have been a new species next year is the thayer’s Gull that Brian Small identified at Minsmere. however, having been a separate species on the ioc list it has now been (re-) reclassified – back to the thayeri subspecies of iceland Gull! one that got away if these things matter to you. Many birders, however, would have been keen to see the thayer’s Gull as it is another taxon that we would not normally come across here in Suffolk. Mind you larids are still a bit of a mystery to many! i resisted using the word nerdish there! the species accounts have again been well-written; Gi Grieco the swans and geese, Andrew Green the ducks, John Davies the game birds, rails and, this year, the grebes. John Grant, thank 5

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goodness, continues to do the divers and herons, Chris Gregory the raptors and falcons, Ernie Lucking and Ed Keeble the waders, James Wright the skuas and gulls and Brian Buffery the terns and auks. Darren Underwood has taken control of the pigeon to woodpecker section, Phil Whittaker the shrikes, corvids, crests and tits, Nick Mason has taken on the larks and hirundines (and thanks to Nathaniel Cant for his efforts in doing that section over the past few years). Andrew Gregory continues with the warblers, Richard Attenborrow the waxwings to thrushes section, Steve Fryett the flycatchers and chats, Paul Gowen the sparrows and finches and Peter Kennerley the appendices. A massive thankyou to all the above for the effort and thought they have put into this venture. thanks are also due to Simon Evans for his comprehensive and balanced work on the ringing report. Very professional (whilst, like all the rest of us, being a volunteer).

When it comes to efficiency, then David Walsh is your man. he puts together our rare British bird section. As well as that he ‘does’ the rare Breeding Bird stuff. So he has been really helpful in all that and making sure that everything you read is spot on and accurate! i cannot tell you how helpful it is having Philip Murphy on board. i have mentioned it before but he is the fount of all knowledge and although he is not out in the field so much these days he still has his finger on the pulse when it comes to Suffolk birds. thanks also to Bill Baston for putting together the photos used in this report. it is not easy as there are so many excellent photographers around – it is just a shame that we cannot use all of them. Again the artwork has been gathered by Phil Whittaker without too many to choose from this year. We are so lucky to have Peter Beeson’s excellent drawings which, afterwards, we are able to sell – the money going into SoG’s coffers.

Black-winged Stilt Peter Beeson you will not find many mistakes in the spelling and punctuation as Laurie Forsyth has once again proofread just about all of it!

We are living through such uncertain times both in politics and as far as our wildlife, our birdlife, is concerned. And it appears that the two of them are linked. Politics in sport? Politics in wildlife and conservation? it is inevitable. it is not only the politics of leaving the European union but also the potential threats from global warming, development and, in some cases, modern farming (i have been hit by both spray and fertilizer – on field-side footpaths – this year). one often feels that there is nothing one can do. Major politicians want to renege on the Paris Agreement, there is still a dash for oil and coal, and then there’s fracking. While, at the same time, how many new developments do you see with uV panels and the like? however, we have to stay positive. All Eu laws relevant to the environment should pass into uk law and the new Secretary of State for the Environment has made some quite promising statements! keep fighting. And keep supporting those who are fighting for our birds on our behalf.

A bit of a rant i know, but i don’t apologize for it.

And an annual request for your records please. Breeding data, for any species, is straightforward to add to most ways of submitting these and gives us a much clearer idea of how our birds are faring. Even if you are using Birdtrack some of the detail will not be evident amongst the thousands of records received. the names and contact details of our three bird recorders are on the inside front cover of this report. throughout this report there are various field Notes. Most birders come across interesting behaviour during the year – so how about putting it down in writing so that it can be in next year’s report?

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Suffolk’s Weather in 2016

Suffolk’s Weather in 2016 Edward Jackson

this annual summary once again draws on information from the Met office website for the uk and East Anglia, to give an overview of the weather conditions experienced by Suffolk’s resident and migrant birds in 2016. it follows the standard Met office format classifying December, January and february as ‘Winter’; March, April and May as ‘Spring’; June, July and August as ‘Summer’ and September, october and November as ‘Autumn’. Monthly temperatures refer here to the mean of all the daytime maximum readings. comparisons with ‘average’ temperatures and rainfall refer throughout to a Met office 30-year long-term average calculated from 1981 to 2010.

Winter: January and February rather like the exceptionally stormy winter of 2013-2014 two years previously, winter 20152016 also brought a succession of storms from the Atlantic (including nine named ones following a new Met office initiative) affecting northern and western parts of the uk most severely, particularly in December. January and february remained mostly unsettled, but were generally quieter. East Anglia escaped the heaviest of the rainfall, which was between 90% and 110% of the long-term average over the three months. however, these weather systems regularly brought exceptional warmth on persistent flows of tropical Maritime air, which made this winter the third warmest for the uk in a series from 1910, with only the winters of 1989 and 2007 being warmer. temperatures in East Anglia were between 2.0oc and 2.5oc above the long-term average, with much of this due to the exceptionally warm December of 2015.

Another relatively warm winter: these mild conditions most likely reinforced the phenomenon of ‘short-stopping’ on the near-continent by wildfowl and other wintering species that would normally continue across the North Sea to the UK. However, resident birds should have maintained reasonable physical condition in preparation for the onset of the breeding season, particularly ground feeders and those susceptible to prolonged low temperatures.

Spring: March, April and May following on from the notably mild winter, spring 2016 for East Anglia was mostly unremarkable for its temperatures. the monthly means for the three months of 5.9oc, 7.8oc and 12.7oc respectively were all at or slightly above the seasonal average. however, for the same periods, rainfall was in turn 11%, 23% and 0% of the long-term averages, with some heavy rainfall events affecting East Anglia in March and April. Sunshine was generally above average. During the season there was a mixture of weather patterns, with no one type dominant.

These rainfall events counteracted what would have been typical spring weather conditions and compromised the chances of successful breeding for both resident species and arriving migrants.

Summer: June, July and August Summer 2016 began with a June that was very cloudy and often wet in East Anglia, with rainfall 190% of the monthly average. July and the first half of August were characterised by changeable westerly Atlantic airflows, although rainfall amounts were often small. under cloudy skies in June night-time minimum temperatures were often high, with the overall uk figure the second highest in a series starting in 1910. there was a short but marked heatwave in the third week of July. the second half of August was more settled and hot at times, particularly in this region. overall in East Anglia all three months were warmer than the long-term average at +0.3oc, +0.7oc and +1.1oc respectively.

After the significant wet periods in the spring, rainfall of almost twice the average in June compounded matters and adversely affected productivity and survival rates for nestlings and recently fledged juveniles. A poor breeding season overall for the majority of resident and migrant 7

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passerine species.

Autumn: September, October and November September was a notably warm month, with unusually high temperatures in East Anglia. the mean temperature of 17.2oc was 2.6oc higher than the long-term average. october was often dry under anticyclonic conditions, but there were persistent easterly winds along the southern edge of the high pressure cell. November overall was slightly colder at -0.2oc below average.

Autumn rainfall totals were generally low across East Anglia with 85% of the average recorded for September and 53% for october – only November was higher at 115%.

This extension of summer into the early part of autumn should have helped the survival of juveniles from any late broods and allowed breeding migrants to leave Suffolk in good condition.

The blocking anticyclone assisted the arrival of some notable ‘Sibes’ along the east coast, but no Siberian Accentor first for Suffolk!

Return to Winter: December December 2016 was the eighth mildest for the uk as a whole since 1910. the uk monthly mean temperature was +2.0°c above the long-term average, although well below the exceptional mildness experienced in December 2015. it was considerably drier than average over East Anglia – with only a quarter of the average rainfall – and it was also sunnier than average.

Another relatively mild and dry start to the winter season should have assisted resident birds and may have encouraged short distance ‘hard weather’ migrants to delay or curtail their movements.

References: www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/2016 – accessed July 2017 Bto Lifecycle Issue 5 – Spring 2017

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Suffolk Bird Review of the Year 2016

Suffolk Bird Review of the Year 2016 Eddie Marsh

January there were plenty of good-quality, long-staying wintering birds to see in Suffolk this month.

Great Northern Divers continued to show well with one at Lake Lothing and one or two commuting between Alton Water and the river orwell along Wherstead Strand. these were presumably the two birds that had been on the Stour Estuary between Stutton Ness and the holbrook Bay area in the early part of January. the Red-necked Grebe on Alton Water continued to show very well all month mainly between rabbets and Larchwood hide. the long staying Slavonian Grebe on covehithe Broad continued to show well all month. four Slavs were at Stutton Ness on 1st and some of these birds moved on to Alton Water. on 12th a Black-necked Grebe was seen along the north bank of Alton water then two on 13th and 14th and three on 15th. on the sea-watching front, Sooty Shearwater, Great Skua, Pomarine Skua, Little Auk and good numbers of Little Gulls were reported off the coast. A Glaucous Gull was in Lowestoft and an Iceland Gull in the west of the county. on December 5th 2015 there had been a report of a Cattle Egret on the Alde Estuary at Snape. it re-appeared nearly a month later in roadside fields at iken and remained all month showing very well often with cattle. A few Great White Egrets were reported during January. A Glossy Ibis was at Lodge Marsh, ramsholt from 10th to 12th and then, what was probably the same bird, over Boyton rSPB reserve on 14th, Gedgrave on 17th and Minsmere on 18th and 19th. it settled at hollesley Marshes from 20th, where it showed well to the end of the month. four wintering Spoonbills were reported all month commuting between hazlewood Marshes and North Warren. the largest count of Bewick’s Swans was in the Leiston/Sizewell area where a flock of 30 was seen on 26th, 28th and 30th. the flock was often split as they were seen at Minsmere, covehithe and south of Dunwich on several occasions during the month. Whooper Swans were less numerous with the highest count being six at Minsmere on 17th and 28th. there were two Tundra Bean Geese at Minsmere from 4th to 24th and then at North Warren on 27th and 30th. A few Pink-footed Geese were seen during the month at Southwold town Marshes, Aldeburgh Marshes, trimley Marshes and North Warren. A familiar sight over the last couple of years has been the appearance of Goosanders turning up on Wilderness Pond in christchurch Park, ipswich; during January there were two males and two females. Mabel the famous Tawny Owl would often be in her favourite oak tree on the east side of christchurch Park. up to 40 Bar-tailed Godwits wintered on the orwell, often between Levington Marina and the other side of Levington creek. the wintering Lesser Yellowlegs appeared again on 1st at Burgh castle (good year tick for Suffolk’s year listers), and several other dates. on 17th a Pallid Harrier was photographed at Brandon fen, Brandon. this species is a muchwanted bird for most of the county’s listers, but what a find for Neil rolf who spends many hours birding and photographing in that area. other birds of interest during the month included Lapland Bunting and five Jack Snipe in the trimley area, Water Pipits at Dunwich and Lakenheath and a showy one at Levington creek. At least 50 Tree Sparrows were on the feeders at Ampton. in the Santon Downham area a Great Grey Shrike was seen on 12th and 16th and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on 21st. on 24th a wintering Ring Ouzel was reported and photographed on oulton Marshes. A wintering Sandwich Tern was at Bawdsey Quay on the morning of 31st and then flew north. A Waxwing was found in an ipswich garden whilst the observer was carrying out a Big Garden Birdwatch on 31st.

February the wintering Great Northern Divers continued to show well on Alton Water along with Blacknecked Grebes, Slavonian Grebe and the Red-necked Grebe. A Great Northern Diver was seen 9

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regularly off Levington Marina and the mouth of Levington creek. the long-staying Slavonian Grebe continued at covehithe Broad and another was seen in the North Marsh channel at Minsmere on 1st. the Bewick’s and Whooper Swans were present throughout although mobile.

Lakenheath produced 31 Whoopers on 21st. White-fronted, Pink-footed and Tundra Bean Geese remained at the usual coastal sites with most reports from North Warren during the month. in the west of the county the extremely long staying female Long-tailed Duck was at Lackford Lakes all month and christchurch Park still held the four Goosanders on Wilderness Pond. A Greenwinged Teal arrived on the Blythburgh Estuary on 1st. interestingly the bird was bearing a Portuguese White Nasal Saddle which had been fitted at Sao Jacinto, Aveiro on January 21st 2015; it was with 800 Eurasian Teal and remained until 20th. two redhead Smew were found at Minsmere on 7th and remained all month. the Cattle Egret was still present at iken, although it was not reported in the latter part of february. the Glossy Ibis at hollesley was present during the first half of the month, but was not seen after 15th. there was a report of another Glossy ibis flying over the felixstowe Dock complex on 12th. Great White Egrets were reported from Walberswick, reydon and Lakenheath during the month. the overwintering Spoonbills commuted between North Warren and Minsmere throughout the month. At Lakenheath two Common Cranes were seen regularly during the month. At Minsmere a Little Stint made an unexpected winter’s day appearance on 29th, surely a wintering bird?

At Ness Point, Lowestoft ten Purple Sandpipers were reported on 1st and then 13 on 6th. the wintering Lesser Yellowlegs made appearances at Burgh castle on 11th and 19th. on the seawatching front, a single Great Skua was off felixstowe ferry and Landguard during 4th and 6th and a Pomarine Skua on 3rd off Landguard. there was a Glaucous Gull on the sea at Southwold on 13th and the Iceland Gull in the west was reported on 12th, with two first-winter Caspian Gulls, in the gull roost at Lackford Lakes. the Sandwich Tern was seen again on 1st at felixstowe ferry and the Dip, then going south off Landguard on 6th. it was seen again, inland, on 21st over the foxhall A12 roundabout heading towards the river Deben. the long-staying Water Pipit remained at Levington creek until 17th. A single Waxwing was in a garden at Marlborough road, ipswich on 1st, 2nd and 3rd. in the Santon Downham area three really excellent birds were reported, the latter two being very difficult species to locate in the county these days. i.e. Great Grey Shrike on 25th and 29th, Hawfinch on 27th and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on 29th.

March Great Northern Divers, Black-necked Grebe, and the Red-necked Grebe remained on Alton water with another Great Northern Diver on Loompit Lake on 3rd. Whooper Swans remained at Minsmere and Dunwich until 13th and on 19th there were four Bewick’s reported from reydon.

At Lackford the extremely long-staying female Long-tailed Duck remained until 11th, then she reappeared at the same site on 31st! christchurch Park still held two Goosanders on Wilderness Pond on 1st while on 7th there were three on Alton Water, two drakes and a female. the redhead Smew were reported at Minsmere up to 12th.

Good numbers of Red Kites passed through the county during the month. the Cattle Egret at iken was noted again on 4th and another, long-staying individual was at North cove all month. Great White Egrets continued to be reported all month from Dunwich, Walberswick, reydon, and Lakenheath. on Sunday 27th a MEGA was broadcast on BiNSin late morning – a Thayer’s Gull had been found early morning on East Scrape, Minsmere and showed well all day. it was seen on the South Levels on the morning of 28th (see article of how this Suffolk first unfolded).

Glaucous Gulls included birds at corton, Lowestoft, kessingland Sewage Works, Walberswick and Minsmere. Iceland Gulls were in the west and north of the county at Great Livermere, Snape and thorpeness.

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the Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers remained all month at Santon Downham, with a pair being seen on 30th and 31st. Another rare bird in Suffolk was a Willow Tit which was trapped and ringed on 24th at Lakenheath rSPB reserve; it visited the feeders by the visitor centre, albeit infrequently, until 31st. there were also good numbers of Lesser Redpolls in the Lakenheath area. on 27th two Ravens were seen over Lackford and an Osprey over cavenham heath. A flock of 50 Bramblings was seen in a field beside the B1387 at Walberswick on 13th.

Spring arrived with a Serin flying north over Landguard on 20th. the first Garganey was reported from Minsmere on 21st staying until at least 30th, with two on Dingle Marshes on 23rd. the first Willow Warblers of the year were recorded at Landguard and kessingland on 30th. Extremely good numbers of Firecrests arrived in the county during the month. on 23rd two Continental Coal Tits were trapped and ringed at Landguard and remained there until the end of the month. there was an influx of Sand Martins on 26th and on 26th a Common Tern arrived on Loompit Lake. the first reported Northern Wheatears arrived at Landguard and cavenham on 25th, Lesser Whitethroat at Lowestoft on 27th, and four White Wagtails in the Lowestoft area.

April on Alton Water the two Great Northern Divers showed well until 27th and the Red-necked Grebe, now looking resplendant in summer plumage, was last reported on 13th. the Long-tailed Duck remained at Lackford until 28th at least. on 4th a Rough-legged Buzzard was near chillesford and another on 5th over high Lodge, thetford. Hen Harrier (male) and Merlin were seen at Shingle Street on 2nd. A ring-tail Hen Harrier was seen at Dunwich on 5th and on several dates at Westleton. others were at Alderton on 10th and reydon on 16th. Good numbers of Red Kites moved through in the early part of the month including seven at Blythburgh on 5th. A few Short-eared Owls appeared in the county during the month after a very quiet winter for this species. the Cattle Egret at North cove remained into April and was last reported on 7th, then an adult was seen at Boyton Marshes on 22nd. Great White Egrets continued to be reported all month from around the county. A Lesser Yellowlegs made a one-day appearance on 3rd at carlton Marshes, possibly the bird seen in January at Burgh castle. A late Purple Sandpiper was at East Lane, Bawdsey on 28th. A Jack Snipe was viewable from North hide, Minsmere until 23rd and another was at the managed retreat at trimley Marshes on 6th.

A first-summer Iceland Gull was at Minsmere, Sizewell and thorpeness. there was a scattering of Little Gulls in the county with some resplendent adults reported. there were reports of a Whitetailed Eagle on 25th high over West hall Woods, rickinghall and a unconfirmed report from Middleton on 26th. A singing Spotted Crake was at reydon Smear on 23rd and was still ‘whiplashing’ until 30th. on 13th a Savi’s Warbler was found singing from island Mere hide, Minsmere and remained until 30th. A Subalpine Warbler was in a reydon garden briefly on 12th. A good find by west county birders at Long Melford was a Yellow-browed Warbler late morning on 24th.

Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers were seen into April at Santon Downham up to 14th, with two pairs of birds being present. A Red-rumped Swallow flew north over North Warren on 18th. there was a late Water Pipit at North Warren on 2nd. on 13th and 14th a possible Eastern Lesser Whitethroat was present at kessingland cliff, north of the beach cafe. the Willow Tit continued to show at Lakenheath until 3rd. the two Continental Coal Tits at Landguard were both seen on 1st and one on 8th but there were no sightings after this date. A Northern Long-tailed Tit was at Gorleston-on-Sea on 5th. A Cuckoo called at Pipps ford on 21st. Great Grey Shrikes were at foxhole heath on 21st and Westleton heath on 25th and the first Swift was seen at Minsmere on 18th. During the month there were good numbers of common migrants in the county including Garganey, Whimbrel, Arctic terns, Black terns, ring ouzels, Wheatears, Whinchats, redstarts, chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warblers, Grasshopper Warbler, tree Pipits, and yellow Wagtails. Extremely good numbers of Firecrests were noted during April. Good numbers of Black Redstarts arrived between 1st and 16th with 11

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particularly interesting records being one at Long Melford on 2nd and a singing male in ipswich on 13th and 14th at least.

May the previous month’s Spotted Crake remained to 2nd. the Long-tailed Duck remained at Lackford to 7th at least, then a male Long-tailed Duck was seen south off Southwold on 23rd and, then at Minsmere from 24th until 31st. on 11th a drake Common Scoter was on Alton Water.

Great White Egrets were still widespread. on 23rd a second-summer Purple Heron was at king’s fleet, briefly. An adult Purple heron was in the main reed-bed at Minsmere from 28th until 30th. on 18th a Glossy Ibis was seen north over the scrape at hollesley rSPB, then two were at Mickle Mere mid-morning on 31st. At Pipps ford there was a stunning full-summer-plumage Cattle Egret.

A stunning female Red-footed Falcon was found on 23rd at Sutton common/upper hollesley common. it showed extremely well until 26th. A Black Kite south over kessingland on 22nd was then reported over Minsmere then thorpeness common.

A male Hen Harrier was at Aldeburgh on 18th, Red Kites were still passing through, Hobbies were reported around the county, Ospreys were reported but none stayed and a few Short-eared Owls were lingering at coastal sites during the month.

At Southwold three Temminck’s Stints were on the town Marshes on 5th and 6th with four on 7th and two Little Stints were also present. on 18th Curlew Sandpipers were reported from Minsmere and tinker’s Marshes. A Black-winged Stilt was found at Minsmere on 20th and remained all day. on 30th an adult Laughing Gull visited Lantern Marshes on orfordness from at least 10.30 to 11.30, presumably the bird that had been at Dungeness in kent. Little Gulls were reported from the coast all month. At Landguard four Black Terns were off the point on 11th. Minsmere hosted a Roseate Tern on 16th.

Good numbers of Turtle Doves were around the county with a long-staying bird at Landguard from 16th to 23rd. A Hoopoe was at Dunwich Beach car Park on 4th. on 22nd a Bee-eater flew north over Beresford road, Lowestoft. At Southwold town Marshes a Blue-headed Wagtail on 8th was joined by a Grey-headed Wagtail on 9th. the long-staying Savi’s Warbler was still singing at island Mere until 28th at least. A Marsh Warbler was at covehithe Broad on 23rd. on 31st a Greenish Warbler was found in the afternoon at Dip farm, Gunton. A male Pied Flycatcher was on the disused rail track at corton on 11th. At Landguard there was a fly-over Serin on 5th, a Hawfinch was trapped and ringed on 7th and a male Crossbill north and Tree Pipit on 16th.

June A drake Blue-winged Teal was on the scrape at carlton Marshes on 6th and 7th. on 7th trimley Marshes really came to life with a Whiskered Tern. chris Bridge the Landguard summer warden visited trimley that evening in order to see the tern and to his astonishment saw a male Little Bittern fly across the reservoir. it was also seen the next day. the Long-tailed Duck was on the scrape at Minsmere on 1st only. two Glossy Ibises were at Mickle Mere from 1st to 4th, then a single immature bird remained to 26th, then one was nearby at Sapiston on 28th and 29th. A Purple Heron seen in flight from island Mere hide on 1st was seen on and off until 5th. A Cattle Egret was at tendring hall Park on 2nd, the only report all month. A few Great White Egrets were still in the county.

At Westwood Marshes, Walberswick perhaps the same as in May, an adult female Red-footed Falcon was present on 7th. A Montagu’s Harrier was briefly over falkenham Marshes on 13th.

Red Kites were noted from 2nd, as part of another movement through the county. An Osprey flew over Minsmere on 14th. it seemed that a few Short-eared Owls were oversummering with sightings from tinker’s Marshes, Southwold, orfordness, havergate and hollesley.

At Landguard on 2nd a male Kentish Plover was found on the beach and showed very well for 12

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a few hours. returning Spotted Redshanks were at Minsmere and on the Dunwich Shore Pools from 8th. A Wood Sandpiper was at Minsmere on 24th. At trimley SWt reserve mid-month two full-summer-plumage Ruff were displaying for several days.

A scattering of Little Gulls continued through the month. A Roseate Tern was seen at Minsmere on 3rd, 4th and 27th and two off Landguard on 4th. A Caspian Tern visited the east end of Breydon Water from 19th until the month’s end.

At hollesley Marshes rSPB on 1st and 4th a Common Swift with a white-rump was seen over the reserve. on 7th a Bee-eater flew over hollesley going north at 09:41hr and then another, or the same, was over the Minsmere Discovery centre at 09:50hr.

Turtle Dove and Spotted Flycatcher were seen at Shingle Street on 25th. An unseasonable Fieldfare was trapped at Landguard on 16th. A female Bluethroat was at the Bird’s Eye factory, Lowestoft on 26th.

A singing Marsh Warbler was at fagbury rail crossing, felixstowe for one day. there must have been a small influx of Marsh Warblers as a very showy singing bird was found at reydon in the hen reed Beds on 7th where it showed very well until 13th. the Greenish Warbler continued to show and sing at Gunton from 1st to 3rd.

A male Red-backed Shrike was at hen reed Beds briefly for five minutes at 10:00hr and another at upper hollesley common, both on 6th and another at Dunwich on 11th.

A Serin was found on the common at Landguard on 7th and a female trapped on 15th, plus another present on 26th and 29th. 18 Common Crossbills flew over Stowupland Village on 2nd and 20 over upper hollesley common on 18th.

July on 3rd at North Marsh, Walberswick a smart drake American Wigeon was found at 14:30hr and showed well into that evening. it was not seen the next day.

Spoonbills remained throughout the coastal region during the month with numbers increasing at various locations including 13 at hollesley Marshes on 1st. the immature Glossy Ibis remained at Sapiston on the flooded meadow from 2nd to 5th and on 10th two birds were seen flying over.

Another Glossy ibis was at Pipps ford from 9th to 12th. there were a few reports of Great White Egrets still in the county during the month.

A Honey-Buzzard was seen over Minsmere car park early afternoon on 21st and again on 22nd. this male honey Buzzard became a big star and was seen on a regular basis, including displaying with wing clapping at several locations on its daily routines from 24th to 31st.

An Osprey on Weybread Gravel Pits was fishing on number 1 pit on 1st and up to four Red Kites noted from Walberswick on 26th. you could not have made this one up; on the last day of the month another Mega Alert from Minsmere as a Western (Purple) Swamphen was found on the pool behind the South hide where it showed well until dusk; there were rumours that it was seen on 30th (see article). on Sunday 24th another rare bird for Suffolk, a Baird’s Sandpiper, was discovered on the East Scrape at Minsmere. it showed well until dusk and again on 25th. Good numbers of waders were returning south in July with Wood Sandpipers, Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints and Little Ringed Plovers being seen at several sites. there were Caspian and Yellow-legged Gull sightings all month of various-aged birds, most reports coming from Walberswick, Minsmere and the Alde Estuary. there were two very good counts of Mediterranean Gulls at Walberswick with 100 on 4th and 136 on 9th, plus 100 counted at Minsmere on 5th. During the month Little Gull numbers increased slowly. A Roseate Tern was on the Scrape at Minsmere on 3rd and 12th, and another, an adult, at trimley SWt on 23rd. on 31st a Caspian Tern circled the Minsmere Scrape briefly at 16:00hr but unfortunately did not stay. the only report of Turtle Dove in the month was from hazlewood on 23rd. on orfordness a male Citrine Wagtail was seen briefly twice on the reserve on 3rd in an area of unauthorized access. A Wood Warbler was trapped and ringed at Minsmere on 28th.

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August there was an out-of-season report of two Goosanders on South Scrape at Minsmere on 12th. two Garganey were seen at Minsmere during the month. A Quail was at Mount Pleasant, Westleton on 26th. the first Sooty Shearwater of the autumn was reported offshore from Minsmere on 3rd and another from Southwold on 18th. Also passing Southwold on 18th was a Balearic Shearwater.

Good numbers of Spoonbills remained throughout the county during the month. A Glossy Ibis was seen in flight over the East Scrape at Minsmere on 18th and 19th. two reports of Great White Egret this month were from Snape Wetlands on 11th and Minsmere on 31st. A Purple Heron was reported over the lagoons at East Lane, Bawdsey on 14th. the Honey-Buzzard continued to show well and remained until 29th at least; there should be no Suffolk listers needing honey Buzzard after this amazing long-stayer! Ospreys were recorded throughout the county during the month. the Purple Swamphen remained in the pool behind South hide on 1st and showed well on and off up to and including 5th.

At Lakenheath nine Common Cranes were recorded on 14th. it was a good month for Little Stints. from mid-month there was a moderate trickle of Curlew Sandpipers. A Pectoral Sandpiper was briefly spotted on East Scrape at Minsmere late afternoon on 14th. it was also a good August for Wood Sandpipers.

Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls remained at all locations where reported from July. At Landguard two Arctic Skuas were offshore on 18th and a Pomarine Skua on 19th. A pale phase Pomarine Skua was over the beach at Minsmere on 24th and an Arctic Skua at Slaughden on 24th.

During the month Little Gull numbers increased but Black Terns were reported only from Landguard. there was a Turtle Dove at Bawdsey hall on 1st. A Bee-eater was at Minsmere on 18th and 19th. A Wryneck was seen flying over the felixstowe Docks complex towards trimley Marshes on 15th and another, discovered at corton old Sewage Works on 25th, was still showing on 31st.

A Wood Warbler was discovered in the compound at Landguard on 8th and 9th. it seemed that Landguard was returning to a bit of form with Icterine Warbler on 25th and another on 29th.

September there was a moderate Dark-bellied Brent movement on 27th. there had been a Pale-bellied Brent at trimley Marshes from 10th to 13th. on 29th a Greater Scaup was reported north at Minsmere. Garganey were still being reported during the month from covehithe Broad, Minsmere, hollesley and trimley Marshes, although not so easy to find in eclipse plumage.

At trimley a Black-necked Grebe was present from 24th until 30th, probably also visiting Stutton Ness on 25th.

September sea watching produced Balearic Shearwaters at Southwold and thorpeness, Manx Shearwater past thorpeness and Minsmere and Sooty Shearwaters off Southwold, Lowestoft, thorpeness, Bawdsey and Landguard.

At Minsmere Sluice a Shag was reported on 5th and 6th.

Spoonbill sightings continued throughout the coastal region during the month. Great White Egret made a comeback after a quieter August. it was a fantastic month in Suffolk for Ospreys with a maximum of four recorded at Blythburgh.

A White Stork of unknown origin was found in a ploughed field at crest hill, fressingfield on 12th. it was a very quiet month in Suffolk for rare waders but a Buff-breasted Sandpiper made a very fleeting touchdown on 12th onto Landguard common. there were two sightings of Pectoral Sandpiper both from Minsmere. it was a cracking month for Curlew Sandpipers with at least 130 reports to Bins, the highest count being 29 at havergate. it was also a very good month for Little Stints with 34 sightings.

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Arctic Skuas were sighted at Lowestoft, Southwold, Sizewell and Bawdsey and Long-tailed Skuas at Lowestoft, Southwold and thorpeness. only two Bonxies were seen, both off Southwold.

Leach’s Petrels were off Minsmere on 24th and 25th. A rare sighting for Suffolk was a Puffin seen off Lowestoft on 18th.

A few Caspian Gulls and Little Gulls were seen during the month but it was another poor month for Arctic Terns with the only sightings being a juvenile on 3rd and 5th at Southwold and one at Bawdsey on 17th. A Black Tern flew past Landguard on 1st and another past thorpeness on 7th.

A Turtle Dove was on the approach road to Levington Marina on the 18th – a common sighting a few years back, but now very scarce.

At corton old Sewage Works the Wryneck continued into September with other birds noted during the month.

Tree Pipits at Bawdsey on 17th and 18th were welcome for those in the area.

An Arctic Warbler was found in a net in the compound at Landguard on 20th and was seen again on 21st although very elusive! there was a flurry of Yellow-browed Warbler records with the first being on 18th at corton Allotments.

Excellent numbers of Whinchats were at coastal sites with 75+ being reported to Bins during the month. there was a trickle of Redstarts throughout the month, plus a few Black Redstarts in the latter part of the month. Landguard recorded Firecrests on 23rd, 27th and 28th. there were 14 reports of Pied Flycatchers from coastal sites but Spotted Flycatchers were very scarce with the only report being from Landguard on 23rd. the managed retreat at trimley produced a Red-backed Shrike on 7th. two Ravens made an appearance on 20th at cavenham heath. At Bawdsey cliffs a Serin was reported moving south on 18th, Landguard had three Tree Sparrows from 22nd until 29th and there was a sprinkling of Lapland Buntings from 15th with sightings from Minsmere, Easton Bavents, Sizewell, hollesley Marshes and Landguard.

October the autumn’s first Bewick’s Swans were seen flying over island Mere, Minsmere on 26th and White-fronted Geese started to arrive from 14th. Also 11 Tundra Bean Geese were at North Warren on 14th. At Minsmere, on 21st, 20 Pink-footed Geese were seen offshore. Garganey were still being seen during the month, a Red-crested Pochard was at Pipps ford on 1st and a Greater Scaup was at Stutton Ness on 27th and 28th with two at Benacre on 28th. A Velvet Scoter passed Bawdsey on 13th, Long-tailed Ducks passed Landguard on 13th and 19th and Southwold on 13th and 12 Eiders flew past Lowestoft on 20th.

A Black-throated Diver was off Landguard on 8th and Great Northern Diver was seen there on 13th. Black-necked Grebes were reported from trimley Marshes, Stutton Ness and Landguard.

Sightings of Slavonian Grebes came from Lake Lothing, Mutford Lock, Lowestoft (same bird?) and Stutton Ness. october seawatching produced the following seabirds; single Leach’s Petrel past Landguard on 4th, Minsmere on 4th and Bawdsey on 13th, two Balearic Shearwaters past Bawdsey on 4th and one off Minsmere on 12th, Sooty Shearwaters off covehithe on 4th, two past Southwold on 13th and one off Lowestoft on 20th, Long-tailed Skuas off Bawdsey on 4th and 10th, and a few Arctic and Pomarine Skuas and Bonxies and Little Auks were reported from 20th.

At Dunwich a Cattle Egret was reported on 30th and Spoonbill and Great Egret sightings continued. hazlewood Marsh produced an Osprey on 1st, the only sighting for october. A Hobby flew over Bawdsey on 8th. Short-eared Owls started to arrive with sightings reported from Lowestoft to Landguard during the month.

A Hoopoe was at hazlewood Marshes from 28th to 30th. Shore Larks were at carlton Marshes, Lowestoft, kessingland, Dunwich and Minsmere. A Water Pipit was at Minsmere on 22nd. A Tree Pipit visited Landguard on 11th.

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on 20th a first-winter Black-bellied Dipper was found on the river Gipping at hawks Mill in Needham Market and remained for the rest of the month. Waxwings arrived late in the month.

A first for Suffolk was the Stejneger’s Stonechat which was trapped, ringed and released at Landguard on 7th, remaining until the next day (see article). A Lesser Whitethroat (probably blythi race) was at East Lane on 9th and another at LBo from 15th to 19th at least, Blyth’s Reed Warbler trapped and ringed at Landguard on 10th and a Dusky Warbler at corton old Sewage Works on 14th, then possibly three there on 15th.

Sightings of Yellow-browed Warblers continued into october. Pallas’s Warblers were at Bawdsey on 9th, corton on 15th, Link’s hill, Lowestoft on 26th, orfordness on 16th and 30th and hollesley on 29th. there were 17 Firecrest sightings. the only Pied Flycatchers seen were at Lowestoft on 1st and Southwold camp Site on 3rd. the last reported Red-backed Shrike of the autumn was found at Westleton heath on 11th, it was a long-stayer and last reported on 23rd. on the other hand Great Grey Shrikes put on a good showing. the Twite returned to Dunwich Shore Pools with 62 being seen on 23rd. on 9th two Common Redpolls were at Gunton and five seen briefly by the Sluice cottage at thorpeness before flying north on 15th. Hawfinches were reported, from Landguard on 7th, Lowestoft on 15th and Sizewell hall on 22nd. An immature Common Rosefinch was seen in fallow arable field / hedge off keens Lane at reydon on 8th. there was a flurry of Snow Buntings at the end of the month and still a scattering of Lapland Buntings with up to 14 reports.

November the Mega button was pushed again in Suffolk on 4th when an American Cliff Swallow was finally clinched around or a little after 14.30 at Minsmere. then yet another Mega Alert for Suffolk, early afternoon on 19th when a Forster’s Tern was found off Mistley on the Suffolk side of the Stour channel (see article). it was then seen in the Dock Basin at felixstowe and at felixstowe ferry on 21st.

Another extremely rare bird for Suffolk on 13th was a Little Bunting flushed from a weedy field by the MoD compound at Bawdsey.

Suffolk had its biggest sea duck assembly since 1955, (when 5000 were off hopton), with no other flocks of over 2000 until 2016. Common Scoters in the bay off Dunwich started on 15th with a count of 500 birds and by the 23rd it had increased to 1200, and on 25th a count of 4000 was reported. Adding to the excitement of this flock were good numbers of Velvet Scoters with up to 43 counted. it was also a good month for Long-tailed Ducks with 45+ being reported from north to the south of the county.

General round-up:Bewick’s Swans were recorded throughout the month. the only Whooper Swan was a juvenile that flew over Needham Market on 6th. the wintering geese were being seen regularly with mostly White-fronted Geese, a few Tundra Bean Geese and the occasional Pink-footed Geese.

Greater Scaup were seen off Gunton and on the Stour Estuary. Goosanders were at Minsmere and Dunwich.

Great Northern Divers were offshore at Southwold and Bawdsey. A Black-throated Diver was off Landguard on 8th. A Red-necked Grebe was on the Stour Estuary on 8th and 13th. there were two sightings of late Sooty Shearwaters – at Southwold and corton cliffs. three Cattle Egrets were recorded at South Wall Marshes, Breydon Water, remaining until 30th.

Presumably the same cattle Egret as last year returned to Sandy Lane, iken from 14th to 26th. the only Spoonbill sightings came from havergate and hollesley Marshes. Sightings of Great White Egret were still evident throughout the county during the November period.

Purple Sandpipers were seen during the month at Lowestoft, Southwold, Minsmere, Bawdsey and Landguard.

Pomarine Skuas were seen off corton, Dunwich, Minsmere, Bawdsey and Landguard and 16

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Bonxies from Southwold, Dunwich and Landguard.

An adult male and female Merlin were at king’s fleet on 4th. Hen Harrier sightings involved a ringtail at Boyton on 24th, a fine male at Dunwich on 24th and a ringtail at orford on 29th. firstwinter Glaucous Gulls were seen off corton old Sewage Works, Southwold, Minsmere, Landguard and trimley. there were still plenty of Caspian Gulls reported during the month and a few Yellowlegged Gulls.

With the arrival of some good northerly winds there was an influx of Little Auks with 33 off Ness Point on 3rd being the highest count.

A late Turtle Dove was discovered at Landguard on 1st. Good numbers of Short-eared Owls arrived mostly at the regular sites. A Long-eared Owl was found within the felixstowe Dock complex on 10th.

At Minsmere two Sand Martins were noted on 6th but Suffolk’s latest Sand Martin of 2016 was seen at Livermere Lake going south on 27th with a Swallow as company. A few Water Pipit sightings were made in the Southwold/Minsmere area and one was at Levington creek on 29th. the Black-bellied Dipper remained at hawks Mill, Needham Market into November up to 23rd and was also seen at Pipps ford from 23rd until 25th. there were more Waxwing arrivals throughout the county. A Black Redstart was at Landguard on 1st and 2nd. the only report of Yellow-browed Warbler this month was from a private garden in Bucklesham on 5th. Aldringham Walks attracted two Firecrests on 19th. A Great Grey Shrike was at Minsmere on 16th and 17th and another in the area around Sutton heath until 27th. At Long Melford hall Park two Ravens were seen on 19th. Hawfinches were reported from Santon Downham and 210 Bramblings were there on 28th. the small flurry of Snow Buntings continued with Dunwich being the hot spot with a peak count of 18 on 23rd. Lapland Bunting reports came from hollesley and Bawdsey. on 18th there were five Corn Buntings at the East Lane Lagoons.

December there were herds of Bewick’s Swans at Boyton, Minsmere, Westleton and Dunwich. on 2nd four Whooper Swans were at Dunwich. the wintering geese remained in good numbers at various locations with White-fronted Geese in very good totals (400+ in various-size flocks) and good numbers of Tundra Bean and a few Pink-footed Geese being reported. A group of seven Palebellied Brents flew south past Minsmere on 20th. A Black Brant was at Levington creek on 26th. the Common Scoter flock in Sole Bay off Dunwich had declined to 2600 on 2nd. the highest count of Velvet Scoters was 29 on 2nd, numbers tailing off after that. two Long-tailed Ducks remained in the vicinity of the scoter flock. two Eiders were also there on 2nd. A Greater Scaup was on Benacre Broad on 20th, then two on 26th.

A redhead Smew was at Alton Water on 4th. A first-winter drake Smew arrived at thorington Street on 10th and remained until the month’s end. four Goosanders visited Minsmere on 15th and another four were on the Wilderness Pond, christchurch Park on 17th with up to 3 remaining until the end of the month, and two were on Alton Water on 28th.

A Black-throated Diver was on the sea at Slaughden on 13th. A Great Northern Diver was off Slaughden on 24th and, another at holbrook Bay on 27th. Slavonian Grebes were recorded at Stutton Ness, holbrook Bay, Alton Water at Stoke Smew Richard Allen 17

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Bridge Sailing club, freston, Slaughden and hazlewood Marshes. A Black-necked Grebe was on Alton Water for most of the month. A juvenile Shag was at Stutton Ness on 3rd.

Spoonbills and Great White Egrets continued to be seen and the faithful Cattle Egret remained at Sandy Lane, iken all month with another at rodwell Dairy, Baylham on 24th, then two birds there on 26th, 28th and 29th.

Hen Harriers were seen along the coast. Merlins were sighted at felixstowe ferry/king’s fleet, Boyton and East Lane.

Purple Sandpipers were present all month at Lowestoft (highest count eight on 31st) and others noted from Southwold, Minsmere, East Lane and Landguard. the Jack Snipe remained at Levington Lagoon.

A Bonxie was at Stutton Ness on 28th. A first-winter Glaucous Gull was still lingering off Landguard during the month, then a second-winter at hollesley Marshes until the month’s end. there were still plenty of Caspian Gulls being reported from around the county during the month and a few Yellow-legged Gulls.

Good numbers of Short-eared Owls were still showing. out of the blue on 16th a Hoopoe was found at finborough road Estate, Stowmarket. At Dunwich there was a late Swallow on 1st. Water Pipits were at carlton Marshes, Dunwich, Minsmere and Levington creek. there were just a few Waxwing reports. Another wintering Yellow-browed Warbler was found in a private garden in ipswich on 1st. the Great Grey Shrike in the Sutton heath area remained all month and another was found at fagbury on 15th. the largest Twite flock was at Dunwich Shore Pools with the highest count being of 70 on 26th.

A Hawfinch was reported from Santon Downham on 26th. Snow Buntings were at kessingland, Dunwich, Minsmere, East Lane and Landguard. the only Lapland Bunting report for the month was from hollesley and Corn Buntings were recorded at Ling’s Lane, chelmondiston and at East Lane, Bawdsey.

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The ‘Official’ List of British Birds Brian Small

keeping lists (for some at least) is part of the enjoyment of birding. Many and varied are kept, some rather competitively: on a grand scale there are World Life, European or Western Palearctic lists; then come country lists; in addition, county lists are kept relatively keenly kept as are Patch lists, Garden lists, Self-found lists, Day lists. it goes on, but such lists are certainly not for all – although even those who say they don’t keep lists perhaps secretly have some idea of what they might be… however, what list and names do you use? you may have noticed some changes in the bird names used by the Suffolk Bird report over the past few years. An attempt at standardizing the ‘official’ list of English names for species has been a process of fraught and on-going ‘negotiation’.

Alongside this has been an amazing acceleration in the use of modern genetic practices by the scientific community, which has opened up a whole new world of relationships between many species. the result has been a very different-looking “Avian tree of Life”: who would have thought that falcons were actually close relatives of parrots and not other birds of prey? http://cdn.sci-news.com/images/enlarge2/image_3326_1e-Avian-tree-of-Life.jpg http://cdn.sci-news.com/images/enlarge2/image_3326_2e-Avian-tree-of-Life.jpg the uk has had its list of wild birds maintained by the British ornithologists’ union (Bou) since 1879. they drew on the help of many experts and even had their own taxonomic Sub-committee (tSc), which reviewed modern studies on birds that had, or may have occurred, in the uk, then, ultimately, would publish their decisions and the impact on ‘the British List’. criticism has come from those who wanted a more proactive approach – many organizations were moving ahead faster than the Bou seemed to be able to keep up with.

So, amidst some condemnation, they decided to disband the Bou tSc and in August 2016, at a meeting of the Bou council it was decided they would select a new taxonomy. it was agreed to ask the four main global avian taxonomic systems (eBird/clements, hBW/BirdLife, howard & Moore and ioc World Bird List) to submit a proposal that could be assessed against agreed criteria and related questions. Amongst these were various needs: to “use a consistent scientific approach to taxonomic decisions including higher level systematics; a transparent system in which the scientific rationale for taxonomic decisions is clearly articulated, both in general terms and for individual decisions; to review and update frequently to keep pace with scientific developments, new studies and new information”. to cut a long story short, they ultimately selected the ioc (international ornithological congress) list, which was generally a popular choice as many ornithologists like the updates and the format, which is easy to download. they regularly indicate which species they are looking at for possible ‘splitting’ or ‘lumping’. As the Bou has adopted the ioc for the ‘official’ list for the uk from January 2018, so the Suffolk report will follow. See the ioc website for lists to download http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ [there is not a vast amount of differences between the lists. there will be some gains; taiga and tundra Bean Geese are separate species and Stejneger’s Stonechat (split from Siberian) will be treated as its own species in this report next year. thayer’s Gull had been split from iceland but during 2017 was placed back in with it. redpolls, however, have moved the other way with Lesser and Mealy having been lumped as just the one species – common redpoll.]

As a final word, the shifting sands of bird genetics will no doubt come up with other changes to order and names, but hopefully we now have a list that fits into our ever-shrinking world. time will tell…

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Lackford Lakes – 30 years on A Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserve Mike Andrews and Colin Jakes

Introduction Lackford Lakes nature reserve is now a series of eleven different lakes of different sizes and shapes. these have been created over a period of 30 years since the 1970s from the extraction of sand and gravel. in 1987, Bernard tickner (a neighbouring landowner) purchased one of these newly created lakes creating the first part of what was to become Lackford Lakes nature reserve, which opened to the public in November 1988. By 1997, Lackford had become such an important place for both over-wintering wildfowl and dragonflies and damselflies that it was designated a Site of Special Scientific interest. then in 1999, following the completion of the gravel extraction, Suffolk Wildlife trust took ownership of the entire site. the reserve now consists of these eleven different lakes, fringed with scrub and some patches of reed. Added to this there are areas of grassland and woodland. this makes Lackford Lakes a fascinating mosaic of habitats which in turn attracts a wide variety of wildlife from birds to butterflies and dragonflies and damselflies. the reserve was further extended in 2013 when some adjacent arable fields were bought. these fields are being converted back to the Breckland habitat that would have been found over a wide area to the west of the reserve. these heathland areas of the reserve contain some rare Breckland plants and insects. it is also the area where some farmland birds can be found and in early spring it is worth scanning quietly from church Walk with the possibility of a passage Northern Wheatear or Stone curlew. the reserve itself is located eight miles to the west of Bury St Edmunds, to the south of the river Lark near the villages of flempton and Lackford.

All year round the varied habitats that can be found at Lackford Lakes make the reserve an interesting place to see birds throughout the year.

A variety of water birds can be seen in changing numbers all year round. Wildfowl numbers will peak in the winter months with smaller numbers staying to attempt to breed on the lakes.A special water bird that Lackford Lakes has become known for is the kingfisher Alcedo atthis.kingfishers are present all year round on the lakes and show particularly well from many of the hides around the kingfisher trail. the reserve has a few artificial banks for kingfishers to nest (two banks were used during 2016) and the best chance of seeing these amazing birds is during the breeding season. Another water bird that we have here all year round is the Water rail Rallus aquaticus.

Although seldom seen, it is present in good numbers around the reserve with its ‘piglet-like’ squeal allowing it to be identified.

Many of the common woodland birds are also present all year round and our woodland (ash carr) located in the centre of the reserve is a good place to see them. Marsh tit Poecile palustris can be best found there, along with treecreeper Certhia familiaris: Nuthatch Sitta europaea is now a regular woodland bird.

Lackford Lakes is also a good place to see some birds of prey. Some can be found here at certain times of year, whilst others are present all year round. Any visit to the reserve is likely to give visitors the chance to see common Buzzard Buteo buteo, Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus and kestrel Falco tinnunculus. More unusual is the Marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus although these have been more frequent in recent years.

Another bird worth mentioning is the tree Sparrow Passer montanus. these birds do come and go as they seem to prefer our neighbouring villages, where they are probably catered for quite 20

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Lackford Lakes – 30 years on A Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserve

nicely. follow the trail to Lackford church and you just might have a chance to see them. 2016 was the first year that we confirmed tree Sparrows nesting at Lackford Lakes. We have now put up a lot more nestboxes in the area between the church and the centre in the hope that we can encourage more to nest here.

Spring / Summer the early part of spring is a sign of change at Lackford. We still hold onto some of our winter birds but they will be gone soon. the last Goldeneye Bucephala clangula normally leaves us towards the end of March. At the same time, the first of the birds can be seen arriving back from Africa. chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and Sand Martin Riparia riparia should be recorded during this time.

Great crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus nest on our eastern lakes and March is the best time to see them displaying. Around eight pairs of these grebes are quite common on the lakes so by summer there should be quite a few young to be seen. red kites Milvus milvus are becoming a more frequent occurrence over the reserve and spring / summer is the best time to see them. this is probably due to birds spreading out and looking for suitable nesting sites and, as they are nesting in western Suffolk, they should be a more regular occurrence in coming years. occasionally in March, Breckland Goshawks stray over the southern part of king’s forest and can be seen soaring in the distance.

By the third week of April, nine species of warbler should be present on the reserve making it a great time to come and listen to them singing. the nine species are chiffchaff, Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, reed Warbler A. scirpaceus, Garden Warbler Sylvia borin, Lesser Whitethroat S. curruca, common Whitethroat S. communis and cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti, a recent coloniser.

Another special bird that arrives back from Africa is the Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos and the scrubby area around the centre towards the sailing lake is most suitable for them. During 2016, six birds were heard singing and held territories in this area. We hope to increase the scrub area to encourage more to set up territories here. there is so little scrub left throughout the county these days and what is left is often degraded by deer.

Spring is also the time when you might spot some birds just passing through on migration. Look out for terns passing through, particularly Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea from mid-April and gorgeous, sooty Black terns Chlidonias niger moving into May. throughout late spring and summer, hobby Falco subbuteo are regularly seen hunting for insects and dragonflies over our lakes. Lackford Lakes is a good place to see dragonflies, with up to 20 different species being recorded here and the hobbies make the most of them!

Waders are best on passage during spring and on return during late summer / early autumn.

Anything might turn up then. the most likely waders to see at times include Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa, common redshank Tringa totanus and Dunlin Calidris alpina. in spring, Little ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius occur annually: pairs sometimes linger and display, and breeding has occurred. Also, throughout the summer, keep an eye out for Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus and common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos. During the winter of 2015 / 2016 we have undertaken some improvement works on the Slough and in front of the double decker hide in the hope to make these areas more attractive for waders, by re-profiling the loafing islands, creating new spits and generally increasing the area of shallow water.

Autumn / Winter As we move into autumn common Snipe Gallinago gallinago become more obvious around the reserve so it is worth checking the muddy fringes around the lakes, for these, and the rarer Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus. the Slough and Steggall’s hides are good locations to search for these birds. these locations are also the favoured spots for large groups of Lapwing Vanellus vanellus which can be seen here throughout the autumn and winter.

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Another bird of prey to look out for towards the end of summer / early part of autumn is osprey Pandion haliaetus. Most years we record these migrating birds at the lakes. throughout autumn wildfowl numbers slowly start to build up on the lakes and in some autumns large gatherings can be found on certain lakes that are full of weed resulting from strong growth through the summer. Wigeon Anas penelope, teal A. crecca and Gadwall A. strepera can be found feeding in good numbers on these lakes. By the end of october, the first Goldeneye should be back. Although wintering duck numbers have tended to decline a little due to a series of mild winters, some impressive counts have been recorded: Mallard 1074 (Dec 1989), Shoveler 245 (Sept 1990), Gadwall 432 (Sept 2002), Pochard 403 (oct 1989), teal 654 (Jan 2015).

By winter, large numbers of ducks can be found using the lakes as their winter home including good numbers of tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, Pochard A. ferina, teal, Shoveler Anas clypeata, Wigeon and Gadwall.

Another water bird of note during the winter is the Goosander Mergus merganser with Lackford being the main wintering site in the county; the maximum recorded is 42 (feb 1987) although in recent years numbers have tended to peak in the low-to-mid-teens. Normally they fly into roost on the Slough when it is almost dark but on some days a couple may stay on the reserve throughout the day and when they do this, they can often be found on the eastern lakes.

Another feature of winter at Lackford Lakes are the winter roosts, the main one being the gull roost on the sailing lake which peaks at around 10000 birds come January and february. Large numbers of Black-headed Chroicocephalus ridibundus, Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus, Great Black-backed Gulls L. Marina and smaller numbers of yellow-legged L. Michahellis and caspian Gulls L. Cachinnans use the roost. in some winters the roost produces a rarer gull so it is worth a good scan with a ‘scope’ to pick out something different. ring-billed, Glaucous and iceland Gull have all occurred. other roosts that occur here include large numbers of reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus that head into the reeds to spend the night and, in some years, good numbers of Starlings Sturnus vulgaris are seen in murmurations as they come in to roost in the reeds. in recent years, large numbers of Siskin Carduelis spinus have been found feeding on the reserve during the winter with the occasional common/Lesser redpolls C. flammea in amongst them.

Unusual birds over the course of the 30 years that Lackford Lakes has been established there have been many visits from unusual birds to the reserve including Black-throated and Great Northern Diver; the rarer grebes; Night heron; ferruginous Duck; Eider; Velvet Scoter; Spotted crake; caspian tern; Wryneck and yellow-browed Warbler. the most recent was the long-staying Long-tailed Duck which arrived in November 2015 and stayed through to May 2016.

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25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site

25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site Alex Lack, Colin Jakes, Malcolm Wright and Peter Lack

Introduction the Lackford Lakes constant Effort Site (cES) ringing began in the breeding season of 1992 and has been worked continuously since, reaching 25 seasons in 2016 – and it continued in 2017. the basis of the cES scheme has been described previously (see eg Jakes et al. 2004) but essentially involves 12 visits to a site regularly spaced (once each ten days or so) from May 1st to August 31st each year. on each visit the same mist-nets are used in the same sites for the same time. All birds caught are ringed and recorded and because the effort is constant between years the numbers can be used to determine population changes and productivity of species. And using recaptures some estimates of survival can be calculated although the sample of figures for one site is rarely enough for substantive analysis. on a national scale the results from Lackford are combined with the other 130 or so sites around the uk to produce statistically robust measures of changes. currently 24 species are caught in sufficient numbers nationally for full monitoring (British trust for ornithology, 2016). however, not all individual sites catch all these and most catch some other species in reasonable numbers. this paper focuses on the one site, Lackford Lakes Nature reserve. the first 12 years of operation were summarised by Jakes et al. (2004) and this paper brings the information up to date.

Study Site Lackford Lakes is a reserve situated about half way between Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall in the valley of the river Lark. it is owned and managed by Suffolk Wildlife trust (SWt). habitats on the reserve include deciduous woodland, scrub and 11 lakes (Suffolk Wildlife trust, 2016). the cES site is in the dry scrub to the south of the Visitor centre and the Sailing Lake. Within this area six 18 metre mist-nets are used for the main cES study although one or more other nets are usually added in the second half of the season for added interest, although they are not part of the cES site itself.

Methods A description of the methods used and more details of the overall cES scheme can be found on the Bto website (British trust for ornithology, 2016). twelve visits are made each year between May 1st and August 31st. the idea is to carry out one visit in each 10-day period through the season although the actual dates specified for visits vary slightly each year depending on where weekends fall. Many observers are only able to run their sites at weekends and the 10/11-day periods for each visit are designated each year to ensure that each period contains three weekend days. it is requested that ringing visits should be at least one week apart and they are weather dependent with a need to avoid days which are windy and especially when there is rain. We have been lucky in that, for most of the 25 years, work and other commitments have not restricted us to weekends. Partly as a consequence we have only missed four visits of the potential 300 in the 25 years (one in each of 1996, 2007, 2008 and 2009).

Although the ten-day periods are specified nationally the actual times to operate are decided on a site to site basis with the proviso that the time is kept constant. in the case of the Lackford cES, nets are opened around 05:00hr and operated for five hours although for the last two visits everything is half an hour or so later.

Results and Discussion Total number of individuals figure 1 shows the total number of different individual adults and juveniles caught in each year.

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in all years except 2008 more juveniles were caught than adults (in 2008, 111 adults were caught and 108 juveniles). there was a decline in this total number from the start to a low of 219 in 2008 but there appears to have been a slight recovery since. the mean number caught each year is 397 (219 to 545), but this masks an average of 433 in the first 12 years and 362 in the subsequent years – a decrease of 18%.

Total Individual captures

Figure 1: The total number of individual birds caught in each year. Solid bar = adult birds, open bar = juvenile birds

Number of species the total number of species caught in each year is shown in figure 2. there was a high of 29 in both 1995 and 2010, and a low of 19 in 2008, the same year as the lowest number of individuals caught, with a mean of 25. the overall total number of species caught is 42 – list in the appendix.

As will be noted several have only been caught a few times and no further analyses are made of these. the mean number of species caught has fallen slightly over the 25 years, from an average of 25.6 species in the first 12 years of the study to 23.8 species subsequently although this is not statistically significant.

Productivity it is notable that in only one year, 2008, was a greater number of adult birds captured than juveniles. Across all 25 years 3592 adult birds have been captured and 6231 juveniles (total 9913) giving a ratio of 1.73 juveniles per adult. And despite a decreasing trend in the numbers of both adult and juvenile individuals being captured, overall productivity has remained fairly stable although with some variations especially in the latter years – the two most productive years were 2009 (2.84 juveniles per adult) and 2014 (3.15) and the least productive 2006 (1.04) and 2008 (0.97).

Patterns for individual species As would be expected these combined totals mask some major differences between species.

Many resident species occurring on the site are what are often thought of as “common garden birds”. Numbers of the majority have remained fairly stable throughout the study period. captures 24

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25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site

No. species captured

Figure 2: The number of species caught in each year.

of adult Wren Troglodytes troglodytes varied from 13 in 1995 to 3 in 1999 with a mean of 6.8 captures per year (figure 3). Juveniles though showed greater fluctuations ranging from 3 in 2006 to 33 in 1995 (figure 3). Adult numbers of this species are greatly influenced by the severity of the previous winter weather, and the weather in the spring during the nesting season will certainly affect the numbers of juveniles. the biggest decline of Wrens occurred over the 1995-1996 winter even though 1995 had been a year in which Wrens had flourished on the reserve. this was paralleled nationally and the most likely cause was a particularly cold December in 1995 (Prior & kendon, 2011). the mean December Wren

Figure 3: The number of individual adult and juvenile Wrens caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles 25

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temperature in 1995 was 2.2oc compared with a mean of 4.6oc over the whole 1992-2015 period (Met office, 2016). the effects of the cold winter can be seen in numbers of some other resident species as well – there was a significant drop in the total number of captures between 1995 (501) and 1996 (333). the population of robin Erithacus rubecula is healthy and stable, although no adults were captured in 1997 and 2009 (figure 4). however, as there were 27 juveniles caught in 1997 and 11 in 2009 it can be assumed that adults were present but evaded capture.

Robin

Figure 4: The number of individual adult and juvenile Robins caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles

Dunnocks Prunella modularis are caught in high numbers each year. Adult numbers show some variability but no particular trend (range nine to 26 with a mean of 16) but numbers of juveniles were very much more variable ranging from 51 in 2004 to eight in 2008. interestingly, in both the lowest and highest years for juveniles, 14 adults were caught, so it seems that the juveniles caught are not necessarily raised on the site. the population of Blackbirds Turdus merula has varied on the reserve although never have fewer than ten individuals been caught – ten in 1996 is the lowest and 41 in 2014 the highest with 32 of the latter being juveniles. the fluctuations are mainly caused by the numbers of juveniles.

At a national level robins demonstrate an increase in population between 1992 and 2015.

Blackbirds show a slight decrease and Dunnocks display an increase during the years of study. however, prior to 1992, Dunnocks suffered a major decline in the ten years between 1975 and 1985 (robinson et al., 2015). Despite this, and as previously mentioned, numbers of all three species have remained fairly stable at Lackford over the 25 years. the numbers of Blue Cyanistes caeruleus and Great tits Parus major varies considerably between years. the average number of adults of both species is slightly higher now than in the early years, but the numbers of juveniles is the cause of the main differences in total numbers. this is likely to be partly related to local breeding success but also the movement of post-fledging flocks around the reserve as a whole and whether or not a flock actually hits a net – one flock can make quite a large difference to total numbers of a catch. one of the biggest declines of all at Lackford has been that of Linnet Carduelis cannabina (figure 26

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25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site

5). in the early years there seemed to be a healthy population but the species had essentially disappeared completely from the site by 2000. this loss was partly in parallel with a national decline but we suspect that a subtle habitat change on the site is the cause of the disappearance although we are not sure exactly what this was.

Linnet

Figure 5: The number of individual adult and juvenile Linnets caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles

for most species the number of juveniles caught exceeds the number of adults, sometimes by some margin. however, Bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula by contrast show the reverse with juveniles exceeding adult captures in only three years (2002, 2004 and 2011) and in two years there were no juvenile captures recorded at all (2000 and 2008). Nationally, Bullfinches have exhibited a steady decline in numbers until about 2000 when they began to recover (robinson et al. 2015), but overall the species has maintained a stable population on the site with adults being recorded in every year of the study. the higher catch rate of adults than juveniles is possibly a result of nonbreeding birds. Bullfinches feed mostly on the buds of trees (Greig-Smith & Wilson, 1984). the study site at Lackford is comprised mainly of hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, Blackthorn Prunus spinosa and Elder Sambucus nigra with a small number of oak Quercus sp. and Ash Fraxinus excelsior trees interspersed within it (Jakes et al. 2004) so it is perhaps not the perfect habitat for breeding Bullfinches which prefer woodland edge and a greater diversity of trees in order to have trees in bud at different times (Greig-Smith & Wilson 1984). in contrast to most of the resident species being more or less stable the numbers of some of our long distance migrants have changed substantially.

Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus show a sharp decline from 1994 when 26 adults and 20 juveniles were caught to 1999 with six adults and three juveniles (figure 6). Subsequently they have slowly declined further although the species has been present in all years except 2012. unlike most species more adults were caught than juveniles in all years except 1992. common Whitethroats Sylvia communis also show a sharp decline during the study period (figure 7), although less so than the Sedge Warbler, and the odd pair still occurs. Numbers of juveniles though have almost disappeared.

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca is a much less abundant species than Whitethroat (15 individuals captured in 1993 compared with 58 Whitethroat). however, it has also declined and 27

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Sedge Warbler

Figure 6: The number of individual adult and juvenile Sedge Warblers caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles

in no year since 1996 have there been more individual captures than nine (in 2015). it is also notable that this species too is one of only a few where the number of adults exceeds the number of juveniles caught. Perhaps they do not actually breed there regularly or it is simply that breeding success is low.

Nationally, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats are on the increase. Between 1995 and 2010 Whitethroats increased by 39% and Lesser Whitethroats by 4% (risely et al., 2012). however, local trends show decreases of these birds in East Anglia across other sites in the region (robinson et al. 2015).

Whitethroat

Figure 7: The number of individual adult and juvenile Whitethroats caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles 28

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25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site

finally among the Sylvia warblers Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla is the most numerous species we have caught (1965 captures across the 25 years, nearly 20% of the overall total). the number of adults has slowly but steadily increased (figure 8) through the whole period, but the main fluctuations have been with the numbers of juveniles. these numbers include young from local breeding birds but also passage birds coming in to take advantage of the plentiful berry crop in August.

Blackcap

Figure 8: The number of individual adult and juvenile Blackcaps caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles

Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus and chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita show contrasting patterns (figure 9). the Willow Warbler decline is one of the most marked of all species at Lackford – 51 individuals caught in 1992 and 52 in 1997 but by 1999 only 13 and subsequently usually in single figures although to date there has always been at least one caught each year. in contrast chiffchaffs have increased significantly during the course of the study. in 1992 six individuals were captured but in 2004 100 were caught, an increase of more than 1600%. there was then a slight decline to a low 2005-2007 and numbers have subsequently recovered slightly. As can be seen from figure 10 much of the increase has been in juvenile numbers but the number of adults has also more than doubled.

Some of these patterns of migrant numbers can be explained by the species’ winter quarters.

Blackcaps and chiffchaffs are different from Sedge Warblers, both of the Whitethroats and Willow Warblers with the majority of the population not crossing the Sahara Desert but spending the winter in North Africa and southern Europe (Langslow, 1979). Many more than previously are also being found in the uk during the winter but the Blackcap population in winter is known to be from a population breeding in south-west Germany (Plummer et al., 2015). As a result they do not experience the same pressures for food and territory as those wintering south of the Sahara Desert. Blackcaps are increasing rapidly in the uk, especially in the last five years, although the increase at Lackford is not so pronounced. the drivers behind the rapid increase which has been happening since 1970 are presently unknown (robinson et al., 2015).

Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat spend the winter in the Sahel region of West Africa just to the south of the desert, an area which is affected by large rainfall fluctuations. the changes in numbers of these two species nationally correspond quite closely with the amount of rain in the Sahel 29

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Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff

Figure 9: The number of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff caught each year. Solid line = Chiffchaff, dashed line = Willow Warbler

Chiffchaff

Figure 10: The number of individual adult and juvenile Chiffchaffs caught each year. Solid line = adults, dashed line = juveniles

during the previous autumn. Willow Warblers also spend the winter in tropical Africa although mainly somewhat further south than the Sahel region. however, it is thought that the decline in Willow Warblers is not so heavily influenced by the changes occurring in Africa as for the Sedge Warbler or Whitethroat. this is evident in the fact that the population of Willow Warblers in northern England and Scotland has remained relatively unaffected during the course of the study period although at Lackford, and indeed the rest of southern England, they have declined very sharply – only ten have been caught in the last four years of the study. the primary factor driving 30

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25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site

this decline in southern England has been shown to be degradation of breeding habitat caused by climate change and vegetation succession (Morrison et al., 2010). Willow Warblers prefer young open woodland in which to breed. however, deer grazing destroys the low cover that Willow Warblers require (Gill & fuller, 2007). Deer browsing often leads to a reduction in diversity of a habitat and is increasing in southern England (Gill & Beardall, 2001). finally the Lesser Whitethroat is unique among the warblers breeding in the uk in spending the winter in and around Ethiopia and so is subject to a different set of conditions than any of the others.

Among other migrant species there have continued to be small numbers of Garden Warblers Sylvia borin, Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos and a few reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus.

Other species it will be noted from the appendix that some species of which we have caught only very few over the years are now decidedly scarce. Notable perhaps among these are Nightingale. the mean catch is 3.3 adults and 0.7 juveniles but it only arrived on the site as a breeding species in 1997 and after a period of stability shows some definite signs of a decline in the last five years. turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur are only caught very rarely (total of three adults and one juvenile, with only one since 2001). this follows the very large national decline of the species and, although the species is still seen on the site a few times each year, it has not been proved to breed for some time. in contrast cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti was first trapped in 2014 and five adults and two juveniles were caught in 2016. Although it has been recorded on the site in the reedbeds for a few years now it only started to colonise the drier sites (including the cES area) very recently. finally we have caught a single Willow tit Poecile montana (in 2002), now almost extinct in Suffolk, and in 2005 we caught what appeared to be a family party of tree Pipits Anthus trivialis (two adults and three juveniles) passing through.

General discussion Although the patterns of change in numbers of many species follow the national trends that is not the whole story as some of the changes at Lackford are greater than the national, eg for Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler. Presumably, therefore, there are some local issues with habitat suitability at the site. certainly the scrub has in general grown up and thickened somewhat during the 25 years and in particular some of the trees are now larger than they were. But unlike in many woodland areas the undergrowth remains quite thick and there does not seem to be a major issue with (reeve’s) Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi at the site although the species certainly occurs and increasingly so. Part of the increase of chiffchaffs and the apparent replacement of Willow Warblers can be put down to these local habitat issues as well. chiffchaffs prefer to inhabit older woodland and larger trees than the Willow Warbler and the trees have certainly become larger and the undergrowth denser and higher than in 1992.

Survival calculations of survival can only sensibly be done on a national scale – numbers from any one site are too small. however, the Lackford site has produced some notable longevity records. the following are the longest periods between captures for a series of species. Note that the periods specified are between first and last captures and, although many were originally caught as young birds of the year, all figures are minima in terms of the age of the individual bird concerned. in some cases too we have caught the individual concerned in the intermediate period.

Among resident birds the longest are:Blackbird – 7 years 33 days; Dunnock – 6 years 278 days; Blue tit – 5 years 218 days; Great tit – 5 years 95 days; Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus – 5 years 78 days; chaffinch Fringilla coelebs – 4 years 271 days; robin – 4 years 132 days; Bullfinch – 4 years 69 days; Marsh tit Poecile palustris – 4 years 40 days and reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus – 4 years 6 days.

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Among the long-distance migrants the longest are:reed Warbler – 11 years 329 days; Garden Warbler Sylvia borin – 6 years 361 days: Blackcap – 5 years 250 days; Nightingale – 5 years 311 days.

Also the following species have all been re-trapped 3-4 years after initial ringing:Wren, Song thrush Turdus philomelos, Whitethroat, Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus, Green Woodpecker Picus viridis, Lesser Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, chiffchaff, coal tit Periparus ater and Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major. the most notable of these is the reed Warbler. this species spends the winter months in parts of West Africa and will therefore have travelled in excess of 120000 kilometres in its lifetime.

Acknowledgements this paper is based on an analysis of the 1992-2015 data by AL for his honours dissertation at york university. We are particularly grateful to the directors of the Suffolk Wildlife trust (the late Derek Moore and now Julian roughton) and the successive wardens of Lackford Lakes reserve (especially Joe Davis and the current site manager, Will cranstoun) for permission to carry out the study on the site and for various assistance notably with habitat management. the site was set up as a cES by PL and Anne Brenchley and has continued with such consistency primarily due to the commitment of cJ and MW over many years. A few other ringers have assisted us, especially in the early years; in particular tony howe, Simon Evans, Darren underwood, Paul Lacey, thomas Grey and John Walshe.

References British trust for ornithology, 2016. the constant Effort Sites Scheme. Accessed from (http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ringing/surveys/ces) on february 14th 2016.

Gill, r.M.A. & Beardall, V. 2001. the impact of deer on woodlands: the effects of browsing and seed dispersal on vegetation structure and composition. Forestry, 74: 209-218.

Gill, r. & fuller, r.J. 2007. the effects of deer browsing on woodland structure and songbirds in lowland Britain. Ibis 149 (supp.2): 119-127.

Greig-Smith, P.W. & Wilson, G.M. 1984. Patterns of activity and habitat use by a population of bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) in relation to bud-feeding in orchards. Journal of applied Ecology, 21: 401-422.

Jakes, c., Lack, P. & Wright, M. 2004. the Lackford Lakes constant Effort Site: the first twelve years 1992-2003. Suffolk Birds, 53: 20-28.

Langslow, D.r. 1979. Movements of Blackcaps ringed in Britain and ireland. Bird Study, 26: 239252.

Met office. 2016. climate Data Archives. Accessed from (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ climate/uk/summaries/datasets) on March 30th 2016.

Morrison, c.A., robinson, r.A., clark, J.A. & Gill, J.A. 2010. Spatial and temporal variation in population trends in a long-distance migratory bird. Diversity and distributions, 16: 620-627.

Plummer, k.E., Siriwardena, G.M., conway, G.J., risely, k. & toms, M.P. 2015. is supplementary feeding in gardens a driver of evolutionary change in a migratory bird species? Global Change Biology 21: 4353-4363.

Prior, J. & kendon, M. 2011. the uk winter of 2009/2010 compared with severe winters of the last 100 years. Weather, 66: 4-10. risely, k., Massimino, D., Johnston, A., Newson, S.E., Eaton, M.A., Musgrove, A.J., Noble, D.G., Procter, D. and Baillie, S.r. 2012. the Breeding Bird Survey 2011. BTO Research Report no. 624. robinson, r.A., Marchant, J.h., Leech, D.i., Massimino, D., Sullivan, M.J.P., Eglington, S.M., Barimore, c., Dadam, D., Downie, i.S., hammond, M.J., harris, S.J., Noble, D.G., Walker, r.h. & Baillie, S.r. 2015. Bird trends 2015: trends in numbers, breeding success and survival for uk breeding birds. BTO Research Report 678.

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25 years of the Lackford Lakes Constant Effort Site

Wildlife trust.

2016.

Lackford Lakes reserve.

Suffolk (http://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/lackfordlakes) on January 12th 2016.

Appendix the species which have been caught in the Lackford cES 1992-2016:-

Accessed

from

Sparrowhawk; Wood Pigeon; turtle Dove; cuckoo; kingfisher; Great Spotted Woodpecker; Green Woodpecker; Wren; Dunnock; robin; Blackbird; Song thrush; Mistle thrush; Nightingale; cetti’s Warbler; Sedge Warbler; reed Warbler; Whitethroat; Lesser Whitethroat; Blackcap; Garden Warbler; Willow Warbler; chiffchaff; Goldcrest; Long-tailed tit; Blue tit; Great tit; coal tit; Marsh tit; Willow tit; treecreeper; Magpie; Jay; tree Pipit; chaffinch; Greenfinch; Goldfinch; Linnet; Lesser redpoll; Bullfinch; reed Bunting; yellowhammer.

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Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio at Minsmere, July 31st to August 5th 2016 – a first for Suffolk (and Britain) Frank Clark

Background the natural habitat of the swamphen, part of the rail family, is wetland areas such as swamps / marshes, lake and river edges and damp pastures, where reeds and sedges grow. often living in pairs, they can also form larger communities. they eat the tender shoots of the reeds and sedges, plus other vegetation. however, they have also been known to eat eggs, ducklings, small fish and invertebrates such as snails (Wikipedia). in 2015, the Purple Swamphen was split into a group of six full species (ioc; Wikipedia). of those six species, three are found in parts of the Western Palearctic. those species are the Western Purple Swamphen – found in Spain, Portugal and southern france, the African Swamphen P. madagascariensis (split several years earlier) – found in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa and finally, the Grey-headed Swamphen Porphyrio poliocephalus – found in the Middle East, the indian subcontinent, southern china and northern thailand. of those three species, the Grey-headed Swamphen has been recorded in the uk on a number of occasions, with the last record in clwyd in August 2010. All records for this species in the uk have been rejected as referring to escaped birds, primarily because of its natural distribution but more importantly, owing to its popularity as a captive species.

How it was found With all this in mind, Sunday July 31st 2016 turned into a very memorable day. Let me explain: At 06:30, we were heading north to Walberswick, from Ashford in Middlesex. our regular site in the New forest for honey-Buzzard Pernis apivorous had been unproductive this year but the bird at Westwood Lodge seemed to be quite reliable. Arriving at 09:10 we headed on foot towards Westwood Lodge. After only a few minutes, we spotted the honey-Buzzard. it drifted slowly towards us from the south and then flew low over our heads, giving some excellent views. returning to the car, we set off for Minsmere, booked in at the visitors’ centre and picked up a list of recent sightings.

Birding was good, with us managing to see one of the youngsters from the breeding pair of Stonecurlews Burhinus oedicnemus on the reserve. Slowly we made our way around the reserve and when we reached the flooded area in the konik field, things began to get a little more interesting. the reeds at the edge of the pool on the konik field were very high and viewing was proving to be a little difficult. however, when the wind blew the reeds down, we managed to see a small wagtail on the mud. it had two very distinct white wing bars, was pale in the face, had a solid black bill, an obvious white throat, was grey on the back and it was clearly white under its tail. Getting my friend onto the bird, we watched it for between five and eight minutes before it flew out of view, into the corner of the pool – calling twice. there was ‘the possibility’ that it was a juvenile citrine Wagtail.

Despite assistance from three rSPB staff / volunteers, we were unable to relocate the bird on the same pool. Deciding to move on to check the other pools nearby, to see if i could relocate the wagtail, i moved towards the south hide. reaching the pool behind south hide, my heart stopped. Sitting preening, in the open in front of the reeds, was a large blue bird. the bird had long pink legs (un-ringed), a large white rear and had a large red frontal lobe and bill. i believe i actually shouted “Purple Swamphen”. “you’re mad”, was what i heard next, “it’s a Moorhen!!” for several minutes things did become rather surreal and quite bizarre. i was being told by a number of people that it was a moorhen. Whilst all the time i was thinking this is a swamphen and i need to get the news out NoW. fortunately, a moorhen did eventually and very kindly swim in front of the preening bird and several shouts went up – oh my god, it is a swamphen!! At this point, i called the news through to rBA and then again and again, as 34

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news was not coming out on the pager. i then began a frantic hunt to find someone with a camera good enough to get a picture of the bird. With 20 or so people around, including those in the south hide, not one had a decent camera!

At this point, one of the rSPB staff / volunteers who had tried to help me relocate the citrine Wagtail appeared. frantically trying to get him over to me, he said “have you re-found it?” “No, I have found a Purple Swamphen”. the disbelief on his face was a real picture, but after looking through the scope, he was straight onto the radio. During the radio transmission, the word un-ringed became ringed, which ultimately caused some confusion. the bird then disappeared into the reeds, with no decent picture taken. it did not reappear for some time, just showing occasional tantalising glimpses every now and then. in fact it did not reappear until well after i left at 3:00pm. As others appeared comments such as “i have heard if it gets too deep in the water it will drown”. this was confusing but i did ask “why?” “Because it has so many rings on it!” i quickly corrected this misconception and advised them that this bird was definitely un-ringed.

During the wait for it to reappear, i heard someone mention that they had seen a bird for a split second the previous day, before it disappeared into the reeds. they said that they thought it was just a large moorhen and they had never followed it up. on the basis of that comment, it is possible that the bird had been present since at least July 30th. But this will never be confirmed. News spread, with more and more people arriving but no sign of the bird reappearing. however, after departing, i was overjoyed to hear the mega-alert on the pager go off. My friend read out the message and i knew that the bird had not only been seen again, but more importantly that someone must have been able to get a picture of it. During the time the bird remained at Minsmere, many people visited the reserve, to see what could turn out to be a first for the uk.

Further sighting the bird remained at Minsmere until at least August 5th, before it finally disappeared. Where it went after that is unknown but on August 30th 2016, a swamphen was reported at Alkborough flats in Lincolnshire. initially thought to be a different bird, it was later generally accepted that the Lincolnshire bird was likely to be the bird first seen at Minsmere. the origin of the bird seen in Suffolk and Lincolnshire will obviously come under extreme scrutiny. Many believe that the bird is an escapee; however all checks to date of known collections have failed to find a missing bird – both in the uk and mainland Europe.

Acceptance as first for Britain? there are a number of factors in favour of this bird being a genuine vagrant. this was a Western Purple Swamphen, found just across the channel in france, not the usual Grey-headed Swamphen. the bird was un-ringed and displayed no cage damage to either its feathering or beak. During 2016, there was a well-recorded and unprecedented northerly movement of swamphen from their normal breeding grounds in southern france, Portugal and Spain. this northerly movement had in fact been first noted as early as 2014. During 2016, some of the individuals being recorded in central and northern france included La capelle-et-Masmolène, Gard on July 16th, Étang de Beaurepaire, DeuxSèvre on July 19th and Guidel, Morbiham, Britannia from July 24th to around July 31st. this movement appeared to coincide with an exceptionally warm period in Spain, where many of the normal wetland areas these birds inhabit / breed in, had dried up. More traditionally, however, it is the time of year, when water levels are at their lowest and all types of wetland birds tend to disperse to wetter areas. concerns have been raised about how this bird got across the channel.

Well, swamphen are clumsy flyers but are also very capable of flying long distances. they are also excellent swimmers, despite not having webbed feet. from Minsmere, Suffolk to Alkborough flats, Lincolnshire is approximately 140 miles. if this was indeed the same bird seen at both sites that is a considerable distance for this particular bird to have travelled. it is certainly much further than a shortish hop across the channel. taking all this into consideration, i do have strong hopes that Western Purple Swamphen will finally make it on to the British List.

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Thayer’s Gull Larus glaucoides thayeri – Minsmere RSPB reserve – March 27th and 28th 2016 Brian Small

i arrived at Minsmere at c. 08:15 on March 27th, having cadged a lift with my wife Janet who was managing the tea room. With a couple of hours before i needed to cycle home and meet my son Ben for a driving lesson, i walked to the East hide.

As usual the large gulls Larus sp. and Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa took my attention.

Amongst the gulls were a couple of caspian L. Cachinnans (first- and second-winters) and also yellow-leggeds L. michahellis. having pointed out the caspians to various interested people, i picked out a strange paler mantled gull, with soft and blotchy crescental streaking on the head – creating a vague hood – dark eye and raspberry-pink legs. it was a very distinct gull and different enough for me to think straight away that it was a northern Pacific-rim gull. John Grant strolled in and we had a bit of a natter during which i mentioned the gull. John was also rather “taken” by it, and for the next hour we watched the gull carefully – in between pointing out caspian Gulls to those interested. i proposed to John that it might be a Vega Gull L. Smithsonianus and we joked as to who would “ring it out”; i certainly was not prepared at that time to disseminate news of a “funny-looking” gull at Minsmere… initially, when on the ground, the size – equal to herring Gulls L. Argentatus around it, and the rather gawky shape to the head with a quite rounded crown, gave it a look that both of us said reminded us of the photos of the Vega Gull by killian Mullarney (found in co. Wexford, ireland, on January 10th 2016). My knowledge of the Pacific-rim gulls is largely theoretical, but i knew enough to know that this was not an ordinary herring-type gull. As John and i watched, the one element that we had not seen very well was the primary pattern; as it spent most of its time hidden or sat on the ground we did not really get a good view of it for the 90 minutes that it was amongst the other gulls. one thing i did notice was that its right wing looked unusual and speculated that p10 was still growing – very late and a diverting ‘misobservation’ as it transpired. i was going to have to leave to meet Ben, so i took a few distant photos and videos that i hoped would show the head shape and features. i was quite concerned about its identity and that others should see it, so i rang Adam rowlands the rSPB Minsmere site manager and former chairman of BBrc. i described it and said i felt it was a Vega-type gull – even perhaps still growing its primaries, but it was then that Adam suggested thayer’s. As part of the BBrc review of the Pitsea thayer’s one of the committee members had brought up that at times the two might look very similar (but daftly i did not pick up on this until later!). i also let David fairhurst know about the gull, hoping that he might be able to get to see it. finally with familial duties calling i cycled home. to cut a long story short, i met Ben but with my photos still in the camera (left in my wife’s car at Minsmere), i wanted to check some references on the internet. there was no doubting my first impression that the head shape looked like the images of the Vega Gull in ireland, although it wasn’t quite the same. one thing for sure was that there was too much white in the primaries for it to be a Vega. i then looked at the photos of the irish and Spanish thayer’s on Birding frontiers and well... the penny dropped!

By now it was late morning and David fairhurst had finally succumbed to temptation and was watching the bird when i rang him. We discussed that the plumage looked spot-on for thayer’s, but, like me, i think David was a little concerned about its size and head-shape. By now David was thinking that he had better put it out as something – i am not a fan of ‘possible’ or ‘probable’ species, so he texted it to Suffolk BiNS as Vega, but almost instantaneously we had realized that it was more likely to be a thayer’s. he had seen (and videoed) it in flight and we went through the primary pattern over the phone and so i then texted to BiNS that it showed more characters of a thayer’s.

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Thayer’s Gull Larus glaucoides thayeri – Minsmere RSPB reserve

finally i took Ben out for a drive and somehow (strangely) we ended up at Minsmere. Gathering my gear from Janet’s car, we walked to West hide, from which, looking into the light i could see the bird (asleep) but viewing was not ideal. After flat-batting a bit of questioning by those present, suddenly it took flight and WoW! What had seemed quite a large gull on the ground seemed neat and compact and smaller in flight; more importantly the general wing pattern seemed great for thayeri. Superb! there was a lot of excitement at that point and i got a text from Adam, who had seen it do the same flight. he confirmed (with a few choice words) our impression of it being thayer’s, though there was still a little caution as we had yet to see a good photo which showed the precise wing pattern. Walking round to South hide i could see the bird from the path, although in the hide it was head on; pleasingly it now looked different in structure compared with how it had in the morning – much more like a thayer’s. i was mentally kicking myself that i had not sorted it out earlier, but now that i knew what it was it somehow seemed a lot easier. With some excellent and sharper photos of the primary pattern taken by craig fulcher, i could finally see the exact pattern on the wings and (like Adam) felt it was absolutely ‘spot-on’ for thayer’s. All of the features fell into place: the dark eye giving a quite gentle feel to the face; the pale creamy-yellow base to the bill; the smudgy and ochre-brown head markings; the raspberry-pink legs; and, most importantly, the wing pattern.

What a day! A bit fraught with having to leave it in the morning, and my initial sway towards Vega; as i had not seen thayer’s before it was a steep learning curve for me – a fact that did not help in my prevarications over the gull’s identification. it had been a group effort and a big thank you to Adam and David for looking at the gull and critical discussions over its iD.

BBRC submission Thayer’s Gull – Minsmere RSPB. Sunday 27/3/2016 and Monday 28/3/2016 – Brian Small

in September 2015 it was announced that the Bourc had accepted thayer’s Gull onto the British list – an adult at Pitsea in Essex. Who would have thought that only six months later we would be watching one in coastal Suffolk on Easter Sunday? i first saw the bird at c.08:30, but it took about four hours to sort out all of the features.

Most importantly by mid-afternoon we had good-enough images to rule out the very similar Vega Gull, but also to get past the unreality of there really being a thayer’s Gull on the Scrape! the truth is that when i first found it, the bird reminded me a lot of the images taken by killian Mullarney of the recent Vega Gull L. smithsonianus vegae, in ireland, so much so that in fact it was what i first thought it was – with feedback from others, i now realise i was not being quite as daft as i felt.

Looking from East hide, with the light behind me, i was initially confronted by a large adult Larus, with an obvious ‘hooded’ effect made up of soft or smudgy, blotchy, ochre- or brown-grey streaks on the head, becoming more crescental on the breast sides. i guess that this was the first thing i noticed, although actually the whole bird just seemed different – in an oddly familiar sort of way. the mantle was similar in tone to some argenteus herring (a little darker than some around it), but never as dark as argentatus; the bill was perhaps a little finer at the tip than herring and coloured creamy yellow at the base, becoming yellower towards the tip with a restricted area of red on the lower edge of the bill near the gonydeal angle. the legs were different in colour from herring, a deep raspberry or purple-tinged pink. i did not get a clear view of the primaries in these first views. the near-closed wing looked black with prominent white tips, but the underside of the far (right) primaries were silvery-white with a black lower (outer) edge and narrow black band isolating a large white tip. As it preened and stretched its right wing it seemed as if there was still wing moult – although this later turned out to be damage in the right wing.

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Perhaps confusingly, the bird was undoubtedly big! Not once did i think of iceland Gull L. glaucoides – i was not the only observer to be taken by its size, and the head seemed quite chunky. it always looked good for a ‘Pacific-rim’ gull and rashly i plumped for Vega Gull. i mentioned this to John Grant next to me, then with a bit more confidence (but not much) rang Adam rowlands to let him know of the Vega-type gull’s presence. it was then that Adam mentioned that thayer’s might well come into the equation based on comments on the Pitsea thayer’s Gull file. i let David fairhurst know too, but after 90 minutes i had to leave, hoping eventually that reference to articles and photos on the internet would help.

By late morning David fairhurst had finally succumbed to temptation and was watching the bird when i rang him in the early afternoon with photographs in front of me on my computer. David was excited; there was no doubting the first impression that it was something good! though the head shape looked like the images of the Vega Gull in ireland, it wasn’t quite the same and one thing was for sure that there was too much white in the primaries. i brought up on my screen the photos of the irish and Spanish thayer’s on Birding Frontiers and… well the penny dropped – it had to be a thayer’s…surely?

By early afternoon, i was back in West hide, from where, looking into the light, i could see the gull (asleep or hidden!) but viewing was not ideal. After a while it took flight and transformed from seeming quite a large gull on the ground to being neater and more compact in flight. More importantly the general wing pattern seemed great for thayeri! the wing tips seemed intrinsically silvery-white from below with a limited line of black near the tips of the outer five primaries; even from above they also seemed largely white. there was undoubted excitement, and at that point i got a text from Adam who confirmed our impression of it being thayer’s – Adam was the only person i had spoken to who had field experience of thayer’s.

We tempered our excitement with caution – as we had yet to see a good photo that showed the precise wing pattern. We hoped that photos might reveal the exact primary pattern. it wasn’t long before craig fulcher and Jeff higgott obliged and i could finally see that the pattern of the outer primaries was absolutely spot on for thayer’s. the outer edges of p10 and p9 were narrowly black with greyer inner webs – p10 was marked with a large white mirror and small black subterminal triangle; p9, too, had a large white mirror; there was a narrow black line across p5 and large inner white areas bordering the black on primaries 5-8. the trailing edge was broad and white – this last feature also gave a prominent white area on the tertial tips.

We had managed to see all of the features of thayer’s Gull. there was nothing that contradicted that identification, but i still wanted a bit more feedback. i sent photos and links to chris Gibbins who very kindly replied: “My instinct from the standing bird was that clearly a Pacific gull, but not being able to see the wing details i went home to look up some images from korea of a wacky Vega i had, just to check that this was not the solution for your bird rather than a thayer’s. But now today i see you have a much better set of images (on Surfbirds, etc.) and clearly your bird has silvery on underside of p10 (rather than blackish) and rest of details fit thayer’s great too! Superb.” “you are right to be mindful that some Vega-types may create problems; but you are also right that your bird is too pale on the underside of the primaries for a Vega. i think you are spot on about how different from kumliens/iceland your thayer’s is; this problem never really comes into it. i think more work is needed to understand variation in Vega; at the moment it is not clear whether birds with less black and more white in wings are pure or represent some hybridisation somewhere along the line (i think i saw Vega x Glaucous for instance in korea). killian was mindful to rule out a thayer’s with his Vega, and i think you are right to (and can) rule out Vega with your thayer’s. it’s a great great bird.”

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Thayer’s Gull Larus glaucoides thayeri – Minsmere RSPB reserve

– i simply had not expected how much alike thayer’s and Vega Gulls might be, but we got there in the end. it had been a group effort with a lot of help from Adam and David during critical discussions over its identification. finally, as i had not seen thayer’s before, the day had been a steep learning curve, but it just goes to show there is always a lot to learn about gulls.

Links to two short videos - https://vimeo.com/160629688 and https://vimeo.com/160620059

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Cliff Swallow – Minsmere November 4th to 6th 2016 – a first for Suffolk Steve Piotrowski

At 14:30hr November 4th 2016, at rSPB Minsmere, the first bird i noted when walking from the car park was a Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica. Eric (D’Weasel) Patrick and John Garbutt arrived soon after and, having checked in at rSPB reception, we made our way to the North Wall. As we were leaving the pond area, we noted several more swallows and made some effort to count how many were present. Whilst we counted up to eight swallows, D’Weasel called out “house Martin.” i saw this bird very fleetingly but could clearly see that it had a dark throat. D’Weasel said that he had seen a white rump and he light-heartedly suggested that if it had a dark throat it must have been a “Nepalese (Asian) house Martin” (Delichon dasypus)!

We proceeded to the North Wall to search for the bird and eventually relocated it from the Stone-curlew viewing point at the western end of the wall. We were viewing the bird in very gloomy light and at a distance of around 500 metres. Basically, all we could see was a hirundine with a whitish rump flying to and fro along the woodland edge. it flew a little closer on one occasion when we could see that the bird had a square tail, stubby paddle-like wings and dark underwings and we immediately suspected American cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota.

D’Weasel swiftly made his way back to reception and asked a member of staff for a radio, so he could get on-site reserve staff to view the bird. rSPB wardens soon arrived at the area in which the bird was feeding and agreed that we should station ourselves on a higher area above the Visitor centre. Dusk was approaching quickly and the light was very poor, but from our new position we were able to see more detail, including a pinkish tinge to the rump and a clear collar.

About 25 birders who were on the reserve were able to see the bird before darkness fell. We all discussed the bird’s identify at considerable length and ruled out the possibility of hybrids such as Swallow x house Martin and Swallow x red-rumped Swallow. try as we might, we were unable to make out the whitish feathering over the bill or under the chin, but all agreed that it was an American cliff Swallow. rSPB officer Matt Parrott took a number of photographs, however, and pale areas around the bill could be seen in the images. the bird was seen in the Minsmere and Dunwich area throughout the next day, being enjoyed by several hundred observers in excellent light conditions both in flight and perched on a hawthorn bush. it was last seen shortly after dawn on November 6th. the American cliff Swallow breeds in North America and migrates in huge flocks to and from the species’ North American breeding grounds to winter in western South America, from Venezuela southwards to north-eastern Argentina. the American cliff Swallow is an extremely rare vagrant to Western Europe, being recorded in uk on only 11 occasions with records also from ireland and france. the first British record occurred on the isles of Scilly on october 10th 1983. By coincidence, SP was on the islands, sharing a cottage with cliff S Waller (stay with this, the S is important!), John Grant and the late Derek Moore, when this mega-rarity turned up. Derek, Granty and SP were making their way back by boat to St Mary’s after an afternoon excursion to St Agnes and were suspicious as no birders could be seen at any of the island’s hotspots that were visible from the vessel as it headed home and the St Mary’s quayside was virtually deserted.

Means of communication were limited in those days, with none of the mobile phones, radios or pagers that give us the up-to-date news that we enjoy today – and when there were no birders about it often meant that they were all “gripping you off” somewhere else!

As the boat was moored, a lone woman standing on the quayside yelled down at us: “cliff Swallow on the Garrison.” We all gave each other a puzzled look! So what, we thought, if cliff Waller was on the Garrison (cliff Swallow – cliff S. Waller, get it)? Eventually, it dawned on us that 40

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1. Whooper Swans at Minsmere in March.

2. Dark-bellied Brent Geese at Felixstowe Ferry in March.

John Richardson

Will Brame

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3. Pintail bred at Hollesley Marshes in 2016.

4. Red-crested Pochard at Lackford Lakes. See article on the reserve.

John Richardson

Dave Borderick

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5. Great Northern Divers at Alton Water early in the year.

Liz Cutting

6. ‘sinensis’ Cormorant at Levington Marina in January.

Will Brame

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7. Great Bittern in flight at Lakenheath Fen in September.

8. Cattle Egret popular long-staying bird at Iken.

Ian Goodall

Chris Mayne

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an American cliff Swallow had been found, so we hurriedly disembarked and marched up the hill to the Garrison where we were treated to amazing views of the bird as it hawked insects over the admiring crowd.

Forster’s Tern Sterna forsteri on the Stour Estuary and Deben Estuary in November 2016 – first for Suffolk Ed Keeble

on the morning of 19th November 19th, 2016, Neil harvey posted a sighting on the website of the Essex Birdwatching Society’s yahoo Group of a tern “looking like Forster’s” fishing distantly off Mistley Quay in Essex, with the comment that it was worth checking! Adrian kettle was the first to act on the report; he confirmed the identification and put out the news. the bird ranged widely along the southern shore of the river from Manningtree as far as Wrabness and seemed to have a strategy of following fish upriver on the rising tide. it gave exceptionally good views, but also went missing at times when it moved downriver. As a result, it was successfully twitched by many, but also eluded a few. the bird was last seen on the Stour Estuary during the afternoon of November 20th, 2016 and could not be found on the river the following day. it was, however, relocated on the Deben Estuary near felixstowe ferry by Steve Piotrowski late in the day on November 22nd, 2016 during one of his many fruitless searches for Merlin Falco columbarius in Suffolk during the year. it was last reported the following morning, seen distantly from Shotley Marina as it fished off felixstowe. the bird showed the classic features of forster’s tern, in particular the long, dark bill; the cleancut mask on the ear coverts and around the eye; dark tips to the primaries and reddish legs. it was aged as a first-winter. forster’s tern is a new species for Suffolk and the second record of the species for Essex. the first record for Essex involved a long-staying bird which was present intermittently in north-eastern Essex from November 1998 to April 2000, including on hamford Water only a few kilometres from the location of the Stour Estuary bird. the appearance of this individual on the Stour Estuary presented something of a geographical challenge for both Essex and Suffolk county listers, since the county boundary tracks the main channel along the river and follows a winding route. the boundary is close to the northern shore of the river at Manningtree and Mistley Walls, but then cuts in very close to the southern shore at Mistley Quay. thus the bird was mostly in Essex when it was along the Walls and mostly in Suffolk when at the Quay. Most observers were located in Essex and looking into Suffolk, with the exception of the few who observed it from the northern shore of the estuary.

Looking at the wider picture, forster’s tern is a relatively common bird on the eastern seaboard of the united States but was not recorded in Great Britain until 1980 (a long-staying bird in falmouth Bay, cornwall). there have been only 20 accepted records in Great Britain and none since 2003. there have been more records from ireland, but it remains a rare bird on this side of the Atlantic. So the bird on the Stour Estuary provided a very welcome opportunity not only for county listers, but also for birders from further afield. A record of a forster’s tern in kent on November 26th, 2016 presumably relates to the same individual.

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Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola maurus stejnegeri at Landguard: a second for Britain Paul Holmes and Ernie Lucking

Circumstances At around 09:55 hours on october 6th, 2016 at Landguard Local Nature reserve, Suffolk, Ernie Lucking called a stonechat Saxicola sp. as it flew from the beach bushes to the base of the Left Battery (aka the icky ridge). Paul holmes was walking the base line of the ridge and was fortunate enough to have the bird land immediately in front of him at fairly close range. Nigel odin, Will Brame and Mike Morley were called over by Ernie and quickly got on the bird. first impressions were of a very pale bird, especially the white unmarked chin and throat, which immediately suggested Siberian Stonechat S. m. maurus. As the bird flew an extensive, paler, unmarked rump became visible, confirming initial suspicions. Views of the upperparts then had observers wondering if a mistake had been made for they appeared to be too dark and richly-toned for Siberian Stonechat.

At this point Paul and Will discussed the possibility of its being a “Stejneger’s” and, with no reason to contradict this idea, news of the bird was released with the “probable” proviso attached. [in the guide books it informs you that separating the two races is often not possible in the field. however, they did and i doff my hat to them – Ernie]. field identification could only ever be putative so biometrics or a DNA sample would be needed. the bird was trapped by chris Bridge and rob Duncan in the afternoon. Biometrics were taken and an accidently dislodged feather was retained for DNA analysis by Dr Martin collinson at Aberdeen university. the bird was still present the next day but then apparently departed overnight. Dr collinson subsequently confirmed by email that the DNA matched the “stejnegeri” samples in their database.

Identification the unmarked, paler rump area, general paleness of the bird and glimpses of a black underwing eliminated European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola. the tail appeared to be all-dark thus ruling out “caspian Stonechat” (S. m. variegatus and S. m. armenicus) which should show white bases to the tail feathers. Nominate Siberian Stonechat S. m. maurus and form stejnegeri have been long considered inseparable in the field but a recent article by hellström & Norevik (2014) suggested that darker, more intensely coloured upperparts and more richly toned orange underparts were indicative of “Stejneger’s”. the Landguard bird certainly showed these features and lacked the frosty appearance often associated with Siberian Stonechat. Additionally, the bird showed distinctly orange-toned rather than peach-washed upper-tail coverts and lower rump; the upper rump was paler. hellström & Norevik (2014) also state that many “Stejneger’s” show dark streaking on the upper-tail coverts, a feature thought to be present on the Landguard bird in the field but not visible in the hand. Svensson (1992) also states that bill measurements are diagnostic with “Stejneger’s” being broader, although there is some overlap. the Landguard bird appeared to have a stout or “chunky” bill and this feature is apparent in many of the published photographs. in the hand the bird was sexed as a male based on the black underwing coverts and some black at the base of the head and throat feathers which were visible only when exposed by gentle blowing by the handler. Ageing as a first-calendar year bird was made on a combination of factors: tail feather wear, moult limits in the coverts and a pale tip to the inside of the upper mandible.

No bill measurements were made. (rob Duncan pers. com.) (Svensson 1992).

Cautionary tale: A bird on fair isle, also in october 2016 that was thought to be “Stejneger’s” on field features was proved to be a nominate Siberian Stonechat S. m. maurus when DNA tested (Dr collinson pers. comm. to Landguard Bird observatory).

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Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicola maurus stejnegeri at Landguard: a second for Britain

Taxonomy The Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol. 10 (2005) lists common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus as polytypic with races ranging across the Palearctic from the Atlantic to the Pacific and extending south through Africa to the cape. others have split these into at least three species: African Stonechat S. torquatus, European Stonechat S. rubicola and Siberian Stonechat S. maurus. recently, stejnegeri was placed with maurus, and four other taxa, into Siberian Stonechat S. maurus (Sangster et al. 2011) and the British ornithologists union records committee (Bourc) has followed this taxonomy. A series of DNA tests was undertaken on European and some Asian forms by Zink et al (2009) and their findings suggest that maurus and stejnegeri are not as closely related as their plumage features might suggest. in short, Stejneger’s Stonechat seems to differ significantly enough from nominate Siberian Stonechat S. maurus in its DNA to warrant full specific status. the international ornithological congress (ioc) World Bird List, Version 6.3 (July 2016) now has Stejneger’s Stonechat listed as a full species. however, Bourc still follow Sangster et al.

(2009) and consider it to be a race of Siberian Stonechat S. maurus – but maybe not for long!

Range “Stejneger’s Stonechat” breeds eastwards from Lake Baikal across eastern Siberia and northern china to the Pacific and Japan. Birds winter from north-eastern india eastwards to southern china and south to indo-china and the Malay Peninsula. Autumn migration begins in mid-August and carries on until November in southern china (del hoyo et al. 2005). the ranges of “Stejneger’s” and Siberian Stonechats meet at a line that runs NW-SE through the western end of Lake Baikal (Zink et al. 2009).

Accepted records in Europe the only previously accepted record in Britain and ireland was at Portland Bill, Dorset from october 24th to 26th 2012. it was trapped and ringed with biometrics and a sample for DNA analysis taken. the latter conclusively proved its identity. Amazingly, photographs proved that this individual had been present on the island of texel, the Netherlands from october 8th to 23rd 2012 with sightings from the two locations only 22.5 hours apart! other DNA-confirmed records have been from Sweden (2008) and finland (2013), (cade and collinson 2015). the autumn of 2016 has apparently produced at least one other DNA-confirmed record of this form with several other field claims likely to be sent to BBrc. No doubt this form has been greatly under-recorded in the past.

References Bou. 2009.Bourc 37th report. Ibis 151: 224-230. cade, M. & collinson, J.M. 2015. “Stejneger’s Stonechat” in Dorset: new to Britain. Brit. Birds 108: 423-427. del hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & christie, D. eds. 2005. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 10. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. hellström, M. & Norevik, G. 2014. the upper-tail covert pattern of “Stejneger’s Stonechat”. Brit.

Birds 107:692-700. ioc. 2016. World Bird List, Version 6.3 Sangster, G, collinson, J M, crochet, P-A, knox, A, Parkin, D, Svensson, L & Votier, S. 2011. taxonomic recommendations for British birds: seventh report. Ibis 153(4): 883-892.

Svensson, L. 1992. Identification Guide to European Passerines. 4th edition. Privately published.

Stockholm.

Zink, r.M., Pavlova, A., Drovetski, S., Wink, M., & rohwer, S. 2009. taxonomic status and evolutionary history of the Saxicola torquata complex. Molec. Phylogenet. Evol. 52: 769-773.

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Dr David John Pearson, 1941-2017 An appreciation of the life of one of Suffolk ornithology’s ‘greats’

By Tony Howe, Steve Piotrowski and John Grant

Suffolk’s birding community has been deeply saddened by the death of one of the greatest – and yet most humble – ornithologists the county has ever produced.

Dr David John Pearson passed away at the St Elizabeth hospice, ipswich, on September 20th, after an illness that lasted several months, and the loss will be felt throughout ornithology in Suffolk and far beyond, such was his international standing in the field of bird migration studies.

David was undoubtedly one of the most knowledgeable ornithologists of his, or any other, generation. But to the many who gained so much from his willingness to share such knowledge, and share a sense of wonderment about the miracle that is migration, David had the humility and human decency never to talk down to them. he had the knack shared by all great teachers – to teach while being inspirational, engaging and inclusive.

David’s family moved to Sibton from London when he was six and he attended the primary schools at Sibton and yoxford before attending the then Leiston Grammar School. he began watching birds as a young lad around the country lanes near his home and at the coast at Walberswick where the family spent summer holidays. he made notes and detailed annotated sketches in notebooks which remain a joy to see and read, giving a hint of the standard of his later meticulous records. in 1956 he met members of the Dingle Bird club, including Gerald Jobson, Don rowe, kerry cobb and Mrs E.M.Bale. Showing an immediate interest, he was encouraged to join the club’s bird ringing activities.

At Leiston Grammar David joined the class of another keen young birdwatcher, Peter Smith, whose cousin Maggie was to become his wife. David became head boy at the school and went on to study for a Degree in Natural Sciences at Gonville and caius college, cambridge. from 1959 to 1962 he took part in pioneering wader ringing studies on the Wash, helping clive Minton in the first firing of a cannon net in Britain.

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he married Maggie in 1964, a year in which he was working on his PhD in Biochemistry. in 1965 he took up a post as a lecturer in medical biochemistry at Makerere university in kampala, uganda, a position he held until 1968. David and Maggie’s first daughter, claire, was born in 1967 and their second, kathyrn, in 1969, by which time the family had returned to Sibton, with David teaching in ipswich schools. in 1970 David became a lecturer in biochemistry at Nairobi university, kenya, and the family lived in Africa until 1990.

During his time in East Africa David avidly studied bird migration, particularly the movements of waders and warblers from their European breeding grounds. he netted waders at places such as Lake Victoria in uganda and in kenya at Lake Nakuru, taking his young family with him on ringing trips. his studies took him to several countries in Africa beyond uganda and kenya and the knowledge he gained enabled him to write the Birds of kenya and tanzania with Don turner and Dale Zimmerman. he was also a major contributor to the Birds of Africa series of books, ‘Birds of East Africa’, with P. L. Britton (1980), and ‘Bird Migration’, edited by E. Gwinner (1990). Numerous papers on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to bird migration in Africa were also authored and appeared in publications such as Ibis, Scopus and Ringing and Migration.

More recently, in 2010, he co-authored, with Suffolk ornithologists Peter kennerley and Brian Small, Reed and Bush Warblers, which has become the standard reference work for this group of birds – a group that held a particular fascination for David. in the 1970s David established, with Graeme Backhurst and Alex forbes-Watson, the unique Palearctic migration ringing project at the Ngulia Lodge, in kenya’s tsavo West National Park. here, particularly on misty nights in November and December, the lights that were used to aid observation of animals such as Leopards attracted thousands of migrants moving south. this project is still active and has welcomed ringers from many countries to help process the large numbers of birds caught.

David travelled widely in many other countries over the years, including kazakhstan, Somalia, Sudan, russia, india, thailand and iceland, offering invaluable help by encouraging ringers or beginning ringing projects.

David and Maggie moved back to Suffolk in 1990 and David resumed his meticulous studies of the county’s breeding and migrating birds. he resumed ringing with the Dingle Bird club at Dingle Marshes, counted waders on the Blyth Estuary, assessed the breeding success of the Marsh harriers in the area, and continued his studies of moult in Bearded tits, which he had begun in 1965. he carried out annual surveys for Natural England on the National Nature reserves at Benacre and Walberswick, and on local farmland where he recorded steep declines of breeding birds compared with the numbers he had found in the late 1960s. he also worked as a research scientist for the rSPB and Bto in the 1990s.

David’s other interests included tending his allotment and sport – especially cricket, football (he was a keen Norwich city supporter), and athletics (he was a highly capable cross country runner in his student days).

David’s passion for birds stayed with him throughout his life. he returned annually to kenya to join in the activities at Ngulia, organising equipment and ringers so that the long-term study could carry on. Even though he was unwell he continued to ring at Dingle until November 2016 – the last bird that he ringed there was a Goldcrest. tony howe, who knew David for many years, recalls that David’s understanding of moult and migration was “truly remarkable.” Although known widely across the international birding community for his studies, papers and books on birds in many countries, tony’s view is that David’s first love and spiritual home was Suffolk, and Dingle Marshes in particular. it is fitting, therefore that David considered his “best bird” was the singing Western Bonelli’s Warbler he discovered there on April 29th, 1961 – it was a “first” for Suffolk. tony adds: “Anyone who met, and particularly went ringing with, David was thoroughly impressed by his amazing depth of knowledge and the humble way that he passed it on. his teaching career gave him the ability to encourage learning and many 45

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even highly experienced ringers have said how much they learned from ringing with him. to sit with David examining the finer details of a warbler’s plumage was an enjoyable and enlightening privilege. he will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him.” tony also comments that David was also something of a trailblazer in competitive bird racing. he and his school friend Pete Smith did their first bird race on May Day, 1957, notching up a commendable total of 111 while covering a swathe of east Suffolk on their bicycles – beating the total of 107 recorded by a team in Suffolk in the early 1950s. the intrepid birding duo went on to greater racing achievements over the years, eventually progressing from bicycles to the use of their own cars and setting what was then considered a new 24-hour uk record of 126 species on May 13th, 1965 – all seen or heard in their beloved Suffolk.

Steve Piotrowski, who also knew David well, visited him in hospital in the final days of his life.

Steve recalls: “i had mixed feelings about the visit as i will always want to remember David for his boundless energy and enthusiasm and not lying in a hospital bed connected to an array of tubes. however, i need not have worried as David soon got onto his favourite subject of migration and we discussed at length the absence of Pied flycatchers, common redstarts and other oncecommon migrants during 2017’s autumn passage. We pondered on their origins – did they lie in Britain or Scandinavia? David reminisced about the tens of thousands of Pied flycatchers and a quarter of a million common redstarts that were grounded during the Great fall of September 3rd, 1965. this amazing event almost seems unbelievable by today’s standards, but eminent ornithologists of that day were certain that numbers quoted were an underestimate rather than any exaggeration and the episode was most eloquently written up and co-authored by David and Bert Axell. “time passed quickly as we chatted and after an hour i realised i had overstayed the visiting time, so we said our goodbyes. As i shook his hand, David gave me that look and we both suspected that this was sadly going to be our final goodbye. i left the hospital with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart. David had a wealth of knowledge and will be remembered as a great teacher. he was inspirational to many young bird ringers in Suffolk and beyond, and all would have gained from his vast experience. his passing is a massive loss to Suffolk ornithology.”

David is survived by Maggie, his two daughters and five grandchildren. to all the Pearson family, the Suffolk birding community sends its sincere condolences, and gives thanks for the life of a true “great” of Suffolk ornithology.

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The 2016 Suffolk Bird Report Systematic List

Introduction the list and its appendices have been written using data supplied by the county’s birdwatchers and conservation organisations. the order has changed and follows the revised Bou list. the raw data have been collated and interpreted by the following:-

Swans and geese Ducks

Gi Grieco

Andrew Green John Grant

oystercatcher to ruff

Ernie Lucking

Skuas to gulls

James Wright

raptors (incl. falcons)

Snipes to phalaropes terns to auks

Pigeons to woodpeckers Shrikes, corvids, crests, tits

Nick Mason

Waxwing, Nuthatch, treecreeper, Starling, Dipper, Wren, thrushes

Richard Attenborrow

Sparrows, wagtails, pipits, finches, buntings

Paul Gowen

Warblers, inc. Long-t tit Andrew Gregory

Game birds, grebes to crane John Davies Divers to Spoonbill

Larks, hirundines

Chris Gregory

Spotted fly, robin, chats, wheatears, other Steve Fryett flycatchers, Dunnock

Ed Keeble

Brian Buffery

Darren Underwood Appendices Phil Whittaker

Peter Kennerley

the ‘official’ British list is maintained by the British ornithologists’ union (Bou) and from 2018 will use the international ornithological congress world list. Species are included in various categories according to their status, as follows: • category A – species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since January 1st 1950; • category B – species that would otherwise be in category A but have not been recorded since December 31st 1949; • category c – species that, although originally introduced by man, either deliberately or accidentally, have established self-sustaining breeding populations; • category D – species that would otherwise appear in categories A or B except that there is doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state; • category E – species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations are not thought to be self-sustaining. the main part of the species accounts consists of species that occurred in Suffolk in 2016, which fall into categories A and c. Where a species is included in multiple categories, this is shown in the initial status summary. categories D and E do not form part of either the British or Suffolk lists. Species from these categories that occurred in Suffolk in 2016 are included as appendices to the main list. the order and nomenclature follow the latest published for the British List by the Bou using the international ornithological union list (Bou 2018). this list can be accessed on their web site at www.bou.org.uk English names follow the same list. Subspecies are listed under the main 48

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species’ heading, which includes the scientific name. the records for each species are listed mostly under the parish where the bird occurred, sometimes followed by a more precise location if known. the exception to this is at the river estuaries and larger, well-known sites criss-crossed by several parish boundaries e.g. Walberswick NNr, Minsmere, orfordness, Alton Water etc. the gazetteer on page 207 gives locations for those sites not easily located on a standard road map. the order of records is north to south down the coastal region, working round the estuaries, then inland from the northeast to the southwest of the county. to minimise any potential threats to site security, some records of rare breeding birds are published anonymously and under a vague site heading.

As much use as possible is made of systematic monitoring schemes such as the WeBS counts. using such co-ordinated data instead of maximum counts gives a better idea of the populations of each species wintering in the county on a given date. however, fluctuations in numbers due to changing weather patterns will affect totals and higher counts are given in the text after the table where appropriate. counts from North Warren include thorpeness Meare, church farm Marshes and the shoreline between thorpeness and Aldeburgh; the Alde/ore Estuary includes the complex of the Alde, ore and Butley rivers as well as orfordness, Gedgrave reservoir and havergate island; and the orwell includes trimley Marshes, Loompit Lake and Bourne Park Water Meadows. counts from the Stour all refer solely to the Suffolk side of the estuary. the larger part of the report, particularly for the more common species, is based upon ad hoc records. Data of that type are influenced by the distribution of birdwatchers, the weather and other factors that result in imperfections. We are nonetheless indebted to those observers who have persevered with other studies, such as Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), constant Effort Sites (cES) and transect counts and for making the results available for use. A summary of the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is given for all those species for which meaningful data are available – further information can be found on the Bto website.

See ‘A Guide to recording Birds in Suffolk’ elsewhere in this report for information on submission of records.

the following definitions are intended as a guide to the relative status of each species: Very common: occurs in large numbers in suitable habitat and season.

Common: occurs regularly or widely distributed in suitable habitat.

Fairly common: occurs in small numbers in suitable habitat and season.

Uncommon: occurs annually in small numbers.

Scarce: one or two records each year or restricted to specific habitats.

Rare: occurs less than annually.

Very rare: Less than 15 records in past 30 years.

Accidental: Less than three records in past 30 years. included in the status description is a note if the species is included in either the red or the Amber List of ‘Birds of Conservation Concern’. this is a paper jointly produced by the leading bird conservation organisations in the uk. See Suffolk Bird Report Vol.47: 6-10 for further details. the following abbreviations are sometimes used in the systematic list:ad = adult N = bird(s) flying north BBS = Breeding Bird Survey NNr = National Nature reserve cES = constant Effort Site r = river cP = country Park res = reservoir Gc = Golf course S = bird(s) flying south GP = gravel pit SW = sewage works imm = immature WM = Water Meadow ind. Est. = industrial estate WP = Water Park juv = juvenile Wr = Wildfowl reserve 49

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MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor Common resident. Amber List. Categories A and C. Present across the county on the rivers, lakes and marshes of Suffolk. the results of the 2016 Bto Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) show that, although the overall total number of 1km squares surveyed (41) was fewer than previous years, Mute Swan was recorded from nine 1km squares, the highest recorded to date. in contrast, the number of individuals dropped to 28 from the 59 in the previous year. there was breeding recorded from 33 sites around the county, a typical number in recent years, although there was a reduction in the number of pairs, but this may be due to recorded details. the number of young did increase however, up to 108, although again not all sites provided that information. hen reedbeds had three nesting pairs, while herringfleet Mill, carlton Marshes, Beccles and orfordness had at least two. At the latter site both pairs fledged one young each, one of which was a ‘Polish morph’. other records of this colour variant were from Lakenheath rSPB and one of the four cygnets at higham (near hadleigh). there were some instances of nest loss or disturbance; at Sudbury common Lands an early nest was deserted after excessive canoe activity, although the pair did construct a new nest elsewhere. A nest was flooded out following heavy rain at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland and at Somerleyton a pair was possibly disturbed by grazing cows.

By far the largest herd recorded during the year was 264 at flixton Gravel Pits on December 11th. there was only one other herd in three figures, 130 at North cove/castle Marshes on November 6th. A selection of other large gatherings included 89 on the Lakenheath fen WeBS count on January 17th, 87 at Boyton Marshes on february 10th, 74 at Bawdsey on December 26th, 52 at higham on March 29th and 50 at redgrave Lake on September 8th.

A single bird was a power line casualty at Gosling’s farm, trimley St Martin; the first noted there for many years. Nearby at thorpe Bay, trimley St Martin, a ringed bird was found on March 30th. it had been ringed as a second-year bird on April 7th 2015 at Dovercourt Boating Lake, Essex and it was found 358 days after it was ringed, eight kilometres from the ringing site in a northerly direction.

Peak WeBS counts (swans apparently not counted on the Blyth):Jan Feb Mar Apr Minsmere 26 23 14 15 North Warren – – – – orfordness 11 15 10 44 Alde WeBS 160 169 156 – Deben WeBS 148 168 18 146 orwell hW 15 23 29 18 Stour WeBS 168 165 129 120 * hW = high Water

Sep 18 28 10 – 90 33

Oct 27 20 5 57 124 47

Nov 4 19 4 173 183 7

Dec 1 22 6 197 186 55

TUNDRA (BEWICK’S) SWAN Cygnus columbianus bewickii Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. in the north-east there were regular records from the start of the year up to March 19th, principally at Minsmere and Leiston. At the Leiston site numbers reached a maximum of 30 off the Sizewell road between January 26th and 30th. there was some movement from the same flock with birds recorded further along the coast at covehithe, Walberswick and Dunwich. on January 12th, 15 birds flew south at Dunwich beach and at Minsmere 12 birds flew in off the sea. the largest flock of the year was at Burgh castle where 67 flew east in the morning of february 22nd. up to four birds frequented reydon Marshes from mid-february to mid-March.

During this period, in the south-east, four birds were at Boyton Marshes at the end of January with six there on february 5th and on orfordness an adult and juvenile were on the airfield on february 14th being seen again a week later.

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compared with recent years there were fewer records, along with smaller flock sizes in the west of the county with the highest counts of 12 at Lakenheath fen on January 6th in the first winter period, and the sole record in the latter part of the year was 19 flying north-west at cavenham on November 5th. the first record of the second winter period was at Minsmere, with a single bird on the Scrape on october 26th. Sightings continued at the site to the end of the year reaching a maximum of 21. Birds were also noted occasionally at other sites such as covehithe Broad, Dingle Marshes and carlton Marshes where nine were present on November 18th. the Alde-ore system was again the location for tundra Swan in the south-east with six at hollesley Marshes on November 23rd, nine at chillesford in a harvested beet field on November 27th with ten at the same site on December 4th, two at Snape Wetlands on November 29th and six at Boyton Marshes on December 14th then 20 there on December 24th.

WHOOPER SWAN Cygnus cygnus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. typically this species can be seen regularly in the north-east, especially at Minsmere, although in far fewer numbers than the far west of the county. the first winter period was no exception with up to four present at Minsmere from february 20th until March 27th. from the south-east, where the species is not commonly seen, a single bird was recorded at Boyton Marshes throughout January with further sporadic sightings in february and March, with a final record on April 4th. the west of the county is where Whooper Swans are found in any sizeable numbers and they have become more numerous in recent years. in 2016 they were encountered much more frequently in the first winter period, with 150 on the first day of the year that left the roost at dawn at Lakenheath fen. Numbers at the site varied during the period with the next highest total being 60 on January 20th. Away from Lakenheath two flew west at cavenham heath on January 6th and 61 were at kenny hill on January 24th with 16 there on february 1st. the first recorded birds of the second winter period were at Mildenhall fen with 14 on october 20th. Elsewhere in the west birds were at Lakenheath fen from the end of october until the end of the year on a few sporadic dates, with a maximum count of 33, which included ten juveniles, on December 7th. other sightings were two at cavenham Pits on November 6th, one flying northwest at Livermere Lake on the same day, 21 west at Berner’s heath on December 2nd and ten west over culford Park on December 6th. from mid-Suffolk, at Pipps ford, six flew over high at midday on November 27th. there were only a few records from the north-east, with five at Minsmere on November 5th, a single bird on kessingland Levels on November 19th and 23rd, four at Westwood Marshes, Walberswick NNr, including two first-winter birds, on December 3rd with the same birds present the following day at Dingle Marshes. A single bird was at outney common, Bungay, on December 26th and 27th.

TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE Anser fabalis rossicus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. At Minsmere two birds were present on the levels from January 4th to 25th, with the same birds present at North Warren from January 27th to february 10th. these were joined by three further birds on february 11th. During the same period three birds were at church farm Marshes, Burgh castle on January 8th and a single bird was at Westwood Marshes, Walberswick NNr, on January 10th. there were also three records from Landguard in the first winter period; one flew south on January 8th, one north on January 11th and two on february 13th. the first returning birds in the second winter period were 11 very early birds at North Warren on october 14th which were then present at the site on various dates in october and November, with a lull until the end of December when four birds appeared on December 27th. there were 51

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records further north in the county with four circling carlton Marshes on December 1st before drifting off north-east and another bird circling on December 22nd before flying north. there were several sightings at both Burton’s farm, Bradwell and Ashby; the former site had a maximum of 17 birds on December 22nd and the latter 19 on December 24th. At Minsmere one flew in off the sea on December 31st. in the south-east four flew south over havergate on october 20th. there were nine birds at hollesley Marshes on December 1st; these were the birds that had previously been at North Warren. A number of these birds moved around as they were also seen at orfordness, Boyton Marshes and ramsholt Marshes before nine were again present at hollesley Marshes on December 26th and 27th then moving back to North Warren.

At Livermere Lake a first-winter bird was present from october 31st to November 7th. tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris will be a separate species from taiga Anser fabalis in next year’s bird report.

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE Anser brachyrhynchus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. this was a year when larger flock sizes and slightly more frequent flocks were recorded, mostly in the Lowestoft area and around the Waveney Valley sections of north-east Suffolk. Bradwell had the largest flock counts in both winter periods with 6000 on february 1st and 7000 on December 21st; these are the highest counts in Suffolk since December 20th 2011 when 10000 flew over Burgh castle.

A selection of counts from the north-east during the year include:Burgh Castle: 2500 flew north to roost at Berney Marshes, Dec 17th.

Belton: New road, 2000, Jan 13th; 2000, feb 1st; 2000, feb 4th and 5th; 500 north, Dec 20th.

Ashby: Border Lane, 500, Dec 25th.

Lowestoft: 600 south, oct 11th.

Fritton Waveney Forest: 3000 north at dusk, Jan 31st.

St. Olaves: 1700 west, Nov 24th; 500 west, Nov 25th; 400 west and 200 south, Dec 26th.

Oulton Marshes: 1000 over, Jan 6th.

there were regular sightings along the coastal strip, in single figures only, in the first winter period. on a few dates in January and february three were at Southwold town Marshes and up to six at North Warren and Aldeburgh Marshes. At Dingle Marshes, Dunwich, a single bird was present on March 3rd with up to three there until April 10th. in the second winter period it was similar with birds at a few sites along the coast such as Southwold, Dunwich, Minsmere and North Warren; the largest counts were 50 at Southwold on october 7th and 20 flew north past Minsmere and Dunwich on october 21st. the first birds of autumn were two at Burgh castle on September 30th. there were just two records from the south-east; 12 north off Landguard on November 3rd and one at Boyton Marshes on November 10th. in the west four were at Lakenheath on January 4th and four passage birds flew over there on April 10th. At Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland a single bird associating with Greater White-fronted Geese was present on November 3rd. two of unknown origin were at Lackford Lakes on November 8th and a single bird at higham (near hadleigh) on December 11th.

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser albifrons Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List (from Green). Categories A and E. the smaller flock size of recent years continued in 2016 with the coastal area still the most frequented section and, as usual, North Warren the most favoured locality of all, with details in the table below. this year there were more records of White-fronted Geese both from the southeast, mainly in the second winter period, and in the west.

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principal site:– site:– Peak monthly Peakcounts monthlyatcounts at principal Jan Feb Jan Feb Mar North Warren 200 200 132 North Warren 132 90

Mar Oct 11090

Oct Nov 110 80

Nov Dec 80 226

Dec 226

in the first winter period, apart from North Warren, there were a number of sites that had regular flocks including Southwold town Marshes where numbers reached a maximum of 58 on January 4th and Minsmere with a high count of 186 on January 21st. from february 13th a group of 11 was at reydon Marshes staying in the area, including Dingle Marshes and Walberswick, until March 19th. in the south-east, 18 at Boyton Marshes on January 2nd and 35 which flew north over orfordness on January 23rd were the most significant in the area. in the west a flock of five birds was at Livermere Lake on January 10th. these birds were most likely part of the six then seen at Bto Nunnery reserve, thetford, being present on the flooded meadows on the Suffolk side from January 12th until they were disturbed on January 25th. the same party was then seen at Mickle Mere the following day. the first bird of the second winter period was a single bird off Landguard Bird observatory on october 5th. there was an influx a week later when 26 flew south at corton old sewage works on both october 13th and 14th. Also on october 14th, 48 flew south at Ness Point, Lowestoft, and 75 flew south at Minsmere where four more came in off the sea. these birds most likely settled at North Warren where there had been 23 the previous day the number now having risen to 110. there were regular flocks of up to 23 birds at Southwold and Dingle Marshes, Dunwich, in october and November. in December, North cove/castle Marsh had a large flock present on several dates reaching 100 on December 26th. At Blythburgh in fields west of the A12 a flock of 41 birds was present on December 23rd and 26th. in the south-east part of the movement noted on october 14th was also noted at Bawdsey where 37 flew in off and then north over the cliffs and at Landguard four birds flew in off then south-west over the estuary and into Essex. Both hollesley Marshes and trimley Marshes had regular small numbers present; the former site had a maximum of 50 on December 24th while the latter site reached 22 birds on october 30th. At ramsholt Marshes 106 were present on December 24th with 67 there the following day. An interesting record was of two at rodwell Dairy, Baylham on December 22nd. there were also more numerous records from the west during the latter half of the year with three at Mickle Mere on october 25th, and four, including two adults and two juveniles, at Livermere Lake from october 30th to November 2nd. these were then present on Lackford Lakes on November 8th having been thought to have been displaced by shooting activity at Livermere and were probably the same four birds seen at Bto Nunnery reserve, thetford, on November 11th. four birds were again at Lackford Lakes on December 3rd. At Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, three family groups of seven, six and five were present from November 3rd to 5th with two family groups remaining until November 7th. At higham (near hadleigh) 17 were present on December 11th, and 14, including four juveniles, at Livermere Lake on December 18th with the same birds then in fields between ingham and culford from December 29th to 31st.

GREYLAG GOOSE Anser anser Common resident from feral flock. Amber List. Categories A, C and E. the most common of all the feral goose species in Suffolk with large flock sizes recorded around the county although none reached four figures in 2016. Despite the larger numbers seen, there were lower counts in the 2016 Bto Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) with the number of 1km squares where Greylag Goose were recorded being 11 and the total number of individuals being 41, both the lowest since 2005.

Breeding was at a peak of 24 sites, with the west once again being the predominant area with almost 50% of the locations. Livermere Lake and West Stow country Park had the highest 53

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concentrations of broods with ten and six respectively. one new site was on a reservoir near Arger fen where a pair raised two young. in the north and north-east both redgrave fen and hen reedbeds had three pairs while in the south-east the number of sites had risen to five, the principal being orfordness where at least three pairs nested although no young were seen.

Sites with regular large flocks are in the table below. the largest flocks of the year were 892 at Alton Water on December 18th, 860 at flixton Gravel Pits on December 11th and 760 at Livermere Lake on November 6th. other flocks of notable size were 341 at North Warren on November 12th, 507 at orfordness, a site record count, on December 24th, 511 at Boyton Marshes, January 1st, about 520 at Loompit Lake on September 11th, 350 at Gifford’s hall, Stokeby-Nayland, on September 18th, 622 at Nunnery reserve on December 21st and 408 at Lakenheath on November 13th.

Peak monthly counts:–

Dingle Marshes Minsmere North Warren Orfordness Alde WeBS Deben WeBS Orwell Estuary HW * Alton Water Stour WeBS * hW = high Water

Jan 360 81 – 2 486 8 13 286 97

Feb 3 204 – 10 107 13 45 399 25

Mar 23 181 – 70 62 – 118 89 47

Apr – 124 – 17 – 28 82 76 42

Sep 200 226 32 – – 47 396 362

Oct 321 157 160 14 450 115 431 396

At West Stow country Park there was a hybrid brood of Greylag and canada Geese.

Nov 20 21 341 1 479 2 147 423

Dec 200 60 80 507 657 196 442 892

GREATER CANADA GOOSE Branta canadensis Common resident. Categories A, C and E. the second commonest feral goose in Suffolk and found throughout the county. in the 2016 Bto Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) it was found in eight 1km squares, slightly lower than in 2015 but about average. there was also a decrease in the number of individuals, down to 148 from 189 although this number does vary a bit from year to year. there was a slight increase in the number of breeding sites compared with 2015, rising from 21 to 23 sites. typically the majority are recorded in the west of the county and in 2016 this was the case with 13 sites in the west but there was an even split between the north-east and southeast, with the latter area being higher than has been noted in recent years. the total number of pairs was down to 28 and there was a reduction in the number of young, from 64 in 2015 to just 25 in 2016 although many of the records did not have details of their outcome.

Boyton Marshes once again had the largest flock count of the year with 700 on october 26th and generally had the largest flocks in both winter periods. the largest monthly counts are tabled below while other high counts included 216 at Lackford Lakes on January 4th, 340 at higham (near hadleigh) on December 19th, 170 at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, on January 18th, 145 at Nunnery reserve, thetford on March 14th, 125 at British Sugar Pond, Great Barton on August 20th, 220 at hollesley Marshes on January 8th and 130 at thorpe Bay, trimley St Martin on September 1st.

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Systematic List the monthly peak counts:–

Orfordness Alde WeBS Boyton Marshes Orwell Estuary HW * Stour WeBS * hW = high Water

Jan 45 218 113 208 506

Feb 47 403 517 99 247

Mar 16 161 25 70 260

Apr 20 – – 52 260

Sep 20 – 400 125

Oct 20 747 700 81

Nov 108 751 500 2

Dec 280 765 – 220

At Lackford Lakes the flock on february 8th included two canada x Greylag Goose hybrids.

BARNACLE GOOSE Branta leucopsis Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant; increasingly common feral resident. Amber List.

Categories A and E. the coastal strip between reydon Marshes and North Warren is still the predominant area for this species. Breeding occurred at two sites; Minsmere with 12 pairs, which was lower than in recent years, and Weybread Gravel Pits where two pairs raised broods of three and two. the first half of the year held fewer large flocks with 400 at reydon Marshes on february 5th and 310 at North Warren on february 17th being the most significant. Not until october 20th, at Minsmere, was another large flock recorded when 650 were present, with the largest group of the year of 1000 at the same site on December 27th. other large flocks included 650 at Walberswick on November 28th and 700 at Dingle Marshes, Dunwich, which flew north at dawn on December 26th. in the south-east birds were in much smaller numbers with the species most often seen at Boyton Marshes (36 on february 1st), hollesley Marshes and Shingle Street.

At Landguard Bird observatory birds were recorded from february 23rd to october 5th, Barnacle Goose Richard Allen the maximum day-count being 228 south on february 23rd. Also at Landguard, a flock was heard flying north on May 16th and one was on site on August 7th. A couple of records from sites where the species is rarely reported were Brightwell on January 20th and christchurch Park, ipswich on february 14th, both involving a single bird. typical single-figure counts of feral birds were made at a number of sites in the west, mostly at Mickle Mere but also at Barton Mere, Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, higham and Livermere Lake, although ten at Barnham on January 20th, 13 at centre Parcs, Elveden, on february 11th and 30 at the same site on November 18th were higher counts than are typical for the area.

(DARK-BELLIED) BRENT GOOSE Branta bernicla bernicla Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. Categories A and E. the main records come from the WeBS counts from the south-east of Suffolk plus movement records off the coast at Landguard. Both of these are tabled below.

Passage was recorded throughout the year at Landguard apart from July and August. the peak day-totals off Landguard were 2856 south on october 4th and 1547 south the following day.

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016 Monthly totals at Languard Bird observatory were:– Jan Feb Mar Apr N+out 255 126 784 23 S+in 486 77 157 14

May 604 4

Jun 112 0

Sep 21 1326

Oct 447 5669

Nov 124 862

of the 112 birds recorded at Landguard in June, 107 were in the first three days.

Dec 27 195

Along the north-east coast, passage bird records come from kessingland and thorpeness. there were typically lower numbers in the first winter period with the highest count of 46 that flew south off kessingland on January 8th and 59 at thorpeness on January 10th. Also in January the highest count on the coast was 400 south at Ness Point, Lowestoft on 6th. Away from the immediate coast one was at North cove/castle Marsh on January 13th. the largest counts in the south-east were c.500 at thorpe Bay, trimley St Martin on January 23rd and 530 at holbrook Bay on february 2nd. there was a single bird at hollesley Marshes on July 8th. return autumn passage began with 16 south off Ness Point, Lowestoft on September 6th.

Passage peaked in the first two weeks of october; 1000 past Minsmere and 837 past thorpeness on 4th, with 923 at the latter site the following day, and 500 south off Southwold on 7th, with a further 661 south on 13th. in November 545 passed Gorleston harbour and 492 flew north off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on 7th. in the south-east, passage was recorded offshore with regular flocks past East lane, Bawdsey, the largest being 510 on September 27th.

Monthly WeBS counts:–

Deben WeBS Orwell Estuary HW * Stour WeBS * hW = high Water

Jan 2486 970 1697

Feb 846 1175 2206

Mar 290 258 1694

Apr – 325 2462

Sep – 6

Oct 79 170

Nov 462 305

Dec 397 393

(PALE-BELLIED) BRENT GOOSE Branta bernicla hrota Uncommon winter visitor. Amber list. there was only one record in 2016; one north and eight south at Minsmere on December 20th.

BLACK BRANT Branta bernicla nigricans Scarce visitor. there was a single record of Black Brant in 2016, on havergate in November.

Havergate Island: photographed, Nov 5th to 7th (D fairhurst).

EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiaca Locally fairly common resident. Categories C and E. records continue to come from around the county. the number of sites the species is reported from increases year on year, with new ones such as two at Sutton hoo on May 1st. the north-west is still the main area for this species, in the non-breeding season, with the most regular larger flocks, and the most breeding records. there was a very slight increase in the number of 1km squares from the 2016 Bto Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and the number of individuals recorded increased to 15 from ten the previous year. the number of breeding sites around the county was 23, a further increase on the 21 from 2015 that had been a county high. of the recorded breeding sites, over 50% occurred in the west, with three sites reported in the south-east, up from two sites in 2015 and just a single site in 2014. Some notable breeding records included a pair with seven fledged young at flixton Gravel Pits, a pair with four goslings at Shotford heath, Weybread, and a female on a nest in a tree cavity 12 metres above the ground at culford Park.

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the largest flocks in the north-east were 61 at Burgh castle on July 16th with 30 at the same site on August 3rd. in the south-east, 37 were at Alton Water on July 11th. Many sites had doublefigure flocks in the west; the three most prominent sites with regular larger flocks were Livermere Lake with a maximum of 70 on June 16th, hall farm, fornham St. Martin, with 74 on September 18th and timworth with 78 on october 11th being the largest flock of the year.

COMMON SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna Locally common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

WeBS from the key sites:–

Blyth Estuary Alde/Ore Estuary Deben Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan 354 599 347 453 1762

Feb – 922 427 578 1137

Mar 101 453 375 – 716

Apr – – 296 263 443

Oct – 204 115 55 –

Nov 473 702 269 173 –

Dec 470 484 316 272 –

following the pattern of the previous three years, wintering numbers along the county’s estuaries were low. this mirrors the situation nationally, where non-breeding numbers have fallen by 27% over the past ten years. Besides those in the table, the only other notable counts received were of 112 at Livermere Lake, April 5th and 650 on the Stour Estuary off Stutton, November 21st. this species enjoyed another very good breeding season on orfordness, the third in succession.

A total of 117 young was recorded in 17 broods and of these at least 86 fledged. however at Livermere Lake, the other main breeding site in the county, only four broods were noted and amongst these mortality was high. Elsewhere, two pairs bred at Dingle Marshes, Minsmere, Mickle Mere and Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland and single pairs at Burgh castle, hen reedbeds, Blythburgh, North Warren, hollesley Marshes, Melton, flixton GP, Bardwell and Lackford Lakes. the only significant offshore movement concerned 98 south off Landguard on January 2nd.

MANDARIN DUCK Aix galericulata Uncommon feral visitor. Small breeding population. Categories C and E. the county’s naturalised population of this tree-nesting duck continues to grow. records involving small numbers were scattered widely, with notable concentrations in the ipswich area and at Brandon country Park. A gathering of 30 at ipswich Golf club, Purdis farm on November 8th is a county record, eclipsing the 25 at ickworth Park on September 11th 2010.

Pairs bred at five sites, the highest number since breeding was first recorded 30 years ago on the outskirts of ipswich. in the west, breeding was confirmed at Santon Downham, Brandon and Sudbury, in the south-east at ipswich Golf club (two pairs) and for the first time in the north-east on the Minsmere river at Middleton.

A full list of records received:Fritton Lake: three (two males), May 9th.

Carlton Marshes: male, May 9th.

Flixton GP: male, Sep 21st and 29th.

Covehithe Broad: male, oct 27th.

Southwold: town Marshes, male, May 8th.

Dingle Marshes: male, Dec 26th.

Minsmere: male, Nov 17th, 18th and 27th; Dec 8th and 9th.

Middleton: Minsmere river, female with five young, June 9th.

Brantham: oct 4th.

Playford: May 24th.

Rushmere St Andrew: heath, two, Apr 17th.

Ipswich: christchurch Park, 15 (nine males), Jan 5th; 11, feb 6th; six, Mar 5th; four, May 2nd; 57

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nine, July 16th; Aug 22nd; four (three males), oct 30th; 16, Dec 30th. chantry Park, four males, Jan 9th. holywells Park, three, Mar 30th; Apr 27th and June 5th; five, Aug 6th.

Middleton: Minsmere river, female with five young, June 9th.

Purdis Farm: ipswich Golf club, nine (six males), feb 24th; five (three males), Mar 13th; pair, Apr 4th and 18th; two males, Apr 19th and 27th; five (four males), May 17th; pair with one young and second female with one young, June 24th; male, July 14th and Sep 29th; 17 (nine males), oct 25th; 30 (18 males), Nov 8th; 24 (14 males), Dec 18th.

East Bergholt: flatford Mill, Jan 5th; two, Apr 9th.

Santon Downham: Little ouse river, pair, Mar 29th; six, Apr 8th; female with three young, May 30th.

Brandon: country Park, 11, Jan 30th; nine, feb 27th; five, Mar 23rd; six including young, July 29th; nine, Sep 9th; 15, Dec 18th.

Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, male, Jan 1st to 17th; feb 25th; Aug 16th; three, oct 17th; regularly, Nov and Dec. Livermere Lake: male, Mar 21st, Apr 9th, Apr 21st to May 3rd.

Lackford Lakes: male, oct 2nd to 4th.

Ickworth: Park, pair, Mar 25th.

Haverhill: Mar 25th.

Long Melford: Sewage Works, male, Apr 17th.

Sudbury: river Stour, female with one young, May 27th.

Bures: pair, Apr 25th.

Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s hall, July 29th.

EURASIAN WIGEON Anas penelope Common winter visitor and passage migrant. A few oversummer and occasionally breed. Amber list. Categories A and E. Monthly counts from the key sites:–

Oulton Marshes* Blyth Estuary* Dingle Marshes* Minsmere* North Warren* Snape Wetland* Alde/Ore Estuary Deben Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary Lakenheath Fen/Washes* Mickle Mere* Gifford’s Hall* *monthly maxima

Jan 130 346 47 1081 760 650 4262 998 1114 2139 90 177 820

Feb 181 368 16 557 1090 300 3233 672 670 1948 120 143 170

Mar 289 210 24 546 669 320 3244 545 – 1579 125 20 360

Sep – – 101 500 – 6 – 84 397 – 65 23 106

Oct – – 98 435 75 500 1216 1200 1144 – 8 24 225

Nov – 1285 118 553 266 – 4186 1565 728 – 59 97 236

Dec 160 347 40 301 1000 – 5293 1356 1173 – 24 172 435

in the first winter period overall numbers were disappointing for the fifth successive year, but encouragingly they were higher at the end of the year. the year’s peak count, the December WeBS count of 5293 on the Alde/ore Estuary, is the highest in the county during the second winter period since 2007, while on the Deben Estuary, the WeBS count of 1565, November 13th is the highest at this site since 1996.

Aside from the table, other counts to exceed 100 involved 220 at flixton Gravel Pits on March 12th, 120 at redgrave Lake, february 24th and 160 at higham (near hadleigh), March 7th. A count of 200 at Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin on August 23rd was exceptional for the time of year, 58

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while in the second winter period further significant counts included 240 at flixton Gravel Pits on December 11th, 135 at Sibton Park, November 5th, 393 at Lackford Lakes, November 25th and 137 at thorington Street reservoir, october 21st. records during the summer months came from seven coastal sites, including a maximum count of six at Minsmere on July 2nd, but there was no evidence of breeding. offshore passage was recorded up to March 24th and again from August 24th, with peaks in mid-September and early october. the following significant counts were logged:Corton: 153, Sep 18th.

Gunton: 228, Sep 17th.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, 150 south, oct 5th.

Covehithe: 100 south, Jan 10th.

Southwold: 400 south, Sep 17th; 250 south, Sep 18th; 100 south, oct 5th; 20 north and 127 south, oct 13th.

Minsmere: 100 in off sea, Jan 29th; 100 south, oct 4th.

Thorpeness: 122, Jan 2nd; 17 north and 189 south, Jan 4th; 315 south, Sep 17th; 340, oct 5th.

Orfordness: 100 south, Sep 17th.

Landguard: three north and 178 south, Jan 2nd; 63 north and 1646 south in Sep, including peak day-counts of 104 on 15th, 193 on 16th, 451 south on 21st and 422 on 22nd; 11 north and 1716 south in oct including peak day-counts of 660 south on 4th, 528 on 5th and 197 south on 8th; 130, Nov 3rd.

2015 correction: it was stated that a pair bred successfully at Nunnery Lakes, thetford. this was erroneous.

AMERICAN WIGEON Anas americana Very rare visitor.

Walberswick: first-summer male, July 3rd (B J Small). the 18th county record. the first since 2012 and the first at Walberswick.

GADWALL Anas strepera Common resident and winter visitor. Amber list. Categories A and C. Monthly counts from the key sites:–

Lowestoft Leathes Ham* Dingle Marshes Minsmere* Alde/Ore Estuary Orwell Estuary Lound Lakes* Alton Water Lakenheath Fen/Washes* *monthly maxima

Jan 319 8 270 210 33 127 26 57

Feb 54 10 202 183 21 72 4 58

Mar 12 16 122 166 – 39 2 59

Oct 21 122 63 41 157 25 14 59

Nov – 114 126 39 92 104 110 127

Dec 97 57 161 119 195 273 108 109

Wintering numbers were unexceptional. in fact the year’s maximum count, a non-WeBS count of 319 at Leathes ham, Lowestoft on January 17th, even though a site record, is the lowest annual county peak since 2000. Apart from those in the table, three further significant counts in the first winter period were of 153 at Snape Wetland, March 2nd, 114 at Lackford Lakes, January 21st and 170 at thorington Street reservoir, January 18th. A summer WeBS count of 114 at Minsmere on June 7th is also noteworthy. for the second successive year reported breeding numbers dropped significantly, with a total of 85 pairs at six coastal and ten inland sites (113 pairs in 2015 and 135 pairs in 2014). of these, 59

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48 pairs bred at Minsmere, a fall from 67 pairs in 2015, although further south along the coast it was a rosier picture at orfordness, where a site record seven pairs fledged at least 20 young.

EURASIAN TEAL Anas crecca Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Scarce resident. Amber list.

Monthly counts from the key sites:Jan Feb Burgh Castle* 350 – Carlton Marshes* 9 – Blyth Estuary* 206 978 Dingle Marshes 230 131 Minsmere* 1652 671 North Warren* 530 245 Alde/Ore Estuary 3749 2617 Hazlewood Marshes* – – Snape Wetland* 800 750 Orfordness* 406 786 Deben Estuary 890 643 Orwell Estuary 492 514 Stour Estuary 2581 973 Lakenheath Fen/Washes* 245 186 Lackford Lakes* 300 155 Mickle Mere* 75 195 Gifford’s Hall* 410 30 *monthly maxima

Mar 30 45 110 76 634 344 1351 – 160 583 384 – 851 148 120 170 90

Apr 100 29 – – 187 – – – 55 90 33 99 285 160 76 134 30

Aug – 52 5 – 310 – – 200 340 120 – – – 271 30 56 14

Sep 50 215 9 230 600 140 – 600 – 260 93 337 – 352 2 135 22

Oct – 50 – 198 1339 160 1039 300 – 200 415 593 – 68 311 144 32

Nov 285 250 380 475 477 211 3236 – – 1014 707 528 – 183 470 365 48

Dec 500 – 425 164 621 300 3921 – – 866 1060 783 – 135 445 270 278

in general, wintering numbers compared favourably with the impressive totals of last year and the low-water WeBS count of 2581 on the Stour Estuary in January, and the high-water WeBS count on the Deben Estuary of 1060 in December are both site records. Aside from those in the table, further three-figure counts received were of 150 at hollesley Marshes on April 27th, 111 at Alton Water, November 13th, 260 at cavenham Pits, December 21st and 158 at culford Park, December 18th (WeBS count).

Breeding was confirmed in the county for the first time since 2010. Single females were observed accompanying three and two young respectively at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland and higham (near hadleigh) in July. furthermore, although there was no evidence of breeding, five coastal sites held small numbers throughout the late spring and summer.

Significant offshore movements were logged in early January and again from mid-August to early November, with the highest numbers recorded in September, including a peak day-count of 605 flying south off Southwold on 6th.

Corton: 143, Sep 5th; 136, Sep 18th.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, 252 south, Jan 3rd; 531 south, Sep 17th.

Kessingland: 207 south, Jan 3rd.

Southwold: 165 south, Jan 5th; 605 south, Sep 6th; 560 south, Sep 17th; 100 south, Sep 18th.

Minsmere: 200 south, Sep 16th; 100 south, oct 4th.

Thorpeness: 435 south, Jan 3rd; 387 south, Sep 6th; 330 south, Sep 17th; 80 south and 50 on sea, Nov 3rd.

Landguard: 420 south, Jan 3rd; 110 south, Aug 18th; 128 south, Aug 19th; 17 north and 1144 south in Sep including peak day-count of 429 south on 6th; 195, oct 4th; 143, oct 5th.

GREEN-WINGED TEAL Anas carolinensis Rare visitor.

Blythburgh: male, feb 1st to 18th (B yates).

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the 36th county record of this Nearctic species and the first at Blythburgh. interestingly this individual was wearing a numbered, white nasal saddle, which had been fitted at São Jacinto Dunes Nature reserve, Aveiro, Portugal on January 21st 2015, during its first winter.

MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

Monthly counts from the key sites:Jan Lowestoft Leathes Ham 85 Flixton GP* 465 Heveningham Hall* – Dingle Marshes 98 Minsmere* 392 Snape Wetland* 105 Alde/Ore Estuary 729 Deben Estuary 151 Orwell Estuary 119 Stour Estuary 236 Alton Water 78 Lakenheath Fen/Washes 358 Nunnery Lakes* 44 Livermere Lake* – Lackford Lakes 62 Culford Park 70 Mickle Mere* 150 *monthly maxima

Feb 70 – 160 78 170 100 524 75 64 123 51 406 – 350 72 60 –

Mar 30 325 110 18 139 – 194 64 – 358 31 118 – – 38 – –

Apr

– 80 – 121 – – 53 30 79 22 – – 250 – – –

July 150 – 12 – 222 110 – – 8 – – – 106 – 172 98 –

Aug 120 – 120 – 243 130 – – – – 47 – 112 650 234 148 300

Sep – 155 2 116 105 – – 65 147 – 73 296 – – 181 154 –

Oct 1 – – 75 435 200 216 70 126 – 117 135 – 140 118 – –

Nov Dec – – – 1500 4 – 103 173 413 357 – – 342 540 143 166 43 172 – – 88 132 125 307 150 186 600 585 110 131 157 139 140 100

Nationally the wintering population of this familiar dabbling duck is at a record low, whereas in Suffolk the situation appears not as gloomy. in fact, the January count of 729 on the vast Alde/ore Estuary complex is the county’s highest WeBS count since 838 were present at the same site in December 2006. As usual, the counts from flixton Gravel Pits and Livermere Lake come with the caveat that captive-bred birds are released each summer at both sites for shooting.

Apart from those in the table, other significant counts in the first winter period included 120 at covehithe Broad on february 5th, 100 on the Blyth Estuary, January 17th (WeBS count), 114 at Sizewell Belts, March 13th (WeBS count), 130 at Sudbury, January 1st and 180 at thorington Street reservoir, January 18th. A count of 520 was made at flixton GP on May 28th and 147 were present at Minsmere on June 7th (WeBS count). in the second winter period, further notable counts included 174 at covehithe Broad, December 20th, 100 at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland, September 18th and 130 at thorington Street reservoir, December 9th.

Breeding was widely reported, although not, in general, comprehensively. A total of 92 pairs from 41 sites (142 pairs from 39 sites in 2015) makes an accurate assessment difficult, even if data from three coastal nature reserves do at least hint at a stable breeding population. on orfordness there were 16 breeding pairs (15 pairs in 2015), at Dingle Marshes 12 pairs (five pairs in 2015) and at hen reedbeds 11 pairs (ten pairs in 2015).

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NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant; a few oversummer. Amber list. Categories A and E. Monthly counts the key sites:– Monthly counts from thefrom key sites:– Jan Jan Feb Estuary Blyth Blyth Estuary 8 50 8 North Warren* 321 North Warren* 321 140 Alde/Ore Estuary 169 Alde/Ore Estuary 169 103 Deben Estuary 77 Deben Estuary 77 75 Orwell Estuary 133 Orwell Estuary 82 Stour Estuary 133 419 Stour Estuary 419 757 *monthly maxima *monthly maxima

Feb Mar 50 81 140 81 103 71 75 42 82 – 757 122

Mar Oct –81 5981 6871 42 93 – 30 122 –

Oct Nov 20 – 3159 4668 93 113 30 51 – –

Nov Dec 20 250 31 144 46 96 113 61 51 79– –

Dec 250 144 96 61 79 –

After a succession of disappointing winters for this elegant species, it is pleasing to report that combined numbers in both winter periods were at their highest since 2012. furthermore, the year’s peak count, the low-water WeBS count of 757 on the Stour Estuary is the county’s highest annual maximum since 821 were present on the orwell Estuary in January 1996. the only other significant count was of 100 at flixton Gravel Pits on December 11th, although this record comes with the qualification that captive-bred birds have previously been released at this site.

A pair bred successfully at hollesley Marshes (see field note). records also came from two other coastal sites on single dates in June. the following records were received from the west of the county:Lakenheath Fen/Washes: seven, Jan 20th; two, feb 17th to 25th; male, Mar 12th to 26th; Sep 24th; female, Dec 13th.

Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, oct 19th.

Livermere Lake: female, Nov 9th.

Cavenham Pits: male, Jan 1st.

Lackford Lakes: female, Jan 3rd; feb 14th to 18th; two regularly, feb 19th to Mar 12th; male, Dec 4th.

Mickle Mere: seven, Mar 21st; five, Mar 26th; four, Mar 27th.

Northern Pintail Richard Allen

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Timworth: Sep 18th.

Fornham St Martin: hall farm, Sep 18th.

Needham Market: Lake, male Sep 26th.

Cornard Mere: Apr 5th.

Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s hall, 16, Jan 18th; 12, feb 15th and Mar 7th to 21st; four, Dec 9th.

Higham (near Hadleigh): four, Jan 18th.offshore passage was logged up to March 9th and again from August 19th as follows:Corton: on sea, Sep 21st.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, 14 south, Jan 5th; south, Sep 17th; south, oct 5th; two south, oct 14th; two south, oct 24th; south, Nov 12th; north, Nov 27th.

Kessingland: three south, Jan 24th; three north, feb 4th; two south, feb 21st; three south, Mar 2nd.

Benacre: two south, Sep 13th.

Covehithe: south, Jan 3rd; 20 south, Jan 10th.

Southwold: two, Sep 5th; Sep 18th and oct 7th; 11 south, oct 13th; Nov 7th.

Minsmere: 60 south, Jan 4th; 30 in off sea, Jan 29th; ten south, Aug 19th; 12 south, oct 4th; two south, oct 12th.

Thorpeness: 48 south in Jan, including 19 on 3rd; two south, Sep 6th; 23 south, oct 4th; three south, oct 5th.

Landguard: 45 south in Jan including 23 on 7th; one north and two south in feb; two south in Mar up to 9th; south, Aug 29th; 58 south in Sep including 26 on 22nd; 47 south in oct including 16 on 4th; nine south in Nov.

2015 addition: Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s hall, 54, Dec 19th.

FIELD NOTE there have always been a good number of ducks, especially Eurasian teal and Eurasian Wigeon, at hollesley Marshes. With the creating of the scrape, however, the numbers built up and other wildfowl and waders were attracted. one of the newer species to use the scrape was Northern Pintail, of which five were first noticed feeding here on october 17th 2014. they became a regular visitor and occasionally stayed late into spring. the highest count has been 36 in the 2014/15 winter. in 2016 three birds were still on the scrape in June. on June 21st the first of a brood of 11 chicks was recorded – quite an unexpected event! Seven, possibly eight, young fledged.

Northern Pintail may have bred in Suffolk in the early 1900s but the only recent records were at Minsmere where a brood was found in 1951 and five young fledged at a coastal site in 1999 (Piotrowski, 2003).

Nick Mason, Dudley Shepherd.

GARGANEY Anas querquedula Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the first of the year was a male on the Scrape at Minsmere on the typical date of March 21st. there were records from a further four locations by the end of the month, with a steady, predominantly coastal, passage continuing through to mid-May. there was no evidence of breeding, despite mid-summer sightings at five sites. records were more numerous than usual from late August onwards, including the year’s peak count of six at Lakenheath, August 29th and 31st, with birds noted at ten sites in September and three in october. the last was at Mickle Mere on November 1st.

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Carlton Marshes: male, Apr 22nd.

Covehithe Broad: Sep 13th; two, oct 2nd.

Dingle Marshes: two males, Mar 23rd and 31st; Apr 10th.

Minsmere: male, Mar 21st then regularly to Apr 17th, joined by second male, Apr 9th to 11th; three (two males), Apr 29th; male, May 1st and 21st; three males, May 24th; two males, June 24th; 1-2 regularly, Aug 10th to 19th; two regularly, Aug 20th to Sep 4th; Sep 6th, 7th and 11th then regularly 22nd to 30th.

Snape Wetland: two, Mar 25th and Apr 1st; four, Apr 5th; two, May 3rd; May 6th; male, June 9th then regularly July 23rd to Aug 1st; three, Aug 11th; Aug 13th; two, Aug 16th; Aug 19th and then regularly, Sep 3rd to 7th.

Orfordness: male, May 22nd.

Hazlewood Marshes: Sep 15th.

Boyton Marshes: Apr 4th, 5th, 16th and 19th and May 4th; two males, May 29th; three males, May 30th; two males, May 31st and June 2nd; Aug 30th.

Hollesley Marshes: male, Mar 30th then regularly to May 14th, joined by second, Apr 6th and May 2nd and 3rd; Sep 3rd.

Landguard: male south offshore, Sep 16th.

Trimley Marshes: pair, Apr 24th; May 26th, June 9th, 10th and 21st, July 5th, 13th, 14th and 30th and Sep 2nd, 5th, 18th, 20th, 26th and 27th; two, oct 2nd; oct 3rd.

Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, Sep 14th and 21st.

Worlingham: Marshes, male, May 16th.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: pair, Mar 30th; three (two males), Apr 2nd to 6th; five, Apr 14th; 1-3 regularly, May 5th to June 5th; Aug 7th and 23rd; two, Aug 24th; six, Aug 29th and 31st; four, Sep 4th.

Mickle Mere: 1st-winter, Sep 4th to Nov 1st.

BLUE-WINGED TEAL Anas discors Very rare visitor. the sixth county record of this North American dabbling duck and the first since 2004.

Carlton Marshes: male, June 6th and 7th (A c Easton et al. per Suffolk recorder).

NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Uncommon resident. Amber list.

Monthly counts thesites:– key sites:– Monthly counts fromfrom the key Jan JanFeb Minsmere* Minsmere* 130 130145 North Warren* North Warren* 245 245140 Alde/Ore Estuary Alde/Ore Estuary 431 431439 Orfordness* Orfordness* 129 129236 Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary 113 113 89 Snape Wetlands* Snape Wetlands* 136 136100 Mickle Mere* Mickle Mere* 42 42 53 *monthly maxima *monthly maxima

FebMar Mar Apr 145 88 88 101 140 111 111 – 439 396 396 – 236 164 164 72 89 – – 31 100 189 189 70 53 25 25 48

AprSep 101 22 – 8 – – 72 2 31 49 70 – 48 74

SepOct 22109 8 18 – 89 2 13 49 45 – – 74 37

OctNov NovDec 109130 130 50 18 25 25 80 89219 219 261 13 59 59 170 45114 114 90 – – – – 37 2 2 28

Dec 50 80 261 170 90 – 28

the run of good winters for this distinctive dabbling duck continued, with particularly impressive numbers during the first winter period. the Alde/ore Estuary, with a february WeBS count of 439, and North Warren, with a non-WeBS count of 245 on January 9th, both recorded their highest numbers since 2007. Aside from those in the table, further significant gatherings involved 82 at Great Barton, January 16th and April counts of 65 at Boyton Marshes on 5th, 75 at nearby hollesley Marshes the following day and 57 at Livermere Lake on 16th.

Breeding numbers at Minsmere, the principal site, were at their highest for four years, with a 64

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total of 68 pairs (33 pairs in 2015). Elsewhere, a pair bred at Benacre Broad, five pairs bred at Walberswick NNr, three at Dingle Marshes, four at hollesley Marshes, three at trimley Marshes, two pairs at Mickle Mere and single pairs at carlton Marshes, North Warren, Boyton Marshes, Barton Mere, Lakenheath fen, White horse Marshes in East Bergholt and Gifford’s hall, Stoke-byNayland.

RED-CRESTED POCHARD Netta rufina Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Categories A and E. records were received from two sites, most likely involving birds of feral origin, and included a breeding pair at Lackford Lakes for the third successive year.

Pipps Ford: female, oct 2nd.

Lackford Lakes: three (two males) regularly, feb 26th to Mar 26th, with two females, Mar 3rd and four, Mar 13th; pair, Apr 2nd; male, Apr 18th and 20th and May 8th; pair with young, May 17th and 21st, with second adult male, May 20th; four, June 14th; July 16th and 23rd and Sep 21st; female, Nov 8th.

COMMON POCHARD Aythya ferina Fairly common but declining winter visitor and passage migrant. Uncommon resident. Red list.

Categories A and E. Monthly counts from the key sites:– Jan Trimley Marshes 57 Flixton GP* 6 Alton Water* 8 Lackford Lakes* 45 *monthly maxima

Feb 43 – 1 40

Mar 32 39 0 21

Sep 12 43 312 –

Oct 10 – 235 –

Nov 26 – 163 –

Dec 35 62 76 –

following the poor counts of recent years, it is pleasing to report that numbers were high at Alton Water during the autumn. indeed, this year’s peak count of 312 at Alton Water on September 18th is the highest in the county since 359 were present at the same site in December 2011. in addition to those in the table, there was a count of 42 at flixton Gravel Pits on May 28th, although it should be noted that captive-bred birds had previously been released at this site. the only other counts exceeding 30 came from Shingle Street, with 40, November 10th and Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin, with 33, January 14th and 31, february 16th. the breeding season was also an improvement on last year, with a brood seen at Westwood Marshes, Walberswick, two pairs at trimley Marshes (with four young) and a total of four broods located at two sites in the west of the county.

TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.

Monthly counts from the key sites:– Jan Feb Alde/Ore Estuary 77 46 Flixton* 10 – Alton Water 97 99 Lackford Lakes* 111 220 *monthly maxima

Mar 57 134 45 140

Apr – – 28 82

Aug – – 70 101

Sep – 126 177 56

Oct 18 – 232 125

Nov 28 – 345 90

Dec 31 120 392 127

As with common Pochard, numbers were an improvement on recent years, particularly at Alton Water, where the WeBS count of 392 on December 18th is the highest in the county for four years.

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Tufted Duck Richard Allen

in addition to those in the table, there was also a count of 103 at flixton Gravel Pits on May 28th, but records come with the usual caveat that captive-bred birds had previously been released at this site. further counts of 50 and above were received as follows:Fritton Lake: 50, Jan 30th.

Orwell Estuary: 55, Apr 11th (WeBS count).

Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, 89, Jan 9th.

Elveden: center Parcs, 100, feb 11th.

Shelley: 51, Jan 18th.

Thorington Street Reservoir: 78, Sep 26th; 72, oct 11th.

As usual, breeding was undoubtedly under-recorded, with a total of 18 breeding pairs at 14 sites (15 pairs at 11 sites in 2015).

Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula x Common Pochard Aythya ferina hybrid An individual of this relatively common, mixed parentage was present at Snape Wetlands on June 9th.

GREATER SCAUP Aythya marila Fairly common but declining winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

A first-winter male at covehithe Broad from January 9th to 13th was the only occurrence during the first four months of the year, making it the worst start to the year on record. unseasonably, two flew north off thorpeness on May 28th, otherwise there were no further sightings until late September. records during the second winter period included 14 flying north off thorpeness, December 19th, the largest offshore movement for five years, and inland reports from Livermere Lake and thorington Street reservoir.

Hopton-on-Sea: Nov 1st.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, 13 south, Nov 1st; north, Nov 7th.

Benacre Broad: two, oct 28th to Nov 8th; five, Nov 10th to 13th; two, Nov 14th; two, Dec 9th; Dec 20th; two regularly, Dec 22nd to 29th.

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Greater Scaup Richard Allen

Dunwich: south, Nov 20th; female on sea, Nov 25th to 30th.

Minsmere: on sea, Sep 29th; two offshore, Dec 19th.

Thorpeness: 14 north, Dec 19th.

Slaughden: north, oct 21st.

Stutton: Ness, oct 24th to 31st; three, Nov 7th; four, Nov 13th and 14th.

Livermere Lake: three 1st-winters, Nov 7th to 13th; 1st-winter, Nov 14th.

Thorington Street Reservoir: Dec 18th.

COMMON EIDER Somateria mollissima Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Bred in 1996. Amber list.

Between January 1st and february 13th a total of 39 was logged from seven coastal sites, with a maximum day-count of nine south off Landguard on January 4th. in addition, one was present in holbrook Bay on the Stour Estuary, January 17th. there were records in each of the next four months, with singles off corton, March 19th and Landguard, April 25th and May 27th, nine on the sea off orfordness, May 28th and one north off Landguard, June 10th. records were considerably more numerous in the second half of the year, beginning with seven north off Gorleston, August 27th followed by one off Southwold, September 9th and two off thorpeness, September 18th. Passage gained momentum in early october and peaked in November, including 147 north off Ness Point, Lowestoft during northerly winds on 7th, the highest day-count recorded at a single site since December 2002 when 160 flew north off kessingland on 5th.

All day-counts exceeding 20 are listed below:Lowestoft: Ness Point, 147 north, Nov 7th; 66 north, Nov 24th.

Southwold: 98, Nov 7th.

Dunwich: 51 north and three south, Nov 25th.

Slaughden: 23 north, oct 21st.

Landguard: 62 north and five south, Nov 25th.

A first-winter male was present in hamilton Dock, Lowestoft between November 12th and December 15th.

LONG-TAILED DUCK Clangula hyemalis Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

At Landguard in early January one flew south on 2nd and three south on 5th. otherwise the only other record in the first winter period was the long-staying female at Lackford Lakes, first noted on November 4th 2015, which remained until May 9th.

A male flew south off Southwold on May 23rd and was almost certainly the individual which arrived on the Scrape at Minsmere the following day and stayed until June 2nd, the first June record since 2005 when one was at Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin on 19th.

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Sightings off Southwold and Landguard on october 13th were the forerunners to an exceptional second winter period, with numbers not seen in the county for 25 years. Birds were logged along the whole length of the coastline through to the end of the year, with a maximum day-count of six off Ness Point, Lowestoft, November 6th and almost daily reporting of up to five off Dunwich from mid-November associating with the large flock of common Scoters in Sole Bay. there were also occasional sightings on estuaries and coastal marshes and the most unusual record concerned one that spent the last six weeks of the year on a small farm reservoir at Aldringham Walks.

Gorleston: oct 19th.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, two north and four south, Nov 6th; three north, Nov 7th; north, Nov 24th.

Southwold: north, oct 13th; south, oct 15th; two south, Nov 6th; four, Nov 7th; two north, Nov 24th.

Walberswick NNR: Westwood Marshes, two in dyke, Nov 25th and 26th.

Dunwich: 1-3 on sea, Nov 16th to Dec 29th, with five, Nov 29th and four, Dec 26th.

Minsmere: oct 20th; Nov 3rd; three offshore and two on Scrape then island Mere, Nov 6th; Nov 8th, two, Nov 9th; Nov 23rd; on sea, Dec 8th and 20th.

Sizewell: south, Nov 19th.

Thorpeness: south, oct 14th; three south, Nov 3rd; two south, Dec 19th.

Hazlewood Marshes: Nov 29th and 30th.

Slaughden: three north, Dec 13th.

Orfordness: two offshore, Nov 6th; three south offshore, Nov 8th; female in ditch, Nov 19th.

Shingle Street: Nov 8th.

Bawdsey: two, Nov 6th and 7th; on sea then south, Nov 12th.

Waldringfield: Deben Estuary, oct 16th.

Landguard: two north, oct 13th; north, oct 19th; south, Nov 6th; two south, Nov 8th; north, Nov 9th; west, Nov 10th.

Aldringham Walks: farm reservoir, Nov 19th to Dec 31st.

COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra Declining non-breeding resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

Thorpeness North South Landguard North South

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

14 16

16 1

3 2

11 1

3 1

2 7

0 0

0 6

32 124

48 45

21 3

12 10

27 29

19 42

6 25

18 28

Sep

13 104 11 23

Oct

Nov

Dec

66 36

739 817

26 30

6 155

– –

53 11

Accumulated monthly totals from thorpeness (Dave thurlow) and Landguard Bird observatory are shown in the table, with passage particularly notable off Landguard in November. offshore movements from watch-points further north were also impressive during the first half of November, the highlight being 400 south off Gorleston on 6th.

November also saw numbers build up off Dunwich and Minsmere, with counts of 100 on 2nd, 600 on 14th, 1250 on 23rd and a staggering 4000 on 25th. the only higher count off the Suffolk coast is of 5000 off hopton-on-Sea on January 9th 1955. the aggregation comprised almost exclusively females and immatures, with only two adult males noted in a count of 2800 on November 30th. Numbers dropped off through December, although 2000 still remained on 11th and 1500 on 19th. As well as the common Scoters there were Velvet Scoters, Greater Scaup, Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks within this flock, an amazing experience for seawatchers in Suffolk.

Significant day-counts from all sites are summarised below:Gorleston: 70 south and 40 on sea, oct 16th; 100 south and 75 on sea, Nov 4th; 400 south, Nov 68

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6th; 50 north and 60 south, Nov 19th.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, 362 north and 20 south, Nov 7th; 101 north and 50 south, Nov 12th.

Southwold: 300, Nov 11th.

Dunwich: peak day-counts - in Jan of 350 on 11th; in Nov, 4000 on 25th; Dec, 2800 on 2nd.

Minsmere: peak day-count in Jan of 250 on 3rd; in June of 140 on 7th; in Nov of 500 on 13th and 18th and in Dec of 1500 on 19th.

Thorpeness: 109 south, oct 4th.

Shingle Street: 100, Nov 2nd; 120, Nov 8th and 10th.

Landguard: 102, Nov 9th; 210, Nov 11th; 218 north, Nov 14th; 153 north and 148 south, Nov 27th. on the estuaries, two were present on the orwell, September 18th and November 13th, while one was on the Stour off Stutton on both November 8th and December 3rd. records from more unexpected locations involved a male at Alton Water on May 11th and, perhaps less unexpected, two on Benacre Broad, November 2nd.

VELVET SCOTER Melanitta fusca Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

All records during the first winter period were from the north-east of the county in January.

Lowestoft: two south, Jan 5th; three south, Jan 9th.

Southwold: two south, Jan 5th and 30th.

Dunwich: on sea, Jan 9th and 10th.

Minsmere: male, Jan 8th.

Thorpeness: six south, Jan 9th. there were no further sightings until four were logged off Minsmere on September 17th.

Singletons off covehithe and Shingle Street in the first half of october were followed by a significant passage and arrival in November, particularly in Sole Bay off Dunwich. careful scanning of the vast raft of common Scoters in the bay yielded daily sightings of its larger cousin from November 7th until mid-December, with a peak count of 41 on November 26th, the largest gathering in the county since 63 off kessingland, february 23rd 1992.

Gorleston: Nov 7th; two males north, Nov 26th; north, Nov 29th.

Hopton-on-Sea: seven, Nov 17th; five, Nov 19th.

Corton: two, Nov 27th.

Lowestoft: north, Nov 7th and 13th.

Covehithe: oct 5th.

Southwold: south, Nov 6th; eight, Nov 24th.

Dunwich: south, Nov 5th; daily on sea in increasing numbers, Nov 7th to 26th, including one on 7th, two on 15th, nine on 16th, 24 on 19th and 41 on 26th; daily on sea in decreasing numbers, Nov 27th to Dec 16th, including 40 on 27th, 39 on 29th, 36 on 3rd, 20 on 5th and ten on 16th.

Minsmere: four, Sep 17th; four north, Nov 11th.

Thorpeness: three, Nov 5th; south, Nov 28th.

Slaughden: south, Nov 4th.

Shingle Street: 1st-winter male on sea regularly, Nov 6th to 19th; Dec 24th.

Bawdsey: south, oct 13th.

Landguard: south, Nov 20th; two north, Nov 28th; two south, Dec 16th; south, Dec 21st.

COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016 Monthly Monthly counts from the keycounts sites:– from the key sites:– Jan Feb Jan Feb Mar Nov Deben Estuary 18 51 Deben Estuary 18 5 3 43 115 Orwell Estuary* Orwell 43Estuary*11 – Stour72 Estuary*148 72 148 Stour Estuary* 9 32 Water 10 173 Alton 10 17 11 Alton Water Lackford 11 145 Lackford Lakes* 11 Lakes*14 10 *monthly maxima *monthly maxima

Mar Dec 3 10 –6 9– 118 107

overall, numbers were unremarkable, a reflection of the generally mild conditions in both winter periods. the total of 148 on the Stour Estuary in february, however, is the highest in Suffolk since 257 were counted on the same estuary in february 2012. Aside from the table, the only other count to reach double figures was ten at Benacre Broad on february 5th. the last of the spring, at Lackford Lakes, April 3rd, was followed by an unexpected mid-summer record involving a female at Boyton Marshes from June 27th to July 1st. offshore autumn passage was also light. At Landguard, where records were most frequent during this period, just 18 were logged between November 2nd and December 3rd.

Nov 1 5 32 3 5

Dec 10 6 – 8 7

Goldeneye Richard Allen

SMEW Mergellus albellus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the lack of a cold spell of weather resulted in poor numbers, although both Minsmere and orfordness hosted long-staying redheads in the first winter period and a first-winter male spent the final three weeks of the year at thorington Street reservoir.

Minsmere: two redheads regularly, feb 7th to Mar 20th.

Orfordness: Lantern Marshes, redhead, Jan 31st to feb 28th.

Trimley Marshes: male, Jan 24th.

Alton Water: redhead, Dec 4th.

Thorington Street Reservoir: 1st-winter male, Dec 9th to 31st.

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant.

Jan Stour EstuaryStour Estuary 77

FebJan 55 77

MarFeb 50 55

AprMar NovApr 37 50 40 37

Nov Dec 340

Dec 3

counts from the Stour Estuary, the main wintering site, are shown in the table. Generally numbers were low and the only other site where counts reached double figures was the orwell Estuary, with 12 on January 10th and february 21st. the last of the spring was a singleton which flew north off Gorleston on April 12th there being no further sightings until September 7th, when one flew south off Southwold. this heralded the start of a very light autumn passage, with total numbers highest off Landguard, where 26 were logged flying south between September 16th and November 29th, and there was a peak daycount of ten north off Ness Point, Lowestoft on November 7th.

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A male was present at Livermere Lake, April 9th, the first inland record since 2007 (redgrave Lake, March 27th).

GOOSANDER Mergus merganser Locally fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. there was a good spread of records during the first three months of the year, although, as with the other two species of sawbill, numbers were low. indeed the year’s peak count of nine at center Parcs, Elveden on february 11th is the county’s lowest annual maximum since 1994.

Burgh Castle: male west, Jan 17th.

Gorleston: two on sea, feb 27th.

Oulton Broad: redhead, Jan 10th to 16th.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, male south, Jan 6th.

North Cove: river Waveney, redhead, Jan 21st.

Beccles: river Waveney, male, Mar 7th.

Heveningham: Park, three, feb 16th.

Minsmere: offshore, Jan 23rd; male in off sea, Jan 29th; two (one male), Mar 21st; two males, Mar 28th.

Thorpeness: south offshore, Jan 31st.

Deben Estuary: Mar 13th (WeBS count).

Landguard: two south, Jan 11th; three north, Mar 17th.

Ipswich: christchurch Park, redhead, Jan 1st; two redheads regularly, Jan 2nd to 6th; up to four (two males), Jan 17th to feb 23rd; two (one male), Mar 1st. chantry Park, two redheads, Jan 9th. Bridge Wood, two, Jan 12th.

Purdis Farm: ipswich Golf club, five (two males), feb 24th; two (one male) regularly, Mar 4th to 21st, with two males, Mar 7th.

Stutton: Stour Estuary, male, Jan 17th.

Alton Water: three, Mar 7th.

Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, Jan 24th.

Santon Downham: two, Mar 18th.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: male, Jan 5th to 23rd; two redheads, Jan 23rd.

Elveden: center Parcs, nine, feb 11th.

West Stow: country Park, two males, Jan 2nd.

Lackford Lakes: five males, Jan 1st; male, Jan 10th; three males, Jan 25th; eight (seven males), Jan 28th; seven, Jan 30th; five, feb 14th.

Mickle Mere: male, Mar 27th.

Stoke-by-Nayland: redhead, Mar 9th. there was a sole April record, concerning one south off Landguard on 6th. A May sighting involved a male at Benacre Broad on 2nd and at nearby covehithe Broad the following day. An unexpected summer record involved two redheads that flew in off the sea at Minsmere on August 12th. records were less widespread in the second winter period, with numbers again disappointing:Corton: redhead south offshore, Nov 6th.

Benacre Broad: six redheads, Dec 28th; redhead, Dec 29th.

Dunwich: male in off sea, Nov 27th.

Minsmere: redhead south offshore, Nov 5th; Nov 20th; five in off sea, Nov 24th; redhead, Nov 25th and Dec 2nd; two redheads, Dec 6th; three redheads, Dec 7th; four, Dec 10th and 16th; five, Dec 27th; redhead, Dec 31st.

Thorpeness: south offshore, Dec 19th.

Aldeburgh: river Alde, redhead, Nov 28th and Dec 5th.

Landguard: six south, oct 27th; north, Nov 7th; south, Nov 10th; south, Nov 20th.

Ipswich: christchurch Park, three (two males), Dec 29th; male, Dec 30th; two, Dec 31st.

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Lound Lakes: male, Dec 10th.

Redgrave Lake: two redheads, Dec 25th.

Alton Water: five, Dec 18th; two, Dec 28th.

Thetford: Nunnery Lakes, Nov 10th and Dec 18th.

Livermere Lake: redhead, Nov 8th.

Lackford Lakes: three males, Nov 8th; four, Nov 11th; Nov 15th.

Thorington Street Reservoir: male, Dec 13th.

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE Alectoris rufa Common resident; numbers augmented by releases. Categories C and E. Some 303 records were received from 114 sites, with over 80% being submitted from the northeast of the county where recording has been more comprehensive. this species remains underrecorded elsewhere however. only 28 reports of breeding or probable breeding were received. unfortunately the isolated coastal populations now appear to be approaching extinction. on orfordness there were no reports for a third successive year, whilst at Landguard singles were recorded on March 17th to 20th and August 22nd and 23rd, with one found dead, presumably the latter bird, on August 29th.

GREY PARTRIDGE Perdix perdix Formerly common resident, now localised. Red List. Categories A, C and E. With only 73 records submitted for the year there are suggestions that the slight increase observed in 2015 has been short-lived. Birds were recorded from 34 sites, a reduction of almost 40% on 2015. confirmation of breeding, however, remains extremely rare with only three reports received, the same as 2015, all of which were in the west of the county. A further seven reports of possible breeding, i.e. pairs occupying territories, were also received, again all in the west. the highest autumn count, of 21 adults, was recorded at knettishall Airfield on November 27th.

COMMON QUAIL Coturnix coturnix Scarce summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber List.

2016 was another poor year for this species with only four records being received, all of which related to single birds. All records are detailed below:Corton: June 20th (c Shaw).

Dunwich: Mount Pleasant farm, Aug 26th (r Drew).

Orfordness: May 29th (D crawshaw et al.).

Thetford: singing, high Lodge, July 31st (G conway).

COMMON PHEASANT Phasianus colchicus Very common resident; numbers augmented by releases. Categories C and E. More comprehensive reporting of this species in the north-east of the county significantly boosted the number of records received to 1385. however, only two reports of confirmed breeding were received both from the west of the county. the highest winter counts were recorded at heveningham with 220 birds on November 13th and Worlingham with 150 birds on october 15th.

GOLDEN PHEASANT Chrysolophus pictus Scarce resident. Categories C and E. A slight increase in records of this species came from two sites both in the west of the county.

Bardwell: Bowbeck, adult male, Jan 17th (D tomlinson); adult male, Apr 18th (D tomlinson).

Euston: five, Jan 22nd (per Birdtrack); two males, feb 10th (E W Patrick); three males, Mar 2nd (per Birdtrack); two, Mar 18th (t Budden); male, Apr 18th (S Abbott); two males, Nov 24th (N Moran).

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RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Green list (from Amber).

Whatever it is that avid thorpeness seawatcher David thurlow makes use of during his meticulous cliff-top counts – be it good old-fashioned dogged determination and perseverance, the aid perhaps of a calculator, or even an abacus maybe – he frequently manages to amass the year’s most eye-catching totals of many seabird species. he certainly did it again this time as far as this species is concerned. his highest day-count for the year, noted on January 31st, was 4945, with all but three of those moving south. on the same day, observers at orfordness noted what they described as an “exceptional” 1100 off their site. on the previous day, David counted 4100 moving south off thorpeness and 1963 did likewise and 147 headed north on January 17th.

While these counts were easily the year’s highest they did not quite match the Suffolk record David set with 5642 south and 27 north on the last day of 2011. only two other four-figure day-counts were noted during the year – and both came courtesy of that man Mr thurlow again. on february 12th he recorded 1042 moving south and three heading north and on December 19th his totals were 2902 south and 350 north.

Minsmere may well be the rSPB’s most biodiverse nature reserve and it is certainly easy to see red-throated Divers offshore during the winter there, but the site’s wetlands, wonderful as they are, do not usually host this species. An individual that frequented the famous, or infamous, Blackbrowed Albatross and Western Swamphen pool behind the reserve’s South hide – and later the reserve’s North Marsh – from January 27th to february 4th was therefore noteworthy. the north-east recording area maintained its marked dominance over the south-east area for this species and the following are its peak monthly day-counts:Jan Feb 4945 1045

JanMar Feb Apr Mar Sep Apr Oct Sep Nov Oct Dec Nov 4945 508 1045119 508 10 119 13 10 239 13 3252239

Dec 3252

only three individuals were noted in May and three were reported in June. return passage commenced on August 18th when a singleton passed Southwold.

BLACK-THROATED DIVER Gavia arctica Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the identification pitfalls associated with separating Black-throated Diver from the remarkably similar red-throated Diver have been well documented in recent editions of Suffolk Birds and observers now appear to be more circumspect when reporting this species, which is, at best, scarce in the county. there may be some duplication in the submitted records but the potential maximum of just 12 individuals probably reflects more accurately the true status of this species in Suffolk than the totals reported in some recent years, which may well have been exaggerated by a lack of observer caution.

All acceptable records are listed below:Southwold: three south, Nov 2nd (B J Small); south, Nov 24th (B J Small).

Thorpeness: two south, Jan 3rd (D thurlow); Jan 9th (S Mayson); north, Jan 17th (D thurlow).

Slaughden: Dec 13th (D Pearsons, k freeman).

Landguard: south, oct 8th (W J Brame, A kettle, J Zantboer); north, Nov 8th (W J Brame et al.).

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. observers in the west of the county enjoyed the rare treat of seeing this species on their doorstep as a first-winter individual frequented West Stow and Lackford Lakes from January 10th to 12th (c Gregory, P holness, c Jakes). this is the first Great Northern Diver in the west of Suffolk since November 2012 (Little ouse, Lakenheath fen) and April 1965 (cut-off channel, Eriswell). in the north-east recording area numerous reports that were received between January 1st and 73

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March 19th may have involved only about nine birds due to duplication. for example, an individual seen flying south off Gorleston at 11.55am on January 9th was almost certainly the bird also noted flying south off Lowestoft’s North Beach at 12.10pm that day, off kessingland (although no time was reported) and off thorpeness at 12.57pm. in the south-east recording area during the first winter period, reports mainly centred on Alton Water, where up to two popular individuals were present between January 13th and April 23rd.

A singleton was noted at various locations on the orwell Estuary from January 5th to february 9th. up to two were on the Stour Estuary between January 1st and January 17th and observers at Landguard recorded an individual flying “in-off” on february 20th, one flying south the next day and one likewise on April 22nd. how many individuals were involved in these south-east area reports is, of course, impossible to establish. relatively few of these impressive divers were seen in the county during the second winter period. the total was a meagre three in the north-east recording area, with singletons at Southwold on November 4th, thorpeness on November 8th and Slaughden on December 24th. in the south-east recording area the period’s first report was of a singleton off Landguard on october 13th. there were only three other reports from the area in this period – individuals off Bawdsey on November 8th, Landguard on october 29th and in holbrook Bay on December 27th.

NORTHERN FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis Declining passage migrant. Formerly bred. Amber list. the combined monthly aggregate totals for our north-east and south-east recording areas are listed below, but each may include a degree of duplication:Jan 19

Feb 40

Mar 35

Apr 86

May 147

Jun 64

Jul 19

Aug 25

Sep 22

Oct 11

Nov 14

Dec 1

the table shows that temporarily at least the reports broadly conformed to the pattern established in recent years, with the county’s peak numbers being noted in April and May. however, there is concern over this species’ generally declining numbers in the North Sea and such fears were emphasised in comments received from observers at orfordness. their full report on this species said: “Another very poor year for this species. One on January 31st and one south on February 21st were the only sightings until May when one north on 1st, two north on 2nd, singles north on 28th, 29th and 30th with two south on 29th. The next was one south on July 30th, then three north on August 20th, the last until one south on December 27th.”

By far the highest day-count of the year was 46 reported by David thurlow at thorpeness – all but seven heading north – on May 30th. the same observer also noted the county’s second-highest day-count of the year at the same location – 16 north and five south on May 16th. Elsewhere, the year’s three highest counts reported by vigilant and patient observers at Ness Point, Lowestoft, were 14 north, one south, June 2nd, 14 north, May 15th and 12 north, March 16th.

SOOTY SHEARWATER Puffinus griseus Uncommon passage migrant.

Suffolk seawatchers’ thoughts of this wonderfully exciting species usually arise in about July – not January. in fact, when Brian Small and h fisher scanned the sea at Minsmere on New year’s Day, Sooty Shearwater must have been one of the last species they expected to encounter. After all, aren’t “Sooties” supposed to be breeding in the Southern hemisphere at this time of year rather than shearing around the cold, grey North Sea? But, of course, not every bird conforms to its species stereotype and so these surprised observers did indeed enjoy the highly unusual January sight of one powering north off the Suffolk coast. they say that lightning doesn’t strike twice, but a highly unusual series of sightings that followed suggests otherwise, at least as far as seabirds are concerned. observers at Landguard noted a 74

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singleton of this species on January 2nd and Peter ransome also struck lucky with a January “Sooty” when he noted one heading south off covehithe on January 3rd. At this stage it would have been tempting to surmise that just one somewhat-confused and lonely bird was involved but two were seen off Landguard on January 7th to complete a remarkable chain of events.

Seawatching isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but these lucky strikes show that you never know what you may see when you scan the Suffolk waves. these are the first January records of this seabird in Suffolk.

Somewhat less surprising was the bird that began the now-expected run of records later in the year – a singleton that headed north off Southwold on July 29th – but an individual noted off Dunwich on December 4th was perhaps a little tardy.

With the usual warning about probable duplication, the combined monthly totals for this period were:Aug Aug 16 16

Sep Sep 49 49

Oct Oct 33 33

Nov Nov 14 14

Dec Dec 11

the highest day-count for the year was a somewhat surprisingly low one – six off Southwold on September 17th.

MANX SHEARWATER Puffinus puffinus Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list.

A singleton flying north off kessingland on April 9th heralded a sprinkling of spring records of this species which remains scarce in Suffolk. other reports in this period were one heading north off Lowestoft on May 9th and – the year’s equal-highest day-count – six off thorpeness on May 30th and six off corton, September 5th, and an individual was noted off Landguard on May 30th. two flew south off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on July 12th and thereafter a total of 22 birds was reported between August 27th and November 3rd, with the peak count being six off corton on September 5th.

BALEARIC SHEARWATER Puffinus mauretanicus Rare, but nearly annual, passage migrant. Critically endangered. Red list.

With a tiny breeding range and a worryingly low population that is in rapid decline, it is perhaps a wonder that we see this species at all off Suffolk. But post-breeding dispersal brings it to southern uk waters and a few venture into the North Sea, putting the species firmly on our seawatchers’ radar. three birds were reported in 2016: Southwold: Aug 18th (c fulcher, N Vipond); north and on sea, Sept 5th (c fulcher).

Bawdsey: oct 10th (S Abbott).

LEACH’S STORM-PETREL Oceanodroma leucorhoa Scarce passage migrant. Amber list.

All records received are listed:Southwold: Sept 25th (B J Small).

Minsmere: Sept 24th (r Drew, r Wilby); oct 4th, north (J h Grant).

Bawdsey: Sept 21st (S Abbott); oct 13th (S Abbott).

Landguard: oct 4th, one north and one south (P J holmes).

Additional record for 2015: Bawdsey: oct 10th (S Abbott).

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NORTHERN GANNET Morus bassanus Common passage migrant. Amber list. ‘there’s a Gannet in the garden’ – how surreal does that sound? When the garden in question is many miles from the sea, in the Suffolk Brecks, it’s even more bizarre. But it was indeed the case at icklingham, where a “wrecked” juvenile was discovered on September 19th (c Jakes). the obviously disorientated individual was taken into care. its subsequent fate was not reported and we can only hope it recovered and was released to roam freely thereafter. this is the first reported sighting of a Gannet in the west of Suffolk since 2009 when an immature flew east over Denston on September 16th. the now somewhat predictable March surge of adults heading north off our coast towards their breeding areas was again noticeable. it included the year’s highest day-count of 1115 – with all but eight moving north – in just two hours from 7.30am off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on March 16th (A Easton). the figures in the table below will inevitably involve much duplication but give some indication of the monthly pattern of occurrence. in addition to the peak in March, a return passage, perhaps more leisurely, can be seen to have taken place once again in September, october and November, although the sudden dearth of records in December is especially noticeable. the top row of figures relates to the relevant month’s accumulated totals and the lower row refers to that month’s peak day-count:Jan 692 100

Feb 2472 437

Mar 7848 1115

Apr 637 314

May 254 66

Jun 450 179

Jul 396 94

Aug 301 72

Sep 1583 200

Oct 2130 650

Nov 1724 782

Dec 24 9

GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Has bred since 1998. the long-running controversy over the licensing of culls of this species at Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin, continued to exercise the council of the Suffolk ornithologists’ Group, with the group’s campaign in opposition to the killings including a formal protest letter being sent to the licensing body, Natural England. the outcome of the group’s action remained to be seen while this report was being prepared. the reported numbers of this species are continuing to increase each year, but lethal control at the behest of anglers at this site is seen by many, if not all, naturalists to be unjustified and completely unacceptable.

Suffolk Birds 2015 referred to the “new trend” being seen at orfordness, with increasing numbers of birds roosting at the site’s Lantern Marshes. in 2016 the trend certainly continued. observers on the ‘Ness’ reported that “the previous year’s record numbers were eclipsed with 1454 on February 28th and 1330 on March 13th.” however, they added: “The draining of Lantern Marsh resulted in smaller numbers later in the year with the bulk of the birds being noted passing offshore.” the site’s maxima in selected months were recorded as follows:Jan Jan 780 780

Feb Feb 1454 1454

Mar Mar 1330 1330

Apr Apr 741 741

Sep Sep 5050

Oct Oct 610 610

Nov Nov 500 500

Dec Dec 300 300

At nearby havergate island, a series of eye-catching counts occurred in the autumn and secondwinter period, although there must have been some degree of duplication with orfordness. the highest of the island’s counts were 1230 on August 27th and precisely the same number on December 15th. the highest count received from Loompit Lake was “1000+” on December 19th. it was submitted by veteran cormorant counter robin Biddle. he also noted several large flocks in flight over nearby old kirton road, trimley St Martin, the most notable being “500+” on January 1st and 6th and c900 on December 9th.

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the well-established roost site of fritton Lakes ensures that sizeable counts are also made in the far north of the county. in this area, the largest count in the first winter period was 960 south off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on January 9th. february’s peak count in the north was 400 south off Gorleston on 7th while the March peak in this area was 401 off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on 6th, with all but six flying south.

Autumn and winter counts from the northern recording area built up from october, a month in which the highest count was 190 off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on 24th. however, the northern area’s peak count for the whole year was made in the early morning of November 9th when the stalwart Peter Allard counted 1260 flying east out to sea at Gorleston.

Cormorant Richard Allen A total of 955 flew south off Ness Point, Lowestoft, on November 12th, but the only noteworthy count from the north of the county in December was 250 at Gorleston on 15th.

Good numbers were recorded in the south-east of the county later in the year. the impressive 3020 counted off Landguard on December 26th beat the previous county total by a long way. in the west of the county the year’s highest count came from Lackford Lakes, where 51 had gathered on february 21st. two P.c. sinensis birds were seen to display at this site on february 26th, perhaps a portent for future breeding here? Also of note, the 18 counted on sewage treatment works lagoons at Little cornard on January 2nd is the site’s largest recorded gathering.

Lastly, one on a golf course fairway at Bury St Edmunds on christmas Day made for an incongruous sight – the bird was said to have been grounded by strong winds. it may, of course, be best to avoid any quip about birdies and games of golf!

EUROPEAN SHAG Phalacrocorax aristotelis Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). reports of this species were far more numerous than in 2015, which was, after all, a year of paucity. the Lowestoft area is the species’ traditional stronghold in our northern recording area and in the first winter period there were many reports from the town’s North Beach, Ness Point, hamilton Dock and Lake Lothing, involving up to two birds between January 1st and March 5th. the same area produced reports of a juvenile on August 28th and thereafter what was probably the same bird on several dates until December 29th. however, there were two in hamilton Dock on November 27th and December 3rd.

Additional records from the northern recording area were:Gorleston Pier: feb 28th.

Corton Cliffs: Nov 19th.

Oulton Broad: Mutford Lock, Nov 15th.

Easton Bavents: feb 28th.

Southwold: Nov 7th.

Dunwich Beach: Nov 27th.

Minsmere Beach: Aug 28th; Sep 1st to 6th. there were no reports from the traditionally-favoured area of ipswich Docks, but the southeast recording area did weigh in with the following scattering of sightings:Felixstowe Ferry: Jan 5th.

Landguard: north, May 5th; south, Nov 16th.

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Wherstead Strand: Jan 5th; Jan 17th; Jan 19th.

Erwarton Ness/Stutton Ness area: Jan 17th; Dec 3rd; Dec 15th.

Cattawade: Nov 2nd.

GREAT BITTERN Botaurus stellaris Slowly increasing breeding population, scarce resident, passage migrant and winter visitor. Amber list (from Red). the annual uk-wide report on breeding Great Bitterns was again kindly shared with us by Simon Wotton, the Senior conservation Scientist in Species Monitoring and research at the rSPB centre for conservation Science. As far as Suffolk is concerned, it contains both good news and bad. the good news? there was an increase in the number of booming males in Suffolk’s coastal reedbeds and those in the fens compared with 2015. the bad news? it sadly did not follow that such an increase indicated a rise in nesting activity detected by the volunteers, conservation staff and landowners who monitored the relevant sites during the 2016 breeding season. the report states: “There was a slight increase in the number of booming males in 2016, although there were some regional differences since 2015. There were a minimum of 162 boomers recorded at 78 sites, compared to 157 at 72 sites in 2015. The number of boomers in Somerset increased by three, from 44 to 47 boomers, and it is still the predominant county for booming Bitterns. Booming was also reported from a number of new sites, including in East Anglia, SE England and in Wales. It was not possible to monitor all sites for nesting activity in 2016, which has now been the case since the last full census in 2011. From the sites monitored in 2016, there was confirmed or probable nesting at 35 sites, with a minimum of 64 active nests recorded.”

A table in the report shows that the number of booming males in the uk had risen every year since 2005, when there was a minimum of 46. it also showed that the number of occupied sites had risen every year since 2004, when there was a minimum of 31. the report continued: “The 47 booming males in Somerset were mostly on sites in the Avalon Marshes, although there were two boomers at another site elsewhere in the Somerset Levels.

Booming numbers in the Fens continue to increase, with booming males at a record 12 sites here, and there was also another increase in the traditional stronghold on the Suffolk Coast. However, fewer boomers were recorded in the Norfolk Broads and on the North Norfolk coast in 2016. The most encouraging news in 2016 was the presence of three booming males in Wales.” there were 36 booming males detected at Suffolk coastal sites, compared with a minimum of 19 in 2004. in the fens, an area which includes the north-western fringes of Suffolk, there was a minimum of 28 boomers in 2016 – in 2004 there was a maximum of just three.

As far as the uk is concerned, Mr Wotton’s report continues: “Although not all sites with booming males are now being monitored for nesting activity, 65 confirmed or probable nests were recorded, on 36 sites. There were at least 20 nests in Somerset, of which most were found in the Avalon Marshes, an increase from 2015, and an increase in nesting attempts again in North-East England. There was, however, confirmed nesting activity for the first time at a number of sites in 2016, in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, the Midlands and in Wales.” however, there was a further drop in nesting activity on the 36 sites that have been monitored annually for both booming and nesting activity, Mr Wotton reports. With great relevance to Suffolk, Mr Wotton stresses: “This can be attributed to a poor year for nesting attempts in East Anglia, particularly on the Suffolk coast, which was likely to have been linked to unseasonably high spring rainfall in the east of England in 2016. For instance, only five nests were recorded on the Suffolk coast in 2016, down from 15 in 2015 and there was another drop in the number of reported nesting attempts in the Fens. On a positive final note, the number of sites with nesting activity in 2016 is the highest recorded since nest monitoring began in 1994, despite not all sites now being monitored for nesting activity.”

As ever, we wish to place on record our gratitude to Mr Wotton for making the contents of the report available to Suffolk Birds.

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in our western recording area, the species was reported from only two sites – Lackford Lakes and Lakenheath fen. At the former, up to two were present from January 17th to february 14th and a single was present on September 27th. At the latter, birds were present from January 1st to at least December 11th and “grunting” – the strange guttural precursor to full-blown booming – was noted from february 19th. five booming males were present at this site and three nests were said to be successful, although their productivity was not known.

At the hen reedbeds, two booming males were present and one nest was found, but its outcome was not known. At Dingle Marshes, four “boomers” were located but no nests were found and a total of 12 booming males was present at Minsmere, but only two nests were located. finally, seeing a Great Bittern from one’s garden is something of a pipe dream for many observers. Not for John Davies – for him it became a reality when one flew north-east over his Aldeburgh garden and “along Fairfield Road” on June 23rd.

LITTLE BITTERN Ixobrychus minutus Very rare visitor. Probably bred in the past.

Echoing the old adage about London buses, Suffolk observers had to wait many years to catch up with this species in the county, and then two became available in quick succession. the singing male that held territory at Lakenheath fen from May 16th to June 26th 2015 predictably lured hundreds of admirers during its protracted stay. this year’s individual at trimley Marshes, also a singing male, was reported on just two successive days and attracted only a handful of observers. Perhaps most Suffolk birders were put off by a combination of two factors - the long walk required to reach the site and the fact that the species was already on their county lists by virtue of the Lakenheath individual.

Trimley Marshes: male, June 7th and 8th (c J Bridge et al.).

CATTLE EGRET Bulbulcus ibis Very rare visitor.

Along with several other exotic and traditionally more southerly members of the heron family, this species has been undertaking an expansion of its breeding range in recent years and has established a foothold in the uk with a handful of nesting pairs. the events of 2016 may tempt us to expect, or at least hope for, colonisation of Suffolk in the not-too-distant future. the county’s first record came as recently as 1988 and by the end of 2015, if that year’s two records related to just one individual, the Suffolk total was 13 birds. in 2016 a trio which wandered in the far north of Suffolk was the largest group to be recorded in the county since 1992 when three were at ousden on May 3rd. We also saw a long-staying individual which began its sojourn in the iken area early in the year and returned in the second winter period. could it be that these are tell-tale signs of impending breeding in the county?

All records are listed below, with obvious movement of some individuals between sites:Burgh Castle: three, Nov 13th to 15th, same as Gapton Marshes (P c Noakes).

Breydon Water: South Wall, Nov 17th, one of individuals below (P c Noakes).

Bradwell: Gapton Marshes, three, Nov 13th to 30th (P c Noakes).

North Cove: cove Dam, feb 29th to Apr 5th (r fairhead, J k trew).

Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, oct 30th (r harvey et al.).

Iken: Jan 2nd to Mar 7th (A Last, N Mason et al.); Nov 14th to Dec 31st (multi-observers).

Pipps Ford: May 19th (B Buffery, P A Whittaker).

Baylham: Dec 22nd to Jan 5th 2017 – two present Dec 26th to 28th (P Whittaker).

Stoke-by-Nayland: tendring hall Estate, June 2nd (r hutchings).

LITTLE EGRET Egretta garzetta Locally common and increasing resident and passage migrant. Green list (from Amber). reports of confirmed breeding were received from four sites, a slight reduction from the six 79

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sites referred to in Suffolk Birds 2015. however, at one colony in our north-east recording area where breeding has been noted in several recent years, a record 14 pairs were present. At another site, in the west, at least ten young fledged. it is highly likely that this species’ breeding population in Suffolk is considerably higher than our reports suggest. A number of observers have commented that access to some Grey heron colonies where Little Egret nesting is suspected is either difficult or impossible and such problems clearly must also affect our assessment of Grey heron numbers.

Monthly maximum counts, excluding breeding records, were as follows:– Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug North-east 14 11 9 19 8 30 45 60 South-east 14 19 26 51 106 66 68 80 West 12 16 11 9 11 7 17 52

Sep 29 58 16

Oct 20 19 8

Nov 46 17 8

Dec 9 17 29

As can be seen from the table above, the year’s highest concentration was 106 - a gathering on May 29th on orfordness. this site also produced the second-highest count of the year when 80 were counted on August 25th. the mid-summer and early autumn build-up noted at several sites presumably involved post-breeding dispersal from colonies outside the county. three waves of offshore movement were observed from Landguard Bird observatory. Between March 29th and May 23rd a total of three moved north and nine headed south. A total of 20 moved south in July between 3rd and 14th, with a noteworthy maximum of 16 on 3rd, and between November 4th and December 16th eight flew south. Also towards the year’s end there was a noteworthy winter roost of 29 at Needham Lake on December 17th.

GREAT (WHITE) EGRET Ardea alba Uncommon, but increasing, visitor.

Gone are the days when this impressive heron was scarce enough to induce a touch of the twitches among Suffolk’s more list-orientated birders. Such has been the surge of reports in recent years that it may surprise some younger observers to learn that the county’s first record occurred as recently as 1984. Nowadays the species is perhaps difficult to miss during the course of even a moderately-active Suffolk birding year and we are seeing a steady rise in reports of not just singletons but also of small gatherings. the six that frequented rSPB Lakenheath fen on March 18th is a record high for the county and four at Dunwich on December 9th – two on Dingle Marshes and two flying over – were also noteworthy.

As is now the well-established case, reports were received in every month of the year. Also as would be expected, the bulk of them came from the larger reedbeds and marshes in the northeast recording area and the heron hot-spot that is rSPB Lakenheath fen. however, this species is proving to be so dynamic that it is also being encountered in a wide range of other locations. from hopton-on-Sea in the north of the county, where one was seen on May 25th, to cattawade in the far south, where one was reported on September 29th, and across to Gifford’s hall (Stoke-byNayland) in the heart of the Stour Valley, where one was seen on September 26th, sightings were geographically widespread.

Notwithstanding this, our south-east recording area is usually somewhat overshadowed by our north-east and west areas. indeed, in 2015 there was only one record from the south-east area. that changed markedly in 2016, however, with a sprinkling of reports in addition to the cattawade individual referred to above, with singletons noted at six sites and up to two seen at hazlewood Marshes on october 29th and 30th. one which flew north at Landguard on December 3rd is the fifth record for the site.

GREY HERON Ardea cinerea Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.

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9. Glossy Ibis handsome visitor to Hollesley Marshes in February.

10. Red-necked Grebe coming into summer plumage at Alton Water in March.

John Richardson

Chris Mayne

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11. Slavonian Grebe at Covehithe in January.

Chris Mayne

12. Black-necked Grebes at Alton Water in January.

Ian Goodall

13. Common Buzzard increasingly part of the Suffolk landscape.

John Richardson

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14. Osprey giving close views at Lakenheath Fen in September.

15. Western (Purple) Swamphen ‘first’ for Britain at Minsmere. See article.

Ian Goodall

Bill Baston

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16. Kentish Plover a surprise find on the beach at Landguard in May.

17. Baird’s Sandpiper rare (and distant!) visitor at Minsmere in July.

John Richardson

Bill Baston

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of how this species fared during 2016. No references to nesting were made in any observer’s reports from our north-east and south-east recording areas. in the west, breeding was said to have taken place at a mere four sites, one of which was reported to have held 11 pairs. unsurprisingly, the largest gatherings reported came in the post-breeding period in July and August. the most eye-catching of these were from rSPB Lakenheath fen, where the 34 counted on both August 18th and 19th is the county’s highest total in 2016. other large gatherings at this site included 27 on August 15th and 30 on August 23rd. Elsewhere, the highest counts received were from rSPB Minsmere, where 11, 15 and 14 were counted on July 20th, 23rd and 24th respectively. observers appear to be far more willing to report this species’ movements than its breeding activities. “in-off” birds noted in the north-east recording area were a single at Gorleston, April 24th, three at corton cliffs, March 23rd, a juvenile at Ness Point, Lowestoft, July 9th, seven south at corton cliffs, october 15th and the same number heading south far offshore from Southwold, September 17th.

At Landguard a total of seven was noted between March 24th and April 18th. one on May 16th preceded a total of 20 between June 2nd and November 6th, with a maximum of three on both July 6th and october 4th.

PURPLE HERON Ardea purpurea Scarce passage migrant. there were three reports received with the felixstowe and Minsmere birds possibly relating to the same individual making its way along our coast.

Minsmere: adult, May 28th (J h Grant).

Bawdsey: photographed, Aug 14th (D carter, M carter).

Felixstowe Ferry: king’s fleet, age not reported, May 23rd (W J Brame et al.).

BLACK STORK Ciconia nigra Very rare visitor.

A wandering individual roamed the west of our county during a brief visit in which it was seen by a handful of fortunate observers on three dates over four days in July. it was also seen at Soham, cambridgeshire, on August 6th: Shimpling: chadacre Estate, July 28th and 29th, same as below (B Perkins et al.).

Lavenham: July 29th (r rush).

Cowlinge: July 31st (c McDonnell), same as above; seen in Soham, cambs, Aug 6th.

WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia Rare passage migrant. Also Category E. the spectre of suspicion hangs over any sighting of this species in the uk these days, with individuals occasionally wandering from collections, but the following reports may well refer to the “real Mccoy” – and the first two records may well refer to just one individual:Minsmere: flying west, Apr 8th (P W Murphy).

Butley: Apr 7th, photographed (h Mcclennon).

Fressingfield: Sept 12th, unknown origin (S rolf, S Williams). in addition, an adult strutted about in fields near Brandon on June 2nd but its credentials were perhaps marred by the presence of a green leg ring (see Appendices).

GLOSSY IBIS Plegadis falcinellus Rare but increasing visitor. the recent upsurge in records of this species was halted by a somewhat surprising blank year in 2015, but there were plenty of opportunities for observers to catch up with one in 2016. how many individuals were involved in the following sequence of records from our north-east and 81

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south-east recording areas is perhaps open to conjecture, but it is certain that it contains a degree of duplication:Minsmere: Jan 18th and 19th (r Drew); Aug 18th and 19th (multi-observers).

North Warren: May 17th (multi-observers).

Gedgrave Marshes: Jan 17th (i castle).

Boyton Marshes: Jan 14th (D fairhurst et al.).

Hollesley Marshes: Jan 20th to feb 15th (S howell et al.); May 19th to 21st (P kennerley, D Sheppard).

Ramsholt: Jan 10th to 12th (N Mason et al.).

Pipps Ford: July 9th to 12th (P A Whittaker, B Buffery).

Sapiston: June 28th to July 10th, with two 08:30hr on July 10th (r Walton).

Mickle Mere: two, May 31st to June 4th (S Bishop), single bird June 4th to 24th.

EURASIAN SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia Uncommon passage migrant. Now increasingly oversummers and overwinters. Amber list.

Monthly maxima at some of the species’ favoured haunts are as follows:Minsmere NorthWarren/ Hazlewood Orfordness/ Havergate/ Hollesley

Jan 3 4 4

Feb 4 6 5

Mar 5 3 6

Apr 3 3 6

May 4 1 7

Jun 6 0 11

Jul 0 1 19

Aug 0 25

17

Sep 18 27 27

Oct 14 7 9

Nov 0 0

2

Dec 0 0

0

the table shows a typical temporal spread of records. the long-established pattern continued with small numbers early in the year and peak numbers in July, August and September as “our” birds are augmented by post-breeding arrivals from the near-continent. there is widespread speculation over the possibility of this species breeding in Suffolk in the near future and such hopes have been strengthened by success stories from elsewhere in the uk. however, Suffolk’s wait goes on. the only hint of what may be to come was offered by the two that “played” with sticks and flew to the top of a dead bush on orfordness on April 2nd.

An eye-catching example of this species’ travels through Suffolk came on September 30th when a flock of 18 passed Minsmere Beach offshore at a range of about 800 metres – they were later seen heading east along the river Alde at Snape Marshes. Also off Minsmere, a flock of 14 flew south on october 1st. Both these flocks accounted for Minsmere’s monthly maxima featured in the table above. the species is only an infrequent visitor to our western recording area. however, the area’s wealth of wonderful wetlands attracted an impressive and quite probably unprecedented range of herons and allies during 2016, including Eurasian Spoonbill. one flew north over rSPB Lakenheath fen on April 20th and two flew over the same site on June 2nd. indeed, our western recorder colin Jakes was prompted to remark that the area’s observers had “excelled ourselves this year with the range of species seen.” he added that it had probably been the first time the area had recorded White Stork, Black Stork, Glossy ibis and Eurasian Spoonbill all in the same year.

LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis Locally common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Green list (from Amber).

Breeding numbers of this species have remained relatively stable in the last two years, with 23 reports of confirmed or probable breeding recorded from 18 sites. however it may still be the case that this is an under-estimate. outside of the breeding season the estuaries continue to support healthy populations as indicated in the table of results from the regular monitoring carried out through WeBS:82

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Systematic List Blyth Blyth Alde/Ore Alde/Ore DebenDeben OrwellOrwell Stour Stour

Jan 0 21 37 23 34

Jan 0 21 37 23 34

Feb Feb Mar Mar Sep Sep Oct Oct Nov Nov Dec Dec – 0 0 – 0 0 – – – – 0 0 21 21 36 36 – – 12 12 22 22 19 19 34 34 19 19 19 19 19 19 36 36 48 48 14 14 19 19 34 34 21 21 5 5 26 26 29 29 14 14

Elsewhere the highest counts were from thorington Street reservoir where 23 were recorded on September 26th, Alton Water with 22 birds on November 13th and 21 birds at flixton Gravel Pits on September 21st. At Landguard one was recorded on September 17th, this being only the sixth record for the reserve.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus Locally common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. records of breeding activity were received from 15 sites, a slight increase on the previous year.

Whilst no confirmation of breeding was received for Alton Water, which is one of the key breeding sites in the county, an indication of the numbers of birds present at this site was obtained from a count of 68 birds on April 10th, which rose to 83 on August 14th. outside of the breeding season Alton Water continued to support a high concentration of birds with 104 being recorded on february 21st, a figure only slightly exceeded at Minsmere where 110 birds were counted on December 16th. Both of these maxima were somewhat lower than in previous years perhaps due to the mildness of the winter.

RED-NECKED GREBE Podiceps grisegena Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber).

With just two or possibly three birds reported, this can only be described as a poor year. however, as the bird at Alton Water had been present throughout the late winter period in 2015 and remained until late March, perhaps even April 1st, there were many opportunities to observe this increasingly uncommon species.

Landguard: south, feb 12th; north, feb 13th (per LBo).

Stutton Ness: Nov 7th (E W Patrick); Nov 15th (M Peers).

Alton Water: Jan 1st to Mar 24th (multi observers).

Tattingstone: Apr 1st (M D Nowers).

SLAVONIAN GREBE Podiceps auritus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber).

As in previous years the Stour Estuary attracted the largest numbers of this species. the highest individual count was five at holbrook Bay on January 18th. one was also present on covehithe, Easton and Benacre Broads from January 1st to february 24th. Single birds, or possibly the same bird were recorded on Lantern Marshes, orfordness on february 7th, March 5th and April 3rd. one recorded on March 13th during the WeBS count for the Alde/ore Estuary was most likely the same bird recorded previously on orfordness. there were fewer reported in the second winter period with three in holbrook Bay on December 27th and three, presumably the same birds, on Alton Water on December 31st. one was present on Lake Lothing and oulton Broad from october 4th to october 11th. Elsewhere single birds were recorded at Wherstead Strand on January 9th, Dingle Marshes on January 24th, Minsmere from february 1st to february 2nd, Walberswick to Dunwich on february 9th, Landguard south on January 5th and March 21st and East Lane, Bawdsey on November 1st. the Landguard sightings are the ninth and tenth recorded for the site.

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BLACK-NECKED GREBE Podiceps nigricollis Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

2016 was a good year in which to see this species with up to three birds present at Alton Water for much of January through to March. in total an estimated ten or 11 birds were involved:Minsmere: Jan 24th (M kirkland).

Aldeburgh: Jan 19th (per Birdguides).

Bawdsey: close inshore, Nov 7th (M cornish).

Landguard: north, oct 5th (P oldfield).

Trimley Marshes SWT: Sept 24th to 27th and oct 2nd (E Lucking, S Piotrowski).

Alton Water: up to three, Jan 12th to Mar 20th (multi-observer); Dec 8th (B Buffery); two, Dec 18th (J Glazebrook).

Stutton Ness: Nov 15th (M Peers).

Livermere Lake: two, Apr 3rd to 5th (t Stopher).

Lackford Lake: Apr 25th (per Birdguides).

EUROPEAN HONEY-BUZZARD Pernis apivorus Scarce passage migrant. Amber list. there were five accepted records of this species in 2016, one of which involved a long-staying adult male initially seen over the car park at Minsmere on July 21st. the same bird lingered for several weeks in the Walberswick/ Minsmere area and was seen displaying at several locations much to the delight of many birders. Although a second bird was reported on a few dates, its identity was never confirmed. the male was last seen in early September.

Easton Bavents: Sep 13th (c fulcher).

Southwold: Sep 18th (c A Buttle).

Minsmere/ Dunwich/ Walberswick area: adult male, July 21st to Sep 3rd (M Buckingham, M Muttit et al.).

Thorpeness: south at 09:00hr, Sep 18th, same as above (S Mayson et al.).

Thetford: June 24th (N Moran).

Honey Buzzard Peter Beeson

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RED KITE Milvus milvus Uncommon but increasing winter visitor and passage migrant. Has bred in recent years. Green list. this species continues to be reported in increasing numbers across the county. in 2016 a total of 322 reports was received, a significant increase on the 265 in 2015 and 226 in 2014. the 2016 BBS data showed that the increases gained both nationally and in England in 2015 had been more or less cancelled out by decreases of 22% in the uk and 23% in England.

Although the vast majority of records involved migrants or wandering individuals, breeding was once again confirmed in the west of the county. it was a typically slow start to the year but by March there were good numbers of birds moving around the county, including two at both Lowestoft on March 24th and Minsmere from 23rd to 25th. in the west four, a pair plus two singles, were seen passing south over West Stow country Park on March 27th. the 53 reports in April included a group of seven probable migrants initially seen over the A12 at Blythburgh on 5th. the group was tracked at several locations before ultimately being seen over Minsmere. there were fewer reports in May, and spring passage did not really gather momentum until early June when a significant influx started at the end of the first week during a spell of high pressure. Significant counts of red kites were reported at several sites in the north-east of the county on June 8th, mainly moving north. these included groups of ten at Benacre and 11 at Belton, seven at Bradwell and nine at Minsmere. this movement continued until the third week with six seen drifting west at Mutford on June 19th. there were also a number of sightings in the south-east but all involved single birds apart from two at both Bredfield and Stowmarket.

By mid-July it became apparent that neither of the two pairs known to have bred in the west of the county had been successful. it seems likely that at least one brood perished because of cold, wet weather in June. Elsewhere, the two juvenile birds reported from Snape on two dates in August may be an indication that a pair did manage to breed successfully in the vicinity. Also in July the reports of up to four birds in the Westwood Lodge, Walberswick area towards the end of the month were no doubt helped by an increase in the number of observers trying to get a glimpse of the honey Buzzard.

Multiple sightings continued into August.

Single birds were reported at just seven locations in September, and two birds were seen at Lakenheath fen. the following month produced just three reports with singles at hen reedbeds, tendring hall (Stoke-by-Nayland) and Lakenheath fen. the only reports from November came from Bawdsey and Lakenheath fen and finally a single bird frequented the Southwold/ Walberswick area from December 2nd to 11th at least.

Year 2007 2008 2008 2009 2009 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 2015 2016 2016 Year 2007 No.ofofreports reports 217 232 232 308 308 226 226 265 265 322 322 No. 66 8282 8989 9898 217

WESTERN MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant. Increasing numbers overwinter. Amber List.

2017 was a rather poor year for this species; there were fewer nests reported and productivity was down on the previous two years. this was probably as a result of the exceptionally wet weather during June. the first winter count was slightly up on the previous year (95 in 2016 compared with 92 in 2015/ 104 in 2014), but despite the poor breeding season, counts during the second winter period were considerably higher.

Maximum first winter period counts from the main sites were as follows:Burgh Castle: four, Jan 29th.

Fritton/ Belton/Haddiscoe Marshes: ten, Jan 2nd.

Carlton Marshes: four, Jan 13th.

Cove Bottom: 15, Jan 10th.

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Potter’s Bridge: 12, Jan 31st.

Minsmere: nine, feb 4th.

Boyton Marshes: five, Jan 5th.

Orfordness: four, feb 20th.

Deben Estuary: seven, Jan 10th.

Lakenheath Fen: 25, Jan 18th. the only reports of potential spring migrants came from corton cliffs, where one flew close north inshore on April 17th and at Landguard Bird observatory where single birds were seen flying north on one date in March and two dates in April. confirmation of breeding came from 16 sites and a total of 58 nests was located, compared with the 42 in 2015 and 53 in 2014. the number of fledged young was 118, compared with 81 in 2015 and 104 in 2014. Productivity was similar to last year, 2.03 in 2016 compared with 1.92 in 2015. Lakenheath fen is now the premier site for this species in the county.

Selected breeding data:Carlton Marshes: a pair nested just outside the reserve and raised three young.

Benacre Broad: two pairs produced four young.

Easton Valley: nine nests fledged 17 young. hen Reedbeds: two nests fledged four young.

Westwood Marshes: six pairs produced 14 young.

Dingle Marshes: one pair produced two young.

Minsmere: nine nests with 18 young – two nests failed.

North Warren: two nests fledged six young.

Snape Wetlands (Abbey Farm): three nests fledged six young.

Orfordness: a pair nested but failed.

Boyton: a pair raised two young – a second nest failed.

Hollesley: a pair fledged two young.

Trimley Marshes: one nest produced three young.

Lakenheath Fen: 14 nests produced 26 young.

During the late summer/autumn single birds were seen flying in off the sea at corton cliffs on August 21st, thorpeness and Bawdsey on September 17th and Slaughden on october 21st. At Landguard Bird observatory single birds flew south on two dates in September and three dates in october.

Maximum second winter period counts included:Belton Marshes: 14 in flight in pre-roost flock, Dec 4th (50% down on 2015).

Burgh Castle: five, Dec 11th.

Carlton Marshes: seven, Dec 27th.

Cove Bottom: eight, Dec 14th.

Hen Reedbeds: five, Dec 28th.

Westwood Marshes: 13, Nov 27th.

Dingle Marshes: 16, Nov 11th.

Minsmere: 20, Dec 23rd.

Orfordness: maximum of six, Nov. Deben Estuary: eight, Dec 18th.

Lakenheath Fen: 25 on December 11th there was a total of 127 compared with 65 in 2015 and 74 in 2014. on orfordness two tagged birds from a scheme in Norfolk were observed towards the end of the year and at East Lane, Bawdsey a female with a blue wing tag circled over the lagoons on December 11th.

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HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List. it was another poor year for this species with a paucity of records from both coastal and inland sites. reports suggest a maximum of eight birds was present during the first winter period, one fewer than in 2015 and the lowest figure since 2009 (see table below). the coastal margin held up to seven birds in the early part of the year. the majority of the 26 sightings during January involved single ‘ringtails’. An immature male also seen at three sites was most likely to Hen Harriers Peter Beeson have been the same bird that was overwintering with a ‘ringtail’ on orfordness. the 14 sightings in february included two ringtails at Minsmere on 9th and a pair at carlton Marshes two days later. All of the 24 reports in March involved ‘ringtails’, apart from the male on orfordness. in the west of the county the sole report came from Lakenheath fen where a male was seen on the last day of January. reports of single ‘ringtails’ came from six coastal locations in April, and the four reports in May included a ‘ringtail’ flying north at Minsmere on 1st and one on orfordness the next day.

Elsewhere, a male was seen at hazlewood Marshes and Aldeburgh on May 18th. there was also an unseasonable report of a bird at frostenden on July 19th (G D Borderick). the first returning birds were logged in october at thorpeness on 5th followed by sightings at Dunwich Pools, 18th and at Landguard Bird observatory, 29th. in November single ‘ringtails’ were seen on several dates at Minsmere, at fritton Marshes on two dates and Boyton Marshes on three dates. in the west a ‘ringtail’ was seen going to roost at Puttockshill, Pakenham on two dates. there were 33 reports in December, including single ringtails on several dates in the Minsmere/Westleton heath/ Dunwich area and a male in the same area on 27th. further south single ‘ringtails’ were seen at Boyton Marshes, orfordness and on the Deben Estuary at king’s fleet. ‘ringtails’ were also seen at several locations in the west of the county, though only two birds were likely to have been involved. reports indicate that only six birds are likely to have been present across the county in the second winter period, the lowest figure since 2009.

Year Year 2008200820092009 20102010 2011201120122012 20132013 20142014 20152015 20162016 1st winter period 10 10 6 6 15 15 22 22 21 21 13 13 13 13 9 9 8 8 1st winter period 2nd winter period 2nd winter period 6 6 6 6 13 13 10 10 15 15 15 15 7 7 7 7 6 6

MONTAGU’S HARRIER Circus pygargus Uncommon passage migrant. Formerly bred. Amber List. there was just one accepted record of this species in 2016. A female was present at king’s fleet on the lower Deben Estuary for two days in June.

King’s Fleet: female, June 12th and 13th (P J holmes).

PALLID HARRIER Circus macrourus Very rare visitor.

A juvenile bird that put in an all-too-brief appearance at Lakenheath fen was considered to be 87

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the overwintering Norfolk bird on an unexpected foray into Suffolk before it returned to flitcham. it was Suffolk’s third record of this increasingly regular visitor to Britain.

Lakenheath Fen: juvenile, Jan 17th (N rolph per Suffolk recorder).

NORTHERN GOSHAWK Accipiter gentilis Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant, uncommon resident.

2016 was another successful year for this species in its stronghold in the Brecks. A total of 16 nests were located in thetford forest and 14 of these were successful. of these, six pairs were in Suffolk and another three pairs nested at non-forest sites in the Suffolk Brecks.

A total of 25 chicks fledged from the thetford forest sites, a production rate of 2.28 which is a slight improvement on the 2.20 in 2015. of the 21 chicks ringed under licence in the nest, nine were male and 12 were female. in addition to this, five chicks, one male and four females, were fitted with GPS tags and this has already provided some interesting insight into their post-fledging dispersal (see field Note).

A female tagged near Swaffham in Norfolk left that area on July 25th and was located at roydon common the following day, but sadly it was found dead on the Sandringham Estate 14 days later. the transmitter was returned to the Bto but the body was incinerated so it was not possible to establish the cause of death. A male tagged near Brandon dispersed as far as East Dereham, before returning to thetford forest around August 8th. there have been no transmissions from this bird or the other three tagged birds since August. other non-forest sightings included an immature male near Lackford on a handful of dates between January and April. An adult male was in the same area on March 3rd. Another was seen at thetford heath on April 16th.

FIELD NOTE the Goshawk is one of our most elusive and furtive birds of prey, whose movements are not amenable to normal visual observation. Little is known, locally, about this species’ use of habitats, daily movements or home range size. the Bto applied for a licence to track a small number of Goshawks in the Brecks using the ‘Movetech’ GPS tags which use the mobile phone network to periodically send GPS locations back to the observer. the tags have some limitations, requiring sunlight to charge the batteries and a mobile network signal to transmit the data, but they are expected to operate for around two years. Similar work has been undertaken in Scotland for some years and is on-going involving a larger sample of birds.

British Trust for Ornithology

EURASIAN SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. reports came from 116 parishes across the county, a slight drop on the 121 total of 2015. the BBS data showed a real reverse of fortunes; there was a 46% decrease nationally and a 47% decrease in England. Whereas in 2015 there was a 32% increase and a 34% increase respectively. At county level the species was seen in 5 of BBS squares, slightly down on the seven in 2015. confirmed breeding came from ten sites across the county.

Probable spring migrants were logged flying south on six dates between March 25th and April 18th at Landguard Bird observatory.

Autumn passage included one in off the sea at Ness Point, Lowestoft on November 7th, two in off the sea at Bawdsey cliffs, September 17th and one north at Landguard Bird observatory on october 19th. reported prey items included a kingfisher at hen reedbeds, a collared Dove at trimley and a Starling in ipswich. there was a road casualty at hollesley on August 14th.

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COMMON BUZZARD Buteo buteo Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant; increasing breeding population. this species continues to be widely reported from across Suffolk. the 12 breeding records submitted are clearly not an accurate reflection of this now firmly-established raptor. following last year’s modest increases of 3% across the uk and 11% in England, the 2016 BBS data actually showed drops of 7% nationally and 12% in England. the species was encountered on 15 of the BBS squares in Suffolk, one fewer than in 2015.

Notable coastal gatherings of birds in double figures during March included ten at Minsmere on 31st. inland in March 11 were seen at Pipps ford on 4th, 12 near cavenham, 6th and 15 at Berner’s heath, 20th.

Large counts featured well in April as passage birds continued to move through the county, often provoking a hostile reaction from resident birds. Movements likely to have involved migrants included ten at both of carlton colville, 13th and Benacre Sluice, 17th, and 15 over Berner’s heath, 19th. further counts in August perhaps indicative of passage movement, included 18 at Minsmere, 30th and 12 north over Bury St Edmunds on 23rd. Passage became more noticeable in September and double-figure counts came from Blythburgh, hollesley Marshes and orfordness.

Noteworthy behaviour included an adult unsuccessfully chasing a Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) near Lackford on March 3rd. Another appeared to steal prey from a red kite in the same location on April 5th.

Pale-morph birds have been reported from several sites; one spent four hours sitting on the Slough at Lackford on September 30th. finally one was seen on the ground ‘worming’ at kedington on November 29th.

ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD Buteo lagopus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. there were, unusually, no accepted records for this species in 2016.

OSPREY Pandion haliaetus Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list.

2016 was another good year for this species; the 103 reports submitted (including eight from Birdtrack) is slightly down on the 2015 record total of 113 but was still the second-ever highest total. the handful of spring records included three birds at Alton Water in early May which is noteworthy as multiple counts in spring are unusual. the earliest reports came from the Blyth Estuary and Lower holbrook on April 30th which is about a month later than usual. there was just one other May record plus two in June:Waveney Valley: June 28th.

Blyth Estuary: Apr 30th.

Minsmere: south west, June 14th.

Lower Holbrook: Apr 30th.

Alton Water: three, May 9th.

Lakenheath Fen: May 27th. returning birds started arriving in the county from mid-August, apart from one early bird at hazlewood Marshes on August 6th. reports came from ten coastal sites and four inland. Most had moved south by mid-September but there were several individuals that lingered, which seems to have become a regular occurrence these days. A maximum of four was present on the Blyth Estuary between late August and mid-September. A juvenile female that was ringed in Scotland (Glen Affric, highland, July 1st), frequented Wilford Bridge at Melton for five days in mid-August and another Scottish-ringed bird roosted overnight at Beck row, near Mildenhall on August 30th.

Nearby a long-staying individual was present at Lakenheath fen for most of September. the last report came from Nacton on october 11th.

Herringfleet Marshes: Aug 18th.

Corton: Aug 22nd.

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Lowestoft: Aug 21st.

Halesworth: low north, Aug 17th.

Hen Reedbeds: Sep 3rd; Sep 5th; two, Sep 8th; Sep 11th.

Southwold: Sep 2nd; Sep 9th; Sep 11th.

Blyth Estuary: Aug 23rd; Sep 1st: three, Sep 2nd to 5th; four, Sep 6th; three, Sep 7th; two, Sep 8th; Sep 9th; three, Sep 10th; four, Sep 11th; Sep 12th to 17th.

Walberswick: Sep 3rd; Sep 5th.

Dunwich Heath: Sep 23rd.

Leiston: Aug 30th.

Minsmere: Aug 30th to Sep 1st; Sep 4th; Sep 10th and 11th; Sep 17th.

Aldeburgh: Aug 22nd; Aug 27th and 28th.

Hazlewood Marshes: high south, Aug 6th; Sep 25th; oct 1st.

Orfordness: south, Aug 29th; Sep 4th; Sep 10th.

Havergate Island: Sep 25th.

Bawdsey: Aug 27th; Sep 17th.

Melton: juvenile female, Aug 14th to 18th.

Landguard Bird Observatory: south, Sep 9th.

Ipswich: Sep 1st.

Nacton: oct 11th.

Brantham: Sep 14th.

Stowmarket: Sep 8th.

Cavenham Pits: Aug 27th.

Lackford Lakes: Aug 21st; Aug 23rd; Sep 3rd; Sep 15th.

Culford Park: Sep 12th.

Mickle Mere: Sep 19th.

Beck Row: Aug 30th (Scottish-ringed bird roosted overnight).

Lakenheath Fen: Aug 14th; Sep 3rd to 27th.

WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant this species continues to be well-recorded throughout the county with some 394 reports received, more than double the total for 2015. however, these birds were recorded from only 54 sites, a reduction of almost 25% on the previous year and more in line with the recording patterns of the three years prior to 2015.

Birds on territory were reported from 22 sites, the same as in 2015. Systematic counts were done at all the main coastal sites and, despite the absence of data from the large reedbeds at Lakenheath fen, an impressive total of 309 was reached, up from 266 in 2015. Suffolk appears to hold the highest breeding population of this species in the uk. the highest winter count was at Lackford where ten birds were recorded on January 17th.

SPOTTED CRAKE Porzana porzana Rare passage migrant; rarely oversummers. Amber List. two reports were received for the year involving a single bird at reydon and an immature bird ringed in chantry reedbed on orfordness in october. this was only the second record for orfordness, the first occurring back in March 1996.

Reydon Smear: singing bird, Apr 23rd to May 2nd (D Eaton).

Orfordness: ringed, oct 4th (G Stannard, D crawshaw).

COMMON MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. this very common species remains widespread throughout the county. reports of breeding or 90

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probable breeding were received from 31 sites, a slight increase on the previous year. the highest count of 70 birds occurred at centre Parcs, Elveden on february 11th. one bird was recorded on orfordness this year providing hope that this species may still be hanging on at this isolated coastal site. this bird was picked up on a camera trap in chantry reedbed on May 5th. the results of winter counts at regularly monitored sites are shown below:Counts from regularly monitored Counts from regularly monitored sites sites Jan Feb Jan Feb Blyth 00 –– Blyth Minsmere Minsmere 11 33 Alde/Ore Estuary Estuary Alde/Ore 99 44 Deben Estuary 16 Deben Estuary 16 77 Orwell Estuary 8 Orwell Estuary 8 22 Stour Estuary 13 14 Stour Estuary

13

14

Mar Mar 00 22 99 33 1717 1818

Apr Apr –– 1313 –– 11 1616 66

Sep Sep –– 1313 –– 77 4545

Oct Oct –– 1414 22 55 1818

Nov Nov 00 55 1010 1616 66

Dec Dec 00 22 66 11 1313

WESTERN SWAMPHEN Porphyrio porphyrio Accidental.

A write-up on the Western Swamphen at Minsmere can be found in the article section of this report. Suffice to say that it is the first record for the uk as well as Suffolk. the bird moved on to Lincolnshire.

Minsmere: adult, July 31st to Aug 5th (f clark et al.).

COMMON COOT Fulica atra Common but declining resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. records for this widespread species were received from 47 sites throughout the county.

Breeding or probable breeding was noted at 25 sites, a slight increase on the previous year. the highest second winter count was reported from Alton Water where 705 birds were recorded on December 18th. Away from the estuaries there were other high counts at flixton Gravel Pits (260 on Dec 11th) and redgrave Lake (200 on September 8th). the total absence of birds at orfordness, where they last bred in 2010, continues to be noted.

Countsfrom from regularly-monitored Counts regularly-monitored sites sites Jan Feb Jan Feb Blyth 00 –– Blyth Minsmere 00 11 Minsmere Alde/Ore Estuary Estuary 100 Alde/Ore 5555 100 DebenEstuary Estuary Deben 33 55 Orwell Estuary 106 Orwell Estuary 106 2121 Stour Estuary 6 Stour Estuary 6 99

Mar Mar 00 77 7070 00 2626 99

Apr Apr –– 1717 –– 66 2020 1010

Sep Sep –– 00 –– 00 313 313

Oct Oct –– 22 00 00 223 223

Nov Nov 00 00 22 22 120 120

Dec Dec 00 11 00 00 174 174

COMMON CRANE Grus grus Scarce passage migrant. Has bred since 2007. Amber List. two pairs were present at Lakenheath rSPB reserve from Jan 6th with additional birds joining them at various times. the highest count recorded was of 11 individuals of mixed ages on february 4th and again on July 9th. Breeding was again successful with two pairs producing three fledged young. reports were also received from 16 sites away from the recognised breeding area and these appear to relate to between 16 and 26 individuals. All these records are included below:Burgh Castle, Apr 8th.

Belton: Apr 24th.

Herringfleet Mill: three high from south, Apr 12th.

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Blundeston Marshes: two, Apr 24th.

Corton: two, Apr 24th.

Carlton Marshes SWT: five, Apr 23rd; two, Apr 24th; two, May 5th.

Covehithe: four south, Apr 28th.

Reydon: two, Apr 24th.

Southwold: two Apr 24th.

Minsmere: Apr 8th; Apr 16th; three, Apr 23rd; June 24th.

Middleton: three, Apr 23rd.

Aldeburgh Marshes: Apr 8th.

Nayland: one flew east, Apr 24th.

Hopton (west Suffolk): two present for 90 minutes bugling, Apr 10th.

Mickle Mere: four over, oct 24th.

Cavenham Heath: two, Mar 14th.

EURASIAN STONE-CURLEW Burhinus oedicnemus Locally fairly common summer visitor. Occasionally overwinters. Amber List. the first returning birds were recorded at cavenham heath with two on March 6th and Minsmere, two on March 23rd. confirmed breeding in Suffolk involved 97 pairs in Breckland and 16 pairs on the coast. of the 128 pairs in the Suffolk/Norfolk Brecks only 56 pairs had fledged young (A poor success rate of 0.44 per pair). the latest count at cavenham heath was of seven on September 26th while Westleton heath held three on November 21st.

BLACK-WINGED STILT Himantopus himantopus Rare visitor. this is a species which we are likely to see more and more frequently.

Minsmere: adult female, May 20th, remained all day (E W Patrick et al.).

EURASIAN OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Common resident. Amber list. the highest site-counts, again, came from the orwell Estuary, with 770 birds noted on the December 18th WeBS count at hare’s creek, Shotley. the highest inland count came from Livermere Lake, with 22 birds on March 21st. the maximum movement off Landguard involved 83 south on August 11th.

Breeding was recorded at Benacre, hen reed Beds, Dunwich Dingle Marshes, Minsmere Scrape, orfordness, hollesley, Ellough, honington, Livermere Lake, Bowbeck (Bardwell), Lackford, Sapiston, Barton Mere and Lakenheath Airfield. Breeding success was the best for many years on orfordness with 17 or 18 pairs and nine young fledged.

WeBS data:– WeBS data:–

Blyth BlythEstuary Estuary AldeEstuary Estuary Alde DebenEstuary Estuary Deben Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan Jan 11 2424 7070 927 927 1051 1051

Feb Feb –– 7777 107 107 775 775 376 376

Mar Mar 203 203 101 101 148 148 324 324 493 493

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Apr Apr –– –– 198 198 301 301 329 329

Sep Sep –– –– 7373 1125 1125

Oct Oct –– 2020 213 213 1163 1163

Nov Nov 2020 3535 4141 1166 1166

Dec Dec 220 220 6666 3737 819 819

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PIED AVOCET Recurvirostra avosetta Fairly common resident, summer visitor and passage migrant on the coast. Amber list.

Breeding records included the following:Benacre/Covehithe: three pairs at the two broads failed to produce young.

Walberswick: a total of 14 pairs at two locations failed to produce young.

Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, eight breeding pairs only one fledged young.

Minsmere 101 breeding pairs, no young fledged due to predation by Black-headed Gulls.

Hazlewood Marshes: two pairs, two young fledged.

Orfordness: 39 breeding pairs, 11 young fledged.

Havergate Island: three pairs, three young fledged.

Boyton Marshes: 23 pairs, 21 young fledged.

Hollesley Marshes: 38 pairs, 14 young fledged.

Shingle Street: one pair, two young, neither fledged – killed by dog.

Trimley Marshes: ten pairs, no young fledged.

WeBS WeBSdata:– data:–

Blyth BlythEstuary Estuary AldeEstuary Estuary Alde DebenEstuary Estuary Deben Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan Jan 3838 650 650 2424 152 152 121 121

Feb Feb –– 562 562 6060 137 137 240 240

Avocet Peter Beeson

Mar Mar 813 813 277 277 33 5353 8080

Apr Apr –– –– 1414 88 4444

Sep Sep –– –– 33 2929 ––

Oct Oct –– 902 902 213 213 147 147

Nov Nov 124 124 1157 1157 312 312 178 178

Dec Dec 447 447 349 349 435 435 182 182

counts of 250 or more, other than WeBS, were as follows:Burgh Castle Flats: 250, Mar 27th.

Blyth Estuary: 300, feb 22nd; 400, Dec 26th.

Minsmere: Scrape, 263, July 22nd.

Hazlewood Marshes: 350, Nov 18th.

Butley River: 308, Nov. 13th. inland, Avocet sightings involved two at each of Lakenheath fen/Washes on April 10th, Mickle Mere, May 28th and Lackford Lakes, April 8th and a single bird at cavenham heath on March 9th.

Avocets were noted offshore from Landguard on ten dates between March 24th and November 12th with a peak count of eight on the latter date.

GREY PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

Present in every month of the year, but only on coastal scrapes and estuarine sites, and particularly on the Deben and Stour Estuaries. counts of at least 50 from individual sites were:Orfordness: 60, Jan 1st; 58, feb 7th.

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WeBS WeBS data:– data:–

Blyth Blyth Estuary Estuary Estuary AldeEstuary Alde Deben Estuary Estuary Deben Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Jan Feb Jan Feb 44 –– 27 58 27 58 538 529 538 529 349 380 349 380 470 1017 1017 470

Mar Mar 77 14 14 233 233 294 294 102 102

Apr Apr –– –– 88 88 156 156

Sep Sep –– –– 210 210 156 156

Mar Mar 55 260 260 256 256 352 352 00

Apr Apr –– –– 00 00 00

Sep Sep –– 00 127 127 251 251

Oct Oct –– 14 14 358 358 121 121

Nov Nov 49 49 92 92 338 338 146 146

Dec Dec 22 45 45 283 283 181 181

EUROPEAN GOLDEN PLOVER Pluvialis apricaria Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Green list. counts of 300 or more were widespread with the largest flocks as follows:Breydon South Wall: 3500, Jan 1st.

Pakefield: Queach farm, 1000, Nov 26th; 800, Nov 27th; 1100, Dec 27th.

Gedgrave: 700, oct 27th.

Orfordness: 798, feb 23rd; 900, Dec 18th.

Waldringfield: 2000, Dec 19th.

Barnham: 1600, feb 7th.

BTO Nunnery Reserve: 1600, feb 7th.

Movements early in the year at Landguard involved birds heading to hamford Water in Essex to roost; the maximum count was 1897 on January 1st. the species continues to arrive in large flocks on the Deben Estuary, both at ramsholt and between felixstowe ferry and kirton as can be seen in the WeBS Data:Blyth Estuary Estuary Blyth Alde Estuary Estuary Alde Deben Estuary Estuary Deben Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan Jan 33 494 494 1135 1135 338 338 77

Feb Feb 00 898 898 356 356 425 425 00

Oct Oct –– 00 59 59 109 109

Nov Nov 11 729 729 1246 1246 230 230

Dec Dec 99 908 908 2764 2764 841 841

COMMON RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula Declining resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

Sightings of birds considered to be of race tundrae were:Benacre: two, Sep 9th Southwold: town Marshes, 28, May 6th and 7th.

Walberswick: 24, May 6th.

Orfordness: 47, May 1st; 72, May 7th; 151, May 8th; 81, May 14th; then slowly decreased to 41 by end of month.

Mickle Mere: seven, May 9th; 11, May 10th.

Livermere Lake: three, May 5th; May 15th.

Breeding was again confirmed at eight sites:Kessingland: four pairs, breeding confirmed.

Benacre: three pairs.

Covehithe: two pairs Easton Broad: two pairs.

Walberswick Beach: four pairs.

Minsmere Beach: three pairs.

Orfordness: eight pairs with a least 14 chicks fledged (the best for many years).

Landguard: four pairs with eight chicks fledged.

During the autumn/second winter period flocks of 50 or more were recorded at:Havergate Island: 50, Aug 29th.

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Shingle Street: 90, Aug 24th.

Melton: 70, Sep 29th.

WeBS WeBS data:data:-

Estuary Blyth Estuary Blyth Alde Estuary Alde Estuary Deben Estuary Estuary Deben Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan Jan –– 20 20 24 24 16 16 50 50

Feb Feb –– 66 99 78 78 28 28

Mar Mar 33 37 37 19 19 22 22 61 61

Apr Apr –– –– 55 33 11

Sep Sep –– –– 95 95 190 190

Oct Oct –– 22 56 56 119 119

Nov Nov 20 20 77 81 81 16 16

Dec Dec 22 27 27 83 83 114 114

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER Charadrius dubius Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. the first arrival was on March 28th at Minsmere.

Breeding was confirmed at two locations in Suffolk this year. three pairs nested at Pipps ford, but only one bird fledged successfully, and a single pair nested at a coastal site. the presence of a fledged juvenile in a flooded field at Bowbeck, Bardwell, was perhaps evidence that a pair had nested nearby. Birds were present at two further sites throughout May, but there was no confirmation of birds nesting at either. highest counts:Minsmere: eight, July 26th; seven, July 27th; nine, July 29th; nine, Aug. 22nd.

Trimley Marshes: seven, Aug 21st. the species was noted at Landguard on four dates between April 14th and July 24th. the last individual of the year was on orfordness on September 2nd.

2015 update: the 2015 report mentioned that a pair nested at Minsmere, but had failed due to predation. the birds then relocated to the beach, where they successfully hatched at least one young, but this was only seen for a single day. this was the first time Little ringed Plovers had nested on the reserve since 2005.

NORTHERN LAPWING Vanellus vanellus Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Declining as a breeding species. Red list. counts of 1000 or more in the first winter period were:Burgh Castle: 1000, feb 1st; 1300, Dec 17th.

Oulton Marshes: 1000, feb 1st.

Minsmere: 1000, Jan 28th; 1025, feb 22nd; 1910, Dec 19th.

Waldringfield: 1000, Dec 19th.

Lakenheath Fen: 1000, Dec 10th.

Lakenheath: Stallode Wash, 1000, Dec 10th.

Breeding was confirmed at hen reed Beds with two pairs, Dunwich Dingle Marshes, four pairs, Minsmere, 53 pairs, North Warren, 17 pairs, orfordness, 12 pairs with ten fledged, Boyton Marshes with nine pairs and hollesley Marshes with 24 pairs. Birds also bred at Mickle Mere, Livermere Lake, risby, thurston, Bowbeck (Bardwell), Bto Nunnery reserve, Lakenheath fen, Grove farm in higham, Giffords hall (Stoke-by Nayland) and Nayland with Wissington.

WeBS WeBS data:– data:–

Blyth Estuary Estuary Blyth Alde Estuary Alde Estuary Deben Estuary Estuary Deben Orwell Estuary Orwell Estuary Stour Estuary

Stour Estuary

Jan Jan 63 63 1680 1680 3504 3504 1247 1247 1932 1932

Feb Feb 00 3067 3067 1716 1716 1161 1161 2480 2480

Mar Mar 00 828 828 474 474 192 192 619 619

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Apr Apr –– –– 66 31 31 108 108

Sep Sep –– –– 141 141 319 319

Oct Oct –– 375 375 445 445 400 400

Nov Nov 431 431 1309 1309 1246 1246 519 519

Dec Dec 972 972 3948 3948 2815 2815 1823 1823

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KENTISH PLOVER Charadrius alexandrinus Rare passage migrant.

Landguard: male, June 2nd (P J holmes et al.) this immaculate bird stayed on the beach for a couple of hours before flying south. the fifth site record and the first in the county since 2009.

RED KNOT Calidris canutus Locally common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. counts of 50 or more:Minsmere Scrape: 52, May 11th.

Orfordness: 60, Dec 24th.

Landguard: 122 south during course of November.

Levington Marina: 1000, feb 9th.

Cattawade: 2000, Nov 21st.

WeBS WeBS data:– data:–

Blyth Estuary Estuary Blyth Alde Estuary Estuary Alde Deben Estuary Estuary Deben Orwell Est. Orwell Est. Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan Jan 00 00 30 30 88 3851 3851

Feb Feb 00 20 20 00 250 250 3151 3151

Mar Mar 150 150 99 193 193 56 56 1548 1548

Apr Apr –– –– 00 00 20 20

Sep Sep –– –– 55 27 27 ––

Oct Oct –– –– 23 23 15 15

Nov Nov 00 00 42 42 40 40

Dec Dec 125 125 125 125 22 22 1420 1420

SANDERLING Calidris alba Locally common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list (from Green). counts of over 20 or more:Minsmere: Scrape, 22, May 27th; 26, May 28th. there was a good inland sighting at Mickle Mere on May 9th, a slightly more typical date than the previous inland record on November 28th 2014 at the Livermere pig fields.

LITTLE STINT Calidris minuta Fairly common passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters.

During the first winter period there was a bird at Minsmere on february 29th.

Spring passage, mostly of singletons, was recorded at:Southwold: town Marshes, two, May 5th to 7th.

Orfordness: May 7th; different to previous May 8th; two, May 15th; May 21st and 22nd; May 28th; June 4th and 5th.

Livermere Lake: May 10th.

Autumn sightings were as follows:Southwold: seven, Aug 13th and 14th.

Minsmere: two, July 17th to 20th; three, July 21st; four Aug 21st to 26th; two, Aug 27th; eight to ten Aug 29th to 31st; five to seven, Sep 1st to 7th; two regularly Sep 19th to oct 31st.

Hazlewood Marshes: July 28th.

Havergate Island: two, Aug 28th; two, Sep 1st.

Hollesley Marshes: three, Sep 1st to 3rd.

Landguard: south, Aug 9th.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: Aug 18th; Aug 29th.

TEMMINCK’S STINT Calidris temminckii Scarce passage migrant.

A return to a more typical pattern of occurrence with all records being in the spring.

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Carlton Marshes : May 29th ( r Wilton).

Southwold: town Marshes, three, May 5th and 6th (B J Small); four, May 7th (M J Deans).

Orfordness: May 21st, (D crawshaw, M Marsh, G Stannard).

BAIRD’S SANDPIPER Calidris bairdii Very rare visitor. this bird, found on the east scrape at Minsmere, is the ninth record for Suffolk and the first since 2006 when two different juveniles were seen on orfordness.

Minsmere: adult, July 24th and 25th (J h Grant, P J Phillips et al.).

PECTORAL SANDPIPER Calidris melanotos Scarce passage migrant.

As with the species above, all three Pectoral Sandpipers in 2016 were recorded at Minsmere.

Minsmere: Sep 17th (J A rowlands); Sep 24th; Sep 28th to oct 6th (J h Grant).

CURLEW SANDPIPER Calidris ferruginea Uncommon passage migrant. Has overwintered. Amber list (from Green).

Spring sightings were recorded at:Walberswick: tinker’s Marshes, May 18th and 19th; June 9th.

Minsmere: May 18th.

Orfordness: May 2nd. it was an excellent autumn for curlew Sandpipers. the records were as follows:Breydon South Flats: two, Aug 21st; eight, Aug 29th.

Corton Cliffs: Aug 21st.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, three, Aug 20th.

Blyth Estuary: two, July 24th; two, July 27th; two, Sep 4th; eight, Sep 10th; three, Sep 11th; three, Sep 26th.

Walberswick: tinker’s Marshes, two, July 18th and 19th; four, July 21st; three, July 23rd; four, Sep 11th.

Minsmere: July 15th; rising to nine by Aug 18th; 23, Aug 9th, numbers in the 20s, Aug 20th to 23rd, with max 26, Aug 23rd; 14 to 17, Aug 24th to 27th; numbers in single figures, Aug 28th to Sep 3rd; two oct 4th.

Hazlewood Marshes: two, July 24th to 27th; two, Sep 4th; eight, Sep 10th; three, Sep 11th; three, Sep 26th.

Orfordness: July 21st to 23rd; two, July 24th to 30th; Aug 5th; Aug 8th; 39, Aug 20th; 49, Aug 21st; Aug 27th; two to four, Sep 3rd to 10th.

Havergate Island: July 10th; 15, Aug 25th; 18, Aug 28th and 29th; 33, Sep 30th.

Hollesley Marshes: seven, Sep 10th and 11th; four, Sep 12th and 14th; two, Sep 4th to 15th.

Landguard: two south, Sep 13th, south, Sep 18th.

Trimley Marshes: Sep 5th,; two, Sep 19th; seven, Sep 24th; six, Sep 25th; nine, Sep 27th; five, oct 2nd.

Mickle Mere: four, Sep 8th; four, Sep 10th.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: Aug 23rd and 24th; Sep 11th. the 49 on orfordness on August 21st is the highest total in Suffolk since 2008 when 49 were present, also on orfordness, on August 17th.

PURPLE SANDPIPER Calidris maritima Fairly common winter visitor. Scarce passage migrant. Amber list. the most regular site for this species remains Ness Point, Lowestoft. Purple Sandpipers were recorded there, in the first part of the year, from January 1st until May 3rd with the highest count being 16 on february 20th.

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the first returning birds were seen on September 5th, with birds present until the year’s end, and a maximum of ten on November 18th. other records in the first part of the year:Gorleston: Mar 20th.

Lowestoft: North Beach, five, Mar 26th; four, Mar 27th. South Beach, two, feb 26th.

Shingle Street: Apr 28th.

Landguard: south, Jan 5th. records, other than from Ness Point in the autumn and winter year came from:Gorleston: two, oct 2nd; oct 19th.

Lowestoft: North Beach, Aug 31st; oct 10th; oct 26th; five, oct 29th; three, oct 30th; three, Nov 1st; Nov 2nd; two, Nov 3rd; five, Dec 25th. South Beach, two, Nov 8th; Dec 3rd.

Southwold: oct 21st; two, Nov 2nd to 23rd; Dec 4th; Dec 23rd.

Minsmere: oct 30th and 31st; Nov 3rd; Nov 5th; Nov 7th.

Slaughden: Nov 3rd; Dec 24th.

Bawdsey: East Lane, Nov 13th; Nov 16th; two, Dec 22nd to 31st.

Landguard: singles on 18 dates oct 12th to Dec 30th with two on oct 30th and Nov 8th.

DUNLIN Calidris alpina Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber List. in the first winter period counts of over 300, apart from WeBS which are shown below, came from the following locations:Burgh Castle Flats: 518, Jan 2nd; 500, Jan 3rd; 360, Jan 30th.

Breydon South Wall: 1500, Jan 1st.

Blythburgh: 600, feb 4th; 680, feb 5th.

Hen Reedbeds: 420, feb 11th.

Orfordness: 1000, Jan 23rd; 1000, feb 7th.

Butley River: 482, feb 21st.

Hemley: 700, Jan 30th.

Cattawade: 2000, Jan 6th.

During the second winter period counts of more than 300 were from:Blyth Estuary: 400, Nov 14th; 700, Dec 28th.

Hazlewood Marshes: 350, Nov 18th.

Havergate Island: 2700, Dec 15th; 410, Nov 30th.

Butley River: 337, Dec 6th.

Orfordness: monthly maxima, 598, Nov; 950, Dec. inland counts came from the following: Giffords hall in Stoke-by-Nayland, Mickle Mere (three, May 2nd), Livermere Lake, Lackford Lakes and Lakenheath fen.

WeBS WeBS data:– data:–

Blyth Estuary Estuary Blyth Alde Estuary Alde Estuary Deben Estuary Deben Estuary Orwell Orwell Est. Est. Stour Estuary Stour Estuary

Jan Jan 1670 1670 3008 3008 3594 3594 2485 2485 2754 2754

Feb Feb –– 1689 1689 706 706 4436 4436 2551 2551

Mar Mar 1060 1060 944 944 2585 2585 1180 1180 1793 1793

Apr Apr –– –– 152 152 –– 496 496

Sep Sep –– –– 220 220 45 45

Oct Oct –– 369 369 531 531 416 416

Nov Nov 1079 1079 1291 1291 4411 4411 2443 2443

Dec Dec 2187 2187 1294 1294 4226 4226 5357 5357

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER Calidris subruficollis Rare visitor. this is the eleventh record for Suffolk the last being the 2008 bird at orfordness. it only stayed for a few minutes but long enough for a quick photo to be taken.

Landguard: Sep 12th (W J Brame, t holland, r Spiers).

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RUFF Calidris pugnax Fairly common passage migrant. Small numbers overwinter. Red List. reports were received from six inland sites; Mickle Mere, tuddenham St Mary, Livermere Lake, Giffords hall in Stoke-by-Nayland, Lakenheath fen/Washes and hold farm in Bures. Mickle Mere had the most records with the highest total of ten on September 6th. counts of ten or more in the first winter period and spring were as follows:Carlton Marshes: 12, May 6th.

Walberswick: north, 20, May 5th.

Boyton Marshes: 15, feb 13th; 11, feb 21st; 12, feb 23rd; 14, Mar 14th; 13, Mar 18th.

Sightings of ten or more in the autumn:Breydon: South Wall, ten, Nov 14th.

Minsmere: ten, July 24th; 14, July 28th; 12, Aug 17th rising to 22 by Aug 30th; still 22, Sep 9th with a peak of 25 on Sep 3rd.

Snape Wetlands: 16, Sep 7th; ten, Sep 12th.

Trimley Marshes: 11, Dec 18th.

Mickle Mere: ten, Sep 6th.

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT Limosa limosa L.l.islandica: Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

L.l.limosa: Scarce visitor. Formerly bred. Red list. for the second year in succession, there were no reports of adults or juveniles of the nominate limosa subspecies.

Data from the monthly WeBS counts on the principal estuarine sites are set out in the table below.

Numbers in the first and second winter periods were normal with in excess of 3000+ in January birds in the county, but with no evidence of any substantial mid-winter influx.

Spring passage peaked in late April, with numbers tailing off into May. inland records came from Mickle Mere with two birds from April 20th to 24th and three at Lakenheath on April 28th, but there were no high inland counts. the regular flock of oversummering immatures and non-breeders at Minsmere peaked at 200 in late June. return passage was first evident from the west of the county with a flock of 12 at Bowbeck (Bardwell) on June 25th. Numbers built up through the autumn with 1700 at hazlewood Marshes on July 28th and peaked in october with at least 3000 in the county, when counts from the estuaries and other sites are combined.

Blyth Blyth Alde/Ore Alde/Ore Deben Deben Orwell Orwell Stour Stour Totals Totals

Jan Jan 22 22 773 773 208 208 117 117 2090 2090 3210 3210

Feb Feb –– 229 229 255 255 198 198 618 618 1300 1300

Mar Mar 192 192 306 306 62 62 214 214 908 908 1682 1682

Apr Apr –– –– 346 346 60 60 1532 1532 1938 1938

Aug Aug –– –– –– 545 545 –– n/a n/a

Sep Sep –– –– 532 532 772 772 n/a n/a

Oct Oct –– 820 820 596 596 290 290

Nov Nov 20 20 1110 1110 295 295 395 395

Dec Dec 37 37 429 429 209 209 302 302

BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica Fairly common passage migrant and locally common winter visitor. Amber list.

Data from the monthly WeBS counts on the principal estuarine sites are set out in the table below.

85 were reported on the Deben on January 30th, but otherwise (apart from the 310 on the WeBS count on the orwell in october) there were no three-figure counts of wintering birds away from the Stour. the flock on the Stour peaked at 400 in March.

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Spring passage numbers included 56 at orfordness on April 26th and 18 at Minsmere on May 11th, but numbers were generally low. in autumn, a total of 26 past thorpeness on August 18th was the highest count from coastal watch points. the only inland report received was of one at Livermere Lake on April 16th.

Blyth Blyth Alde/Ore Alde/Ore Deben Deben Orwell Orwell Stour Stour

Jan Jan 10 10 00 22 35 35 286 286

Feb Feb –– 00 00 22 22 380 380

Mar Mar 11 11 17 17 16 16 400 400

Apr Apr –– –– 00 11 22

Aug Aug –– –– –– 00

Sep Sep –– –– 11 10 10

Oct Oct –– 00 11 310 310

Nov Nov 00 13 13 77 77

Dec Dec 00 11 36 36 66

WHIMBREL Numenius phaeopus Fairly common passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters. Red list.

Migrants were reported from the end of March, with a bird at thorpeness on March 25th being the first. Passage peaked in the third week of April and continued into early June. records came from over 40 sites, mostly coastal but with a few records from the north-west of the county, including four at Lackford Lakes on April 19th. records involving more than ten birds were as follows:Burgh Castle: 15, Apr 24th.

Carlton Marshes: 18, Apr 27th.

Beccles Marshes: 45, Apr 21st; 40, May 3rd.

North Cove: 11, Apr 27th.

Minsmere: 15, Apr 26th.

Hazlewood Marshes: 15, May 4th; 30, May 6th to 11th; 15, May 13th.

Orfordness: peak of 40, Apr 24th.

Landguard: 12, Apr 19th.

Shingle Street: ten, Apr 19th.

A bird at hen reedbeds on June 12th may have been a migrant or an oversummering bird. the first bird of return passage was noted at corton on June 24th and there were reports from over 30 coastal and two inland sites (Lackford Lakes and Lakenheath fen), with the largest groups being 16 at havergate on July 21st and 16 off Lowestoft on July 16th. Passage tailed off in September, but there were a few records into october including five at havergate on 17th. one of the last birds of the year involved an interesting sighting on November 9th when a Whimbrel flew west along the valley at Lackford (c Gregory). the final bird was recorded on the WeBS count on the Deben Estuary on November 13th, having been on the river for several months.

EURASIAN CURLEW Numenius arquata Common winter visitor and passage migrant. A few pairs breed. Red list (from Amber).

Data from the monthly WeBS counts on the principal estuarine sites are set out in the table below. the WeBS figures suggest that numbers peaked in the county at approximately 3000 in the first winter period, when counts from the estuaries and other sites are combined. Numbers reduced as birds began to migrate away from the estuaries in March. consistent with this, there were records in early March from inland sites including cavenham, Lakenheath and Lackford. Passage continued into April, with the highest count past Landguard being 50 north on April 17th. there were reports from three sites in the Brecks during the summer indicating that a small breeding population continues in the county.

As usual, return passage was noted from early June, with southbound birds recorded past Lowestoft on June 5th and Landguard from June 11th. An impressive 82 flew past Minsmere on 100

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June 23rd. Numbers increased during July and August, with a count of 550 at hazlewood Marshes on July 28th. the total wintering population for the county approached 2000 by the end of the year.

Blyth Blyth Alde/Ore Alde/Ore Deben Deben Orwell Orwell Stour Stour Totals Totals

Jan Jan 109 109 809 809 582 582 356 356 919 919 2775 2775

Feb Feb –– 767 767 469 469 273 273 1106 1106 2615 2615

Mar Mar 112 112 553 553 352 352 542 542 964 964 2523 2523

Apr Apr –– –– 363 363 377 377 1029 1029 n/a n/a

Aug Aug –– –– –– 51 51 n/a n/a

Sep Sep –– –– 201 201 492 492 n/a n/a

Oct Oct –– 472 472 361 361 342 342

Nov Nov 82 82 515 515 330 330 199 199

Dec Dec 37 37 264 264 192 192 347 347

COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos Common passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters. Amber list. the wintering bird at oulton Broad from late 2015 remained into January and another bird was reported from tuddenham St Mary on february 3rd and 27th.

Spring passage was light in terms of numbers of birds, with records coming from 16 coastal and ten inland sites and peak numbers in the second week of May. the following were the only records of five or more birds:Minsmere: ten, May 11th.

Hollesley Marshes: five, May 13th.

Livermere Lake: five, May 9th.

Lakenheath Fen: six, May 6th. the first returning bird of the autumn was reported from Minsmere on June 23rd. thereafter there were widespread reports of single birds or small groups from ten inland and 27 coastal sites during autumn passage, mostly involving fewer than five birds but with higher counts listed below. it appears that there was something of an influx at coastal sites in the last week of August, with over 100 birds being reported in total during that period. the remarkable record of 55 birds from Lowestoft related to a single flock dropping in ahead of rain, and is the highest total in Suffolk since August 2nd 2003 when 55 were present on havergate island.

Gorleston: ten, Aug 25th.

Lowestoft: 55, Aug 25th.

Covehithe: 12, Aug 24th.

Minsmere: 30, July 22nd.

Hollesley Marshes: 12, July 25th.

Pipps Ford: six, Aug 25th to 29th. in the second winter period the returning bird was reported from oulton Broad.

GREEN SANDPIPER Tringa ochropus Fairly common passage migrant. Small numbers overwinter. Amber list. there were reasonably widespread records of single birds in the first winter period, with records from 14 widespread sites. these typically involved one or two birds, but three were recorded at fornham St. Martin on January 16th. Spring passage birds were also well spread, with the highest count being of six birds at Pipps ford on April 8th. return passage is typically very early for this species and records this year demonstrated a return to normality after an absence of early June records in 2015. there was a bird at hollesley Marshes on June 1st, followed by records from a number of sites from June 6th. thereafter passage picked up in July and peaked in August with counts of more than five birds being recorded from a number of coastal sites. the highest tallies were as follows:Carlton Marshes: six, Aug 23rd.

Minsmere: 19, Aug 24th.

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Aldeburgh: six, Aug 24th.

Hollesley Marshes: seven, Aug 24th.

Snape Wetland: 19, Aug 31st; 12, Sep 2nd.

Passage at inland sites was impressive with highest counts including:Pipps Ford: nine, Aug 28th.

Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s hall, ten, July 7th.

Mickle Mere: 20, Aug 24th – a very impressive total for this inland site.

As is normal, numbers tailed off during September and into the second winter period, but still with records from over 30 sites in the coastal belt and the west of the county from october to December, mostly of one or two birds.

SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus Fairly common passage migrant. A few overwinter. Amber list. records in the first winter period were concentrated in the north-east of the county, with reports from four sites; up to five birds were recorded from Dingle Marshes, two from Breydon, three on the Blyth Estuary and two from Minsmere. there was also one bird on the Alde estuary and one on the Deben estuary.

Early spring passage began with an inland bird at Lakenheath on April 9th. thereafter passage was confined to coastal sites with individuals or small groups reported during April and into the first week of May, with the highest count being of four on the Blyth Estuary on April 14th. the only sites to record the species in May were Southwold, Minsmere and hollesley Marshes, where there were two on May 8th. the first bird of return passage was noted at Dingle Marshes on the typically early date of June 5th and numbers of returning adults reached an early peak there of 13 on June 23rd. Numbers continued to build into July reaching a maximum of 31 at Minsmere on July 19th. Away from the prime sites of Minsmere and Dingle Marshes, there were also four at hollesley Marshes on July 5th. Double-figure counts persisted into october, with 11 at Minsmere on october 13th. in the second winter period records were confined to Minsmere and Dingle Marshes, with up to three at both sites.

COMMON GREENSHANK Tringa nebularia Common passage migrant. A few overwinter. Amber list (from Green). in the first winter period, single overwintering birds were reported from the Deben and Stour Estuaries, the latter being the regularly-returning flagged bird which breeds in Scotland. An additional bird was reported from halesworth on March 7th.

Spring passage was evident through April and into May, but only from 12 coastal sites and with no records from the west of the county. Spring counts in double figures were as follows:Hazlewood Marshes: peak of 24, 6th May Snape Wetland: 12, May 11th and 12th.

Boyton Marshes: 12, April 8th. there were three records of birds in early June which may have been oversummering nonbreeders. Autumn passage was noted from June 28th, with a single bird at Snape. As is usual, numbers peaked in the latter half of August, with five sites providing double-figure counts.

Minsmere: 20, Aug 26th.

Hazlewood Marshes: 25, Aug 28th.

Havergate: 12, Aug 29th.

Snape Wetland: 11, Aug 21st.

Stour Estuary: 34, Aug 21st. inland, passage was very light with no reports except for a bird flying with Stone curlews at an undisclosed location in the Brecks on August 30th. in the second winter period, records came from five coastal sites, including one bird on the 102

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Deben Estuary. A high total of seven birds was still on the Stour Estuary on December 18th, including the regular-wintering Scottish bird, and four remained to the end of the year.

LESSER YELLOWLEGS Tringa flavipes Very rare visitor. the long-staying Norfolk bird first seen in Suffolk at Burgh castle on December 29th 2015 was seen there again on at least five dates between January 1st and february 19th and was last seen in Norfolk on february 22nd. the carlton Marshes individual, presumed to be a different bird, is the 12th Suffolk record.

Burgh Castle: Jan 1st to feb 19th.

Carlton Marshes: Apr 3rd (A c Easton et al. per Suffolk recorder).

WOOD SANDPIPER Tringa glareola Fairly common passage migrant. Amber list.

Spring passage was confined to the coast with the exception of a bird at Livermere Lake on May 7th. records from late April into May were as follows, with a pronounced peak at the beginning of the second week in May:Carlton Marshes: up to three, between Apr 30th and May 18th.

Southwold: up to three, May 6th to 8th.

Walberswick: May 5th; May 11th.

Snape Wetland: two, May 9th and 10th.

Minsmere: singles, May 8th, 13th and 29th.

Hollesley Marshes: records from May 6th to 13th, with three, May 13th.

Cattawade: May 7th. the first autumn record was of a bird at Minsmere on June 24th, followed by birds at Minsmere on July 3rd and carlton Marshes on July 2nd and 3rd. there were then no records until July 21st, following which there was a spread of sightings from eight coastal sites, with the highest totals being recorded when juveniles were passing through in August. there were six at Minsmere on August 28th and 29th. the only inland report of the autumn was from Pipps ford where a bird was present from August 17th to 28th. the last bird of the year was at Minsmere on September 16th and 17th.

COMMON REDSHANK Tringa totanus Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Declining resident. Amber list.

Common Redshank Richard Allen

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Data from the monthly WeBS counts on the principal estuarine sites are set out in the table below.

Breeding season reports were as follows:Orfordness: 37-40 breeding pairs, with good breeding success (31-36 pairs in 2015).

Boyton Marshes: three pairs Hollesley Marshes: ten pairs, no chicks fledged on scrape.

Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s hall, pair may again have attempted to breed.

Mickle Mere: breeding pair.

Breeding reports were not received from a number of key sites, but the apparent upward trend at orfordness is encouraging. there were far fewer birds reported from the estuaries in June compared with 2015, perhaps indicating a better breeding season and that local birds were still on breeding sites. Numbers rapidly increased in July with 1600 at hazlewood Marshes on July 24th and then a peak of 2100 there on August 11th. in the second winter period, the available reports suggest that there were approximately 4500 in the county in November and December, when counts from the estuaries and other sites are combined.

Blyth Blyth Alde/Ore Alde/Ore Deben Deben Orwell Orwell Stour Stour Totals Totals

Jan Jan 748 748 1581 1581 720 720 516 516 1057 1057 4622 4622

Feb Feb –– 777 777 765 765 195 195 711 711 2448 2448

Mar Mar 365 365 920 920 698 698 285 285 952 952 3220 3220

Apr Apr –– –– 792 792 932 932 946 946 2670 2670

Aug Aug –– –– –– 244 244 –– n/a n/a

Sep Sep –– –– 1201 1201 784 784

Blyth Blyth Alde/Ore Alde/Ore Deben Deben Orwell Orwell Stour Stour Totals Totals

Jan Jan 00 00 60 60 120 120 291 291 471 471

Feb Feb –– 19 19 104 104 117 117 373 373 613 613

Mar Mar 00 44 62 62 39 39 302 302 407 407

Apr Apr –– –– 58 58 15 15 314 314 387 387

Aug Aug –– –– –– 31 31 –– n/a n/a

Sep Sep –– –– 112 112 130 130

n/a n/a

Oct Oct –– 2648 2648 1310 1310 569 569 4527 4527

Nov Nov 427 427 2016 2016 1485 1485 373 373 4301 4301

Dec Dec 534 534 1351 1351 886 886 769 769 3540 3540

RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

Data from the monthly WeBS counts on the principal estuarine sites are set out in the table below. in the first winter period, numbers reported on the estuaries in the county peaked at 613 in february, with totals at other coastal sites including 38 in Lowestoft harbour on January 1st.

Small numbers of birds were reported from coastal sites on spring passage, including three at Minsmere on May 27th and ten were at Lowestoft on June 3rd. there were no reports of any oversummering flocks on the estuaries. the first autumn record was of one bird at Minsmere on July 9th with only very small numbers until mid-September, when there were 24 at Lowestoft on 18th. By the end of the year numbers were at similar levels to the previous winter period. there were no inland records reported this year.

n/a n/a

Oct Oct –– 12 12 72 72 69 69 n/a n/a

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE Phalaropus lobatus Rare passage migrant. Red list.

After a record year for this species in Suffolk in 2015, 2016 was a blank year.

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Dec Dec 00 10 10 145 145 323 323

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GREY PHALAROPE Phalaropus fulicarius Scarce passage migrant and rare winter visitor. there were no records of this species in 2016, the first blank year since 1999.

JACK SNIPE Lymnocryptes minimus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Green list (from Amber). this species was reported from 21 sites in the coastal belt and five sites inland and in the west of the county. As is usual, the majority of reports related to single birds, but there were reports of three or more as follows. the reports in early october and late March are suggestive of passage through the county.

Walberswick: three, feb 24th.

Minsmere: three, Mar 24th to 27th.

Alde Estuary: four, feb 1st; three, Nov 13th.

Trimley Marshes: three, Jan 2nd.

Levington: four, Nov 30th.

Pipps Ford: three, oct 8th.

EURASIAN WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola Declining resident. Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). in the first winter period, there were reports from 16 inland sites (which is comparable with the number of sites from which reports were provided in 2015) and 16 in the coastal belt (about half the number of sites compared with 2015). Most reports related to individuals and none involved more than four birds.

Mid-summer records came from ten sites in the north-west of the county, mostly involving single birds, but with one site holding four birds. the first autumn arrival was reported from hopton-on-Sea on october 7th, with further reports on the north-east coast from mid-october into early November. Landguard reported 16 sightings in the period from october 6th to November 24th but there was only one sighting from orfordness. unsurprisingly in view of the thin autumn passage, numbers were low in the second winter period, with the exception of totals of 11 reported from fritton on December 4th and nine from Minsmere on December 8th.

COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Probably extinct as a breeding species. Amber list.

Widespread reports in the first winter period included some high totals from inland and coastal sites. Several sites in the north-west held good numbers as follows, with the 100 at thurston being particularly impressive:Thetford: 51, Jan 24th.

Mickle Mere: 55, Apr 2nd.

Lakenheath Fen: 68, Mar 13th.

Thurston: 100, feb 16th.

As in 2015, there were few records in May and June, with no evidence of breeding. records picked up from late July with a report from carlton Marshes on July 17th and increasing numbers on the coast through August and September, with a maximum count of 72 at carlton Marshes on September 26th. Numbers peaked slightly later inland, at Mickle Mere, with 62 on october 15th. in the second winter period, numbers were lower with few reports in excess of 25 birds being received, but the following were notable:Carlton Marshes: 102, Nov 29th.

Minsmere: 40, Dec 9th.

Lakenheath Fen: 32, Dec 18th.

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POMARINE SKUA Stercorarius pomarinus Uncommon passage migrant. A few overwinter.

Early in the year an unaged bird was seen from Minsmere and Sizewell beach, January 9th and the following day a first-winter bird flew north off thorpeness. the following month singles were off Landguard, february 3rd and orfordness, february 14th and a first-winter was off thorpeness on 14th.

Spring passage was low key with the only notable highlights being five which passed thorpeness, May 5th and two flew north there the following day. return passage started with a dark phase summer-plumaged adult north past thorpeness, September 18th. in the far south of the county, three were off Landguard, october 4th and two off thorpeness the following day. in the north of the county, two flew south off Gunton cliff, Lowestoft, November 1st and the following day two flew south off Lowestoft Ness Point. other sightings were of two north off Gunton Warren, November 7th and further south one lingered off Minsmere, November 20th. two were noted off Landguard, November 24th but the most notable count of the year was reserved for quite late on with a count of eight which passed north off thorpeness, November 28th.

ARCTIC SKUA Stercorarius parasiticus Decreasing passage migrant. A few overwinter. Red list.

At the beginning of the year there were only three sightings in the first two months of the year. these were all made off thorpeness with a pale-phase bird north on January 3rd and singletons south, february 1st and 9th. two at orford, March 31st proved to be the exception as other spring sightings consisted of single birds, off corton, April 27th, and north past thorpeness, May 6th and 16th. During the summer one was noted north past Lowestoft Ness Point on July 2nd and two south off orfordness on July 30th. return passage picked up during August with four south past Lowestoft North Beach, August 8th and another three off there the following day, two of which flew north whilst the other lingered offshore. A further three were off Ness Point, Lowestoft on August 16th and another three lingered offshore chasing kittiwakes, August 27th. Elsewhere along the coast, three went south off thorpeness, August 23rd and six (including five northbound birds) were off thorpeness, August 28th. the following month, nine were off corton cliffs, September 5th and four off thorpeness the next day. Lowestoft Ness Point saw ten birds (including nine south), September 18th and the same day, eight flew south off thorpeness.

Numbers declined into october and the main counts then consisted of three off Minsmere and two off East Lane, Bawdsey, october 4th and four off Landguard, october 4th and 5th. three were noted off Southwold on october 5th, 6th and 7th. the final records of the year were singletons southbound off Southwold and Gorleston on November 4th and December 23rd respectively.

LONG-TAILED SKUA Stercorarius longicaudus Uncommon passage migrant.

A quiet year for this species, with no observations made before July 30th, on which date the only recorded breeding-plumaged adult of the year was noted off thorpeness (D thurlow). No birds were seen during August but returning birds were seen from September 5th with the thorpeness area recording the majority of sightings as it did in 2015. All sightings as follows:Corton: juv, Sep 5th (J A Brown).

Lowestoft: Ness Point, two juvs south, Sep 6th (A Easton); south, Sep 10th (Lowestoft Lounge Lizards).

Kessingland: south, Sep 17th (c Darby).

Southwold: north, 12:45hr, Sep 5th (c fulcher); juv north, 10:05hr and juv south at 10:50hr, Sep 6th (c fulcher, A riseborough).

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Thorpeness: adult summer, July 30th (D thurlow); juv, Sep 7th (P Whittaker); two south, Sep 17th (S Mayson); two dark phase south from Dower house, 07:47hr, oct 5th (S Abbott); south, oct 12th (N Mason).

East Lane: four off (three dark phases north at 08:20hr and a pale phase north at 08:55hr), oct 4th (S Abbott); oct 10th (N Mason).

GREAT SKUA Stercorarius skua Fairly common passage migrant. A few overwinter. Amber list.

At the beginning of the year, four were off Southwold, January 2nd and three south off there again on January 5th. further north along the coast two were seen flying south past Ness Point, Lowestoft on January 7th. throughout the rest of the month singletons was noted off Minsmere, thorpeness and Aldeburgh on several dates. A quiet spring followed this quiet first winter period, with just one off Landguard, March 1st. return passage commenced with one south past thorpeness, August 28th and two past corton cliffs, September 5th. September in general was quiet with singletons south and north past Gunton, 17th and 27th respectively. october started with three off Slaughden and three south off Ness Point, Lowestoft, october 1st and 2nd respectively. four went south off thorpeness (Dower house), october 5th. Later in the month, five went south past Gorleston on 19th and on the same day two were seen south off Gunton Warren.

Very few observations were made in the south of the county but singletons were seen off orfordness on october 16th and Bawdsey on 13th.

During November there were still a good number of sightings. the most notable counts received were from Gunton Beach where three passed south on November 6th and Southwold where six were present the following day. however, by far the highlight was 14 north off Southwold on November 24th. the last record of the year was one off Minsmere, December 2nd, concluding a quiet year for this species.

SABINE’S GULL Xema sabini Rare passage migrant.

An average year, with three records, all in october:Thorpeness: first winter north, 10:50hr, oct 12th (S Mayson, L G Woods).

Landguard: juv north, 13:25hr oct 5th (c Bridge, E W Patrick); juv north, oct 7th (J Bowen, J Elliot, S howell).

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla Very common passage migrant and winter visitor. Small numbers breed. Red list (from Amber).

At the beginning of the year locally overwintering birds were seen up and down the coast including 319 south off thorpeness, January 4th and 100 south off Gorleston cliffs and Ness Point, Lowestoft the following day. At Ness Point 160 were seen, January 10th and 110 passed northwards off thorpeness, January 17th. the peak count of the winter was 1000 south past Landguard, January 26th and the following month 443, which included 438 south, were seen off thorpeness, february 1st. Later in the month, 50 were lingering off thorpeness on february 25th and during the spring the most notable counts off thorpeness were of 144 north and 259 north, March 23rd and May 30th respectively. in the west of the county, the only inland record of 2016 was of a single bird that visited the Bto Nunnery reserve in thetford from March 3rd to 8th.

At Lowestoft the breeding population is nowadays much more dispersed around the town and not just at the harbour. Nest surveying here revealed a total of 371 young fledged from 263 nests, representing a healthy increase from the previous year. this included 20 young at SLP Engineering wall, 60 young at claremont Pier, 41 at Waveney Dock, 145 at our Lady Star of the Sea roman catholic church and 61 at the telephone Exchange. there were no data received from the rigs at Sizewell.

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Away from the breeding colonies, numbers offshore seemed low, the 192 seen from thorpeness on June 30th being the last three-figure count of the year with 61 the next highest seen shortly after this on July 3rd. During August and September there were several days when only single-figure counts were made. further on towards the end of the year, overwintering birds were off thorpeness when 35 went north on November 28th and three south on December 19th.

BLACK-HEADED GULL Chroicocephalus ridibundus Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

Movement at the start of the year included highlights of 700 north past Gorleston cliffs, January 12th and at the other end of the county, 150 were off Landguard, January 26th. in the west of the county, winter roosts included 3000 at rymer Point, Barnham on January 17th and 2000 at Lackford Lakes, January 24th. Numbers increased the following month with a peak of 5500 at Lackford Lakes, february 21st and into the spring, 11000 were noted at Livermere Lake, March 6th with 7000 there again, March 21st. on the coast peak counts were made at hollesley Marshes rSPB, with 7000 and 6000, January 20th and 30th respectively, 6000, february 14th and peaking at 9000, March 12th and 16th.

Elsewhere, 2104 were on the Deben Estuary during the WeBS count on January 10th. Later into the spring as the breeding season approached, 2177 were noted at Minsmere during a WeBS count on May 6th.

During the summer 1500 pairs were noted at Minsmere and 240 breeding pairs were recorded on orfordness, which was well down on the record 718 pairs in 2015 the draining of Lantern Marshes in the breeding season was undoubtedly one of the main factors for the decline. Many of the orfordness birds quite possibly relocated to Minsmere where numbers were considerably higher than in the previous year. Breeding success at orfordness was low and only about ten young were thought to have fledged, all on Lantern Marshes. in the west of the county, this species bred at Livermere Lake with 30 active nests and at Lackford Lakes at least 50 pairs were counted. over the summer a roost of 2500 was noted at Livermere Lake, August 1st. offshore movements at this time involved 285 south past Landguard, July 13th as well as 1500 noted at hazlewood Marshes, July 16th.

During the autumn a total of 5000 was noted at Burgh castle, with 2000 on the mudflats and a further 3000 flew east towards the sea on September 20th. further south, 2127 were noted on the Deben Estuary during a WeBS count on September 18th. in the second winter period roosts gathered at the main sites in the west including the Livermere pig fields with 1500 noted, November 13th, 3500, December 18th and elsewhere, 1900 were at Lackford Lakes, December 30th. on the coast, 1600 were on the Butley river, December 28th and during the same month, notable WeBS counts were noted across a number of sites with 765, on the orwell, 423 the Deben and 387 at Alton Water on December 18th.

LITTLE GULL Hydrocoloeus minutus Fairly common passage migrant. Regularly oversummers. Small numbers overwinter. the bulk of the sightings from the first winter period came inside the first two weeks of the year. the first main count was of 104 off Southwold, January 4th and 34 flew south off covehithe, along with 17 south off Ness Point and 12 off thorpeness, the following day. higher counts on January 5th were of 78 south off Gorleston cliffs and 100 south off Southwold. At the southern end of the county, 85 and 87 went south past Landguard on January 5th and 7th respectively. Numbers dropped through the rest of the month and after ten flew south off Sizewell, January 10th, only single-figure counts were made with no sightings between January 23rd and April 11th. the first spring record was of one at Suffolk Water Park, Bramford, April 11th with another on Minsmere Scrape the following day. the following month single sightings of summer-plumaged 108

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birds were made at tinker’s Marshes on six dates from May 12th to 28th. in the west of the county, this species put in a decidedly poor showing with only one adult seen during spring passage at Lackford Lakes, April 24th. During the early summer, three first-summers were on Minsmere Scrape, June 3rd and four adults, June 30th to July 2nd and again, July 6th, increasing to ten the following day. A single bird was seen at hollesley Marshes on several dates throughout June.

As expected, the numbers slowly built up as the summer passed, with 40 present on Minsmere Scrape, including a juvenile, August 4th, increasing to 46, including two juveniles, August 10th.

As numbers declined at Minsmere, many seemed to transfer to the Sizewell to thorpeness coastal strip the following month, with 33, present offshore, September 7th and 75 on 9th. Later in the month, 30 were off thorpeness again, this time from Dower house, September 18th and 18 were at Minsmere Scrape, September 23rd. from this point numbers dispersed and for the rest of the year single-figure counts were scattered up and down the coast with highlights being five north off Ness Point, Lowestoft and four off Southwold on october 20th. A noteworthy observation, well inland from the coast, was of ten south over thorington Street reservoir at Stoke-by-Nayland on october 15th. the following month four were off Southwold, November 7th, which was the last noteworthy sighting of the year.

LAUGHING GULL Larus atricilla Accidental.

A superb summer-plumaged adult was present on Lantern Marshes, orfordness on May 30th.

Let us hope that the next record is at a more accessible site! this bird was also recorded in Sussex on May 25th and kent between May 26th and June 2nd. this is the second record for Suffolk, the first having occurred in 1995 between July 5th and 11th in the Lowestoft – Sizewell area.

Orfordness: adult, May 30th (D crawshaw, M c Marsh).

MEDITERRANEAN GULL Larus melanocephalus Uncommon resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Rare breeder. Amber list.

At the start of the year there were sightings of this ever-graceful white-winged gull off our coast on most dates. the most noteworthy counts were made in the north-east of the county with 36 south off Gorleston cliffs, January 5th, 13 south off Ness Point, January 10th and 12 and 11 at Links road car Park, Lowestoft on January 17th and 27th respectively. in the south-east of the county numbers were low with a peak of three at Landguard, January 26th. in the west of the county, a first-winter was on a pig field at tuddenham St Mary, January 30th, an adult at rymer Point, Barnham, february 14th and 17th and it, or another adult, was at the Bto reserve Nunnery Lakes, thetford, on february 23rd. the most notable sighting was of three adults on pig fields at Great Livermere on february 28th. During the early spring, a first-winter was at Livermere Lake on March 6th and an adult there on March 8th. An adult was at cavenham Pits, March 11th with another at rymer Point, Barnham, March 19th and 20th and at the same time, a first-winter was at Lackford Lakes, March 19th. there is every possibility that the same two individuals were involved in these sightings.

During the late spring and summer, numbers built up at Minsmere with up to 17 noted on both April 5th and May 17th. During the summer five pairs nested, managing to successfully fledge only one chick.

Numbers peaked in July with 138 noted on Minsmere Scrape, on 3rd, 140 at Walberswick, 6th and 169 at tinker’s Marshes on 9th. these sites were the main epicentres of sightings at this time but didn’t get anywhere near the record-breaking numbers seen in 2015. the following month, the peak counts were of 52 at Burgh castle flats, August 6th and 65 south past Gorleston on 28th. in the west of the county, a juvenile was present at Livermere Lake, July 25th to August 2nd.

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At the start of the autumn one last big count was made with 162 at corton, September 1st.

During September and october most of the sightings were in the north-east of the county, in particular the fields around corton and the Lowestoft North Denes area, mostly involving singlefigure counts. Elsewhere 17 were off Gorleston, october 8th and in the south of the county, six were at Landguard on both September 20th and october 4th. towards the end of the year, numbers tailed off with up to four at Pakefield Beach, November 26th, five at covehithe Broad, December 20th and two at Landguard on December 29th. there were no inland records during the last quarter of the year.

COMMON GULL Larus canus Very common winter visitor and passage migrant. Scarce breeding species. Amber list.

At the start of the year at tuddenham St Mary in the west of the county a notable flock was present on pig fields, numbering 520 on January 14th and 320 on 31st with 400 present, february 3rd. on the Blyth Estuary during a WeBS count, 498 were counted, January 18th and 900 on March 21st and 399 were on the Stour Estuary and 154 on the Alde complex on March 1st.

Elsewhere, 1600 (including 800 south) were noted on passage past Landguard, January 27th and 1000 were noted at covehithe Broad, february 4th. inland, 40 were noted at rattlesden, february 26th and during the spring, 12 were at Boyton Marshes rSPB, April 12th and 12 at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland on April 28th. however, overall there were fewer reports and much lower numbers than the previous year.

During the summer, the main story was the successful breeding of this species at a site in the south of the county with two young fledged from a nest there, the first successful attempt in the county since 2009 when breeding occurred on orfordness. in the west of the county, two juveniles were at Livermere Lake, August 18th and in the autumn, 12 were at Alton Water, September 18th and 11 at Mickle Mere, october 5th. During the second winter period, 100 were noted at hagmore Green near Boxford, November 24th, 27 at Pipps ford, November 23rd and 163 at Alton Water, December 18th. the same day 197 were recorded on havergate island during a WeBS count. there were no other noteworthy large flocks seen in the county at this time.

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus fuscus Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Increasing numbers overwinter. Amber list.

At the beginning of the year, overwintering birds in the west of the county were concentrated mainly in and around Lackford Lakes, with 460 there, January 17th, rising to 800, January 24th and 1250, January 30th and february 7th. Elsewhere 350 were at Livermere Lake, february 20th with the same number at Mickle Mere the following day. the main concentration remained at Lackford Lakes with 800 at roost, february 21st. At the coast this species seemed to only occur around the Alde Estuary network with 168 recorded on february 1st but elsewhere, only singlefigure counts were made on other coastal wetlands.

During the spring, 573 were at Livermere pig fields on March 15th and 400 at Mickle Mere, March 26th. As the spring progressed, numbers in the area dropped but 300 remained at Livermere, May 7th and 200, June 2nd.

Breeding at orfordness consisted of a total of 91 pairs compared with 60 pairs in 2015. this shows an increase of about 50%. Elsewhere in the county breeding was reported at Minsmere were there were four pairs and widely across urban areas such as central Lowestoft, felixstowe docks and central ipswich.

Later on in the summer there were a number of roosts, mainly in the west of the county with 2300 at Livermere Lake, August 1st and during the autumn, 900 remained there, September 26th, and 690, october 7th. Elsewhere, at the coast, 250 were on havergate island, September 1st. into the winter the only noteworthy count on the coast was a total of 183 on the Blyth Estuary, 110

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November 18th but in general, outside of the summer, numbers were limited along the coastline and many of the larger flocks and roosts were seen inland. these included 650 at Mickle Mere, November 1st and 300 on the pig fields at Great Livermere, November 26th. At the end of the year, overwintering birds included 100 at roost at Lackford Lakes on December 30th.

HERRING GULL Larus argentatus Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

At the beginning of the year, 1289 were noted on the Alde Estuary during a WeBS count, 1000 were present at hollesley Marshes rSPB, January 16th and at Landguard, 1500 were noted, January 27th to 30th. the main concentrations of roosting birds in the west of the county were at Great Livermere; here 370 were noted on the pig fields, January 16th and 700 on february 14th. on the same day 400 were recorded at roost at Lackford Lakes, which was a notable high count for that site.

As winter turned into spring, 549 were recorded on the Alde Estuary during a WeBS count on March 1st. What was described as ‘an unusually high count’ by observers, was of 305 on orfordness, March 13th, which ‘were most likely to be passage birds on their way north’. on the same day 488 were noted at Minsmere during a WeBS count. five days later, 1300 were at hollesley Marshes rSPB, March 18th and around 1500 were at Landguard, March 20th and 21st. in the west of the county, numbers accumulated at rymer Point lakes in Barnham, with 280 on March 6th and 250 on 10th. Elsewhere 270 were at Mickle Mere, March 26th and numbers increased at Great Livermere with 500 on the pig fields on April 7th and 575 on May 13th. throughout the summer, numbers stabilised at Great Livermere with 300 present, June 2nd and July 9th and 250, August 1st.

Breeding on orfordness consisted of 76 pairs which raised 60 young, almost exactly the same figures as in 2015. Elsewhere this species continued to be noted breeding in central Lowestoft, felixstowe Docks and ipswich. in the early autumn, 118 were at Livermere Lake, including 100 juveniles, September 14th.

Later on, into the second winter period, 831 were noted on the Blyth Estuary during a WeBS count, November 13th and 682 were on havergate island, November 18th. in the west, the pig fields at Great Livermere held the greatest numbers; 500 were present, November 14th, 350 on December 4th and 445 on December 22nd. Elsewhere, 300 were recorded at Lackford Lakes, December 30th and on the coast, 120 remained at havergate island, December 8th, and 1500 were at Landguard, December 11th.

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL Larus michahellis Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Small numbers oversummer. Amber list.

At the start of the year numbers were low and evenly scattered along the coast, the highest numbers being of five adults at oulton Broad, January 9th and, the following day, eight on Minsmere Scrape. in february up to five were at Blythburgh on 6th and 7th but the highest concentrations were in the west of the county with seven at Livermere pig fields, January 10th and, at the end of the month, the Lackford roost held no less than 20 adult-type birds on January 30th. that count appeared to be the exception rather than the rule as the only other doublefigure count was of ten roosting at Livermere Lake on March 10th. in the spring, the highest counts noted inland were of seven at Livermere Lake, April 21st and May 7th and, on the coast, small numbers were regularly seen on Minsmere Scrape, with a peak of five, April 9th. Very few were seen in the south-east of the county during the first winter period although during the spring, two were noted at Landguard on March 23rd.

During the summer, numbers increased strongly, mainly in the west of the county with a maximum of 50 at Livermere pig fields on both July 30th and August 8th. Similar numbers were seen at Livermere between these dates but didn’t reach the record-breaking gatherings seen the previous year. on the coast, numbers grew in a similar manner, starting with 15 at Walberswick, 111

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July 9th, increasing to 25, July 21st and 50, July 27th. in August 41 were seen at Walberswick on 5th and 40 on 13th. Away from Walberswick, 15 were noted on Minsmere Scrape, August 16th and in a quiet year for the south-east of the county, a maximum of four was noted at Snape Wetlands on August 20th.

As autumn got under way, in the west, numbers fell back but 31 still remained at Livermere Lake, September 4th and 13 were present on the pig fields there, october 1st. Elsewhere five were at Mickle Mere, october 7th and ten there on November 1st. for the rest of the year numbers were much more dispersed over a larger number of sites. for example three were at tuddenham St Mary, four at rymer Point, Barnham and six at Great Livermere all on December 18th. on the coast, autumn highlights included 12 at Walberswick on october 22nd and nine on Minsmere Scrape on November 18th. these two sites held the majority of sightings until the year’s end and numbers declined further towards the end of the year with the only multiple sightings being of two at Gorleston harbour on December 18th and on Minsmere Scrape, December 23rd. in the south-east, an adult was at hollesley Marshes rSPB, December 23rd and a first-winter at Bawdsey quay the following day.

CASPIAN GULL Larus cachinnans Scarce winter visitor. Amber list.

At the beginning of the year, numbers started slowly in the west of the county, with four at Livermere pig fields, January 10th (P Wilson). the following month sightings increased slightly with a peak of five at Great Livermere, february 14th (P Wilson), consisting of an adult, three second-winters and a third-winter. on the coast there was a good scattering of birds from the Lowestoft area to hollesley Marshes but most were located in and around Minsmere and along the Blyth Estuary. highlights included seven at Walberswick, January 10th (E Patrick) and five at hollesley Marshes rSPB, January 11th (D Sheppard). the following month nine (including five adults), were at Blythburgh, february 6th (B Small).

During the spring most records on the coast were concentrated on Minsmere Scrape, with a peak of six there, March 28th (D Andrews). from this point on, numbers declined near the coast but in the west of the county numbers remained strong with six at Livermere pig fields, May 7th (P Wilson), mostly consisting of second-calendar-year birds.

During the summer seven (including three juveniles), were at Livermere Lake, July 25th (P Wilson) and on the coast, a maximum of six was on Minsmere Scrape, July 5th (r harvey). the following month eight were at Walberswick, August 13th (c fulcher) and juveniles were also appearing with two birds at Southwold harbour, August 4th (B Small) and singletons at Lowestoft North Beach, August 14th, Breydon South flats, 16th (A Easton), Easton Bavents, 18th (c fulcher) and Gorleston, September 1st (J Gaskell).

During the autumn, sightings were few and far between and what birds there were, were thinly scattered all along the coast with few seen inland. for the final two months of the year most sightings were made on the Minsmere reserve, with eight present on the Scrape, November 25th (J Grant), which consisted of three first-winters, a second-winter and four adults. the following month a maximum of four was noted at Minsmere on December 21st (A rowlands) consisting of three adults and a first-winter. up to two first-winter birds were noted on several dates during December on the Scrape with a first-winter seen at North Warren Marshes on December 23rd (M cartwright). further south four were at Bawdsey Quay, December 10th (M cornish) and in the west of the county, highlights included three first-winters at Livermere pig fields, November 30th (P Wilson). the following month an adult and secondwinter were at Livermere on December 22nd and first- and second-winter birds there, December 30th. on the same day an adult and second-winter were at Lackford Lakes (P Wilson).

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fields, demonstrating that although numbers can be low at any one time, over time many birds do pass though the county.

ICELAND GULL Larus glaucoides Scarce winter visitor. Amber list.

Along the coast there were at least two individuals noted. An adult was seen off Sizewell in January and it or another adult was at Snape in March. from late March, a first-winter frequented the Minsmere to thorpeness coastal strip, mainly being at Minsmere where it was seen on most dates from March 23rd up until April 14th. in the west an adult or ‘near-adult’, took up residence from the middle of January until midfebruary, being seen at a number of sites on several dates. A first-winter was also seen on a few dates during March. there were no records made during the second winter period.

Minsmere: Scrape, first-winter, Mar 23rd (r harvey); Mar 25th (P Shaw); Mar 27th (r Drew, J kennerley, P kennerley); Mar 29th to Apr 2nd (D Walsh); first-summer, Apr 5th and 6th (r Drew): Apr 8th to 14th (J Grant).

Sizewell: adult south, Jan 10th (S Nixon); first-summer, Apr 7th (J Warnes).

Thorpeness: first-winter west over common, 09:25hr Mar 24th (S Mayson); first-summer, Apr 12th (J Davies).

Snape Wetlands: feb 16th (D fairhurst); adult Mar 15th and 16th (D fairhurst).

Thetford Nunnery Reserve: immature (2nd- or 3rd-calendar year), Apr 16th (N Moran).

Barnham: rymer Point, adult, Jan 16th (P Wilson); adult, Jan 31st (West Suffolk Birders); adult, feb 13th (L Gregory); first-winter, Mar 3rd (L Gregory); first-winter Mar 25th (L Gregory).

Little Livermere: adult, Jan 21st (West Suffolk Birders).

Great Livermere: adult on pig fields, Jan 16th (P Wilson).

Livermere Lake: first-winter on lake at roost, feb 29th (t Stopher).

Lackford Lakes: adult at roost, Jan 21st (West Suffolk birders); Jan 25th and 26th (West Suffolk birders, c Jakes); Jan 30th and 31st (West Suffolk Birders, P Wilson); adult at roost, feb 12th (E Patrick); feb 14th and 15th (West Suffolk Birders, P Wilson).

‘THAYER’S GULL’ Larus glaucoides thayeri First for Suffolk.

A stunning adult was found on the scrape at Minsmere on March 27th and the following day it was relocated on the south levels; a county first, it attracted many appreciative admirers from near and far. there is a full report on this bird, and its taxonomy, in the articles section of this report.

Minsmere: adult, Mar 27th and 28th (B J Small et al.).

GLAUCOUS GULL Larus hyperboreus Scarce winter visitor. Amber list. it was a quiet year with this species being in short supply across the county with no sightings made in the west of the county. in the first winter period, a first- and a second-winter frequented the north Suffolk coastline and an unaged individual was at Landguard in March. A late spring record of a first-summer came from Benacre in mid-May. During the second winter period a first-winter was off corton, Southwold, Sizewell and Landguard; at the end of the year a second-winter was at Landguard and hollesley Marshes in the south of the county. A Glaucous x herring Gull hybrid was regularly seen along Lowestoft seafront from November 16th until the year’s end.

Corton: second-winter on groyne, Mar 31st (J A Brown); first-winter north then landed on sea, Nov 16th (c Shaw).

Lowestoft: South Beach, second-winter, Mar 19th (A Easton).

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Oulton Broad: all second-winter, Jan 1st (A Easton); Jan 16th (r Wilton); Jan 20th and 21st (A Easton).

Kessingland: first-winter west over sewage works, 10:30hr, Mar 20th (r Wilton); first-winter north along beach, Mar 25th (Lowestoft Lounge Lizards).

Benacre: first-summer, May 14th (r Smith).

Covehithe: first-winter over church, Jan 10th (r holmes).

Covehithe Broad: first-winter, Jan 4th (S Betts).

Southwold: first-winter south, 08:25hr then landed on sea, feb 13th (c fulcher); first-winter at the harbour, Mar 22nd (S cooper); south, Nov 24th (B Small).

Minsmere: second-winter on Scrape, Mar 27th (D Walsh); north, 08:10hr, Nov 22nd (r Drew).

Sizewell: first-winter around offshore rigs, Jan 1st (r Drew); first-winter, Nov 19th (BiNS).

Hollesley Marshes: Dec 23rd (P kennerley); second-winter, Dec 26th (S Abbott, B Buffrey, P kennerley); second-winter, Dec 27th (N Mason).

Landguard: Mar 12th (S Piotrowski); first-winter Nov 14th, 18th and 25th and December 3rd (W Brame, D Langlois, N odin et al.); second-winter, December 21st (W J Brame, P J holmes, N odin).

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus Common winter visitor and passage migrant. A few oversummer. Has recently bred. Amber list. in the south of the county, at the beginning of the year, totals of 23 were noted at hollesley Marshes on January 1st and 40 at Shingle Street on 6th. further north, 76 were counted at Minsmere, January 18th and 63 were on the South Levels there, february 22nd. A notable count of 300 was made at Landguard between January 26th and 30th. in the west this species was few and far between with the most notable counts being 15 at Livermere Lake on January 21st and 35 at Lackford Lakes on January 25th. the following month, 14 were at Lackford Lakes, february 12th. in spring 127 were at Minsmere, March 13th and another decent gathering of 140 was recorded at hollesley Marshes, March 23rd.

During the summer there were no reports of any breeding attempts and the very few sightings that were made included ‘a few present’ at Landguard. towards the end of the year, there was a good count of 300 at Burnt hill Lane, carlton colville on November 17th, 250 having been there on November 14th. Also on November 14th, 161 were counted on Minsmere Scrape. Just down the coast, 66 were counted at havergate island, November 18th with 35 present there on November 30th. A quite exceptional passage was noted from Gorleston with 1709 counted on November 29th, which consisted of 951 north and 754 south (on December 8th 2015, a Suffolk record total of 2500 flew south past Gorleston). in the

Great Black-backed Gull Richard Allen

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same month 411 were counted off orfordness on November 19th. During a WeBS count, 289 were noted on the Alde Estuary, November 13th and the following month, 63 were noted there, December 18th. Numbers dropped back in the final month of the year with 25 at hollesley Marshes on December 8th, 400 at Landguard on 11th and 67 at Minsmere on 19th. there were no notable counts from the west of the county during this period.

LITTLE TERN Sternula albifrons Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the first sightings of the year were from Landguard and kessingland on April 21st when single birds were seen flying north. Another singleton was on Minsmere Scrape on 26th and four flew north past corton cliffs on 27th. thereafter, sightings were daily. it is extremely disappointing that very few breeding attempts were noted with confirmation of only one successful nest in Suffolk in 2016.

Breeding Site Site Breeding Kessingland Kessingland Benacre Benacre

Walberswick Walberswick Corporation Marshes, Corporation Marshes, Dingle Marsh Dingle Marsh Minsmere Minsmere Orfordness/Slaughden Orfordness/Slaughden Shingle Street Street Shingle Knolls, mouth of Deben Deben Knolls, mouth of

No. of of Pairs Pairs No. 17 17 43 43

Fledged Young Young Fledged 0 0 00

77

22

00 00 33 00

00 00 00 00

Remarks Remarks

in 2015, 2015, this this site site had had its its most most in successful breeding season successful breeding season ever ever with an an estimated estimated total total of of with 180 fledged 180 fledged

No breeding breeding attempts attempts No Present but left Present but left Birds present present early early but but left left Birds

there was an unexpected sighting when two were seen at Mickle Mere on May 5th (D West). this is a first for this inland site, and the first in west Suffolk since 2013 (April 13th, Lackford).

Most activity in the spring was centred on Benacre Broad where numbers peaked at 125 on May 26th but the colony then dispersed during June. A similar scenario unfolded at Minsmere where a peak of 66 was recorded on May 24th but with only a small number staying into June. it seems reasonable to assume that some of these birds relocated to kessingland as low numbers there in spring increased to approximately 100 in July. there were no reports of post-breeding gatherings in 2016 and there was very little sign of autumn passage with few records after mid-July. the year’s last records were of birds flying south past thorpeness on August 28th (ten) and Ness Point, Lowestoft on September 10th (one).

CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia Very rare visitor.

A long-staying adult, having previously been noted in Lincolnshire, was seen at Breydon Water on nine days between June 19th and June 30th. Although it spent most of the time in Norfolk, several experienced Suffolk birders watched from the south shore as it flew into the Watsonian Suffolk vice-county airspace between Burgh castle and Gorleston on several dates (June 19th to 21st and 24th to 26th).

What was considered to be a different individual, also an adult, was noted in Norfolk at Snettisham on July 23rd and hickling Broad from July 25th to 27th; it was seen briefly at Minsmere on July 31st by the crowd watching the Western Swamphen as it circled the Scrape at 16:00hrs before flying off north (k Britten, c Gooddie, r harris et al.).

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Previous records were of a single bird in 2012, also at Minsmere in July, following one on the south shore of Breydon Water in June 2005.

WHISKERED TERN Chlidonias hybrida Very rare visitor.

An adult, starting to moult into winter plumage, was first seen at trimley Marshes on the evening of June 7th. it remained on site the following day and into the evening of June 9th, giving excellent flight views and frequently perching on a post in front of the reservoir hide. this is the seventh accepted Suffolk record. the previous two were at Minsmere in April 2014 and Lakenheath fen in May 2005.

Trimley Marshes: adult, June 7th to 9th (N odin et al.).

BLACK TERN Chlidonias niger Fairly common passage migrant.

Spring migration in 2016 was much better than 2015 with approximately 40 birds at nine sites between April 21st and May 13th. As is usual in spring, the majority of sightings were at inland sites:Minsmere: Apr 29th; May 11th.

Thorpeness: three, May 7th.

Snape Wetlands: three, May 5th.

Landguard: four, May 11th.

Alton Water: two, Apr 21st and 22nd; three, Apr 23rd.

Mickle Mere: two, May 7th.

Lackford Lakes: six, May 5th; three, May 11th; May 13th.

Livermere Lake: seven, May 6th; two, May 10th; five, May 11th; May 13th.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: three, May 12th.

Autumn passage was poor with no more than 17 birds. (105 in 2015, 26 in 2014). Migration was noted between July 29th and october 7th when a particularly late individual was seen off Landguard. unlike in 2015, there were no reports from west Suffolk sites in the autumn:Breydon Water (South Shore): July 29th.

Corton: three, Aug 21st.

Lowestoft: Aug 28th.

Pakefield: Aug 22nd.

Southwold: Aug 5th; Sep 5th.

Minsmere: Sep 7th.

Thorpeness: two, Sep 7th.

Bawdsey: Aug 25th; two, Sep 6th.

Landguard: Aug18th; two, Aug 27th; Sep 1st; oct 7th.

Black Tern Richard Allen

SANDWICH TERN Sterna sandvicensis Common passage migrant; declining summer visitor. Amber list. the first of the year were three at Gorleston on March 27th with single birds at Minsmere and 116

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orfordness the following day. thereafter, throughout the spring and summer, the species was recorded almost daily, but generally in small numbers. Minsmere was the only site where a significant flock gathered; numbers peaked at about 80 at the end of April. it was confirmed that 11 pairs nested at Minsmere but all failed; this is the first breeding attempt made in the county since 2009. there were inland sightings of one at Livermere Lake on April 2nd, another at Nunnery floods, thetford on April 12th and two (adult and juvenile) at Lackford Lakes on August 25th. these are the first west Suffolk records since 2010. the species was passing offshore regularly from April to September. the table below shows monthly movements past the well-watched coastal site at thorpeness:2016– 2016 –North North South ––South 2015 –North North 2015– – South – South

Apr Apr 15 15 00 10 10 11

May May 30 30 77 13 13 10 10

June June 12 12 00 40 40 25 25

July July 14 14 15 15 75 75 32 32

Aug Aug 15 15 48 48 16 16 31 31

Sep Sep 18 18 14 14 88 39 39

Oct Oct 00 11 00 11

in the 2015 report, it was noted that the autumn passage was disappointing to say the least.

As can be seen, this trend has continued. the species was recorded virtually daily up to early october. the last records in october were eight birds off corton on 8th, two off Bawdsey Quay on 10th and two flying south past Minsmere on 14th. on November 6th, one was noted on the beach at Southwold looking rather unwell and two days later a corpse (probably the same bird?) was found at Benacre Broad.

FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri First for Suffolk.

A first-winter bird was located at Mistley Quay, Essex on the afternoon of November 19th. it stayed in the area the following day until the afternoon, flying between cattawade and Wrabness. the Suffolk boundary is close to the quay, and the bird was confirmed as flying into Suffolk airspace towards Seafield Bay. there was no sign of the bird at Mistley on November 21st, but it was relocated at felixstowe ferry roosting with gulls for a period in the late afternoon. there was an unconfirmed sighting the following day off felixstowe Docks, then nothing further until it was seen in kent on November 26th. this is a first for Suffolk (see the articles section of this report) with the only other accepted East Anglian record being a long-staying bird commuting between hamford Water and the Blackwater Estuary in Essex between November 1998 and September 2000.

Stour Estuary: first-winter, Nov 19th and 20th (N harvey et al. per Suffolk recorder).

Felixstowe Ferry: Nov 21st (S h Piotrowski et al. per Suffolk recorder), presumed same as above.

COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the first sightings on the coast were at Minsmere with two birds on April 6th, one on April 12th and 20 on April 17th. the first inland records were of single birds at Lackford Lakes on April 12th and Livermere Lake on April 16th, followed by three at Lakenheath fen/Washes on April 17th.

Seven were noted at Alton Water on April 23rd but, otherwise, records were sparse until early May when birds started returning to their breeding colonies. the only breeding information received is summarised below:Minsmere: A total of 158 pairs nested but, as in 2014, all failed. (133 pairs fledged 120 young in 2015).

Orfordness: there was no breeding activity noted although two birds were occasionally seen on 117

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king’s Marshes where successful breeding took place in 2014.

Alton Water: up to 60 birds were present but no details of breeding received.

Lackford Lakes: one pair noted but no details of breeding received.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: one pair nested but outcome unknown Southbound migration was evident from mid-July with the highest day-counts past the wellwatched coastal site at thorpeness being 220 on July 30th and 217 on August 14th. these peak numbers are much below their equivalents in 2015 (820 and 628 respectively). furthermore, it was noted in 2015 that the numbers recorded in July, August and September as a whole were dramatically lower than in 2013 and previous years. this downward trend appears to be continuing. counts at thorpeness are summarised below:Apr Apr 88 11 55 22

2016– 2016 –North North South ––South 2015 –North North 2015– – South – South

May May 178 178 12 12 22 22 52 52

June June 84 84 34 34 104 104 57 57

July July 55 55 277 277 427 427 1317 1317

Aug Aug 158 158 438 438 102 102 1238 1238

Sep Sep 13 13 110 110 13 13 53 53

Oct Oct 00 00 00 00

the last record was of a single bird flying north off Ness Point, Lowestoft on october 2nd.

ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougallii Scarce passage migrant. Red list.

After the total lack of sightings in 2014 and just three in 2015, there was a significant improvement with reports of nine birds, assuming that they are all different:Minsmere: May 13th; June 3rd and 4th; June 27th; July 3rd; July 12th.

Landguard: May 30th; two, June 4th; July 23rd.

2007 2007 10 10

2008 2008 4+ 4+

2009 2009 10+ 10+

totalstotals of roseate terns reported 2007-2016 of roseate terns reported 2007-2016 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 5 6+ 7-8 7-9 5 6+ 7-8 7-9 00

2015 2015 33

2016 2016 99

ARCTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea Fairly common passage migrant. Occasionally breeds. Amber list. the first records of the year were inland of a single bird at cavenham Pits on April 15th and another at Livermere Lake on the following day. Early reports from non-coastal sites were:Alton Water: six, Apr 21st; eight, Apr 22nd; Apr 23rd.

Livermere Lake: Apr 16th; Apr 24th; May 12th.

Lackford Lakes: May 14th.

Cavenham Pits: Apr 15th; six, Apr 24th. these sightings were the only records for the year away from the coast.

Spring passage along the coastal strip was very poor:Minsmere: May 5th; May 26th; June 3rd; June 10th.

Thorpeness: four, May 12th; May 30th.

Hollesley Marshes: two, May 28th.

Landguard: May 18th; May 31st.

Sightings of single birds at Minsmere were fairly regular until July 22nd including three (two adults and, unexpectedly, a first-summer) on the Scrape on July 13th. once again, there were no signs of breeding activity anywhere in the county.

Autumn passage was almost imperceptible. Peak numbers were just three past corton on September 5th. in total, there were records of about 40 birds, which is much lower than the totals in recent years (120 in 2015 was fairly typical). the final records of the year were of a first-winter bird at island Mere, Minsmere on october 6th and one south past Landguard on october 7th.

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COMMON GUILLEMOT Uria aalge Common passage migrant and winter visitor. Amber list.

Around 3250 Guillemots were reported in 2016 compared with 700 in 2015 and 1080 in 2014.

Very large numbers are reported from time to time, especially off Minsmere Beach and thorpeness, when they are close enough to shore to be identified as to species and this occurred in January/early february 2016. there is some evidence that some of these birds lingered in the area and, therefore, could have been counted more than once. the peak count was 954 off thorpeness on february 1st. A comparison of the monthly totals for the last three years appears below:2016 2016 2015 2015 2014 2014

Monthly totals Monthly totalsofoflive live Guillemots Guillemots Jan Jan Feb Feb Mar Mar Apr Apr May May Jun Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Sep Sep Oct Oct Nov Nov Dec Dec 1513 1094 1094 45 94 94 13 30 30 383 383 72 72 1513 44 00 45 11 00 13 23 34 11 33 103 103 101 205 205 180 180 23 34 11 00 33 22 00 55 101 802 104 104 13 32 30 30 16 44 21 21 802 13 44 32 44 11 77 16 44

in addition, some unidentified auks are reported, but in 2016 there were only 31 such records:-

2016 2016 2015 2015 2014 2014

Jan Jan 17 17 –– 42 42

Monthly Auks Monthlytotals totalsofofunidentified unidentified Auks Feb Mar Mar Apr Apr May May Jun Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Sep Sep Oct Oct Nov Nov Dec Dec Feb 3 2 – 5 3 – – – 1 – 3 2 – 5 3 – – – 1 – –– – 1 – – – – 1 – – 21 – 1 – – – – 1 – – 21 –– 40 5 1 2 6 1 – 1 18 52 151 40 5 1 2 6 1 – 1 18 52 151

the combined total of Guillemots and unidentified auks in 2016 was approximately 3280, compared with about 720 in 2015 and 1400 in 2014. this year’s total is even higher than the 2013 figure of 2800, which included exceptional peaks in March, April and November.

RAZORBILL Alca torda Uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor. Amber list. the total number of records for the year was 41 probably involving at least 36 individuals. the peak count was of six past thorpeness on January 9th (S B Mayson). one bird was noted on the sea off Dunwich on January 20th:Monthly totals Monthly totalsofoflive liverazorbills razorbills Jan Feb Feb Mar Mar Apr Apr May May Jun Jun Jul Jul Aug Aug Sep Sep Oct Oct Nov Nov Dec Dec Jan 14 14 66 00 00 11 00 –– 11 33 99 77 00 4 1 0 0 3 6 – 0 1 1 7 4 1 0 0 3 6 – 0 1 1 7 44

2016 2016 2015 2015

the table below shows the variability in the number of records each year:-

2007 2007 53 53

2008 2008 341 341

2009 2009 40 40

totals liverazorbills razorbills reported reported 2007-2016 totals ofoflive 2007-2016 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 70 36 82 45 13 70 36 82 45 13

2015 2015 27 27

2016 2016 41 41

LITTLE AUK Alle alle Uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor. this was another good year for this species with 130 records (115 in 2015) but, as always, there is probably a small degree of overlap of individuals seen at more than one location. unusually, four birds were seen in January between Southwold and thorpeness. the first two birds of the autumn were seen flying north off Southwold on october 20th. the next sightings were of one 119

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Little Auk Peter Beeson

off Dunwich on october 22nd and four past Lowestoft on November 2nd. the peak count was on November 3rd with 82 sightings along the coast with a further 35 records between November 4th and 9th. the last record of a live bird was at Benacre Broad on November 13th. A corpse was found on the cliff top at covehithe the following day. the most significant records are listed below:Corton: 13, Nov 3rd.

Lowestoft: 35, Nov 3rd.

Southwold: 14, Nov 3rd; six, Nov 7th.

Thorpeness: ten, Nov 4th.

Landguard: eight, Nov 3rd.

ATLANTIC PUFFIN Fratercula arctica Scarce passage migrant. Red list. there were just four sightings, all of single birds:Gorleston: oct 20th (P r Allard).

Corton: Sep 18th (J A Brown).

Southwold: Nov 7th (P r kennerley).

Orfordness: May 2nd, on sea off lighthouse for a short time before flying south (M Marsh, D crawshaw).

2007 2007 20 20

2008 2008 88

2009 2009 13 13

totals oftotals live Puffins reported 2007-2016 of live Puffins reported 2007-2016 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 13 77 55 88 13 33

2015 2015 11

2016 2016 44

2015 Correction the report of an Atlantic Puffin off East Lane, Bawdsey on october 18th 2015 was erroneous.

ROCK DOVE/FERAL PIGEON Columba livia Very common resident from feral stock. Categories A, C and E. Not surprisingly, this species fails to excite birdwatchers and it is normal for few reports of note to be received. consequently, only counts of 50 or more are listed below:Oulton: 52, Jan 21st.

Covehithe: covehithe/Benacre Broads, 80, Mar 4th.

Sizewell: Belts and Power Station, 70, Jan 4th.

Landguard: 70, Nov 17th.

Bury St Edmunds: 50, oct 29th.

Haverhill: 50, throughout 2016.

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18. Lesser Yellowlegs flyover at Carlton Marshes in April.

Peter Ransome

20. Caspian Gull at Walberswick in September.

19. Wood Sandpiper autumn migrant at Boyton Marshes in August.

John Richardson

Jeff Higgott

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21. Thayer’s Gull county ‘first’ at Minsmere in March. See article.

Jeff Higgott

22. Forster’s Tern another rare visitor to the county in November. See article.

Jeff Higgott

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23. Common Guillemot offering close views at Lowestoft in September.

24. Little Owl youngster at Harkstead in July.

Liz Cutting

Peter Ransome

25. Short-eared Owl regular at Shingle Street late in the year.

John Richardson

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26. Eurasian Hoopoe at Hazlewood Marshes in October.

Chris Mayne

27. Eurasian Wryneck feeling the heat at Hollesley Marshes in September.

John Richardson

28. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker again at Santon Downham in spring.

John Richardson

29. Red-footed Falcon female on Upper Hollesley Common in May. Bill Baston

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STOCK DOVE Columba oenas Fairly common resident and passage migrant. Amber list. there were just two sizeable counts during the first winter period: 30 at cavendish on february 3rd and 50 at Lackford on february 15th. the BBS found Stock Doves in 54% of the 41 squares surveyed (49% in 2015) with a combined total of 66 birds recorded. this species takes readily to nest boxes and the only confirmed breeding records came from such sites: two young were found in a box at Mickle Mere, Pakenham, whilst two pairs nested in boxes at ipswich Golf course. Elsewhere, around 25 pairs are thought to have bred on orfordness and three breeding territories were found at tendring hall, Stoke-by-Nayland. there were again some sizeable breeding season counts from the pig fields at Great Livermere, with 40 present on April 26th and 62 there on April 28th.

Autumn passage was noted at Landguard, starting early with an unexpected count of seven south on July 3rd and peaking with 11 birds moving through on November 15th. flocks of 40 at Gifford’s hall, near Stoke-by-Nayland, on September 26th and 60 at hagmore Green, Boxford on November 24th were the highest received in the second winter period.

COMMON WOOD PIGEON Columba palumbus Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. the largest counts during the early part of the year included 400 at Somerleyton on January 20th (with a count of 900 there on february 21st), 400 at nearby Blundeston, January 30th, 600 on Boyton Marshes, february 11th and 600 at Sibton Park, february 22nd. this species was again very numerous across the county during the breeding survey. A total of 1697 birds was recorded from 40 of the 41 squares surveyed (a 98% strike rate). Numbers were considered stable at Landguard, where 12 to 15 breeding pairs were reported.

At Landguard, autumn passage was very light this year with just 137 birds recorded flying south between october 20th and November 19th, the peak day-count being 76 birds on the latter date. the only sizeable flocks reported in the second winter period were of 450 at Stowupland on November 3rd and 400 at Southwold on the same day, plus 1500 at Ampton, December 5th.

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE Streptopelia decaocto Common resident. the BBS surveyors recorded collared Doves in 56% of the squares surveyed (23 of 41 squares) during 2016, a decrease on the 65% recording rate in 2015, and well below the ten-year average of 69% of squares surveyed. Whether this is the start of a genuine decline in abundance, or a temporary aberration, only time will tell. the largest gatherings reported during the year were:Trimley St Martin: Gosling’s farm, 30+, Jan 19th.

Hadleigh: north-east quarter of town, 60, Dec 10th.

Great Livermere: 40, oct 14th; 40 Nov 13th.

Newton Green: 34, Nov 1st.

EUROPEAN TURTLE DOVE Streptopelia turtur Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the first returning bird was found at chillesford on April 3rd and was followed by one at Mildenhall fen on 6th. the chillesford bird is the earliest in the county since one at henstead on April 1st 1994 which remains as Suffolk’s earliest-ever arrival. there were no further sightings until two were found at hen reedbeds on 13th. these were followed by a modest arrival of birds throughout the remainder of April and into May. Landguard recorded single birds on 15 dates between May 11th and June 7th.

As with last year, the BBS recorded just a single bird across the 41 squares covered. Better news 121

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was that several sites recorded two breeding pairs, whilst three pairs were present at North Warren, four pairs were located at Stradishall Airfield and an impressive eight territories were found at Minsmere. A most unwelcome report was of a very recently fledged juvenile at chillesford, which had been killed by a domestic cat.

A small number of autumn stragglers were seen in September: at hulver Street (four birds), thorington Street, Mildenhall fen, Stradishall Airfield and Boyton, before there was an extremely late record of one at Landguard Bird observatory on November 1st (S h Piotrowski).

COMMON CUCKOO Cuculus canorus Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

A singing male at Minsmere on April 12th was the first of the year. it was quickly followed by others at Stowmarket, Lakenheath fen and Pakenham fen on the following day. New arrivals were then reported from across the county over the next week or so. there was a reduction in the number of occupied squares found during the BBS, with birds being located in 20% of the 41 squares surveyed, compared with 26% in 2015. Sites reporting higher numbers of birds included the king’s forest, where five were found on May 1st, carlton Marshes, with four on May 8th, Brandon Park, five on May 28th and Lakenheath fen, a maximum of six, also on May 28th. Juveniles were reported from several sites during the summer months, although some of the later reports are likely to relate to passage birds. the only report of a juvenile with its foster parents involved one being fed by Wrens at cavenham heath on August 12th.

As is the norm, the final sightings came in the first half of September and involved juveniles at kessingland Denes on 5th and Ness Point, Lowestoft between 1st and 5th, and again on 9th and 11th.

BARN OWL Tyto alba Fairly common resident. Amber list, Categories A and E. the Suffolk community Barn owl Project managed to monitor 83% of its 1800 nest boxes in 2016 and logged the presence of Barn owls in 476 of them. Despite there being no coverage in the Shotley peninsula, an area known to have a high density of Barn owls, this is a record total. however, despite such high occupancy rates, breeding productivity was relatively low. A cool spring and wet June resulted in a high number of nesting failures – indeed, the total clutch/brood failure rate was 21% from 103 boxes known to be hosting Barn owls up to the end of June. however, better weather in the second half of the summer meant that many pairs either attempted to produce second broods, or replaced broods they had previously lost. the total clutch/brood failure rate in these later nests was down to only 6% from 220 boxes. up to four birds were regularly reported from carlton Marshes during the year, with a peak count of seven there on August 31st. Lakenheath fen also recorded up to four birds during January to April, but these counts were eclipsed by the amazing total of 14 birds present at hemingstone on february 22nd.

LITTLE OWL Athene noctua Fairly common resident. following on from last year’s comment regarding the 122

Barn Owl Peter Beeson

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possible decline of this species, orfordness reported the apparent loss of this species as a breeding bird, with only two sightings there all year: April 9th and May 20th. A single bird was recorded during the BBS, representing 2% of the squares covered (well down on the 7% found last year).

Breeding was confirmed at six sites (seven in 2015) – Sotterley, Minsmere, Shingle Street, Stowmarket, Bowbeck in Bardwell and Wickhambrook.

At Shingle Street a pair failed in a nestbox for the third year running. one of the owls was seen, on a nestbox camera, to attack and kill an adult Jackdaw that had entered the box. however, another pair nearby raised three young.

Landguard had a pair in residence all year but, again, they failed to breed. three birds were recorded there on several dates between April 1st and 10th.

TAWNY OWL Strix aluco Common resident. Amber list. this species was, again, reported widely throughout the year, but its fortunes were hard to gauge. confirmed breeding came from just five sites: the Waveney forest at fritton, Minsmere, Bardwell (where an adult and egg were found inside a nest box), West Stow and Sudbury. clearly, this is not a true reflection of this species’ current status within the county but, unless targeted surveys are carried out, a nocturnal species such as this is very difficult to monitor with confidence. the roosting bird, known as Mabel, in christchurch Park, ipswich, was present from 2015 into late-March and then from late-August into 2017.

LONG-EARED OWL Asio otus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Scarce resident.

Numbers appeared much lower than in 2015 and there was no obvious autumn influx this year.

Just two were reported during the first winter period: one at Landguard on January 7th and one along the Deben Estuary at hemley on January 30th. None was then reported until one was present at Minsmere on April 20th.

Breeding reports were also fewer this year with records coming from just three locations in the west, breeding being confirmed at two of these. one seen at hazlewood Marshes on August 10th may have been a local bird, whilst another at Minsmere, october 25th may well have been an immigrant.

SHORT-EARED OWL Asio flammeus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Formerly bred. Amber list. the early part of 2016 produced a good spread of sightings along the coastal belt, with a peak count of three at fritton on March 5th. in the west, Lakenheath fen recorded regular sightings (including two birds on february 26th) and one was present at Stradishall Airfield on March 12th. orfordness saw an increase in sightings during April, as birds moved north, peaking with a count of seven birds on April 30th.

Some of these birds remained on site into

Short-eared Owl Peter Beeson

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the summer months, with an impressive total of six birds seen on June 4th and again on July 2nd, with three still there the next day. one then remained until August 31st. Sadly, despite these high numbers, there were no breeding attempts. other ‘mid-summer’ sightings were as follows: Breydon: south wall, two, June 4th.

Gunton: June 4th.

Carlton Marshes: June 14th.

Southwold: Golf course, June 21st.

Walberswick: tinker’s Marshes, June 9th.

Minsmere: June 26th.

Hollesley Marshes: June 9th.

Havergate: July 4th to 6th; two, July 30th; two, Aug 28th; Aug 29th. Presumably, wandering birds from orfordness.

FIELD NOTE on october 13th the desiccated remains of one was found in the Barn owl nest cavity in the Plate Store on orfordness. it was not present on July 2nd when the site was previously checked and it must have been taken there by one of the Barn owls, as it is not a location that a Shorteared owl would enter.

Orfordness report.

Autumn passage commenced in early october with one seen flying south, well offshore, at Southwold on october 6th. the following day, one was seen flying south offshore of Gunton cliffs and one flew in off the sea at Minsmere. At least 15 more birds were recorded flying in off the sea at six widespread locations between october 15th and November 16th.

Peak counts in the second winter period included four at Peto’s Marsh, carlton colville on November 26th, five at fritton, December 4th, eight at Shingle Street, November 13th (with five there on December 29th) and four on havergate island, December 15th.

EUROPEAN NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus europaeus Locally fairly common summer visitor. Scarce migrant.

Amber list (from Red). the first returning bird of the year was reported from West Stow heath in the king’s forest on May 8th. two were then present at Westleton heath on May 11th and three singing males had arrived back at Sutton common on May 16th. A noteworthy spring migrant was found at Gunton Warren on May 21st. this was the first record for the area since one was picked up dead in corton road, Gunton on June 23rd, 1997. the annual survey of the Sandlings produced a total of 74 breeding territories, up from 63 in 2015 and the highest annual figure since the 79 territories recorded in 2010. Sutton and hollesley commons again held 12 territories, whilst tunstall forest and commons held 12 (up from ten in 2015) and rendlesham forest held 14 (down from 15 in 2015). Anecdotal reports from the 124

Nightjar Peter Beeson

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Breckland sites appear to suggest that numbers are stable, or possibly slightly lower than in previous years, but an organised survey would be required to confirm this.

Elsewhere, three churring males were recorded in the Waveney forest at fritton.

During the autumn, Minsmere recorded two late migrants, one on September 7th and another on September 22nd. the latter is the latest county record since one that was seen in ipswich on october 6th, 2008.

COMMON SWIFT Apus apus Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

A single bird at Pakefield on April 6th was Common Swifts Peter Beeson the first seen in 2016 and the earliest record since one at Dingle Marshes on April 3rd, 2006. there were no further reports until singletons were seen at Minsmere on April 18th and Long Melford sewage works on April 19th. Several sites then recorded their first arrivals over the next few days, with concentrations of 15 at hollesley Marshes on April 21st and 12 at cavenham Pits on April 24th being the highest numbers reported during this early period. Numbers picked up towards the end of the month with a maximum count of 120 birds over Lackford village on April 30th. this was actually the second highest count of the spring, only the 200 birds present at Stowmarket on May 22nd being higher.

A total of 203 birds was recorded during the Suffolk BBS visits, spread across 54% of the squares surveyed (a significant increase on the 42% logged in 2015). Breeding was confirmed at 17 widespread (but mainly inland) sites.

Monthly Movements of common at Landguard:– Monthly MovementsSwifts of common Swifts at Landguard:– Apr May Apr Jun May Jul Aug Sep Jun Jul Aug In/North 1 29 1902 2190 2 In/North 1 29 190 219 South 0 56 175 10711 125 South 0 56 175 1071 125

Sep 0 1

Swifts often leave their natal areas quite soon after their young have fledged and this was certainly observed at Pakenham, where the local birds departed the area around July 25th. the following day a ‘general movement’ of 150 birds was noted down the river Stour valley at Sudbury and 250 were observed at Wash farm, redlingfield, gathering to migrate ahead of an imminent cold front. As the table above shows, July was certainly the peak month for passage through Landguard. however, the only sizeable day-totals recorded on the coast involved 420 south at Landguard on July 11th and 430 birds seen moving south past thorpeness on August 4th.

As is the norm, a small number of sites recorded birds into September. All were coastal, apart from Stowmarket, where three passage birds were seen moving through on September 5th. the latest sightings, all involving singles, came from Minsmere on 11th, oulton Broad on 12th, orfordness on 18th and, finally, fritton Marshes on September 21st.

EURASIAN HOOPOE Upupa epops Scarce passage migrant. Categories A and E. Another good year for this species, with a real mixture of dates and locations. the bird seen at Denham in January was almost certainly the same as that seen in mid-Suffolk in November and December 2015. it is interesting to speculate about the numbers involved in the records below and the possibility of the same bird(s) being involved in at least some of the sightings. however, 125

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the two records in the west show that this species can turn up pretty much anywhere, and not just during spring and autumn migration.

Kessingland: Benacre Sluice, May 1st (c D Darby).

Hazlewood Marshes: oct 27th to 31st (J Steel et al.).

Stowmarket: photographed, Dec 16th (L Love).

Denham: Jan 23rd and 25th (B huggins).

Bradfield St George: in observer’s garden, Dec 3rd (r Smurthwaite per c J Jakes).

EUROPEAN BEE-EATER Merops apiaster Scarce but now annual passage migrant.

After last year’s influx, it was back to ‘normal’ in 2016, with just a single bird recorded.

Minsmere: photographed, Aug 18th and 19th (J h Grant).

After flying north over the Scrape at 09:45hr on 18th, the bird was seen around the west side of the Scrape and nearby woods for much of the rest of the day. it was again present early morning on 19th, before moving off.

COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis Fairly common resident. Amber list. one was observed excavating a nest burrow at Pipps ford, on March 17th. following this, successful nesting was confirmed at six sites (carlton Marshes, Lakenheath fen, Brandon, cavenham Pits, Lackford Lakes and Needham Market), which was down on the ten sites in 2015. however, another nine sites recorded probable breeding.

Lakenheath fen again recorded the highest concentrations during the year with six birds present during the first winter period. other noteworthy totals at this time included five at fornham St Martin on January 29th and five at Lackford Lakes on March 11th. An unlucky individual was seen to be taken by a Sparrowhawk at hen reedbeds on february 6th.

Landguard recorded single birds on four dates during the year; April 8th, August 26th, September 21st and November 23rd. on orfordness, a record total of nine birds was ringed during the year.

EURASIAN WRYNECK Jynx torquilla Uncommon passage migrant. Formerly bred. there were two sightings during the spring of 2016:Covehithe: May 3rd (J key).

Southwold: garden on edge of Bridge foot Marsh from Apr 23rd to 25th (J Shore).

As expected, autumn passage was better with at least eight birds reported:Burgh Castle: Burgh castle Marshes, Sep 5th.

Corton: old sewage works, Aug 5th to Sept 6th (J A Brown); Sep 17th (r Wilton).

Kessingland: sewage works, Sep 6th (D G Beamish, c E J carter).

Hollesley Marshes: Sep 6th (N Mason); Sep 14th (J richardson et al.).

Landguard:, Sep 12th; Sep 24th and 25th (J Zantboer). the first corton bird was a particularly long-stayer, whilst the second Landguard bird met an unfortunate end, being taken by a Sparrowhawk on the second day of its stay.

GREEN WOODPECKER Picus viridis Common resident. this species was recorded in 61% of the BBS squares that were surveyed in 2016 (with a total of 40 birds found). this is down on the 49 birds found in 63% of the squares surveyed in 2015, but is still just above the previous ten-year average of 60%. Breeding was confirmed at 15 sites (17 in 2015), with all reports referring to single pairs, apart from church farm, thorington and Lakenheath fen, both of which held two breeding pairs.

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ickworth Park at horringer again held the largest concentrations with an impressive total of 14 birds recorded there on october 12th. the only other double-figure count came from Deadman’s Grave, icklingham, where ten were found on June 5th.

Movements through Landguard involved a single spring sighting (one on April 5th) and autumn birds on eight dates between July 22nd and September 23rd (peak of two on August 15th). there were no reports from orfordness.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major Common resident. Scarce passage migrant. confirmed or probable breeding was reported from 17 widespread sites (a small increase on the 14 sites recorded in 2015). Breeding will, no doubt, have occurred at many other sites as this species remains relatively common, being recorded in 46% of the BBS squares surveyed this year. one was recorded at Landguard on April 7th; the only spring record at the site. Whether this was just a local movement, or a bird that had come from further afield will remain unknown.

Autumn passage was again observed at the site, with six birds logged between July 2nd and September 23rd (maximum of two birds on July 14th). there were no reports from orfordness.

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dryobates minor Scarce and declining resident. Red list. reports were again received from just five sites (same as in 2015):East Bergholt: flatford Mill, feb 28th.

Pipps Ford: calling, Mar 17th.

Santon Downham: female seen by church, Jan 1st. there were then regular reports of up to three birds along the Little ouse river between Santon Downham and Brandon from Mar 15th to Apr 20th.

Cavenham Heath NNR: female, feb 21st; Dec 28th.

Horringer: ickworth Park, Apr 16th; Apr 23rd. it is sad to have witnessed the decline of this species in Suffolk over the years and one wonders how long it can continue its tenuous foothold within the county.

COMMON KESTREL Falco tinnunculus Common resident. Amber list. reports were received from 187 parishes across the county, a slight increase on the 178 in 2015. the 2016 BBS data showed a dramatic drop of 73% in the uk and 68% in England. this was especially disappointing after the encouraging BBS results from the previous year of upward trends of 36% in the uk and 38% in England. this species was encountered in just nine of the 41 BBS squares in Suffolk, compared with 13 in 2015. these latest figures serve to underline the longterm decline of this species.

Breeding was confirmed at 27 sites, and productivity appears to have been good. A pair fledged four young at Braiseworth and three young fledged from a nest on ipswich Golf course. Elsewhere, pairs raised two young at felixstowe Docks, and in nest boxes at haverhill and West Stow country Park. None bred on orfordness.

During autumn likely passage birds included single birds seen offshore at Southwold on three dates in September and another was seen offshore at Minsmere on 16th. At thorpeness one flew in off the sea on September 17th, while at Landguard Bird observatory singles were logged flying south on September 25th and north on August 11th and November 23rd. A count of 15 along the Deben Estuary during a WeBS count on october 16th was particularly noteworthy.

RED-FOOTED FALCON Falco vespertinus Rare visitor.

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first located at Sutton common by Sean Minns on May 23rd, moved a short distance to upper hollesley common, where it remained for three days. After an absence of nine days what is presumed to be the same bird was relocated in early June at Westwood Marshes, Walberswick NNr. Sutton Common: May 23rd and 24th (S Minns, N Mason, S Abbott).

Upper Hollesley Common: May 25th to 27th (S howell, P kennerley et al.).

Westwood Marshes: June 7th (PD Green)

MERLIN Falco columbarius Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List. the total of 92 reports received in 2016 (including nine via Birdtrack) was a slight increase on the 87 in 2015. there were 32 reports from 27 sites during the first winter period during which at least nine birds were present across the county. All sightings involved single birds except for orfordness where two birds were present on March 5th and on the Deben Estuary where two birds were seen during the March 13th WeBS count.

Potential spring migrants in April were logged at Landguard Bird observatory on two dates and a late bird was seen at corton on May 11th.

An early returning bird was seen on orfordness on August 10th, then in September reports came from seven coastal sites, including a juvenile at kessingland, 6th. Autumn passage in october included single birds in off the sea at Gunton Beach, 2nd, and Bawdsey cliffs four days later.

Elsewhere, one was offshore at Southwold, 7th, and one took up residence on orfordness from 9th. there was a total of 42 reports from coastal sites plus eight inland sightings between october and December. At Lakenheath fen one was seen on four dates in November and two birds were encountered on the Deben Estuary during the WeBS count on December 18th. reports suggest that seven birds overwintered.

EURASIAN HOBBY Falco subbuteo Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant. the total of 370 reports (including eight via Birdtrack) received in 2016 was significantly lower than the figure of 572 in the previous year. the 2016 BBS revealed decreases of 12% across the uk and 43% in England, compared with increases of 31% nationally and 34% in England in 2015. in Suffolk the hobby was seen in just two of the 41 BBS squares covered in 2016, the same number as in 2015. these data reflect the long-term downward trend for this species in both the uk and England. the first returning bird was reported at Minsmere on April 12th closely followed by one at Lakenheath fen the next day.

Numbers at the latter site steadily increased through April culminating in a maximum count of 14 by the end of the month.

Notable counts during the first half of May included 12 at both Minsmere and North Warren and nine at Snape. As usual the highest count was at Lakenheath fen where

Hobby Richard Allen

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numbers peaked at 36 on May 7th. confirmed breeding came from nine locations, including Minsmere which held four pairs and thetford forest where three pairs were located (in Suffolk).

Late summer/early autumn activity along the coast around Lowestoft included one seen flying in off the sea at Ness Point in late September, and singles south offshore at North Denes on three dates in october. Elsewhere, two birds were seen offshore at Southwold and thorpeness in September and single birds were logged on five dates between September 2nd and october 10th at Landguard Bird observatory.

Lingering birds were reported at ten sites in october with the last being seen at Minsmere on october 12th.

Noteworthy behaviour included one targeting a flock of juvenile Starlings at Walsham-leWillows on August 7th and at nearby Mickle Mere one unsuccessfully chased a Green Sandpiper on August 31st.

FIELD NOTE A hobby was seen apparently ‘chasing’ common terns and forcing them down onto the water on the sailing lake at Lackford Lakes on April 29th. Some bird species do seem to ‘play’ just for the sheer joy and fun of it but as with many types of bird behaviours, the exact purpose of ‘play’ is not yet fully understood. there are undoubtedly physical benefits to ‘chasing play’ as it strengthens wing muscles and helps birds develop greater agility in the air.

C Gregory.

PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus Uncommon but increasing winter visitor and passage migrant. Has bred since 2008. Categories A and E. A total of 326 reports (including 77 via Birdtrack) was received compared with 418 in 2015. reports came from 90 sites across the county, five more than in 2015. the 2016 BBS data show a drop of 10% in the uk compared with a rise of 15% in 2015. however, there was a real reverse of fortunes in England where there was an increase of 44% in 206 compared with a decrease of 75% in 2015. the long-term trends for this species are down in the uk but on the rise in England. favoured locations such as Lowestoft, orfordness, felixstowe, Minsmere and Bury St Edmunds held birds throughout the year.

Sightings in January involving two birds came from seven locations; Mutford, Minsmere, Boyton Marshes and hollesley Marshes. the overwintering bird remained at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-byNayland until mid-february. it was a similar picture in february with reports of two birds on the Blyth Estuary and at Walberswick, Minsmere, Sizewell and Boyton. in March birds were seen at 14 coastal sites including a female in off the sea at corton cliffs, 27th and three birds at Landguard Bird observatory, 30th. reports also came from five inland sites.

Notable April reports included two birds at Snape Wetlands and at Bury Beet factory the resident pair was joined briefly by a second female. reports came from ten sites in May; away from the favoured locations singles were seen at Gorleston, flixton Gravel Pits, Pipps ford, Santon Downham, Lakenheath fen and the Nunnery Lakes reserve, thetford. the small breeding population in the county had mixed success in 2016. A pair successfully fledged three young in a nest-box on the grain silo at Lake Lothing, Lowestoft. in ipswich the pair on the Mill on the Waterfront fledged five chicks, all of which were ringed. in June one of the chicks was rescued after apparently falling from its nest, but was later released unharmed. Another chick from the Mill made it all the way to Bury St Edmunds where it surprised shoppers in the Arc shopping centre by catching and eating a pigeon outside the Apex on July 29th! however, only one of the three chicks that fledged from the orwell Bridge nestbox survived; one was found dead at Nacton. other pairs at felixstowe Docks and Bury Beet factory failed again and on orfordness, although a pair was present during the breeding season, there was no evidence of 129

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breeding. Elsewhere, the lone bird continued to visit St Mary’s church in Bungay and at least one was present at Lavenham on a few dates.

Sightings in June included the family group at Lake Lothing and two wandering juveniles seen at Landguard. in July reports came from oulton, kessingland, Minsmere, Sizewell, Pipps ford and honington. in August sightings included ilketshall St Mary, Lake Lothing, hazlewood Marshes, havergate island, Snape and Pipps ford.

Single birds were seen at ten coastal locations in September, and one was seen eating a Wood Pigeon in a garden in Bungay. there were also reports from three sites in the west of the county. up to two birds frequented Minsmere on several dates and two were seen flying in off the sea at thorpeness (one carrying prey) on September 18th. Minsmere continued to host two birds into october and there were also single birds at Pettaugh and on two dates at Pipps ford.

Away from the coast overwintering birds returned to Gifford’s hall from october 21st and at Stradishall Airfield on November 11th for the third consecutive winter. finally, two birds were present at Lakenheath fen in December.

EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE Oriolus oriolus Scarce passage migrant. Formerly scarce summer resident. Last bred 2009. Red list.

After just two records in 2014 and five records in 2015 there were no sightings of Golden orioles in Suffolk.

2015 Additions: Ipswich: ipswich Golf club, May 14th to 16th (N Sherman).

Capel St Mary: June 20th (c Lodge).

RED-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius collurio Scarce passage migrant; formerly bred. Red list.

After six in 2015 and nine in 2014, there were just three records of this popular passage migrant:Hen Reedbeds: male, June 6th (N Minns).

Dunwich Forest: female, June 11th (A robinson).

Westleton Heath: first-winter, oct 11th to oct 24th (r Drew, N Mason).

LESSER GREY SHRIKE Lanius minor Very rare visitor. for a second year there were no sightings in Suffolk of this much-sought-after shrike.

GREAT GREY SHRIKE Lanius excubitor Scarce passage migrant and winter visitor. there were three records in the first part of the year:Westleton Heath: April 25th (r Drew).

Berner’s Heath: feb 16th to Mar 20th (c Jakes, West Suffolk Birders, P Aldous, t humpage).

Eriswell: foxhole heath, Apr 20th and 21st (S Jarvis). in the autumn this species was much more numerous with records of solitary birds coming from ten sites. Selected records:Corton: old Sewage Works, oct 17th (J A Brown).

Lowestoft North Denes: oct 8th and 9th (A c Easton) Covehithe: oct 4th to 6th (c Buttle) Hen Reedbeds: oct 21st (c A cuthbert).

Westleton Heath: oct 12th to 15th; oct 20th to 24th (r Drew).

Sizewell: Lower Abbey Marshes, oct 14th (Suffolk Wildlife trust).

Minsmere: oct 28th (J h Grant); Nov 16th and 17th (rSPB).

Orfordness: holm oaks, oct 9th; shingle near Black Beacon, oct 20th to 22nd (S Piotrowski).

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Landguard: oct 3rd (D Mccarthy); oct 5th (c J Bridge, r A Duncan et al).

Berner’s Heath: oct 28th remaining into 2017 (c Gregory, West Suffolk Birders et al.).

WOODCHAT SHRIKE Lanius senator Rare visitor. there were no sightings in 2016, the third blank year since 2013.

EURASIAN MAGPIE Pica pica Very common resident. records of this conspicuous bird came from sites across the county with proven or probable breeding from only two of them.

Magpies were found in 75% of BBS squares surveyed (74% in 2015), with a combined total of 86 birds counted. the only notable counts came from:Corton: Sewage Works, 21, feb 19th. on orfordness, Magpies were present on all visits although no significant counts were made: the breeding population was estimated at six to eight pairs.

At Landguard, Magpies were present all year with five or six pairs nesting but rearing just one young. there was a spring maximum of 20 on March 31st and 14 on october 17th.

At the Pipps ford long-term roost, birds were spread out along the Gipping Valley; probably because of the incursion of gravel workings on their favoured roost locations. the highest count was 54 on January 21st. (141, 2015). thirty were noted at centre Parcs, Elveden on November 18th.

EURASIAN JAY Garrulus glandarius Common resident and scarce passage migrant.

Sightings of this often elusive, vocal species came from sites across the county with breeding confirmed only at two sites. the species was found in 21% of the BBS squares surveyed (44%, 2015) with a combined total of 11 birds counted.

Most sightings were of between one and four birds with larger groupings as follows:Lowestoft: North Denes, six, oct 25th.

Thorpeness: caravan Park five, Jan 1st.

Sibton: Park, six, oct 23rd.

At Landguard the only records were of singles on April 21st and May 4th.

More sightings came from the west of the county where records came from 41 sites with a maximum of six seen at the Bto, Nunnery reserve on March 29th.

WESTERN JACKDAW Corvus monedula Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. records of this species came from a wide range of sites across the county but with breeding being confirmed at only two of them. BBS data showed this bird in 88% of surveyed squares with a combined total of 383 birds counted.

A hundred at Burgh castle, July 16th, 300 at Butley river, December 6th and 180 at Boyton Marshes, January 28th were amongst the highest counts. on orfordness birds were present throughout the year, with the highest counts being 50, March 13th, 60 on April 9th, 70 on october 8th and 74 on october 15th. the breeding population was estimated at 19-22 pairs, all of which were in the various buildings on site. the first at Landguard was one on January 15th. in spring a total of ten flew north and 21 south with two in off the sea. Seventeen were on site between february 24th and June 14th, with a maximum of five south, May 19th until two arrived August 16th. in autumn a total of four flew 131

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north, 12 south and one in off the sea between September 19th and November 15th, with a maximum of seven south on September 19th. At the year’s end one flew north on December 22nd and one south on 29th. in the west at Lakenheath fen counts ranged from 200 on January 18th to 3000 on July 11th (15000, 2014). other notable congregations were at Gifford’s hall, Stoke-by-Nayland with 200 on November 7th and the Bto Nunnery reserve with 300 on November 16th.

ROOK Corvus frugilegus Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.

Sightings of this gregarious bird came from sites across the county with breeding being confirmed at nine locations. the BBS reported this species in 63% of squares surveyed with a combined total of 818 birds at 41 sites.

Notable north-east congregations were at Easton Bavents with 300 on July 29th, hazlewood Marshes, 350, August 10th and 800 at Sibton Park on october 21st. on orfordness the first, as is usual, were not until May with six on 8th increasing to 40 by 22nd and 70 on June 4th but only two by June 18th, the last of the year. Most of the sightings here are of birds feeding in the shingle areas.

At Landguard there were spring passage totals of three north, 37 south and two on site between March 11th and May 13th. there were maxima of six south on March 31st and April 7th. in autumn one flew south on September 30th.

At Pipps ford in the Gipping Valley a flock of about 500 flew west on february 10th.

Large mixed flocks of 3000 rooks and Jackdaws occurred at Bowbeck, Bardwell on January 19th and Lakenheath fen rSPB on July 11th.

CARRION CROW Corvus corone Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant.

Sightings of this species came from a wide range of sites but with breeding being confirmed at only nine locations in the west. they were found in 97% of BBS squares surveyed (95% in 2015) with a combined total of 394 birds counted at the 41 survey sites.

A number of double-figure counts were made, the highest being 59 in the Snape area, on february 6th and 54 in the Dunwich area, December 9th. on orfordness birds were present throughout the year with up to six in January and february, 14 on March 5th, a strong passage of 32 on May 23rd and then a maximum of only nine until a December influx with 22 on 4th and 30 on 18th .twelve were still present at the end of the year. three pairs nested, all in the traditional cobra Mist compound site including two on the aerials. this corvid was present all year at Landguard. Passage movements in spring involved two north, 23 south and 35 in off the sea, March 5th to April 29th, with a maximum of 22 in off the sea on April 29th. there was a spring maximum of 37 on site on April 2nd. As in previous years two pairs nested in the adjoining dock area rearing five and three young. on September 21st, 17 were recorded and the same number were present on December 12th. Visible migration in autumn was limited with only one south on November 11th and 12 south, December 12th.

Great Livermere held a group of 80 on february 21st.

HOODED CROW Corvus cornix Scarce winter visitor. there were no sightings of this species although two hybrid birds Cornix corone X cornix were seen as follows:Hopton-on-Sea: Mar 25th (Lowestoft Lounge Lizards).

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Burgh Castle: May 22nd (Lowestoft Lounge Lizards).

NORTHERN RAVEN Corvus corax Uncommon visitor. Formerly bred.

Sightings of one or two of the largest member of the corvid family continue to increase particularly in the west of the county where birds have been present at one site since May 2015. unlike 2015 there were no reports of potential breeding behaviour. in the west possibly the same two birds were seen ranging from ickworth Park north to cavenham heath.

Although a breeding attempt seems overdue, it still remains unproven, so the intriguing sighting of four birds at one location in September is inconclusive.

Denston: one or two seen and heard on various dates between Jan 2nd and Apr 3rd and again Sep 5th to 30th with four being seen Sep 28th (M ferris).

Ickworth Park: one or two from Jan 6th with various sightings until oct 28th (J Myers, West Suffolk Birders et al.)

Risby: two, Jan 28th and one, May 14th (c Gregory) Lackford Lakes: two, various dates Mar 15th to July 9th (c Jakes, c Gregory).

Cavenham Heath: June 10th then various dates from Sept 13th to oct 4th (B Woodhouse, r Ayres, West Suffolk Birders et al.)

Cavenham: two photographed, visiting pig fields, tuddenham road, from July 1st on daily basis.

Long Melford: Melford hall, two, Nov 19th; Dec 2nd (S read, D underwood) Breckland heaths – birds present in both winter periods.

GOLDCREST Regulus regulus Very common resident and passage migrant.

Sightings of this tiny species came from 57 sites with breeding confirmed or probable at 19 locations. they were found in 31% of BBS squares surveyed (39%, 2015) with a combined total of 40 birds counted. on orfordness it was another good passage year with the first being seen on March 13th and ten recorded on 25th. up to six were present in April with the last one on May 1st. Autumn passage was not as high as in 2015 but it was still a good autumn after the first on September 24th and a good movement occurred throughout october with a maximum of 70 on 6th. A few appeared into November with the last being three on 13th. the table shows the ringing totals for the last five year:-.

2012 2013 69 4

2014 2012 2015201320162014 69 30 549 4 276 30

2015 549

2016 276

A high count of 70 migrants was made at Bawdsey, october 15th.

At Landguard two overwintered to at least february 13th, with one until March 14th. Spring passage ran from March 8th to April 17th, with a maximum of 12 on March 31st. Autumn passage began on September 16th running to November 19th, with a maximum of 40 on october 6th.

At Great Livermere 17 passage birds were trapped on october 9th.

FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla Regular but uncommon breeder and passage migrant. Some overwinter. Green list (from Amber). the diminutive and sprightly firecrest continues to be a very popular species with records coming from 59 sites. in the whole of thetford forest, Norfolk and Suffolk, there was “a sizeable increase in breeding” with 102 territories located. of these, 35 were in Suffolk, including 15 at Santon Downham, nine in Brandon country Park and five at high Lodge. At Minsmere, five 133

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territories were recorded. Away from the core areas, birds singing at one site in the west of the county and five in the south-east were considered more likely to be on territory rather than simply passage birds.

None was found in any of the 2016 BBS squares surveyed. in Southwold seven were located on March 31st. on orfordness the first of the year were two on March 25th and 27th. one was seen on April 2nd and three on 3rd. in May, two on 14th, one on 21st and one singing in the holm oaks on 29th ended a very good spring. it was a rather disappointing autumn with only two on october 8th, one the next day, and two on 15th and the last on october 23rd. two were located at Bawdsey on May 17th.

Spring passage at Landguard ran from March 18th to June 4th, with a maximum of seven, April 1st. Autumn passage began on September 23rd continuing until November 4th, with a maximum of four, october 15th.

EURASIAN PENDULINE TIT Remiz pendulinus Very rare visitor. there were no records of this species in 2016.

BLUE TIT Cyanistes caeruleus Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. reports of this ever-present tit came from a large number of sites in all parts of the county.

Breeding was only confirmed at seven sites which is an obvious underestimate of this bird’s huge breeding range and capacity. there were two breeding pairs at Darsham Marshes, five at hen reedbeds and three at church farm, thorington. unsurprisingly, they were found in 97% of BBS squares surveyed, with a combined total of 382 birds counted at the 41 sites. on orfordness two were seen on January 1st and february 25th but may well have been present throughout. Migrants were noted at the holm oaks with three on March 25th. two returned on August 19th with at least one remaining until the year’s end.

At Landguard this tit was present all year with one pair nesting. Eight birds from previous years survived the winter, the oldest from September 2012. Spring passage ran from March 17th to April 7th, with a maximum of six on March 23rd. the first juvenile appeared on May 27th with dispersing juveniles turning up from elsewhere from June 10th until July 27th with a later new bird ringed on August 14th. Autumn passage ran from August 24th until october 25th with seven on September 11th and 14th.

At West Stow country Park, on february 8th, 62 were trapped and ringed with only 39% being first-year birds. however, at Lackford Lakes, 29 were trapped and ringed on March 15th with 23 (79%) being first-year birds, suggesting very good winter survival.

GREAT TIT Parus major Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. records of this ubiquitous tit came from across the county with breeding confirmed at 11 sites. there were eight breeding pairs at Darsham Marshes, four at hen reedbeds and four at church farm, thorington.

Great tits were found in 97% of BBS squares surveyed, with a combined total of 190 birds counted.

At hollesley Marshes rSPB, 12 were present, february 3rd to 19th.

At Landguard birds were present all year with four or five pairs nesting. Eighteen birds from previous years survived the winter with the oldest from July 2012. Spring passage ran from March 4th until May 9th with a maximum of 15 on March 23rd. the first juveniles arrived on May 28th with dispersing juveniles turning up on site from elsewhere until August 7th, with a maximum of 134

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15 on several dates through May and June. Autumn passage ran from September 7th to october 25th with a later, new, bird on December 22nd. the maximum day-count was ten on September 4th, 7th and 14th. higher numbers and confirmed breeding were generally recorded more in the west of the county. ringing/tagging at Lackford Lakes suggested “another productive season locally bucking the national trends”. Sixteen were noted at West Stow country Park on March 13th.

COAL TIT Periparus ater Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. records came from 33 sites with breeding confirmed at five locations. BBS data show coal tits in 29% of squares surveyed (31% in 2015) with a combined total of 23 birds counted.

Away from the west of the county the only high count came from upper hollesley common with 12 being seen on January 6th.

At Landguard, ten were noted between June 17th and July 28th with a maximum of three on June 22nd. in the west, clearly this species’ stronghold, 70 were recorded at centre Parcs, Elveden, february 11th, 30 at nearby Mayday farm, february 12th and 16 singing males at Brandon country Park on April 27th.

Continental Coal Tit Periparus ater ater Scarce passage migrant.

Sightings came from three sites, including singles at Sparrow’s Nest in Lowestoft on october 15th (r Murray) and at Minsmere on March 31st (Waveney Bird club).

At Landguard spring passage ran from March 22nd to April 19th plus two later birds on May 6th with a maximum of four on March 25th – the highest Landguard total since four were there on March 31st 2006.

WILLOW TIT Poecile montana Uncommon resident and scarce passage migrant. Red list. there was only a single, accepted sighting of this now extremely scarce bird:Lakenheath Fen: Mar 23rd to Apr 3rd, visiting feeders at visitor centre, trapped and ringed (S Evans, L V Gregory, D White, rSPB, West Suffolk Birders).

MARSH TIT Poecile palustris Fairly common resident. Red list. records of this species came from 62 sites across the county with breeding being confirmed at 14 locations and probable at one other site. it was not recorded in any of the BBS squares (11%, 2015).

At North cove SWt there were five breeding pairs and 13 pairs held territories at Minsmere. records were mainly of one or two birds but with four at the rSPB Snape Wetlands on December 1st and 11 at Assington on october 17th. one pair held territory during the breeding season at Lakenheath fen.

BEARDED TIT Panurus biarmicus Uncommon resident. Green list (from Amber). this popular reedbed specialist was recorded from 30 sites with breeding confirmed at 12 locations, one more than in 2015. the maximum at both carlton Marshes and oulton Broads was 30 birds on December 6th and 27th respectively.

At the usual coastal reedbed sites, a total of 12 pairs bred within Benacre NNr, with 24 pairs at Walberswick NNr. Nine pairs bred at Dunwich Dingle Marshes and four pairs at hen reedbeds.

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there were 34 breeding territories at Minsmere and seven at North Warren. on orfordness birds were often difficult to count but they were seen or heard on a number of dates in January and february with six re-trapped on March 5th which had been ringed in 2015, suggesting an overwintering population of at least that number. At least one, a female, was still present to May 8th but there was no evidence of breeding this year. Birds returned in october with two on 8th increasing to 12 by 27th and 13 on 29th. At least ten were seen in November and 15 were counted on December 11th suggesting another good overwintering flock. outside of the bigger marsh areas, birds were seen at a few isolated locations including seven at Stonner Point on the Deben Estuary on october 13th and 12 at Bawdsey, october 19th and 25th. two were at Ampton Water on April 3rd and two at Lackford Lakes SWt on November 19th with a male remaining there until 23rd.

At the species’ west Suffolk outpost of Lakenheath fen “birds tend to be under-recorded”, with a maximum count of 29 on october 16th (rSPB).

WOODLARK Lullula arborea Fairly common breeding species. Scarce on passage and in winter. Green list. unusually, there were few reports of Woodlark on the move in 2016. Single birds, however, were recorded at Landguard on March 24th and April 5th. Later, during autumn movements, singles were at Landguard on october 10th, 15th and 20th. this species is now breeding widely in suitable, mainly heathland, areas of Suffolk. ten territories were recorded in the Dunwich area, 27 at Minsmere, seven at North Warren, 15 in rendlesham forest and 12 in tunstall forest. there were nine on Woodbridge Airfield and 27 pairs on Sutton and hollesley commons. Some of the nests were in adjoining arable fields (which makes them less liable to disturbance from dogs). in the west 77 territories were held in the Suffolk section of thetford forest and seven on Berner’s heath where some excellent management work should provide habitat for more. on August 7th there was a mixed-age flock of 21 on cavenham heath suggesting a decent breeding year.

Looking back at the Suffolk Atlas results it is remarkable how similar were the winter and breeding ranges. the 2016 data show a very similar pattern.

SKYLARK Alauda arvensis Common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor. Red list.

Notable counts in the first winter period included 100 at carlton Marshes on several dates in January. At rickinghall there were 40 birds present on february 26th with 20 of them singing. on thetford heath 35 were present on March 4th. on orfordness, Skylarks were “recorded on virtually all visits, although no significant flocks were seen”. At Landguard 34 birds were recorded moving through in March.

Breeding was recorded widely with the highest totals being in the Dunwich forest and Dingle Marshes area with at least 22 pairs (four separate recorders) and 45 territories at Great Waldingfield (M Peers). the Shingle Street to East Lane stretch of coast holds numerous singing Skylarks making it almost impossible to hear the local corn Buntings! According to BBS data, however, it was a poor year for Skylark. the 196 counted in the 41 squares is the lowest since BBS started in 1994 (except for 2001 when numbers would have been lower due to less coverage caused by the foot and Mouth outbreak. there were 375 counted in 2012 and 258 in 2013.

Autumn migration was much more obvious at Landguard with 203 birds moving south in october and 73 in November.

Data on wintering flocks later in the year were more numerous. carlton Marshes, as in January, held over 100 birds in November. there were 38 recorded in the Dunwich forest and Dingle Marshes area on october 30th. there were 30 at cavenham heath on october 16th and the number at Long Melford built up through october and November with a high total of 105 there on December 25th (D underwood).

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HORNED ( SHORE) LARK Eremophila alpestris Scarce winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. there were no records in the earlier part of the year. in october there were a number of records by the coast with some possibly being the same individuals. the following birds were present:Corton: old sewage works, oct 13th (c Shaw).

Carlton Marshes: oct 11th (A c Easton) – an unexpected record away from the immediate vicinity of the coast.

Kessingland: beach, two, oct 16th (J ferguson).

Covehithe: Broad, Nov 19th (r Walden).

Dunwich: beach, in off sea, oct 24th and 25th (J Davies); Dingle Marshes, three, oct 28th (r Drew).

Minsmere: beach, five, oct 14th to 16th (rSPB); two, Nov 19th (M hewett-Emmett).

Orfordness: two, oct 23rd (S Piotrowski); 13, Nov 12th increasing to 25, Dec 4th (orfordness report).

Landguard: oct 20th to 24th (LBo). the orfordness report states “...then a flock of 13 were found on Lantern Marsh on November 12th, these could be very elusive at times with the flock increasing in December with a maximum count of 25 on 4th, and birds remaining to the year’s end”. this total of 25 is the highest site total in Suffolk since April 24th 1999 when 35 were at Benacre.

SAND MARTIN Riparia riparia Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Green list. the first bird, again, was in the west at Lakenheath fen on March 23rd with birds turning up on the coast over the next few days.

Spring migration at Landguard involved 35 north between April 14th and May 29th. Sites with good numbers on spring passage were:Corton: Sewage Works, 50, Apr 16th.

Kessingland: Sewage Works, 50, May 22nd.

Minsmere: multiple records with highest, 1000+, Apr 15th.

Hollesley Marshes: 50, Apr 18th; 50, May 14th.

Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, 100, Apr 3rd to 8th; 150, Apr 29th; 100, May 11th.

Thetford: Nunnery reserve Bto, 40, Apr 7th.

Lakenheath Fen: 30, Apr 13th.

Cavenham Pits: 40, Apr 19th; 50, Apr 27th.

Breeding data were in short supply. At Minsmere 320 occupied burrows were counted, at Blackheath common, Wenhaston there were 25 active nests and 20 at chillesford. At Pipps ford there was “a good breeding season with 67 active nests producing many young and many had at least two broods”. Sand Martins are one species where monitoring breeding can be restricted as the sites are not accessible because of security, health and safety or the proximity of rarer breeders. there were only ten counted in the 41 BBS squares compared with 14 in 2015. in 2011 there were 49.

High Wire Copulating Sand Martins i live about 300 metres from a Sand Martin colony of about 60 pairs in my local gravel pits. it was interesting to see in April and May many visits by Sand Martins to the electricity supply cables at the bottom of my garden. usually, after a short pause, perched pairs copulated then flew off. this was seen to happen on a number of occasions during the breeding season and is not something that i have seen before.

Phil Whittaker.

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reports of autumn migrants were much sparser than those in the spring. the orfordness report states “relatively small numbers were recorded. The first, as for the past two years, were not seen until July with two on 9th, three the next day and then 29 on 16th and two on 24th. Seen on three dates in August with a maximum of eight on 21st - then the last was one on September 21st”. At Landguard it was a different story with 631 south between July 2nd and September 24th with a maximum of 167 south on July 13th. the last bird of the year, again in the west, was at Livermere Lake on November 27th (t Stopher). this is the latest record in Suffolk since 1982 when two were at Sizewell on December 2nd.

BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Green list (from Amber).

Barn Swallows, for the first time in four years, arrived in March in 2016. the first record came from Minsmere on March 25th quickly followed by birds at Lowestoft, kessingland, North Warren, hollesley, Landguard, higham (near hadleigh) and cavenham in the next two days. the records show that there were larger flocks during April in the west of the county, the largest being:Lackford: 150, Apr 16th.

Livermere Lake: 70, Apr 15th.

Long Melford: 150, Apr 17th. in comparison there were few notable flocks on the coast in April:Minsmere: 50, Apr 15th; 50 Apr 30th.

Hollesley Marshes: 46, Apr 18th.

Although there were these three figures on the coast there were no other records of more than 11 birds until more than 200 were at hollesley Marshes on May 4th and 88 at thorpeness the next day. At Landguard 110 flew south on May 20th.

Very few records of breeding were received, the majority being from recorders in the west. BBS data shows similar numbers to the last two years.

Autumn movements were far more obvious on the coast with a peak on September 22nd and just after:Lowestoft: Link’s road, 159, Sep 22nd.

Covehithe: 200, oct 8th.

Minsmere: Scrape, 700, Sep 22nd.

Southwold: 500, Sep 29th.

Aldeburgh: 200, Sep 25th.

Chillesford: 200, Aug 24th, 200, Sep 4th.

Shingle Street: 160, Aug 31st.

Landguard: 500, Sep 22nd.

Monthly totals at Languard:Jan Feb N 0 0 IN/S 0 0

Mar 1 1

Apr 22 96

May 61 405

Jun 13 65

Jul 6 131

Aug 13 1181

Sep 39 2863

Oct 6 247

Nov 0 4

Dec 0 0

on orfordness, after low numbers in spring, numbers increased in August with 40 on 29th. in october there were 50 on 9th, 100 on 11th and 60 on 15th.

Birds were seen throughout october, a few in November, including one with the Sand Martin at Livermere Lake on November 27th (see above). the last of the year was at Minsmere on December 2nd (E W Patrick).

CLIFF SWALLOW Petrochelidon pyrrhonota First for Suffolk.

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well-watched on 5th and last seen on 6th. See the article on the bird, its identification and how it was found towards the front of this report.

Minsmere: first-winter with Barn Swallows, Nov 4th to 6th (E Patrick, S Piotrowski et al.).

HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbicum Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the first bird of the year arrived at Minsmere on March 28th with another at higham (near hadleigh) the next day. there were few flocks totalling over 150 in spring, three of these being on the same date:Hazlewood Marshes: 200, June 2nd.

Snape Wetlands: 300, June 2nd.

Hollesley Marshes: 150, May 14th.

Mickle Mere: 160, June 2nd.

BBS data for the past BBS six years:data for the past six years:2011 2014 2012 2015 2013 2016 2014 2011 2012 2013 142 91 69142 4591 5369 7545

2015 53

2016 75

Breeding was recorded throughout the county with some excellent details given. unfortunately there is only room for the largest numbers to be entered here. other locations with ten or more nests included carlton colville, Long Melford, Great Wratting, kedington, rickinghall, Bures, thorington Street and Stratford St Mary:Oulton: 15 pairs.

Stoven: 20 nests.

Heveningham/Huntingfield: 20 nests.

Stradbroke: Pixey Lane, 32 pairs.

Hawkedon: 18 pairs.

Pakenham: 35 pairs on watermill, highest number recorded.

Sudbury: 26 nests.

Higham (near Hadleigh): 25 birds including juveniles. the autumn migration saw some impressive flocks, mainly on the coast. As with Barn Swallow there was a peak on September 22nd and just after:Lowestoft: Link’s road, 1504, Sep 22nd.

Kessingland: Sewage Works, 150, July 16th.

Weston: cucumber Lane, 200, Sep 22nd.

Southwold: 500, Sep 29th.

Thorpeness: 660, Sep 26th; 150, Sep 27th.

North Warren: 200, Sep 22nd.

Orfordness: 100, Sep 11th; 90, Sep 17th.

Shingle Street: 250, Sep 20th.

Landguard: 297, Sep 22nd; 1365 altogether in September, otherwise small numbers.

Lakenheath Fen: 170, Sep 4th.

Mickle Mere: 150, Aug 8th.

Pakenham Fen: 200, Sep 2nd, many juveniles suggesting good breeding season.

Little Cornard: cornard Mere, 150, Sep 22nd.

Stansfield: 200, Sep 2nd. there were several birds seen through october and the last bird of the year was at Minsmere on November 8th.

RED-RUMPED SWALLOW Ceropis daurica Scarce visitor. there were no accepted reports of red-rumped Swallow received for 2016.

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CETTI’S WARBLER Cettia cetti Fairly common resident and rare passage migrant.

Some careful counts were made north of the Alde with Minsmere’s 115 dwarfing any other totals, with the general impression that there may well be up to 250 territories in that area. orfordness saw 17 birds ringed, this total exceeding the previous best by six.

South-east observers were diligent in reporting singing birds with a total of over 100 with ten at kirton and eight at cattawade being notable.

As usual Lakenheath rSPB was the dominant site in the west with 47 of perhaps 60 singing males in the region. in kent, at reculver the indefatigable chris hindle, still working his patch for the 53rd year, trapped a bird on october 4th which was controlled at culford on 31st of that month.

LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus Very common resident and scarce passage migrant. orfordness reported a flock of eight in the holm oaks on october 20th, which is a remarkable record for the site.

Little information came from the south-east with the largest flocks noted being 20 at Loompit Lake, trimley St Martin and 16 at Pipps ford.

Landguard saw birds on 12 dates with a maximum of ten on october 21st and 22nd.

Seven sites in the west reported flocks of exactly 20 birds in the first winter period. for the second year running no juveniles were trapped at Lackford in their cES. they were found in 27 of the BBS squares, the same as the last two years, with 83 birds in total in the 41 squares.

GREENISH WARBLER Phylloscopus trochiloides Rare visitor. this singleton brings the cumulative total to 18, all since 1981. the bird was found near the northern edge of the football pitch. it was only heard to sing in the early morning.

Gunton: Dip farm, May 31st to June 3rd (J A Brown, J Wright).

ARCTIC WARBLER Phylloscopus borealis Very rare visitor. the first since 2009 and the fifth for Suffolk.

Landguard: trapped and ringed, Sep 20th and 21st (c J Bridge et al.). the second site record.

PALLAS’S LEAF WARBLER Phylloscopus proregulus Rare autumn passage migrant. there have been three blank years this century including 2012 and 2014 but a mini-revival in 2015 has been followed by a bumper crop in 2016. the bird at East Lane on october 9th is the earliest-ever in Suffolk.

Corton: oct 15th (G Grieco, D Pearsons et al.); oct 24th and 25th (c Shaw, B Small); Link’s hill, oct 26th (r Wilton).

Lowestoft: Arnold’s Walk, oct 25th (r Wincup); Link’s road, oct 26th (r Wilton).

Orfordness: ringed, oct 16th (S howell, M Marsh); ringed, oct 30th (M Marsh, G Stannard, D crawshaw).

Havergate: oct 26th (D fairhurst, G White).

Hollesley: ringed, oct 29th (r Duncan).

East Lane: photographed, oct 9th (M cornish).

Landguard: oct 24th and 25th with a second bird on the latter date (W J Brame, c J Bridge et al.).

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YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER Phylloscopus inornatus Fairly common autumn passage migrant September and october again saw a massive countrywide invasion, with, for example, hundreds reported from the yorkshire coast on September 24th.

An estimate of the county total for the period September 18th to october 26th is 65. the first of the autumn for Suffolk of this popular sprite came at Lowestoft on September 18th and this was quickly followed by a bird trapped at Landguard the next day.

Most of the coastal birds appeared in the north-east with ten at Lowestoft on october 9th when the county day-total was nearly 20. the ringers on orfordness trapped five birds whilst at Landguard up to 12 were netted and ringed. the last sighting was on october 26th at Gunton. in the west a singing bird was at Long Melford on April 24th (D k underwood), Suffolk’s first spring record, and single autumn records came from temple Bridge (october 15th and 16th), cornard Mere (october 22nd) and the Nunnery, thetford (September 25th).

HUME’S WARBLER Phylloscopus humei Very rare visitor.

Just prior to dusk, and following hot on the heels of a Pallas’s Warbler at 16:10hrs, Suffolk’s sixth hume’s Warbler appeared for one of the county’s leading observers and on a typical date. there were two records in 2003, at Sizewell and Southwold, and three at Lowestoft in 2011.

Corton: oct 24th (B J Small et al.).

DUSKY WARBLER Phylloscopus fuscous Rare visitor A good showing, after a blank year in 2015, bringing the county total to 31, the first having been in 1987.

Gorleston: oct 26th to 29th (r fairhead).

Corton: old Sewerage Works, oct 14th and 15th (J A Brown); old railway Line, oct 15th (J A Brown}.

WOOD WARBLER Phylloscopus sibilatrix Scarce summer and autumn migrant. Formerly bred, Red list.

Carlton Marshes: Apr 28th (J A Brown).

Lowestoft: July 25th (Waveney Bird club).

Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, June 9th.

Landguard: Aug 8th and 9th (Landguard report).

COMMON CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. A few overwinter.

Wintering birds were widely reported with a notable five at kessingland Sewerage Works on January 1st.

Minsmere held at least 40 singing birds but otherwise little of note came from the coastal region about breeding. however, in the west, Sudbury held 32 singers and Lackford mentioned a good breeding year with the cES trapping 74 birds including 57 juveniles, the second-best result in 26 years. of the 41 BBS squares they were recorded in 36 of them, similar to the last three years, with the 141 counted being similar to the last two years. orfordness reported an excellent passage and 162 birds ringed, one less than the 2015 total.

Landguard’s best day was September 19th when 50 birds passed through.

A Siberian chiffchaff P. c. tristis was at corton on october 3rd (J A Brown) and another, or the same bird, on october 14th (J A Brown).

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WILLOW WARBLER Phylloscopus trochilus Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the earliest birds appeared on March 30th at kessingland, Minsmere and felixstowe. on the coast singing birds were at a premium with perhaps just three in the north-east and six further south. one of the northern race P. t. acredula was at Minsmere on May 2nd. in west Suffolk 20 and ten singing males were heard at North Stow and cavenham heath respectively on April 27th with 15 at both the king’s forest and the Nunnery on May 1st.

Stradishall Airfield held ten on June 6th. cES at Lackford involved just three birds. they were recorded in just seven of the 41 BBS squares (nine in 2015, seven in 2014, ten in 2013) with 18 counted, similar to the last three years after only seven in 2012. orfordness wrote of a poor spring movement but an excellent total of 151 ringed in the autumn which is treble the total of most recent years and the highest since 2009 when 230 were ringed.

Landguard had maxima of 20 on May 2nd and Sept 11th.

BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Overwintering birds are widely considered to be from Eastern Europe.

Birds were noted on the coast and inland but no significant efforts were made in particular areas to survey singing birds. indeed the only noteworthy total of singing birds in one locality was 33 reported from Sudbury common on May 9th (M Peers). however, they were recorded in 40 of the 41 squares a number consistent with the last few years, with 153 counted after 188 in 2015 and 147 in 2014. orfordness had its best-ever year with 134 ringed in the autumn (previous best was 54 in 2004) whilst Landguard’s highest seasonal totals were 35 on April 29th and 40 on September 19th.

Autumn passage at Landguard lasted to November 21st, with a maximum of 40 on September 19th.

Lackford Lakes cES ringed a not unexpected 66 birds of which two thirds were juveniles.

GARDEN WARBLER Sylvia borin Common summer visitor and passage migrant. the information received would suggest that ‘common summer visitor’ is a designation worthy of serious checking. the first bird of the year was at Minsmere on April 17th. coastal areas produced a maximum count of four singers at North Warren with mainly singletons elsewhere. however, in the west six sites held between four and six potential breeders. they were recorded in only four of the 41 BBS squares, a decrease after ten in 2015, with only seven birds counted (11 in 2015, eight in 2014). orfordness saw no spring birds and just nine in the autumn whilst Landguard had maximum day-totals of two in both seasons. in the cES at Lackford Lakes just 13 were ringed of which three were juveniles.

As with the first bird, the last of the year was at Minsmere on october 1st.

BARRED WARBLER Sylvia nisoria Scarce passage migrant. there was just one Barred Warbler reported in 2016:Landguard: Sep 20th (E Lucking, N odin, r Spiers et al.).

LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca Fairly common summer visitor and passage migrant.

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the report of a Lesser Whitethroat at kessingland on March 27th makes it the earliest-ever for the species in Suffolk. the next birds of the year appeared at Needham Market on April 11th. they were recorded in 14 BBS squares (12 in 2015, nine in 2014, ten in 2013) with 20 birds counted similar to the last two years and showing a slow increase. Landguard held three breeding pairs which produced 15 juveniles.

A fair amount of excitement was caused by an example of S. c. blythii, the Siberian Lesser Whitethroat, at Landguard from october 9th to 20th. As the Landguard report states – “One or two other late birds were also probably of this race”. this bird was, in fact, the latest of the year for this species. orfordness ringed 28, the highest total since the 35 in 2004, whilst Landguard had seasonal migrant maxima of nine ringed on May 2nd and ten on August 25th. the last bird of the year, not blythii, was at Minsmere on october 15th.

COMMON WHITETHROAT Sylvia communis Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. the first of the year was at carlton on April 7th with birds appearing throughout the county soon after. this seemingly ubiquitous visitor is heard and seen by even the elderly males who struggle with the reelers. however no concerted efforts seem to have been made to assess numbers, except in the BBS where they were recorded in 34 squares similar to the last four years with 133 counted down on the last three years. the breeding population on orfordness was estimated at 11 or 12 pairs. A total of 128 were trapped there in the autumn, the best since the 148 of 2004; the site held autumn maxima of 25 on August 14th and September 11th. A leucistic individual present on orfordness in 2013, 2014 and 2015 was noted there again in 2016. the last of the year was at Lowestoft on September 24th.

DARTFORD WARBLER Sylvia undata Uncommon local resident. Scarce visitor. Amber list.

Breeding numbers stayed much as in 2015 but the total of 120 pairs is almost double that of 2013 and very similar to the peaks in the ‘noughties’. there were 64 territories north of Minsmere with 16 in the mid-coastal area and 40 on the heaths just north of the river Deben.

Elsewhere, birds were seen at orfordness on November 5th, Bixley heath in ipswich on february 25th, Aldeburgh on August 28th and Landguard on october 10th- the sixth site record. rumours of sightings in the Brecks have yet to be confirmed.

SUBALPINE WARBLER Sylvia cantillans sp Very rare visitor. there was a single record of this intriguing species group in 2016.

Reydon: Apr 12th (D Eaton).

COMMON GRASSHOPPER WARBLER Locustella naevia Uncommon and declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the first reeler was at Minsmere on April 9th. this is a difficult species to assess, as apart from the song being out of range for many aged male ears, some observers keep details secret because of the real, or perceived, threat of disturbance by photographers. carlton Marshes remains the stronghold in the north-east holding six territories with possibly only a total of four other pairs elsewhere.

South of the Alde there were up to four possible territories.

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in the west a likely total of possible breeders was about 14 with Lakenheath rSPB holding four. orfordness ringers were pleased to report two reelers with one pair certainly successful the first confirmed breeding of this species at orfordness, together with a record 12 trapped.

Landguard had one bird on April 19th. the last of the year was on orfordness on october 1st.

SAVI’S WARBLER Locustella luscinioides Very rare summer visitor. Red list. Has bred.

Suffolk birders of mature years must still dream of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when ten males sang along the coastal areas. the total for this century hits double figures with this bird at Minsmere.

Minsmere: male in song, island Mere, Apr 12th to May 27th (r harvey, J A rowlands, A Salkeld et al.). the reeler at Eastbridge on April 11th 1998 just retains its status as the earliest-ever in Suffolk!

ICTERINE WARBLER Hippolais icterina Scarce passage migrant. interestingly these two records at Landguard occurred at the same time as the first two of the three in 2015. this century has now seen over 30 accepted reports.

Landguard: trapped and ringed, Aug 25th (c J Bridge); trapped and ringed, Aug 29th (c J Bridge).

SEDGE WARBLER Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Common summer visitor and passage migrant Like the common Whitethroat this species is easily heard and seen but not often counted in any detail. on orfordness 15 - 19 pairs bred.

Efforts at oxley Marshes and hollesley Marshes produced totals of 14 and 12 singing birds respectively. however a more realistic idea of the presence of the bird can be gleaned from the 53 breeding pairs located in a partial survey at rSPB Lakenheath fen. orfordness caught a seemingly-astonishing 822 birds almost quadruple the 2014 total and the best since 2010. of this total of 822, the orfordness ringers trapped 419 in August. At least 85 were present at this remote site on August 31st.

BLYTH’S REED WARBLER Acrocephalus dumetorum Very rare visitor only the third year in which this species has occurred making a total of four birds. there were two trapped in 1993 at fagbury, with one certainly available to Sunday birders, whilst the one in 2014 was caught on orfordness. there was an interesting bird trapped in october by rob Duncan in hollesley which was, disappointingly, eventually identified as Eurasian reed Warbler after DNA analysis.

Landguard: oct 10th (L J Barber, c J Bridge, r Duncan et al). the first site record and the latest to have occurred in Suffolk.

MARSH WARBLER Acrocephalus palustris Scarce migrant. Bred in 2010. Red list.

Lowestoft: North Denes, June 12th (r Wincup).

Hen Reedbeds: June 7th to 12th (S hanks).

Fagbury: June 4th (P J holmes). there has been no indication of any attempt at breeding since the events of 2010.

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30. Great Grey Shrike on Sutton Heath in November.

John Richardson

31. Willow Tit ringed at Lakenheath Fen in March.

Lee Gregory

32. Bearded Tit good views at Minsmere in April.

Bill Baston

33. Woodlark posing well on Upper Hollesley Common in May. Liz Cutting

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34. (American) Cliff Swallow major rarity at Minsmere in November. See article.

Peter Ransome/Steve Abbott

35. Blyth’s Reed Warbler ringed at Landguard in October.

Will Brame

36. Marsh Warbler singing male at Hen Reedbeds in June.

Peter Ransome

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37. Black-bellied Dipper confiding individual at Needham Market in October.

38. Bluethroat female at Lowestoft in June.

Peter Ransome

Bill Baston

39. Black Redstart handsome male at Shingle Street in March.

Liz Cutting

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40. Stejneger’s Stonechat ringed at Landguard in October. See article.

41. Mealy Redpoll at Lowestoft North Denes in November.

Peter Ransome

Paul Oldfield

42. Hawfinch ringed at Landguard in October.

Paul Oldfield

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EURASIAN REED WARBLER Acrocephalus scirpaceus Common summer visitor and passage migrant. the first of the year was at rSPB Lakenheath fen on April 3rd, the earliest-ever recorded in Suffolk.

Double-figure counts of singing birds came from orfordness, cornard Mere, Sudbury, the Nunnery, thetford, whilst a partial survey at rSPB Lakenheath fen noted 41 sites in cBc areas only.

A remarkable total of 575 was ringed on orfordness; of these, 273 were in August and 200 in September. the last of the year was on orfordness on october 15th.

BOHEMIAN WAXWING Bombycilla garrulus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant.

After a largely barren year in 2015 there was a continuation of this trend in the first half of 2016 with only two sightings of a single bird to brighten late winter for us. these were both in ipswich on february 2nd and 3rd. the first of the second winter period was well inland at Brandon on october 22nd followed by a coastal sighting at kessingland on october 23rd. the second winter period was much more productive with a total of 117 records from 42 sites, mostly from the north-east of the county, compared with 54 records in 2015. in the north-east there were 36 reports from 21 sites, with impressive counts of 35 at thorpeness on November 11th and 50 at Peasenhall on December 4th being the largest. the first of the winter was seen at kessingland cliffs on october 23rd. the southeast only produced seven records from seven sites during this period, reaching a peak of 25 at Needham Market on November 8th. there were 13 records from 11 sites in the west, with a maximum of 16 at Santon Downham on November 15th.

EURASIAN NUTHATCH Sitta europaea Fairly common resident. the number of records submitted of this highly sedentary bird was 103 from 44 sites, similar to 2013, 2014 and 2015, but only three confirmed breeding, compared with 35 in 2015 suggesting that more information is needed. the north-east and west of the county provided a high proportion, with 49 records from eight sites and 53 records from 35 sites respectively. there was only one report from the south-east which is a matter of concern, especially as, anecdotally, this noisy and showy bird is seen less often in this part of the county. Eight at center Parcs, Elveden on february 11th was the highest number at a single site. At ickworth Park, a survey of 60% of the park found 17 pairs holding territory giving an estimated total breeding population of about 25 pairs.

Eurasian Nuthatch Peter Beeson

EURASIAN TREECREEPER Certhia familiaris Common resident. Green list (from Amber) (C. f. britannica). this unobtrusive passerine occurs throughout Suffolk according to the Suffolk Bird Atlas 200711 and is thriving nationally, as shown by its removal from the amber list of birds of conservation concern. it is more widespread than the Nuthatch being able to utilise conifers to a greater extent.

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As in previous years, there were few records of more than a single pair at any one site with no counts of more than five individuals. overall, 358 records were submitted from 83 sites, compared with 236 from 98 in 2015.

Breeding was reported from six sites in the west.

EURASIAN WREN Troglodytes troglodytes Very common resident and scarce passage migrant.

Britain’s most abundant resident, the Wren continues to be reported throughout Suffolk, continuing the stable trend shown in recent years. for the second year running the count of individuals on the Breeding Bird Survey was higher; 353 as against 320 in 2015 and 287 in 2014, although the number of squares reporting this species was down from 42 to 39. in the north-east recording area there were 1643 records submitted from 73 sites, with the following indications of breeding:Darsham Marshes: 16 territories Hen Reedbeds: 14 territories (16 in 2015) Thorington: church farm, 15 territories the largest gathering reported was 29 at Westleton Walks on february 23rd. in the south-east, there were 12 reports from five sites, including the highest count of eight at Pipps ford on April 24th. on orfordness, this species continued its recovery from 2011, when it was down to a single pair, with five or six pairs. there was also a record 86 birds ringed, 49 of which were in october.

At Landguard five pairs bred and 17 individuals overwintered. Spring passage lasted from March 26th to May 19th. Autumn passage was from September 16th to November 4th and there was a maximum count of 20 on october 9th. in the west 34 records were submitted from 18 sites, with 47 at Lakenheath fen rSPB being the highest count.

COMMON STARLING Sturnus vulgaris Very common but declining resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the Starling has been declining in Britain since the 1950s so it was pleasing to see the number of individuals reported on the Breeding Bird Survey increase from 278 to 321. however the number of 1km. squares reporting Starlings (20) was the lowest since 2001. only 58 records were submitted to the Suffolk recorders from 29 sites; however there were 1223 records from 73 sites on Bird track from the north-east of the county. there was an increase in the number of 10000+ flocks going to roost with 20 compared with 11 in 2015. these included:Minsmere: 20000, oct 22nd; 40000, oct 30th; 40000, Nov 4th; 35000, Dec 2nd.

Lackford Lakes: 18000, Jan 17th.

Lakenheath Fen RSPB: 13000, Jan 17th; 18000, Jan 18th; 10000, Nov 2nd; 50000, Dec 28th.

Monthly Monthlymaxima maximaat atorfordness orfordnesswere wereas asfollows:– follows:– Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 1000 150 400 110 80 500 1000 150 400 110 80 500

Jul Jul 1000 1000

Aug Aug 350 350

Sep Sep 30 30

Oct Oct 750 750

Nov Nov 180 180

Dec Dec 60 60

Most months showed an increase on 2015. the influx in June and July was of juvenile, probably local, birds, feeding on the Airfields.

At Landguard, the species was present all year with a first winter maximum of 230 on January 17th, although none remained to nest. there was a midsummer peak of 1000 on July 10th. there were visible movements in the autumn of 5239 between october 15th and November 25th, with a maximum of 1375 on November 8th (N odin).

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ROSY STARLING Pastor roseus Rare visitor. Categories A and E the 42nd Suffolk record was a first-winter individual. A particularly notable record from the far west of the county.

Dalham: filmed, Nov 13th (P Brown).

‘BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER’ Cinclus cinclus cinclus Very rare visitor. the 36th county record of the nominate race of White-throated Dipper was a first-winter bird recorded on october 20th on the river Gipping at hawk’s Mill in Needham Market, where it stayed until November 23rd. it then relocated to Pipps ford for two days before returning to hawk’s Mill where it was last reported on November 26th.

Needham Market/Pipps Ford: oct 20th to Nov 26th (D Middleton et al. per Suffolk recorder).

FIELD NOTE Black-bellied Dipper – Needham Market – october 20th 2016 it was not meant to be a birding trip – just an afternoon stroll along the banks of the river Gipping through Needham Market.

We did not even have a pair of binoculars with us. When we reached raven’s Bridge my wife spotted movement further upstream. We were expecting a kingfisher to emerge but a few seconds later a dipper shot along the river passing under the bridge on which we were standing. it went into the bank further downstream and i walked back along the river for about 100 metres but there was no further sign of the bird. Although i had not seen Dippers before in Suffolk it was a bird i was familiar with from sightings in the yorkshire Dales and Scotland. We carried on away from the river to hawk’s Mill where we had planned to walk up to the sluice to see if the Dipper was there. however, we were surprised,and very pleased, to see it from the road in the little stream below the mill. We watched it resting and feeding for about 15 minutes before continuing our walk after taking some record pictures on my phone. the bird was subsequently identified as a first year Black-bellied Dipper. David Middleton. Addendum Whilst working on the Lock By-pass at Pipps ford on october 23rd David refound the Dipper around the Lock and river shallows where it remained for two days before returning to the hawk’s Mill area.

(P A Whittaker).

RING OUZEL Turdus torquatus Fairly common passage migrant. Red list. the range contraction and decline in numbers which had been noted as early as the 1950s was not reflected in the number of sightings of birds on passage in Suffolk, which was slightly up on previous years. there were 143 records from 50 sites compared with 95 observations at 36 sites in 2015. the north-east produced 25 spring migration records from eight sites. the last was at corton on May 4th. the south-east had 26 spring records from 13 sites, all singles or twos. there were also four spring sightings in the west of the county from three sites, of which the earliest was one at cavenham heath, April 16th. the autumn produced 75 reports from 14 sites in the north-east, 26 from 11 sites in the southeast and four from three sites in the west. Most of these reports were of one bird with the largest group being 17 at Bawdsey, october 6th. the earliest sightings came from Brantham on September 24th and then Elveden and hazlewood Marshes on September 25th. on orfordness, 2016 was a slightly better year for sightings of this species, with none in the spring, but seven autumn records, including seven on october 8th.

Landguard fared better in the spring with singles on 19 dates from April 21st to May 14th and recorded autumn passage from october 2nd to 21st with a maximum of eight on 8th.

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COMMON BLACKBIRD Turdus merula Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. the Blackbird is distributed widely in the world and, in Britain, is found in most habitats except for some moorland and mountain areas. it is ubiquitous in Suffolk, and, according to the Suffolk Bird Atlas 2007-2011, has a stable population. this stability is borne out by the Breeding Bird Survey with 352 individuals being reported from 40 1km. squares compared with 337 from 40 in 2015.

Suffolk recorders submitted 1986 records from 99 sites, but reports of breeding only came from three sites. on orfordness, there was a return to the poor showing of 2014. in spring there was a maximum of 14 and an autumn maximum of 15 on two dates in october. in the north-east, the maximum count was 50 at Willingham, December 15th.

At Landguard, 15 males and eight females Blackbird Richard Allen survived the winter and eight to ten pairs nested. the maximum on autumn passage was 110 on November 8th. in the west the maximum count was 94 at Bto Nunnery reserve in thetford on November 12th.

FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

According to the Migration Atlas, about one million fieldfares winter in Britain and, as usual, there were plenty of Suffolk sightings. compared with 187 records in 2015 (108 in the first winter and 79 in the second winter period), there were 296 in 2016 (145 and 151). these broke down by area as 190 from 46 sites in the north-east, 38 from 23 in the south-east and 68 from 39 in the west. there were 42 reports of flocks involving 100 individuals or more, compared with 64 in 2015.

During the first winter period the most notable counts were:North Cove: 300, feb 2nd Otley: 250, Mar 3rd Long Melford: 410, Jan 30th Most birds had gone by mid-April, with no May sightings. the last were four at Mutford on April 30th. Spring passage at Landguard was from february 24th to April 18th, with a maximum of 15 on March 24th. unusually, there was a midsummer bird at Landguard on June 16th and 17th. on orfordness three birds on March 25th was the only spring record. in the autumn/second winter period, the first record was on September 23rd at Sizewell. otherwise it was early october when birds appeared throughout the county. Passage at Landguard lasted from october 7th to December 28th with a maximum of 45 in off on November 3rd. orfordness had a poor second winter with just 24 birds on five dates from october 15th to November 6th.

Notable second winter flocks were recorded as follows:Minsmere: 1300, oct 14th.

Wantisden: Staverton Lakes, 500, oct 17th.

Berner’s Heath: 450, Nov 10th.

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SONG THRUSH Turdus philomelos Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the Song thrush was commoner than the Blackbird in 1900, but has been in decline since the 1940s. confirming this, the Bird Atlas 2007-11 gives a drop of 54% during 1995-2010. the number of records received for this familiar garden bird was up on both 2014 and 2015, 525 from 116 sites compared with records of 76 and 497 in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Breeding Bird Survey numbers were encouraging with 110 individuals from 32 sites. the number of individuals reported was the highest since the survey started in 1994 and the number of sites has been stable over the last five years. in the north-east, there were 438 records from 67 sites with a maximum of 62 at the hoptonon-Sea disused railway track on october 8th. in the south-east there were 30 records from 16 sites and the largest gathering was 120 at Bawdsey on october 8th. three pairs bred at Landguard with limited success. the west produced 57 records from 33 sites with breeding success confirmed at nine.

Noteworthy among these was at ickworth Park during May, where 16 breeding territories were found in ideal habitat amongst box bushes around the park’s Albana Walk. A record of 27 at Bto Nunnery reserve in thetford was the largest reported. orfordness had a similar year to 2015 with a few singles over spring and two present throughout March, but, in autumn there were 50 on September 18th, 55 on october 2nd and 35 on october 15th. the 91 birds ringed represents the best year since 100 in 2010.

At Landguard at least six successfully overwintered with the ‘oldest’ from May 2013. the only report of migration of note during the autumn was 46 at this site on october 18th.

REDWING Turdus iliacus Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list.

After two quiet years in 2014 and 2015, this colourful northern thrush was present in reasonable numbers in 2016 with 395 records from 104 sites, of which 181 were in the spring, 213 in the autumn and a single mid-summer sighting. this compares with 66 spring and 97 autumn records in 2015. in the north-east of the county there were six spring counts of 100 or more including:Knodishall Green: 200, Mar 25th. in the south-east there were four spring counts higher than 100 including:Levington Creek: 500, Mar 23rd. in the west seven including:BTO Nunnery Reserve: 324, Mar 26th.

A poor spring was again noted at orfordness with one sighting of 35 birds on March 25th. however, at Landguard spring passage lasted from february 22nd to April 13th with a maximum of 1000 on March 24th. obviously the period March 23rd to 26th witnessed a mass emigration of this thrush. the last spring sighting was at Berner’s heath on May 9th, slightly later than the last in the north-east at Minsmere on May 6th and, in the south-east, one at Landguard on April 13th. in the north-east the first records of the autumn were of eight at orfordness as well as singles at Southwold, Beccles, Gunton disused railway track and Wortham Ling, all on october 2nd. in the south-east, the earliest were of 54 at Landguard and eight on orfordness, also on october 2nd. on the following day, there were three western reports of three at Brandon, five at Stowmarket and 180 at West Stow country Park. there were ten reports of migrant flocks during the second winter period involving 100+ birds, three less than in 2015. these were all in the west including:BTO Nunnery Reserve: 410, oct 9th.

Cavenham Heath: 300, Dec 3rd.

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Icklingham: temple Bridge, 300, Dec 3rd. on orfordness birds were present from october 2nd to November 13th, with a maximum of 45 on october 16th.

At Landguard autumn passage lasted from october 2nd to December 10th, with a maximum of 54 on october 2nd.

MISTLE THRUSH Turdus viscivorus Fairly common resident and scarce passage migrant. Red list (from Amber) More arboreal than the Song thrush, the red-listed Mistle thrush is still fairly widespread in Suffolk and has a steady breeding status according to the Suffolk Bird Atlas 2007-2011. this is confirmed by the Breeding Bird Survey with 32 individuals from 16 1km. Squares compared with 26 from 16 in 2015.

Suffolk recorders sent in 278 records from 116 sites compared with 156 from 85 sites in 2015.

Breeding was reported from 11 compared with 17 in 2014, but this is probably a case of less reports being submitted. there were nine double-figure counts, seven of which were in the west of the county, including the following:Heveningham Hall: 15, Aug 7th.

Sutton Common: 16, May 25th.

Arger Fen: 12, Apr 1st.

Culford Park: 12, Aug 29th.

Stoke-by-Nayland: Gifford’s hall, 12, July 29th.

Great Bradley: 36, oct 6th.

At Landguard there were two spring records and 16 noted in the autumn between September 22nd and December 12th with a maximum of two on September 22nd and october 21st. for the second successive year this scarce visitor was noted on orfordness, with one in the holm oaks on october 2nd, the same date as the first redwings.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER Muscicapa striata Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. the first spring report came from Blythburgh on April 29th with four at Denton May 6th and four at Sudbury on May 7th. the northeast noted spring records from 16 sites, in the east the figure was lower with just seven sites and in the west the figure was predictably higher being recorded from 22 sites.

Breeding pairs in the northeast were located at just four sites and a possible three others. the southeast region reported breeding at three sites with a possible further three unsubstantiated. in the west 13 pairs were noted at seven sites plus one other potential site with Brettenham remaining the key location, holding eight pairs. this gives a county total of 27 possible breeding pairs which is a further decline from 34 in 2015. the best totals of the autumn passage came from Minsmere with six on August 21st and September 3rd and Pipps ford with eight on August 15th. final reports came from Stutton Mill on September 18th, the Bto Nunnery reserve, thetford, September 23rd and, finally, Minsmere on September 30th.

EUROPEAN ROBIN Erithacus rubecula Very common resident, passage migrant and winter visitor.

During the first winter period concentrations were noted at Landguard where 17 overwintered with the oldest having been ringed in July 2011. Elsewhere, 15 were reported in Sudbury on february 7th and 22, March 3rd with 13 at the Bto Nunnery reserve on January 13th. there were almost no data to confirm the breeding status of this common species.

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orfordness recorded its best ringing returns in the last ten years as shown below:-

2007 112

2008 2007 112 183

2009 2008 183 67

2010 2009 67 236

2011 2010 236 87

2012 2011 87 159

2013 2012 2014 2013 159 132 132 51

During the autumn peak counts where noted from:Hopton-on-Sea: disused railway line, 30, oct 6th.

Orfordness: 50, oct 8th; 50, oct 15th.

Bawdsey: impressive total of 150, oct 8th; cliff, 30, oct 9th.

Landguard: 60, oct 4th; 60, oct 6th.

Needham Market: 43, oct 21st.

Sudbury: common Lands, 22, oct 11th; 32, oct 25th.

Elveden: center Parcs, 50, Nov 18th.

Thetford: Bto Nunnery reserve, 28, Aug 30th; 47, Sep 18th.

2015 2014 51 131

2016 2015 131 249

2016 249

COMMON NIGHTINGALE Luscinia megarhynchos.

Fairly common summer visitor and scarce passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). this species was first noted at Westleton common on April 3rd followed by Lackford Lakes, April 9th and Alton Water, April 11th.

April 3rd is the earliest-ever date that Nightingale has been recorded in Suffolk. however, this year’s bird shares the distinction of being the earliest-ever in Suffolk with birds in 1991, 2002 and 2012. When will there be a March arrival in Suffolk?

Philip Murphy.

Northeast reports came from 17 sites with maximum breeding territories being at Dingle Marshes (eight), Minsmere (16), North Warren (23) and Aldeburgh (7). in the southeast reports came from 51 sites. the highest numbers of territories were noted at Newbourne Springs with six (May 15th), Elm hill, ipswich, six (May 25th), Bridge Ward in ipswich, six (June 4th) and Alton Water with ten (May 1st). in the west of the county three were noted at creeting St Mary on April 25th, four at Maids cross hill, Lakenheath, April 17th and four at red Lodge, May 11th with the species being noted at a total of 16 sites. one pair bred at creeting St Mary and two pairs at Lackford. interesting records came from dense vegetation beside the river Gipping at Sainsbury’s, yarmouth road, ipswich where one was singing on May 8th and Bramford Lane Allotments, also in ipswich, where two were reported, May 21st. once again it is difficult to ascertain a true breeding status with a total of 84 sites where birds were reported (79 in 2015) and a possible 78 territories which is down from 90 pairs in 2015. An unexpected record came from Landguard on June 19th. the only autumn reports were from orfordness, where an individual was ringed on August 19th, the bird remaining until August 24th and a second individual ringed on August 31st which also lingered a while, until September 6th.

PIED FLYCATCHER Ficedula hypoleuca Fairly common passage migrant. Red list (from Amber).

Another poor spring with only three individuals recorded; from the disused railway line at corton where a male was present on May 10th and 11th, Minsmere, May 9th and Landguard, April 12th. this Landguard bird is the earliest Suffolk arrival for 20 years – inland at Stonham Aspal, April 10th 1996.

Autumn was also poor with the first report from Minsmere on August 16th. orfordness, for example, reported the poorest year on record with only two birds. the northeast reported from 151

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17 sites involving one or two birds although three were noted at Minsmere on August 24th. in the southeast they were recorded from only seven sites with all but one involving singletons. As with orfordness, Landguard noted only two birds, on August 20th and 25th. there was just one record from the west – at Santon Downham on August 24th. the last report of the year came from Southwold campsite on october 9th. With the exception of this final report the rest of autumn passage took place in just 15 days during August.

RED SPOTTED BLUETHROAT Luscinia svecica Rare passage migrant.

Lowestoft: Ness Point, June 26th (r Wincup). this female which stayed for just one day is Suffolk’s fourth and latest-ever June record.

of interest is the fact that this late bird occurred only a few hundred metres from the site of Suffolk’s only July Bluethroat which was an unfortunate individual found entangled in fishing nets in Lowestoft Denes way back in 1877.

Philip Murphy

BLACK REDSTART Phoenincurus ochruros.

Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. Occasionally overwinters. Red list (from Amber). up to two were present on a number of dates at Sizewell Power Station during the first winter period with a third individual noted on february 23rd, february 25th and March 7th. Elsewhere a singleton was noted at Pakefield cliffs on february 24th, 26th and 29th. further south individuals were noted at Shingle Street on January 3rd and 5th, Martlesham creek, february 7th and the royal hospital School, holbrook, february 18th.

During the spring passage, this species was recorded in the northeast from 17 coastal sites with an exception being at Bungay where a male was present from March 22nd to 24th. records came from only six sites in the southeast. the west had just three reports; Long Melford, April 4th, haverhill, with a male on April 3rd and Lakenheath Airfield with a pair, May 5th. the highest counts came from:Kessingland: Dunes, five, Apr 2nd; Sewage Works, three, Mar 27th.

Easton Bavents: three, Apr 2nd.

Landguard: eight, Apr 5th.

Late reports came from Easton Bavents on June 10th, Landguard, June 14th, with two there on June 17th, ipswich, June 25th and an unexpected mid-summer record from orfordness on July 17th. there was no confirmed breeding this year although individuals were noted at Sizewell Power Station throughout the summer, Landguard recorded two juveniles on July 21st and 23rd and an adult on July 21st, which suggests breeding may have taken place nearby.

During the autumn through to winter only a handful of records was received from:Pakefield: oct 9th; Dec 11th.

Carlton Colville: Nov 13th.

Orfordness: oct 8th and 9th; oct 23rd; two, oct 27th.

Chillesford: oct 23rd; two, oct 24th.

Alderton: oct 15th.

Landguard: two, oct 7th; two, oct 26th; Nov 1st.

Trimley Marshes: two, oct 26th.

COMMON REDSTART Phoenicurus phoenicurus.

Uncommon summer visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

A relatively quiet spring passage was first recorded at North Denes, Lowestoft on April 5th. this was followed by four at Minsmere, April 9th and one on Sutton common on April 11th. Spring 152

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passage was recorded at Landguard from April 12th to 30th with a late report from June 2nd to 4th. Elsewhere singles were noted at Shingle Street, April 28th and Stutton Mill on the same date. in the west of the county two were at Berner’s heath on April 13th and singletons at Dead Man’s Grave, icklingham on May 5th and 6th, the king’s forest, April 27th and Brandon country Park, May 24th. there were 19 breeding pairs recorded in 2016 with territories at Minsmere (2), Staverton Park/thicks (8), Woodbridge Airfield (3), Sutton and hollesley commons (5) and temple Bridge, icklingham (1). Visible breeding success was confirmed at upper hollesley common and at temple Bridge where a juvenile was reported July 21st. the total of 16 breeding pairs recorded in the Sandlings is the highest number since 2002.

Autumn passage was first reported from Easton Bavents on August 2nd followed by an intriguing record from Bentley old Wood where a juvenile was present on August 5th. A total of 18 sites recorded mainly ones or twos, all from the coast except one report from Dead Man’s Grave, icklingham on August 23rd. fiELD rEPort orforDNESS NAtioNAL truSt the only spring common redstart report from orfordness was not seen by the human eye but filmed on a trail camera on April 12th.

highest counts were at Ness Point, Lowestoft with three on September 17th and Landguard with five on the same date. the last reports came from Minsmere on october 23rd, orfordness, october 22nd and lastly Landguard, october 28th which is the latest since 2008 when an individual was at Gunton on october 30th.

WHINCHAT Saxicola rubetra.

Declining passage migrant. Last bred in 2004. Red list (from Amber).

An early male at Lakenheath rSPB from April 6th to 9th was the first in the county and preceded a reasonable spring passage. this is the earliest record for Suffolk since 1984 when one was at iken on March 25th. All reports listed involve singletons unless stated otherwise:Corton: old Sewage Works, May 10th and 11th.

Carlton Marshes: May 6th; May 13th.

Southwold: campsite, May 5th.

Minsmere: May 1st.

Orfordness: Apr 30th; May 1st.

Hollesley Marshes: May 6th.

Shingle Street: May 6th.

Sutton Common: male, May 11th.

Cavenham: male, Apr 23rd.

Berner’s Heath: two, Apr 27th; May 1st.

Lakenheath Fen: Apr 30th.

Predictably this species was more widely recorded in the county during the autumn passage although showing a decline in numbers once again. it was first noted at orfordness on July 16th then at hollesley Marshes on July 17th. the best of the migration was seen in the last two weeks of August with maximum counts noted from:Minsmere: eight, Aug 21st and 22nd; six, Aug 23rd.

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Aldeburgh Marshes: six, Aug 23rd; seven, Aug 24th and 25th.

Hazlewood Marshes: five, Aug 26th.

Orfordness: 12, Aug 27th.

During early September passage continued with peak counts from:Southwold: Woodsend Marshes, four, Sep 8th.

Minsmere: five, Sep 9th.

Aldeburgh Marshes: seven, Sep 11th.

Orfordness: ten, Sep 4th.

Hollesley Marshes: six, Sep 1st.

Shingle Street: four, Sep 7th.

An atypical individual with a silvery-grey back was noted on orfordness on September 17th. the total of 42 ringed there in 2016 is the site’s highest annual total since 2005. final sightings came from honington, in the west, on September 11th with carlton Marshes and orfordness sharing the final date of october 15th.

EUROPEAN STONECHAT Saxicola rubicola Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. this species was reported from 16 sites in the northeast during the first winter period with a peak count of three at North cove on January 4th. reports from the east were lower but the west posted some reasonable wintering numbers with five at cavenham on March 11th and six at Lakenheath fen on January 28th with this number remaining on and off until March 10th.

Breeding records came from a total of 68 sites which is a considerable improvement on the 40 pairs in 2015. it should be noted that many sightings during the breeding season came from areas outside of the regular known sites suggesting that the total number of breeding pairs may be even higher. the key sites are as follows:Dunwich Heath: six pairs Minsmere: four pairs.

Orfordness: six pairs.

Upper Hollesley Common: five pairs.

The Suffolk Brecks: 27 pairs, including eight located at cavenham on May 1st.

European Stonechat Richard Allen During the autumn, there were six at Aldeburgh Marshes on September 11th, five at Shingle Street, october 25th, eight at cavenham heath, September 19th and seven at Lakenheath fen, october 14th. in the second winter period to year end the best counts in the northeast were:Oulton Marshes: six, Nov 29th; four, Dec 13th.

Carlton Marshes: four, Nov 25th; four, Dec 18th.

North Cove / Castle Marsh: five, Dec 27th to 29th.

Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, four, Dec 2nd.

Snape Wetlands: four, Nov 29th; four Dec 16th.

Butley River: three, Dec 6th.

Berner’s Heath: eight, Nov 29th.

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‘STEJNEGER’S STONECHAT’ Saxicola (maurus) stejnegeri First for Suffolk.

Stejneger’s Stonechat is a full species on the ioc list (it is currently considered by BBrc as a race of Siberian Stonechat), and so will be an armchair tick when Britain moves to that list in 2018. this individual is the first Suffolk record and only the second accepted British record. the first British record occurred at Portland, Dorset from october 24th to 26th 2012. An exceptional piece of identification; there is a write-up of the event in the articles section of this report.

Landguard: first-winter male, oct 6th and 7th (W J Brame, P J holmes, E Lucking, N odin et al.).

ISABELLINE WHEATEAR Oenanthe isabellina Very rare visitor. this is the fifth Suffolk record of this central Asian passerine. it was only present on one day and is the latest ever reported in the county.

Sizewell: first-winter, oct 21st (r M Patient, c M So).

NORTHERN WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe.

Common passage migrant and uncommon summer visitor.

Amazingly, on a rather late date, the northeast, southeast, and west of Suffolk recorded their first sighting on the same day – March 25th. they were at Minsmere Levels, orfordness (2), Landguard and cavenham heath. the northeast reported further early reports from Mutford on March 28th and kessingland Dunes, March 27th. three were at cavenham heath on March 30th.

Peak counts during April, generally later in the month, were as follows:Corton: Sewage Works, eight, Apr 16th.

Benacre Broad: six, Apr 16th; five, Apr 29th; 11, Apr 30th.

Easton Broad: six, Apr 5th.

Minsmere: six, Apr 30th.

Orfordness: maximum 15, Greenland birds, Apr 30th.

Northern Wheatear Richard Allen Shingle Street: five, Apr 28th.

Landguard: maximum 15, Apr 30th.

Lakenheath: Maids cross hill, three, Apr 5th.

Cavenham Heath: four Greenland race, Apr 27th; five, Apr 30th.

During May passage was very low-key although six were noted at cavenham heath on May 1st and six, on the same day, at Berner’s heath. More unexpected reports came from Sutton hoo where two of the Greenland race were noted on April 14th and a singleton at Pipps ford, April 21st. Late reports came from Benacre Sluice on June 5th and Minsmere on June 8th and 9th.

Breeding was only recorded on orfordness with ten pairs, only surpassed by 11 pairs in 1998 and 2012 and compared with eight in 2015, but fledging a minimum of just 11 juveniles was a poor return.

Autumn passage was first reported from Landguard on July 12th and then three were at Benacre Sluice on July 22nd and Minsmere, July 27th.

Peak counts in August were as follows:Gunton: disused railway line, nine, Aug 17th.

Lowestoft: North Denes, eight, Aug 18th; six, Aug 21st; seven, Aug 22nd.

Minsmere: Levels, five, Aug 5th.

Aldeburgh Marshes: 12, Aug 29th.

Orfordness: 16, Aug 27th.

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Landguard: 14, Aug 30th.

During September peak counts were from:Gunton Warren: eight, Sep 16th.

Lowestoft: North Denes, ten, Sep 17th.

Benacre Sluice: 20, Sep 8th; ten, Sep 17th.

Havergate Island: four, Sep 15th.

Hollesley Marshes: four, Sep 12th.

Honington: six, Sep 4th and 5th; six, Sep 24th. the final report of the year was from orfordness on october 23rd.

HEDGE ACCENTOR (DUNNOCK) Prunella modularis Very common resident and fairly common migrant. Amber list.

A common species that is much under-recorded outside a few sites. Landguard reported 13 overwintering with the oldest noted from March 2011; there were between 12 and 15 pairs breeding there.

Elsewhere, orfordness reported seven or eight pairs breeding with eight pairs at Lackford rearing 17 juveniles which is well down on the yearly average of 27.

Noteworthy high counts came from Bredfield with eight on August 30th, Needham Market, 12 on october 21st, Lidgate, 13, May 26th, ten at the Bto Nunnery reserve, thetford on october 6th and 25, Landguard, September 19th. the annual ringing total of 35 on orfordness is consistent with recent years.

HOUSE SPARROW Passer domesticus Common but declining resident. Red List. there were 43 records from 26 sites noted across the county; this is similar to the 44 records from 24 sites received for 2015.

Breeding was recorded at Landguard where 30 pairs nested around the cottage and the fort, the same as in 2015. flocks of 40 or more birds were recorded at the following sites:Pakefield Cliffs: 100, Sep 9th.

Trimley St Martin: old kirton road, 40, Aug 20th.

Botesdale: 50, Sep 8th.

Glemsford: 50, feb 3rd.

Hadleigh: 80, Dec 10th.

Sudbury: 70, Dec 10th.

At Landguard there were peak counts of 100 on June 22nd and 120 on August 7th.

TREE SPARROW Passer montanus Uncommon and declining resident. Scarce passage migrant. Red List. there were 79 reports (84 in 2015, 72 in 2014 and 47 in 2013) from 26 sites (33 in 2015, 28 in 2014 and 18 in 2013). few records of over three birds were recorded in the north-east and southeast of the county. Significant flocks were reported from Ampton, timworth and Bowbeck in Bardwell in the west where winter feeding is undertaken. Peak counts throughout the county were:Reydon Smear: 13, Jan 13th.

Leiston: four, oct 21st.

Melton: eight, July 9th; six, Aug 11th.

Kirton: five, Aug 10th.

Rushmere St Andrew: seven, July 9th.

Landguard: up to five between Sep 22nd and oct 4th; seven, oct 20th; 15, oct 21st.

Ampton: 22 to 70 between Jan 3rd and Apr 3rd; 117 to 200 between Aug 25th and Dec 25th.

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Fornham St Martin: hall farm, four, Mar 29th; 14, oct 9th.

Timworth: up to eight between Jan 9th and Mar 20th; seven to 40, between Sep 2nd and Dec 6th.

Livermere Lake: five to 15 between Jan 3rd and July 23rd; ten to 50 between Aug 9th and Sep 7th.

Lackford: cavenham road, eight, Dec 28th.

Barnham: rymer Point: ten, Jan 3rd.

Bardwell: Bowbeck, up to 15 between Jan 1st and June 4th.

Mildenhall Fen: 97, Jan 21st; 42, Jan 31st.

Breeding was recorded at three main sites. A total of 159 young fledged at Ampton, 45 nestlings were ringed at the Bowbeck site and 170 nestlings were ringed in nest boxes at Mildenhall fen.

YELLOW WAGTAIL Motacilla flava flavissima Rapidly declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. there were 188 records (184 in 2015 and 290 in 2015) from 59 sites (75 in 2015 and 83 in 2015). the first bird of the year was at Boyton Marshes on April 3rd.

Spring migration at Landguard involved 83 birds between April 8th and May 13th. there were no records of breeding received by the north-east and south-east recorders. in the west, however, there was confirmed breeding at knettishall Airfield with probable breeding at Lakenheath, Gifford’s hall in Stoke-by-Nayland and Mildenhall fen. there were 13 counts of ten or more birds:Burgh Castle: 30 to 198, roosting, between Apr 9th and 27th; 20, Aug 2nd.

Minsmere: ten, Aug 26th.

Boyton Marshes RSPB: 20, Aug 23rd.

Shingle Street: 12, Sep 3rd.

Bawdsey: East Lane, 15, Aug 3rd; ten, Aug 6th; 11, Sep 12th.

Autumn migration at Landguard involved a total of 241 birds between July 7th and october 3rd (final bird of the year) with a maximum of 12 south on September 12th.

Blue-headed Wagtail M.f. flava Uncommon passage migrant. Amber list.

Birds were noted in the spring at six sites (four in 2015, six in 2014, 14 in 2013 and eight in 2012):Corton: radar Lodge, May 2nd.

Oulton Marshes: May 8th.

Carlton Marshes: Apr 19th and 23rd; two, Apr 27th; May 16th.

Southwold: town Marshes, May 8th.

Walberswick: Apr 17th.

Landguard: three, May 9th.

Grey-headed Wagtail M.f. thunbergi Scarce passage migrant. Amber list. only one bird, which was present for two days, was recorded in the county in 2016.

Southwold: town Marshes, May 8th and 9th (B J Small).

CITRINE WAGTAIL Motacilla citreola Accidental.

An elusive male bird was in the chantry reedbed/king’s Marsh area of orfordness, this being the first site record, and the fifth Suffolk record. this amends previously published Suffolk totals following the recent non-acceptance of the bird at Minsmere in october and November 1964.

Orfordness NNR: male, July 3rd (D crawshaw, M Marsh).

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GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea Fairly common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Red list (from Amber). this colourful bird continues to be well-observed and was recorded from 126 sites (141 in 2015, 128 in 2014, 114 in 2013 and 91 in 2012) of which few held more than two birds.

Spring migration at Landguard involved a total of 20 birds between february 22nd and April 12th.

Breeding was confirmed at 12 sites in the west of the county with a further seven sites indicating probable breeding. Many of the records below are presumably of migrants with a number being the same birds:Corton: four, oct 17th.

Corton: disused railway Line, six, Sep 18th.

Gunton Cliffs: four, oct 8th.

Lowestoft: North Denes, four, oct 8th; Links road, ten, Sep 22nd; Ness Point, four, Sep 20th; hamilton Dock, nine, Sep 17th and 18th.

Kessingland: Sewage Works, four, Mar 23rd.

Worlingham: Marshes, four, oct 17th; Marsh Lane, four, presumably the same, oct 21st.

Thorpeness Haven: four, Sep 9th and 22nd; five, Sep 26th.

Pipps Ford: four, July 25th; four, Aug 15th.

Bramford: six, oct 17th.

Thorington Street: five, Aug 11th.

Sudbury: common Lands, four, May 7th.

Great Cornard: six, feb 16th.

Long Melford: five, Sep 13th.

Long Melford: Sewage Works, five, feb 28th; seven, Mar 6th; seven, Aug 7th; five, Aug 20th; four, Nov 27th.

Haverhill: four, May 14th.

Santon Downham: four, Apr 3rd. return migration at Landguard involved 132 birds between September 5th and November 29th with a maximum day-count of 11 south on September 13th.

Pied Wagtail Richard Allen

PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba Very common resident, passage migrant and winter and summer visitor. Green List (from Amber). this species is widely distributed in the county. however, like many other common species there was a considerable reduction in sightings submitted with only 53 records (89 in 2015, 584 in 2014, 323 in 2013 and 133 in 2012) from 26 sites (41 in 2015, 87 in 2014, 91 in 2013 and 56 in 2012). the highest counts across the county were:158

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Minsmere: 60, Apr 13th.

Chillesford: 150, oct 14th; 100, Nov 26th.

Ipswich: Queen Street, 150, Dec 15th.

Pipps Ford: 61, Jan 31st; 142, feb 12th.

Creeting St Mary: 54, Jan 10th.

Little Cornard: cornard Mere, 150, feb 18th; 100, feb 27th.

Bardwell: Bowbeck, 200, Jan 1st; 100, feb 9th.

Autumn passage at Landguard was noted from August 23rd to November 4th with 51 south and a maximum of 17 south on october 18th. on orfordness breeding was confirmed for the second year running.

White Wagtail M.a. alba Fairly common passage migrant. Amber list. there were 46 records (74 in 2015, 55 in 2014, 64 in 2013 and 38 in 2012) from a total of 30 sites (34 in 2015, 31 in 2014, 29 in 2013 and 20 in 2012); this species is always recorded predominately on spring passage with few autumn records. there were five records of four birds or more as follows:Corton: Stirrups Lane, four, March 30th.

Easton Bavents: four, Apr 2nd.

Minsmere: five, Apr 5th.

Havergate Island: four, Dec 8th, the latest ever in Suffolk.

Hollesley Marshes: five, Apr 4th.

FIELD NOTE WhitE WAGtAiL X PiED WAGtAiL in the 2013 Suffolk Bird report James and Peter kennerley wrote an article about a mixed Pied/White Wagtail breeding at Shingle Street. there was strong evidence that a female White Wagtail had bred with a male Pied, producing two hybrid young. on May 26th and 27th 2015 i had a similar experience when a female White Wagtail, a male Pied Wagtail and two juveniles were on my roof in hollesley. in 2016, on May 27th, sitting over coffee with Steve Abbott and Phil Whittaker, the same combination was seen again on my roof; female White, male Pied and two hybrid fledged young. they had appeared briefly the previous day. Steve and Phil photographed the family which occasionally went underneath my solar panels.

Nick Mason.

RICHARD’S PIPIT Anthus richardi Rare visitor. there were no submitted records of this species in 2016.

OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT Anthus hodgsoni Very rare visitor. there were no submitted records of this species in 2016.

TREE PIPIT Anthus trivialis Declining summer visitor and passage migrant. Red list. there were 41 records (70 in 2015, 90 in 2014 and 53 in 2013) from 23 sites (38 in 2015, 39 in 2014 and 27 in 2013), a significant decrease in both records and sites.

As in 2014, in the north-east and south-east of the county, there was no sign of breeding. there was, however, with the exception of the Sutton heath record, a small coastal passage in midSeptember, most of the records were of single birds, the exceptions being:Thorpeness Haven: three, Sep 19th.

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North Warren: three, Sep 19th.

Sutton Heath: two, May 29th.

Bawdsey: three, Sep 17th; two, Sep 18th.

Landguard: singles on nine dates between April 15th and May 18th and four, Apr 29th. the picture in the west of the county was again significantly different with the majority of birds recorded in the king’s forest (all sections) with the first of the year on April 5th. Multiple counts were as follows:The King’s Forest (Central): five, May 17th.

The King’s Forest (North-east): six, Apr 27th.

The King’s Forest (North-west): six, Apr 24th; nine, May 1st.

The King’s Forest (North Stow): four, Apr 27th.

Mayday Farm: five, Apr 17th. there were single tree Pipits at Landguard on ten dates between August 26th and october 11th, the bird on the last date being the final bird of the year.

MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis Common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. there were 85 records (77 in 2015 and 424 in 2014) from 37 sites (35 in 2015 and 89 in 2014).

Significant counts of passage birds were reported from coastal sites:Gunton: 248 south, Sep 24th; 100, oct 7th.

Corton: Stirrups Lane, 118 south, Sep 11th; cliffs, 188, Sep 12th.

Lowestoft: North Denes, 552, Sep 21st; Links road, 1422 south, Sep 22nd.

Easton Bavents: 267 south, Sep 12th.

Minsmere: 300 south, Sep 22nd; 100 north, oct 21st.

Thorpeness: 102 to 558 south, between Sep 12th and 30th.

Shingle Street: 200, Sep 17th.

Bawdsey: 1230, Sep 17th; 639, Sep 18th.

Significant inland counts were:Fornham All Saints: 50, Dec 8th.

Berners Heath: 50, feb 28th.

Livermere Lake: 60, Sep 18th.

Cavenham Heath: 50 to 65 between feb 26th and Mar 11th; 50 to 70 between Sep 13th and Dec 8th.

Bardwell: Bowbeck, 45, Jan 1st.

Although a common bird on orfordness the estimated breeding population of 27 to 32 pairs was down on the previous three years. the bulk of the autumn passage occurred through September with 343 of the year’s total of 478 birds ringed that month and over 300 seen on 18th. the ringing figure of 478 was well up on the 321 of the previous year but well down on the 531 in 2014 and 583 in 2013.

Autumn passage at Landguard was from September 5th through until as late as December 22nd with a total of 2008 birds including a maximum one-day count of 289 south on September 30th. there was no breeding on site for “the first time in living memory”.

RED-THROATED PIPIT Anthus cervinus Accidental. there were no submitted records of this species in 2016.

ROCK PIPIT Anthus petrosus Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. there were 128 records (122 in 2015 and 161 in 2014) from 45 coastal sites (50 in 2015 and 50 in 2014).

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During the first winter period there were numerous reports of up to four birds with higher counts at only two sites:Orfordness: 15, Jan 23rd.

Landguard: spring passage total of 14, feb 23rd to Apr 23rd.

Holbrook Creek: seven, Jan 14th.

During the second winter period reports of up to four birds continued with only those on havergate island and over Landguard being higher:Havergate Island: 13, oct 20th; 43, Nov 29th and 30th; 25, Dec 8th; 18, Dec 15th.

Orfordness: ten, Sep 25th to year’s end.

Landguard: autumn passage total of 83, Sep 22nd to Nov 26th, max six, oct 3rd.

WATER PIPIT Anthus spinoletta Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. there were 72 reports (52 in 2015 and 45 in 2014) from 19 sites (19 in 2015 and 25 in 2014) mostly of one to three birds. records of four or more birds were as follows:Carlton Marshes: four, Nov 13th; five, Dec 18th.

Orfordness: max six, Jan 23rd and Mar 13th; four until Apr 3rd.

Levington Lagoon SWT: seven, oct 29th.

Lakenheath Fen RSPB: up to five between Jan Water Pipit 1st and Mar 25th.

Lakenheath Fen/Washes: up to seven between Jan 1st and Apr 11th.

Richard Allen

CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs Very common resident, winter visitor and passage migrant. Categories A and E. this species showed another significant reduction in both records and sites. there were only 27 records of this common bird (60 in 2015 and 1004 in 2014) from 19 sites (40 in 2015 and 144 in 2014). Similar to 2014 they were recorded in 40 of the BBS squares with just 286 counted, well down on the 427 in 2015, 391 in 2014 and 486 in 2013. reasonable-sized flocks of 50 or more were reported from four sites:Corton: 120, oct 17th.

Iken: 160, Jan 23rd.

Butley River: 70, Jan 17th; 50, feb 26th.

Orfordness: 70 in off sea, oct 16th.

Landguard: 67 south, Mar 21st to Apr 5th.

Ampton: 50, Nov 23rd; 50, Dec 5th.

Autumn migration at Landguard was between September 13th and December 11th with totals of four north and 375 south/in off and a maximum day-count of 109 south on october 29th.

BRAMBLING Fringilla montifringilla Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant.

An average year with 197 reports (181 in 2015, 200 in 2014 and 201 in 2013) from 84 sites (84 in 2015, 108 in 2014 and 86 in 2013). the last bird in spring was at Landguard on April 28th. there were 12 records of 20 or more birds, double the counts of the previous year:St Olaves: 20, Apr 13th to 15th.

Walberswick: 150, Mar 12th; 50, Mar 13th.

Ampton: 23, Jan 4th; 20, Jan 17th and 21st.

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Bramblings Richard Allen

Berner’s Heath: 30, Dec 10th to 27th.

Santon Downham: 210, Nov 28th.

Lakenheath Fen RSPB: 20, Jan 8th; 50, feb 5th; 32, Apr 14th. the first returning bird in the autumn was on orfordness on September 22nd. A small autumn passage at Landguard was recorded from September 30th to November 19th with a total of 69 birds noted (151 in 2015) and a maximum of 11 south on october 11th.

EUROPEAN SERIN Serinus serinus Rare migrant. Amber list. there were at least four birds at the usual location of Landguard with two other birds recorded, at Bawdsey and in the felixstowe Docks.

Bawdsey: Sep 18th (M L cornish).

Landguard: north, Mar 20th (E W Patrick, M May); May 17th (Multi-observer); female, June 7th (Multi-observer); female with brood patch trapped and ringed, June 15th (E W Patrick et al.); June 26th (Multi-observer).

Felixstowe Docks: May 19th (S Piotrowski). the first Landguard bird is the second-earliest in Suffolk; the earliest was also at Landguard on March 16th 2011.

EUROPEAN GREENFINCH Carduelis chloris Very common resident and passage migrant. Categories A and E. this is another species showing a considerable reduction in records and sites. there were only 35 reports (44 in 2015, 482 in 2014 and 321 in 2013) from 23 sites (31 in 2015, 89 in 2013 and 99 in 2013). they were found in only 21 of the BBS squares (33 in 2015, 25 in 2014, 30 in 2013) and only 90 were counted compared with 109 (2015), 113 (2014), 132 (2013) and 584 (2012) going back over the previous four years. After increases following the disease caused by aflatoxins this is most disappointing. ringing totals for the past five years at orfordness perhaps reflect the recent increase after the damaging effects of aflatoxins on their populations. however, they continue to be worryingly low.

2012

2013

162 2014

2015

2016

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Systematic List 2012 103 103

2013 5 5

2014 4 4

2015 39 39

2016 24 24

this previously well-recorded bird produced only two reports of counts involving 60 or more birds in the first winter period and three in the second winter period:Bradwell: New road, 60, feb 10th; 60, Dec 23rd.

Corton: 68, oct 17th.

Long Melford: 120, Mar 2nd.

Lackford: 120, Dec 15th.

Another very low autumn passage at Landguard where only 71 were recorded (203 in 2015; 1013 in 2012) flying south from october 4th to November 16th, with a maximum of 33 south on october 17th.

EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis Very common summer visitor and passage migrant. Overwinters in small numbers.

As with the other finches there was a significant reduction in both records and sites. there were 51 records (82 in 2015, 893 in 2014, 590 in 2013 and 249 in 2012) from 35 sites (45 in 2015, 128 in 2014, 134 in 2013 and 68 in 2012). they were found in 35 BBS squares, similar to recent years with 163 birds counted (199 in 2015, 194 in 2014, 174 in 2013).

Spring passage at Landguard was of 239 south between march 19th and June 15th. counts of 100 or more birds were recorded as follows:Corton: 115, oct 17th.

Minsmere: Beach, 550 south, oct 14th.

Pipps Ford: 100, Aug 18th.

Culford Park: 100, Sep 2nd.

Livermere Lake: 100, Nov 24th.

West Stow: 200, Sep 3rd.

An annual total of 24 was ringed on orfordness compared with 39 in 2015 but only four in 2014.

Autumn movement at Landguard involved 3192 south (4323 in 2015, 6647 in 2014, 16226 in 2011) from August 31st to November 19th with a maximum day-count, all going south, in october of 872 on 19th and an autumn maximum of 60 grounded birds on october 17th.

EURASIAN SISKIN Carduelis spinus Common winter visitor and passage migrant. Has bred in the past. there were 143 records (183 in 2015, 108 in 2014 and 206 in 2013) from 52 sites (69 in 2015, 44 in 2014 and 74 in 2013).

Spring passage at Landguard involved 136 south between february 10th and May 11th. counts of 100 or more birds were recorded as follows:Corton: 107, oct 17th.

North Cove SWT: 200, feb 24th; 100, Mar 2nd to 4th.

Minsmere: 100 to 120 between Jan 16th and 22nd; 100, oct 21st.

Creeting St Mary: 150, Jan 5th; 111 trapped and ringed, Mar 30th.

Livermere Lake: 100, Jan 3rd; 100, Jan 21st; 200, feb 13th.

West Stow CP: 200, Jan 30th.

Lackford Lakes: 100, Nov 8th.

Cavenham Pits: 100, feb 12th.

Cavenham Heath: 140, feb 12th.

Mayday Farm: 100, feb 12th.

Thetford Nunnery Reserve BTO: 100, Jan 21st; 120, Dec 28th.

Autumn passage at Landguard was considerably reduced from the previous year with a total of 177 noted from September 23rd to December 15th (385 in 2013, 1793 in 2011) with a maximum day-count south of 25 on october 17th.

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COMMON LINNET Carduelis cannabina Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Overwinters in small numbers. Red List.

As with other finches there was a continued reduction in both records and sites. there were 87 records (101 in 2015, 521 in 2014, 359 in 2013 and 184 in 2012) from 49 sites (61 in 2015, 109 in 2014, 116 in 2013 and 82 in 2012) with sizeable flocks in both winters.

Linnets were found in 24 of the 42 BBS squares with 124 birds counted which is not dissimilar to the recent three years but rather less than the 196 in 2012. flocks of 100 upwards were reported in the first winter period from the following sites:Mutford: 150, Apr 17th.

Thorpeness: 107, Apr 5th; 113, Apr 23rd.

Gedgrave: 85, Jan 3rd.

Creeting St Mary: 200, Jan 10th.

Stanton: 200, Jan 3rd.

Significant flocks of 100 upwards were reported in the second half of the year from:Boyton Marshes RSPB: 200, Nov 10th; 400, Nov 11th; 200, Nov 26th.

Campsea Ashe: 100, Dec 20th.

Boxford: 150, Nov 24th.

Stoke-by Nayland: Giffords hall, 100, oct 24th; Withermarsh Green, 600, Dec 11th.

Great Cornard: 120, oct 24th.

Long Melford: 117, oct 15th.

Rickinghall: 100, Sep 9th.

Knettishall Airfield: 150, Nov 27th.

Pakenham: 200, Sep 23rd.

Livermere Lake: 190, oct 14th; 250, Nov 24th.

Cavenham: 250, Dec 31st.

As in 2015 up to 50 pairs bred at Landguard with several more nearby and there were up to 125 birds on site in mid-summer. Autumn passage at Landguard was considerably smaller than in previous years and involved only 305 south (598 in 2015, 926 in 2014 and 11530 in 1983) from october 17th to November 7th with a maximum of 180 south on october 17th.

TWITE Carduelis flavirostris Declining winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List. there were 55 records from five sites. As in the previous year the highest counts came from the Walberswick/Dunwich area. there were two first winter reports as follows:Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, up to 60, between Jan 1st and Mar 13th.

Shingle Street: two, feb 17th.

Second winter reports received are summarised as follows:Benacre: oct 17th.

Walberswick: tinker’s Marshes, 30, Nov 8th.

Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, up to 75, between oct 23rd and Dec 30th.

Orfordness NNR: two, oct 27th.

As in 2015 there were no reports from Landguard.

LESSER REDPOLL Carduelis cabaret Uncommon and declining resident. Declining winter visitor and passage migrant. Red List.

Both the number of records and sites continue to fluctuate year by year with 155 records (197 in 2015, 108 in 2014 and 175 in 2013) from 74 sites (82 in 2015, 59 in 2014 and 80 in 2013). As expected the significant counts were in the first winter period following on from 2015:Somerleyton: kitty’s farm, 50, Mar 25th.

Walberswick: 100, Mar 13th.

Brightwell: 100, Jan 20th; 40, Jan 30th.

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Thetford BTO Nunnery: 50, Mar 29th.

Cavenham Heath: 50, Apr 10th.

Sudbury: hagmore Green, 60, Jan 30th.

The King’s Forest (North-west): 50, Apr 24th.

Icklingham: Weatherhill farm, 100, Apr 2nd. there were few reports in the second winter period with peak counts:Minsmere: 50, oct 20th.

Thorpeness Haven: 100, oct 17th to 23rd.

Autumn passage at Landguard involved 268 (563 in 2015, 46 in 2014 and 619 in 2013) from october 10th to November 10th with a maximum of 50 south on october 17th.

MEALY (COMMON) REDPOLL Carduelis flammea Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list.

After a very poor year in 2015 the less common of the two regular redpoll species returned to more expected levels with 24 records (three in 2015, 26 in 2014, 31 in 2013 and nine in 2012) from 18 sites (three in 2015, 12 in 2014, 17 in 2013 and seven in 2012). two or more birds were reported from the following sites:Gunton: Dip farm, two, oct 9th.

Corton: Sewage Works, two, oct 15th.

Thorpeness Haven: four, oct 17th; five, oct 23rd.

North Warren RSPB: four, oct 17th; three, oct 23rd; five, oct 15th.

Melton: two, Mar 26th.

Brightwell: two, Jan 20th.

Landguard: two, Nov 3rd.

Bury St Edmunds: two, Jan 27th.

West Stow: three, feb 22nd.

Bures St Mary/Nayland: Arger fen, three, Nov 10th.

ARCTIC REDPOLL Carduelis hornemanni exilipes/hornemanni Very rare winter visitor. there were no records of either race of this species in the county in 2016.

COMMON CROSSBILL Loxia curvirostra Locally common resident and irruptive visitor. the number of records and sites of this species continue to reduce year by year with only 50 records (54 in 2015, 70 in 2014, 119 in 2013 and 223 in 2012) from 26 sites (33 in 2015, 23 in 2014, 47 in 2013 and 79 in 2012). only four sites recorded ten or more birds, with the June birds probably referring to irruptive movements:Minsmere: 13, June 17th; 20, June 28th.

Upper Hollesley Common: 30, June 20th.

Stowupland: 18, June 2nd.

Berner’s Heath: ten, feb 15th and 28th; 15, Mar 20th.

COMMON ROSEFINCH Erythrina erythina Rare passage migrant. Has bred. the only record for the year was a first-winter bird first seen in a back garden in reydon. the bird was photographed and present for three days.

Reydon: oct 8th to 10th (W Wallace).

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COMMON BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula Common but declining resident. Amber List. this species continues to be widely reported in both records and sites but with a marked decrease since 2014 with 282 records (477 in 2015, 508 in 2014 and 299 in 2013) from 99 sites (158 in 2015, 186 in 2014 and 145 in 2013). however, only ten sites recorded over five birds (14 in 2015), these being:Minsmere: ten, Dec 18th.

Badingham: seven, Nov 24th.

Alton Water: seven, Jan 22nd.

Pipps Ford: six, Jan 31st; six, Nov 23rd to 25th; six, Dec 8th.

Thorington Street: six, oct 21st; ten, Dec 9th.

Bures St Mary/Nayland: Arger fen, ten, Nov 23rd.

Little Cornard: ten, Jan 2nd.

Thurston: Grove farm, ten, Jan 3rd; six, Jan 5th.

Lackford Lakes SWT: seven, Jan 18th.

West Stow CP: six, feb 3rd.

Singles were recorded at Landguard on May 5th, November 8th and 11th and December 9th to 19th.

HAWFINCH Coccothraustes coccothraustes Uncommon resident and rare passage migrant. Red List.

Birds of this increasingly scarce species were reported from four sites (four in 2015, four in 2014, seven in 2013 and four in 2012) from across the county:Corton: furze Plantation, two, oct 15th.

Sizewell: Sizewell hall, oct 22nd.

Landguard: May 7th; oct 2nd; oct 7th.

Santon Downham: feb 27th; three, Nov 27th; Dec 26th.

Hawfinches Richard Allen

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SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis Locally common winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. there was a significant reduction in records but a stable number of sites in 2016. there were 60 records (86 in 2015 and 173 in 2014) from one, unexpected, inland and 24 coastal sites (21 in 2015 and 33 in 2014). Significant flock counts were:Gunton Beach: ten, Nov 2nd.

Dunwich: Dingle Marshes, up to 33 between oct 30th and Dec 26th.

Minsmere: Dunes, 23, Nov 16th; 12, Nov 17th.

Thorpeness: 20, Nov 3rd.

Cavenham: Dec 31st (c Gregory). the cavenham bird is the first sighting in west Suffolk since 2012 when one frequented knettishall Airfield from November 3rd to 5th.

LAPLAND LONGSPUR Calcarius lapponicus Uncommon winter visitor and passage migrant. Amber list. there were 30 records (14 in 2015, seven in 2014 and 16 in 2013) from 17 sites (ten in 2015, seven in 2014 and ten in 2013) with first winter records only from trimley Marshes.

Lowestoft: North Denes, Sep 28th; Nov 13th. Ness Point, oct 8th.

Easton Bavents: Sep 21st.

Walberswick: tinker’s Marshes, Nov 8th.

Dunwich: Beach, oct 13th; oct 23rd to 26th; Dingle Marshes, three, oct 3rd; oct 31st; Nov 4th.

Minsmere: Dunes, Sep 15th; Beach, Sep 17th; oct 10th to 13th.

Sizewell: Sizewell hall, Sep 27th.

Thorpeness: oct 30th; haven, oct 7th to 9th; two, oct 15th to 19th.

North Warren: oct 9th; two, oct 17th.

Orfordness: Nov 13th; six, Nov 19th; Nov 23rd; eight, Dec 4th.

Boyton Marshes: Dec 5th.

Hollesley Marshes: Sep 21st.

East Lane: Nov 3rd to 5th.

Felixstowe: Martello Park, two, oct 27th.

Landguard: Sep 17th, 18th and 21st; oct 13th; oct 27th.

Trimley Marshes: Jan 2nd; Jan 19th.

YELLOWHAMMER Emberiza citrinella Common but declining resident and passage migrant. Red List. there was a continued reduction in both records and sites in 2016 with 44 records (70 in 2015 and 189 in 2014) from 33 sites (40 in 2015 and 81 in 2014). the BBS data show that yellowhammers were found in a similar number of squares and in similar numbers to the last three years.

As in recent years most of the larger gatherings came from the west of the county. counts of 25 or more were:Boyton Marshes: 25, Jan 1st.

Knettishall Airfield: 35, Nov 27th.

Cavendish: 75, feb 3rd.

Boxford: 45, Nov 24th.

Shelley: 40, Nov 10th and Dec 9th.

Lavenham Airfield: 40, Dec 29th.

Long Melford: 200, Dec 10th; 30, Dec 25th.

A spring total of 12 was recorded at Landguard between March 13th and May 12th, but only four in the autumn between November 1st and December 18th.

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ORTOLAN BUNTING Emberiza hortulana Rare passage migrant. there were no submitted records of this species in 2016.

LITTLE BUNTING Emberiza pusilla Very rare visitor.

After a four year gap, two birds were reported along the coast in late autumn.

Bawdsey: Nov 13th and 14th (M cornish).

Felixstowe: Martello Park, oct 27th (t Burke).

REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus Common but declining resident and passage migrant. Amber list. there was a continuing reduction in both records and sites in 2016 with 52 records (79 in 2015, 323 in 2014, 230 in 2013 and 117 in 2012) from 31 sites (47 in 2015, 80 in 2014, 77 in 2013 and 60 in 2012).

Between 16 and 21 pairs were estimated to have bred on orfordness.

Peak counts within the county were:Minsmere: 30, Aug 26th.

Boyton Marshes: 70, Nov 11th; 30, Nov 26th.

Orfordness: 60, oct 9th.

Bramford: 96, Jan 11th; 60, oct 27th.

Knettishall Airfield: 50, Nov 27th.

Lakenheath Fen RSPB: 40, June 24th.

An impressive total of 301 was ringed on orfordness during the year, the highest figure since 2007.

Autumn migration at Landguard involved 88 south between August 21st and November 10th with a maximum day-count of ten south on october 29th.

CORN BUNTING Emberiza calandra Locally common resident. Red List. overall, records show this species’ numbers continuing to drop within the county with 31 records (48 in 2015) from 16 sites (20 in 2015) of which only three had counts of six birds or more:Chelmondiston: Ling’s Lane, 11, Dec 3rd; 14, Dec 4th.

Great Waldingfield Airfield: six, Sep 7th.

Lakenheath Fen: 21, Jan 19th; 23, Dec 19th. there was little evidence of breeding in the county although up to three birds were singing at East Lane, Bawdsey throughout the spring and they are still present in the far west of the county.

Evidence of a very light coastal passage was provided by the presence of one at Landguard on May 23rd.

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APPENDIX I – CATEGORY D SPECIES

Species that would otherwise appear in categories A or B except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in Britain in a natural state.

No reports in 2016.

APPENDIX II – CATEGORY E SPECIES

Species that have been recorded as introductions, transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self-sustaining. Where a species is also placed in other categories of the British List, this is indicated in the species’ summary.

BLACK SWAN Cygnus atratus Throughout Australia and Tasmania. Category E. Blyth Estuary: two, July 25th.

Minsmere: island Mere, Sep 28th to Nov 7th.

Boyton Marshes RSPB: Jan 1st to feb 5th.

Shingle Street: Jan 21st, Nov 13th.

Bawdsey: Dec 26th.

Waldringfield: May 16th to 18th; two, Aug 24th.

Trimley St Martin: Loompit Lake, two, oct 6th; two, oct 29th and 30th; two, Nov 25th.

Trimley Marshes: two, oct 29th Ipswich: holywells Park, Aug 20th.

Stour Estuary: Stutton Mill (collection), three, Jan 1st.

Cattawade: Sep 4th.

SWAN GOOSE Anser cygnoides Northeast Asia, winters central China. Category E. Parham: Jan 4th; Jan 30th; feb 28th; Mar 20th; Apr 3rd; May 1st; July 10th.

Orfordness: Apr 30th and May 1st; May 8th.

Boyton Marshes RSPB: May 8th.

Trimley Marshes: Apr 8th.

East Bergholt: Apr 17th.

BAR-HEADED GOOSE Anser indicus Breeds by lakes in central Asia from Mongolia to the Tibetan plateau. Winters throughout the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar (Burma). Category E. Hen Reedbeds: June 11th.

Needham Market: Needham Lake, Apr 13th.

ROSS’S GOOSE Anser rossii Breeds on tundra of arctic Canada. Winters in southern USA. Categories D and E. Mickle Mere: Jan 17th to 25th, first-winter.

RED-BREASTED GOOSE Branta ruficollis Breeds Taimyr Peninsula in arctic Siberia. The majority winter on western shores of Black Sea in Bulgaria and Romania, with small numbers annual in the Netherlands. Categories A and E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, Sep 29th.

Covehithe: Jan 17th.

Reydon: Marshes, feb 5th.

Southwold: Jan 29th.

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Walberswick: feb 1st.

North Warren: singles, Jan 4th and 5th; feb 10th to 22nd.

Landguard: adult south with Barnacle Geese, feb 23rd; presumed same, Mar 14th. there was believed to be just one adult associating with Barnacle Geese in the first winter period and it was reported from several coastal sites. there were no reports from the second winter period.

RUDDY SHELDUCK Tadorna ferruginea Morocco and Turkey east through Central Asia to Tibetan plateau. Winters to south of breeding range, with majority in Indian subcontinent. Feral population breeds in northern Europe.

Categories B and E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, Sep 21st; Sep 29th

MUSCOVY DUCK Cairina moschata Southern Mexico to northern Argentina and Brazil. Category E. Alton Water: reported intermittently, Jan 1st to Apr 29th.

Beccles: Quay, three, Mar 11th; three, June 28th; two, Dec 28th.

Thetford: Mar 16th.

WOOD DUCK Aix sponsa Canada to northern Mexico, Cuba and Bahamas. Category E. Livermere Lake: Nov 23rd.

FALCATED DUCK Anas falcata Breeds eastern Siberia to northern Japan and northern China. Winters throughout eastern China and Japan, and occasionally in small numbers in northeast India, east to northern Thailand.

Categories D and E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, Dec 11th.

CHILOE WIGEON Anas sibilatrix Breeds southern South America to Falkland Islands. Some winter southeast Brazil. Category E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, singles, Mar 12th; May 28th; June 12th; two, Dec 11th.

Redgrave: redgrave fen SWt, two, feb 20th.

Culford: culford Park, Mar 13th.

PACIFIC BLACK DUCK Anas superciliosa Breeds Sundas to New Guinea, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand to Solomon Is. and French Polynesia. No BOU category.

Flixton: Gravel Pits, Dec 11th.

WHITE-CHEEKED PINTAIL Anas bahamensis West Indies, and south to southern Brazil, Argentina, Chile and the Galapagos Islands. Category E. Orfordness: July 24th to Aug 27th, a leucistic individual.

Thetford: Nunnery reserve, Nov 18th.

SILVER TEAL Anas versicolor Breeds South America from Bolivia to southern Chile and Falkland Islands. Category E. Livermere Lake: Apr 25th to Nov 13th.

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PUNA TEAL Anas puna Breeds Peru to northwest Argentina. Category E. Snape Wetlands: intermittently, June 27th to Aug 9th.

RED-CRESTED POCHARD Netta rufina Breeds Western Europe to central China. Winters to south of breeding range. Categories A, C and E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, six, Jan 31st, with intermittent reports until eight, Dec 11th. highest counts were 17, Mar 12th and 11, May 28th.

Weybread: Gravel Pits, Apr 23rd.

CANVASBACK Aythya valisineria Breeds from central Alaska south through western Canada to northeastern California and east to central USA. Winters from British Columbia, Canada, to Great Lakes and south throughout USA to central Mexico. Categories A and E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, four, Dec 11th.

FERRUGINOUS DUCK Aythya nyroca Breeds southern Spain, and from eastern Europe to Caspian Sea, and east through Kazakhstan and western Mongolia to Tibetan Plateau. Winters eastern Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, northeast Africa and Indian subcontinent. Categories A and E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, Mar 12th; two, Dec 11th.

NEW ZEALAND SCAUP Aythya novaeseelandiae Endemic to New Zealand, Category E. Flixton: Gravel Pits, six, Dec 11th.

REEVE’S PHEASANT Syrmaticus reevesii Forests of central China. Category E. Carlton Marshes SWT: Apr 7th.

Harkstead: harkstead hall farm, Aug 30th.

Fornham St. Martin: Mar 29th; Apr 4th; Aug 20th.

Euston: Jan 17th; feb 19th.

INDIAN PEAFOWL Pavo cristatus Breeds throughout the Indian subcontinent from eastern Pakistan south to Sri Lanka. Category E. Martlesham: May 12th.

Levington Creek: June 9th.

Elveden: centre Parcs, feb 11th.

Thetford: Nunnery reserve, June 6th.

Great Livermere: four males, Nov 3rd.

BLACK KITE Milvus migrans Breeds throughout Mediterranean basin & continental Europe except maritime northwest & Scandinavia, east to European Russia and W Kazakhstan. Most winter Africa. Other races migratory, dispersive or resident, sub-Saharan Africa, C & E Asia, Indian subcontinent, E & SE Asia & Australia. Categories A and E. Wrentham: Apr 7th; Apr 19th; Apr 30th.

Kessingland: May 22nd.

Benacre: May 22nd.

Frostenden: feb 3rd.

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Shadingfield: July 12th.

Blythburgh: over hen reedbeds: May 3rd.

A single roaming bird was involved in all these sightings. this colour-ringed bird has remained in the Wrentham area since June 23rd 2014 and is the individual that arrived in Suffolk at Brantham on May 9th and at Bawdsey on June 13th 2014.

HARRIS’S HAWK Parabuteo unicinctus Southwest USA south through Central and South America to southern Argentina and Chile.

Category E. Lowestoft: Ness Point, May 7th.

RED-TAILED HAWK Buteo jamaicensis Widespread throughout temperate North America south to Costa Rica and West Indies. Category E. Pipps Ford: May 28th.

WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia Breeds Iberian Peninsula and temperate eastern Europe east to western Russia, Turkey and Iran.

Reintroduction projects are returning species to former range in northwestern Europe and these are likely source of some British records. Winters sub-Saharan Africa and increasingly in Iberian Peninsula.

Breydon Water: South Wall, June 11th.

Burgh Castle: Apr 20th, Polish colour-ringed (green Z1213) rehabilitated individual roosted on a chimney pot.

Corton: Mar 31st, flew north at 11:15hr, subsequently seen north over hopton-on-Sea. Believed to be a wandering individual from thrigby hall Wildlife Gardens.

Carlton Marshes SWT: May 5th; May 28th. on the latter date it was seen in flight at 12:30hr, and subsequently low over Beccles at 13:00hr.

Worlingham: Marshes, May 29th, Polish colour-ringed (green Z1213) rehabilitated individual.

Beccles: May 28th.

Homersfield: Gravel Pits, May 29th.

Fressingfield: Sep 12th.

Minsmere: Apr 8th. the colour-ringed bird (green Z1213) is one of 24 White Storks imported into uk and brought to the Shorelands Wildlife Gardens at Dickleburgh in south Norfolk from Poland in 2014 for rehabilitation after being injured in collisions with electricity power lines on migration. it was successfully treated by Ben Potterton and his team, then escaped once able to fly. it was present at Welney, Norfolk, in february 2016, with further sightings continuing in the vicinity into March. it reappeared in the Dickleburgh area in April and May, then popped up in herefordshire in June and remained there until at least January 2017, with occasional visits into Gloucestershire and oxfordshire. remarkably, it next appeared at Loch of Strathbeg, Aberdeenshire, in April this year (2017).

BUDGERIGAR Melopsittacus undulatus Drier regions of Australia. Category E. Landguard: June 15th to 19th.

COCKATIEL Nymphicus hollandicus Widespread throughout interior Australia. Category E. Orfordness: oct 22nd.

Ipswich: July 23rd.

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KOOKABURRA Dacelo sp.

Australia.

Long Melford: Apr l5th.

An unidentified kookaburra was reported from Long Melford in 2015, and this is assumed to be the same individual.

SAKER FALCON Falco cherrug Breeds locally from eastern Europe across the Palearctic to the Tibetan plateau. European breeders winter in northeast Africa, while much of the Asian population is resident. Categories D and E. Westleton Heath: July 29th.

An approachable falconer’s bird fitted with a tracking device on its back and bells on its legs.

ISLAND CANARY Serinus canaria Resident on Madeira, Azores and western Canary Islands. Category E. Benacre: Sep 14th.

Trimley St Mary: Nov 16th.

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Suffolk Ringing Report 2016 Simon Evans

it’s that time again, a period of trawling through records, reports, emails, notes and memories of the activities of the previous year. odd in a way, as it seems so long ago and thoughts of what’s happened earlier this year being much fresher in the mind. Still, that’s the nature of it, my annual ritual, cathartic possibly but certainly fun to reflect back and remember some of those ringing occurrences of 2016. read on and enjoy, i hope you find some interest in what’s to follow. the updated ringing figures for 2015 now stand at 61,701. Again, only a slight increase on the figures quoted a year ago. the provisional figure for 2016 currently sits at 57,179, a significant decrease on the preceding year and, as i’ve discussed in the past, can be due to a whole suit of factors. however, this still represents 5.4% of the total for Britain and Northern ireland and remains the highest county total across the country, as has been the case for the last four years.

With over three thousand ringing recoveries, reports of birds found more than five kilometres from their original site of ringing, the county also contributed 7.6% of the national data. included in these recoveries were 137 reports of foreign-ringed birds noted in the county as well as 417 reports being received of Suffolk-ringed birds recorded abroad. Amongst these were some firsts to the county: Norwegian-ringed Moorhen, faroe island-ringed Lesser-black Backed Gull, finnish-ringed Peregrine, channel island-ringed chiffchaff, Gambian-ringed Nightingale and Danish-ringed Dunnock. two firsts from Suffolk involved raptors, a Peregrine to the Netherlands and, my personal favourite, a Marsh harrier to Norway. the latter represents the first ever Britishringed Marsh harrier to be recorded anywhere in the Nordic region. for the second year in a row, 134 different species appeared in the Suffolk ringing tables and with no new species added in 2016, the county’s overall species ringing total remains at 226.

Notable records included the county’s second Spotted crake, being the only one ringed in the uk in 2016. Additionally, six of ten turtle Doves, one of two Arctic Warblers, five of 17 Pallas’s Warblers and seven of 22 Water Pipits ringed in the uk, were caught in Suffolk. furthermore, Suffolk’s ringers caught 49% of the Woodlarks, 40% of the Black-tailed Godwits and 32% of the Bearded tits ringed nationally. the first Willow tit since 2010 made a welcome return to the list, especially as it came from the west of the county and allowed many of Suffolk’s birdwatchers a ‘glimpse’ at the Lakenheath feeders! Noteworthy increases were in robin, redwing and Siskin. By contrast, there were significant decreases in the number of Sparrowhawks, Spotted flycatchers and Nightingales ringed. crossbill was absent from the list for a second year, amazingly, with only six ringed in the whole of the uk. the lack of Snow Buntings was presumably down to a change in ringing effort. fortunately, the downward trend in Willow and Sedge Warbler numbers appears to have been temporary. in addition to those already mentioned, of the scarcer species, 16 yellow-browed, two icterine, and two Blyth’s reed Warblers were joined by two Wrynecks and a single Great Grey Shrike. ok pop-pickers, here’s your countdown to the 2016 top five. two popular warblers, in both senses, returned to the charts with reed Warbler coming in at number 5 and Blackcap at number 4. Goldfinch climbed a place to appear at number three, whilst Siskin made a strong entry to take the number two slot. Blue tit held on to the top spot for yet another year. the following table summarises the provisional figures for 2016 as well as any amendments noted for any of the previous few years. the information presented here is mainly as a result of the ringers submitting their data directly to the Bto, and whilst it is possible to view much of this information online, it is unfortunately incomplete. in acknowledgement, i’d like to thank the kessingland rG, Lackford rG and Mick Wright for forwarding their data directly to me. the following ringers and groups are also known to have been active in the county in 2016: Abbott and kennerley, rE Batty, catchpole, cockram and Peters, 174

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Suffolk Ringing Report 2016

Dingle Bird club, rob Duncan, Janette troop, Landguard rG, Newton & Backhouse, Stanny farm rG, Suffolk community Barn owl Project, thompson and hedges, thetford forest rG, ken Venus, John Walshe and Waveney Bird club. Apologies to anyone i’ve missed or am unaware of.

Simon: spe24@btinternet.com

Species Mute Swan Cygnus olor canada Goose Branta canadensis Shelduck Tadorna tadorna Mandarine Duck Aix galericulata Wigeon Anas penelope Gadwall Anas strepera teal Anas crecca Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Pintail Anas acuta tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Grey Partridge Perdix perdix Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Grey heron Ardea cinerea Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus hen harrier Circus cyaneus Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus Buzzard Buteo buteo Water rail Rallus aquaticus Spotted crake Porzana porzana Moorhen Gallinula chloropus oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus Little ringed Plover Charadrius dubius ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola Lapwing Vanellus vanellus knot Calidris canutus Sanderling Calidris alba Little Stint Calidris minuta curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Dunlin Calidris alpina ruff Philomachus pugnax Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus Snipe Gallinago gallinago Woodcock Scolopax rusticola Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus curlew Numenius arquata common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Spotted redshank Tringa erythropus Greenshank Tringa nebularia Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola redshank Tringa totanus turnstone Arenaria interpres kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

2011 1 0 5 0 2 1 16 15 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 13 1 0 81 5 4 0 12 5 28 87 5 13 9 19 46 10 0 0 0 361 0 5 6 7 54 16 0 10 1 1 1 11 0 378 1 134 51 175

2012 3 0 0 0 11 1 24 10 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 21 0 2 52 8 1 0 24 4 4 74 1 4 12 6 36 15 1 0 1 125 3 0 10 10 21 12 0 0 7 3 0 5 0 176 18 62 44

2013 0 1 0 0 0 1 8 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 16 0 5 67 4 3 0 17 0 5 46 0 6 1 5 14 10 8 0 0 66 2 10 14 8 20 2 0 4 4 17 0 4 0 184 9 164 42

2014 2 0 0 0 0 0 24 4 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 19 0 7 62 16 6 0 20 10 16 69 2 22 1 0 29 2 0 0 0 39 1 2 11 6 23 2 0 3 6 7 0 11 0 326 2 162 42

2015 3 0 0 1 0 0 28 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 18 0 8 56 10 2 0 17 7 8 59 0 12 2 2 8 6 0 0 0 43 0 11 20 5 39 0 0 1 5 4 0 2 1 331 3 34 11

2016 58 1 7 0 1 0 37 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 8 45 8 3 1 9 10 1 48 0 17 3 0 9 11 0 0 0 38 0 6 14 9 104 4 1 4 0 5 0 5 0 326 2 49 14

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus common Gull Larus canus Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus herring Gull Larus argentatus Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus Little tern Sternula albifrons common tern Sterna hirundo Little Auk Alle alle Stock Dove Columba oenas Woodpigeon Columba palumbus collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri cuckoo Cuculus canorus Barn owl Tyto alba Little owl Athene noctua tawny owl Strix aluco Long-eared owl Asio otus Short-eared owl Asio flammeus Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus Swift Apus apus kingfisher Alcedo atthis Wryneck Jynx torquilla Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major kestrel Falco tinnunculus Merlin Falco columbarius hobby Falco subbuteo Peregrine Falco peregrinus red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor Magpie Pica pica Jay Garrulus glandarius Jackdaw Corvus monedula rook Corvus frugilegus carrion crow Corvus corone Goldcrest Regulus regulus firecrest Regulus ignicapilla Blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus Great tit Parus major coal tit Periparus ater Willow tit Poecile montana Marsh tit Poecile palustris Bearded tit Panurus biarmicus Woodlark Lullula arborea Skylark Alauda arvensis Shore Lark Eremophila alpestris Sand Martin Riparia riparia Swallow Hirundo rustica house Martin Delichon urbicum cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti Long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis Pallas’s Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

1 3 544 149 0 0 85 0 152 143 134 6 0 4 445 30 56 0 0 23 18 38 2 59 70 84 0 3 4 0 2 29 39 72 4 0 558 60 5907 3948 532 0 132 215 92 17 2 579 2169 230 155 1228 0 0 1 5 3 0 1 1576 593 3368

176

1 23 275 105 0 0 63 0 184 160 85 6 0 2 702 29 39 0 1 23 128 36 2 29 91 101 0 7 1 0 1 21 64 69 5 5 1114 42 5620 3354 519 0 105 186 122 24 0 132 1503 143 79 994 1 0 0 3 0 1 4 1367 913 2663

2 8 302 88 0 0 88 0 192 211 92 4 0 4 140 13 7 3 0 23 91 39 6 38 63 43 0 8 5 0 0 17 56 59 1 5 270 45 6559 3126 591 0 64 257 83 16 0 236 1911 132 104 911 0 0 0 9 0 0 6 1381 704 2272

0 1 391 64 0 0 140 1 120 140 102 6 0 8 924 18 57 0 0 43 55 69 7 39 69 99 0 4 0 0 0 30 41 63 0 8 643 35 6747 3375 522 0 88 410 122 26 0 312 1817 78 183 1092 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 1858 608 3219

0 3 29 14 0 1 46 0 85 145 78 5 0 2 620 13 30 0 0 56 95 49 1 20 73 96 0 3 3 0 0 25 27 39 1 3 4107 67 7065 3623 968 0 126 297 153 30 0 164 817 164 201 1175 0 0 4 11 0 0 3 1625 579 2903

0 0 215 48 0 0 72 0 65 131 70 6 0 5 533 4 32 0 0 45 90 52 2 18 53 122 1 2 2 0 1 12 18 29 4 3 1806 87 4910 2473 519 1 65 273 76 18 0 526 1456 112 248 1087 0 1 5 16 0 0 1 1950 688 3098

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Garden Warbler Sylvia borin Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca Whitethroat Sylvia communis Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides Booted Warbler Iduna caligata icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina Melodious Warbler Hippolais polyglotta Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus Blyth’s reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus Nuthatch Sitta europaea treecreeper Certhia familiaris Short-toed treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Starling Sturnus vulgaris ring ouzel Turdus torquatus Blackbird Turdus merula fieldfare Turdus pilaris Song thrush Turdus philomelos redwing Turdus iliacus Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus Spotted flycatcher Muscicapa striata robin Erithacus rubecula Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Bluethroat Luscinia svecica red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus red-breasted flycatcher Ficedula parva Pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca Black redstart Phoenicurus ochruros redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus Whinchat Saxicola rubetra Stonechat Saxicola torquatus Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka Dunnock Prunella modularis house Sparrow Passer domesticus tree Sparrow Passer montanus yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Pied/White Wagtail Motacilla alba tree Pipit Anthus trivialis Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis rock Pipit Anthus petrosus Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Brambling Fringilla montifringilla Greenfinch Carduelis chloris Serin Serinus serinus Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Siskin Carduelis spinus Linnet Carduelis cannabina twite Carduelis flavirostris Lesser redpoll Carduelis cabaret common redpoll Carduelis flammea redpoll (common/Lesser) Carduelis flammea/cabaret Arctic redpoll Carduelis hornemanni

213 0 449 1685 48 37 0 1 0 0 0 2181 0 1 3079 7 29 139 1 818 761 1 3235 24 611 234 18 62 1603 54 0 2 0 8 13 14 20 177 30 0 1585 304 642 91 14 150 19 879 2 2 2250 678 2337 0 2542 1881 665 14 2131 150 13 0

177

205 0 347 1052 53 20 0 0 0 0 0 2084 0 3 2986 4 43 117 0 859 473 15 3998 153 733 260 22 69 1837 50 1 0 0 28 11 46 7 50 146 0 1476 378 540 52 30 93 9 989 3 3 2406 401 3023 1 3407 1141 1144 0 4286 22 40 1

164 0 308 1074 18 9 1 0 2 0 0 1745 0 2 2963 19 36 98 0 720 411 12 2846 525 580 208 33 39 1473 53 0 0 1 21 9 26 19 60 66 0 1417 273 458 41 17 152 8 1522 4 0 2585 953 3010 0 2650 4277 773 0 2379 216 16 0

253 1 379 1381 33 17 0 0 0 0 0 2164 1 0 3163 0 24 118 0 1008 451 7 2457 8 515 280 8 91 1700 48 0 0 1 24 8 18 11 88 47 0 1633 586 303 34 125 200 36 1386 0 2 1860 440 2788 0 2863 992 895 0 245 131 3 0

195 0 409 931 8 20 0 0 0 0 1 1705 0 2 2910 2 58 130 0 1011 682 1 2040 31 383 192 12 54 1562 57 0 0 1 14 8 30 24 137 36 1 1548 455 689 30 74 141 42 632 2 3 2014 453 3111 0 3598 2874 1425 0 2944 2 21 0

145 0 411 796 20 21 0 0 2 0 0 1715 2 0 2824 0 21 99 0 1124 430 11 2624 7 559 515 2 36 2041 39 0 0 0 9 5 23 47 143 28 0 1499 593 682 14 69 109 92 1466 6 7 1767 496 2503 1 3684 3736 837 0 1764 38 15 0

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

common crossbill Loxia curvirostra common rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Grand Total 226 Species total Species

107 0 237 0 33 0 0 869 1 1480 2 59625 143

178

184 1 306 0 21 0 0 1424 0 1374 0 60390 143

12 0 205 2 75 0 0 797 0 1327 5 57770 138

118 0 218 0 5 0 1 620 0 1239 0 55623 130

0 0 205 0 44 1 0 972 0 1367 0 61701 134

0 0 158 2 0 0 0 888 0 1130 0 57179 134

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

the following pages detail a selection of the more interesting recoveries reported in 2016 and a few from previous years that have only more recently been received. they include the more unusual of reports, as space allows, involving birds travelling greater distances or being older than usual, and do not represent a complete account of the records available. the selection was largely made from the online data presented by the Bto and information supplied directly by some of Suffolk’s ringers. i would like to continue to encourage the county’s ringers and observers to forward their data directly. Most Schedule one information is excluded from the online published totals. the online recoveries data provides only a selective view of what has been recorded, so, if you wish to have your records included, please pass them on. the selection is presented in species order with the initial capture and ringing data on the first line. foreign ringing scheme code (if applicable), ring number, age and sex (if known), date and location are provided. the second and any subsequent lines report the means of recovery, date and location with coordinates. following this, distance, direction and duration between reports is summarised. i have added a few comments to some of the records.

As is the ongoing case, the accounts for some species have had to be somewhat additionally selective due to the vast number of recovery reports of colour-ringed and tagged individuals.

Many thanks to all those who take the time to record, photograph and report your sightings.

Simon. spe24@btinternet.com

Long-eared Owl Richard Allen

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Canada Goose 5259259 Adult Male caught by ringer caught by ringer

caught by ringer

5259299

Alive (neck collar seen)

Adult Male caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Suffolk Bird Report 2016 thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 1y 0m 0d thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 1y 11m 15d thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 4y 11m 26d Mickle Mere, Pakenham: 52°17’N 0°49’E (Suffolk) 15km SSE 7y 1m 26d thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 0y 11m 15d thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 3y 11m 26d thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 5y 0m 7d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 12km S 5y 1m 22d thetford: c. 52°23’N 0°44’E (Norfolk) 0km 6y 2m 9d Broad Water, Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 12km S 6y 3m 21d

13-07-2009 13-07-2010

28-06-2011

09-07-2014

08-09-2016

13-07-2010 28-06-2011

09-07-2014

Alive (neck collar seen)

20-07-2015

Alive (neck collar seen)

22-09-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 04-09-2015

Wigeon fV03295

Gadwall fh93196 Teal EX92857 Ey70102

Cormorant G1450

Alive (neck collar seen)

03-11-2016

first-year Male freshly dead (shot)

28-09-1976 (30-05-2016)

Nacton Decoy: 52°0’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) Berezovskiy District: 63°55’N 65°1’E (khanty-Mansi A.o.) Russian Federation 3,946km ENE 39y 8m 2d the 58th record of a Suffolk-ringed Wigeon reported in the russian federation and now holder of the longevity record.

first-year female freshly dead (shot)

29-09-2015 02-01-2016

Pett Level, Sussex: 50°54’N 0°40’E (East Sussex) friston: 52°9’N 1°32’E (Suffolk) 153km NNE 0y 3m 4d

Adult Male freshly dead (shot)

Adult Male freshly dead (shot)

19-02-2012 11-05-2016

17-01-2016 16-10-2016

iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) ust-tsilma: 65°27’N 52°10’E (komi) Russian Federation 3,228km ENE 4y 2m 22d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) tornum, Lintrup: 55°22’N 8°58’E (Sønderjyllands) Denmark 605km NE 0y 8m 29d the two Suffolk-ringed teal recorded abroad in 2016. Additionally, a Dutch-ringed bird was ‘recovered’ in the county.

Nestling

16-05-2013

Abberton reservoir, near colchester: 51°48’N 0°50’E (Essex) frampton Marsh: 52°55’N 0°1’E (Lincolnshire) 135km NNW 0y 2m 26d Great Livermere Lake: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 55km N 0y 5m 13d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 55km N 1y 10m 26d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 55km N 2y 4m 4d

Alive (colour rings seen) 11-08-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 29-10-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 11-04-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 20-09-2015

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 07-05-2016

fornham St Martin: 52°16’N 0°43’E (Suffolk) 51km N 2y 11m 21d Lackford Lakes: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 57km NNW 3y 3m 7d

Alive (colour rings seen) 23-08-2016 Marsh Harrier Gf65268 Nestling female Alive (wing-tag seen)

fA79149

Nestling Male Alive (wing-tag seen)

Alive (wing-tag seen)

Sparrowhawk DA79133 first-year Male

caught by ringer

caught by ringer Osprey 1446486

Lakenheath fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) Dunsby: 52°49’N 0°18’W (Lincolnshire) 71 km NW 1y 5m 10d Lakenheath fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) near Stubbington: 50°48’N 1°14’W (hampshire) 219km SW 0y 1m 26d near Sandhaaland, karmoy island: 59°12’N 5°10’E (rogaland) Norway 804km NNE 0y 10m 28d A particularly pleasing recovery and the 12th report of a Suffolk-ringed Marsh harrier abroad. this, the first to Norway and indeed the whole Nordic region from the uk.

12-06-2014 10-01-2016

25-06-2015 20-08-2015

23-05-2016

21-01-2011

Lackford Lakes SWt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) Lackford Lakes SWt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 11m 18d Lackford Lakes SWt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 2m 18d

08-01-2013

08-04-2016

Nestling 01-07-2016 Alive (colour rings seen) 14-08-2016

Site confidential (highland) Wilford Bridge, near Melton: 52°5’N 1°20’E (Suffolk) 707km SE 0y 1m 13d Wilford Bridge, near Melton: 52°5’N 1°20’E (Suffolk) 707km SE 0y 1m 16d

Adult

Dam Ved fornebukta, Baerum: 59°54’N 10°37’E (Akershus) Norway Woodbridge: 52°5’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 1,042km SW 0y 3m 28d Woodbridge: 52°5’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 1,042km SW 0y 4m 4d the first Norwegian-ringed Moorhen to be reprted in Suffolk.

Alive (colour rings seen) 17-08-2016 Moorhen NoS

4279291

Avocet Er21619 EG25243

16-07-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 13-11-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 20-11-2016

Nestling

21-06-1995

Nestling

16-06-2010

trimley Marshes, near felixstowe: 51°57’N 1°16’E (Suffolk) Balgzand: 52°54’N 4°48’E (Noord-holland) The Netherlands 261km ENE 20y 11m 25d Seal Sands, teesmouth: c. 54°36’N 1°11’W (Stockton-on-tees) North cave Wetlands, Brough: 53°46’N 0°38’W (East riding of yorkshire) 101km SSE 1y 11m 29d Boue, Aisne, Picardy: 50°0’N 3°42’E (Aisne) France 612km SSE 2y 10m 2d Lytchett Bay, upton: c. 50°43’N 2°2’W (Dorset) 436km S 3y 8m 3d Alkborough flats: c. 53°41’N 0°41’W (North Lincolnshire) 109km SSE 5y 1m 28d

Alive (colour rings seen) 15-06-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 14-06-2012 Alive (colour rings seen) 18-04-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 19-02-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 13-08-2015

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North cave Wetlands, Brough: c. 53°47’N 0°38’W (East riding of yorkshire) 100km SSE 5y 10m 6d rSPB Saltholme, Port clarence: 54°35’N 1°13’W (Stockton-on-tees) 5km 5y 10m 26d Minsmere rSPB: 52°15’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 323km SE 5y 11m 13d Great Marsh (Near Beaulieu river): c. 50°45’N 1°25’W (hampshire) titchfield haven NNr: 50°48’N 1°14’W (hampshire) 15km ENE 0y 0m 27d titchfield haven NNr: 50°48’N 1°14’W (hampshire) 15km ENE 1y 10m 0d carlton Marshes: 52°27’N 1°39’E (Suffolk) 286km NE 1y 11m 9d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) trimley Marshes, near felixstowe: 51°57’N 1°16’E (Suffolk) 25km WSW 0y 1m 12d Prunjepolder: 51°42’N 3°49’E (Zeeland) The Netherlands 162km ESE 0y 9m 3d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 11m 29d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 10m 3d rSPB frampton Marsh: 52°55’N 0°0’E (Lincolnshire) 141km NW 2y 8m 18d freiston Shore: 52°57’N 0°5’E (Lincolnshire) 140km NW 3y 0m 26d havergate island: 52°4’N 1°30’E (Suffolk) 4km 3y 2m 8d rSPB frampton Marsh: 52°55’N 0°0’E (Lincolnshire) 142km NW 3y 9m 15d Snettisham Mudflats: c. 52°51’N 0°26’E (Norfolk) 116km NW 4y 8m 24d rSPB frampton Marsh: 52°55’N 0°0’E (Lincolnshire) 142km NW 4y 10m 23d Er21619 was one of four reports of Suffolkringed Avocets abroad in 2016, all to the Netherlands.

Alive (colour rings seen) 22-04-2016 Alive (colour rings seen) 12-05-2016

Ey78217

Alive (colour rings seen) 29-05-2016

Nestling

29-05-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 25-06-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 29-03-2016

EW43232

Alive (colour rings seen) 08-05-2016

Nestling 18-06-2011 Alive (colour rings seen) 30-07-2011

Alive (colour rings seen) 21-03-2012

Alive (colour rings seen) 16-06-2012

Alive (colour rings seen) 21-04-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 08-03-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 14-07-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 26-08-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 02-04-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 13-03-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 11-05-2016

Oystercatcher fA26605 Nestling freshly dead

fr85134 fA50784

10-07-1988 17-04-2016

Adult Long dead

23-02-1986 02-04-2016

caught by ringer

28-03-2010

Bawdsey: 52°0’N 1°24’E (Suffolk) felixstowe Marshes: 51°58’N 1°21’E (Suffolk) 4km 27y 9m 7d fagbury, felixstowe: 51°56’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) harlingen: 53°10’N 5°25’E (friesland) The Netherlands 311km ENE 30y 1m 10d falkenham creek: 52°0’N 1°21’E (Suffolk) Nieuwpoort: 51°7’N 2°45’E (WestVlaanderen) Belgium 140km SE 12y 9m 29d Nieuwpoort: 51°7’N 2°43’E (WestVlaanderen) Belgium 137km SE 13y 6m 2d Nieuwpoort: 51°7’N 2°43’E (WestVlaanderen) Belgium 137km SE 16y 7m 3d Nieuwpoort: 51°7’N 2°43’E (WestVlaanderen) Belgium 137km SE 19y 10m 12d holbeach St Matthew: c. 52°52’N 0°5’E (Lincolnshire)

Adult 26-09-1996 Alive (ring read in field) 25-07-2009

Alive (ring read in field) 29-04-2013

Alive (ring read in field) 07-08-2016 fA62463

Adult Male

21-07-1997

182

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 133km SE 10y 9m 12d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 133km SE 11y 8m 22d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 133km SE 14y 9m 29d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 133km SE 16y 7m 22d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 133km SE 17y 8m 8d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 133km SE 18y 8m 13d fA62463 continues to show affinity for orfordness.

Alive (ring read in field) 03-05-2008

Alive (ring read in field) 12-04-2009

Alive (ring read in field) 20-05-2012

Alive (ring read in field) 15-03-2014

Alive (ring read in field) 29-03-2015

Alive (ring read in field) 03-04-2016

Curlew fA12371

Adult 12-09-1985 freshly dead (accidental) 06-05-2016

Black-tailed Godwit ES41893 first-year

27-08-2007

EW71041

15-11-2009

EW64263

Butley: 52°4’N 1°29’E (Suffolk) yuryatinskaja: 61°7’N 43°22’E (Arkhangelsk oblast) Russian Federation 2,739km ENE 30y 7m 24d Sadly, less than two years shy of the longevity record. falkenham creek, falkenham: 52°0’N 1°21’E (Suffolk) Mistley, Manningtree: 51°56’N 1°4’E (Essex) 21km WSW 9y 2m 8d Levington creek, river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) freston Shore: 52°0’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 5km 6y 1m 2d Woodbridge: 52°4’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 11km NNE 7y 0m 5d harty: 51°20’N 0°53’E (kent) Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont: 49°22’N 1°9’W (Manche) France 263km SW 0y 0m 24d Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont: 49°22’N 1°9’W (Manche) France 263km SW 1y 0m 25d Alftafjolour: 64°31’N 14°33’W (SuðurMúlasýsla) Iceland 1,719km NNW 1y 6m 17d Shell Ness: 51°21’N 0°55’E (kent) 3km 1y 9m 13d Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont: 49°22’N 1°9’W (Manche) France 263km SW 2y 3m 23d oare: 51°20’N 0°53’E (kent) 3km 2y 8m 13d hazlewood Marshes, Alde Estuary: 52°9’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 100km NNE 2y 9m 14d Stekkakelda, hofn i hornafiroi: 64°15’N 15°12’W (Austur-Skaftafellssýsla) Iceland 1,715km NNW 3y 6m 15d oare: 51°20’N 0°53’E (kent) 3km 3y 9m 4d Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont: 49°22’N 1°9’W (Manche) France 263km SW 4y 2m 7d

Alive (ring read in field) 04-11-2016

Adult

Alive (colour rings seen) 17-12-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 20-11-2016

Adult female 13-10-2012 Alive (colour rings seen) 06-11-2012

Alive (colour rings seen) 07-11-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 30-04-2014 Alive (colour rings seen) 26-07-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 05-02-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 26-06-2015 Alive (colour rings seen) 27-07-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 28-04-2016 Alive (colour rings seen) 17-07-2016 Alive (colour rings seen) 20-12-2016 Dunlin Nr17775

first-year caught by ringer

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) Quinta Do Marim, olhao: 37°1’N 7°46’E (faro) Portugal 1,744km SSE 5y 2m 12d Another historical record making its way

01-09-2007 13-11-2012

183

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Redshank Dk95194 DB69711

through from Portugal, this is Suffolk’s 5th to the country.

Adult

caught by ringer

Adult

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

08-10-1998

Levington, near river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) Levington Lagoon: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 17y 11m 22d Levington creek, river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) Levington creek, river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 0m 2d Levington Lagoon: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 4m 5d Levington creek: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 0m 19d Levington creek: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 0m 18d Levington creek, orwell Estuary: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 9y 1m 25d Levington creek: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 10y 2m 10d Levington creek: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 10y 2m 24d Levington creek, river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) Levington creek: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 7m 29d Levington creek, river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 8m 5d Nacton Shore: 51°59’N 1°13’E (Suffolk) 2km 3y 1m 15d Langeoog: 53°43’N 7°28’E (ostfriesische inseln) Germany 460km ENE 7y 8m 6d only the third Suffolk-ringed redshank to be recorded in Germany hazlewood, near ham creek: 52°9’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) Baie de Seine: 49°27’N 0°7’E (SeineMaritime) France 317km SSW 5y 0m 2d Levington creek, river orwell: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) thorpe Bay: 51°59’N 1°16’E (Suffolk) 3km 0y 0m 4d Levington creek: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 3m 8d Lanmodez: 48°49’N 3°6’W (cotesd’Armor) France 468km SW 5y 2m 0d freston, near ipswich: 52°0’N 1°9’E (Suffolk) 6km WNW 6y 2m 20d freston Shore: 52°0’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 5km 6y 2m 20d Additionally, another Suffolk-ringed bird was reported in iceland

30-09-2016

08-09-2006

10-09-2007

13-01-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 27-09-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 26-09-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 02-11-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 18-11-2016

DB69947

Alive (colour rings seen) 02-12-2016

Adult

27-10-2008

Alive (colour rings seen) 25-06-2009

Alive (colour rings seen) 02-07-2010

Alive (colour rings seen) 12-12-2011

Alive (colour rings seen) 03-07-2016 DE39088 DD11626

first-year

freshly dead (shot)

first-year

26-08-2011

28-08-2016

22-09-2010

Alive (colour rings seen) 26-09-2010

Alive (colour rings seen) 30-12-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 22-11-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 12-12-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 12-12-2016

Woodcock Sfh

Bt051727

full-grown

freshly dead (shot)

09-09-2016

17-12-2016

184

Mustasaari, Pohjanmaa: 63°12’N 21°58’E (Vaasa) Finland ingham: 52°18’N 0°42’E (Suffolk) 1,739km SW 0y 3m 8d only the second finnish-ringed Woodcock to be reported in the county

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EX05693

Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

first-year freshly dead (shot)

Sandwich Tern DD22647 Nestling

freshly dead (natural causes)

Common Tern St06160 Nestling freshly dead (natural causes)

30-11-2014 23-01-2016

ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) tattingstone White horse: 51°59’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) 10km SW 1y 1m 24d typically sad ends for these two birds.

28-06-2003

inner farne, farne islands: 55°36’N 1°40’W (Northumberland)

08-11-2016

Benacre Broad: 52°22’N 1°42’E (Suffolk) 420km SSE 13y 4m 11d

24-06-2010

Breydon Junction: 52°36’N 1°41’E (Norfolk)

SV97421

Nestling

26-07-2013

Sr69875

Nestling

21-07-2009

Kittiwake ES28892

Minsmere: c. 52°14’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) 43km S 6y 1m 14d Alton Water reservoir, near tattingstone: c. 51°58’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) river Gipping, Bramford: 52°4’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 10km N 2y 10m 22d Alton Water reservoir, near tattingstone: c. 51°58’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) Alton Water reservoir, near tattingstone: c. 51°58’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 0m 28d

07-08-2016

freshly dead (hit wires) 17-06-2016

Long dead (storm)

18-08-2016

Nestling caught by ringer

01-07-1995 11-07-2005

caught by ringer

01-07-2010

Alive (colour rings seen) 10-04-2012

Alive (colour rings seen) 13-04-2013

Alive (ring read in field) 10-04-2014

Alive (ring read in field) 26-07-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 18-03-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 05-08-2015

Eh48840

Alive (colour rings seen) 02-04-2016

Adult caught by ringer

10-07-2004 07-07-2007

Alive (ring read in field) 07-08-2012

Alive (ring read in field) 09-07-2013

Alive (ring read in field) 05-04-2014

Alive (ring read in field) 22-02-2015

Alive (ring read in field) 05-08-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 08-03-2016

185

inchkeith, firth of forth: c. 56°1’N 3°8’W (fife) Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 10y 0m 10d Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 15y 0m 0d Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 16y 9m 9d Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 17y 9m 12d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 18y 9m 9d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 19y 0m 25d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 19y 8m 17d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 20y 1m 4d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 506km SE 20y 9m 1d Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 11m 27d Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 0m 28d Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 11m 29d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 9y 8m 26d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 10y 7m 12d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 11y 0m 26d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 11y 7m 27d

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

EX56652

Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 12y 1m 24d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 11m 30d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 11m 28d Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 9m 9d Bulbjerg: 57°9’N 9°1’E (Nordjyllands) Denmark 699km NE 3y 11m 27d Bulbjerg: 57°9’N 9°1’E (Nordjyllands) Denmark 699km NE 4y 10m 12d one of four reports of Suffolk-ringed birds to Denmark in 2016. A further 20 reports came from france.

Alive (colour rings seen) 03-09-2016

Nestling 27-06-2011 Alive (colour rings seen) 26-06-2013

Alive (ring read in field) 24-06-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 05-04-2015

Alive (ring read in field) 23-06-2015

Alive (ring read in field) 09-05-2016

Black-headed Gull EP74903 Adult

08-06-2000

Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 10y 6m 5d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 14y 8m 16d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 15y 7m 18d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 15y 8m 28d near Wingmore farm, Stoke orchard: 51°56’N 2°6’W (Gloucestershire) Africa Alive, kessingland: 52°24’N 1°42’E (Suffolk) 265km E 8y 10m 21d A rather intriguing destination! orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) taylor Park, St helens: 53°26’N 2°46’W (Merseyside) 328km WNW 1y 6m 27d hyvinkaa: 60°37’N 24°58’E (uusimaa) Finland Lowestoft: c. 52°27’N 1°43’E (Suffolk) 1,684km WSW 12y 5m 11d orchard Avenue, Lowestoft: 52°27’N 1°42’E (Suffolk) 1,684km WSW 12y 5m 11d fourteen reports of foreign-ringed birds were received for the county in 2016, including St237344.

Additional Suffolk-ringed birds were reported in Sweden (2), Germany (3) and the Netherlands (5).

Alive (ring read in field) 13-12-2010

Alive (ring read in field) 24-02-2015

Alive (ring read in field) 26-01-2016

EL98614

EW43371 Sfh St237344

Alive (ring read in field) 07-03-2016

Adult

freshly dead

24-11-2007

15-10-2016

Nestling 06-07-2014 Alive (ring read in field) 02-02-2016

Nestling caught by ringer

caught by ringer

07-06-2004 18-11-2016

18-11-2016

Mediterranean Gull PLG Nestling

26-05-2015

PLG

26-05-2015

fS11494

fS11494

Alive (colour rings seen) 07-09-2015

Nestling

Alive (colour rings seen) 03-01-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 25-11-2016

186

Zb Mietkowski, Domanice, Mietkow: 50°57’N 16°36’E (Dolnoslaskie) Poland corton: 52°30’N 1°44’E (Suffolk) 1,037km W 0y 3m 12d Zb Mietkowski, Domanice, Mietkow: 50°57’N 16°36’E (Dolnoslaskie) Poland Lowestoft: 52°28’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 1,037km W 0y 7m 8d Lowestoft: 52°28’N 1°45’E (Suffolk) 1,037km W 1y 5m 30d A further two reports of hungarian-ringed birds to the county were also received, totaling 24 such records to date.

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

Common Gull EtM Nestling 29-05-2010 uA5946 Alive (colour rings seen) 28-12-2016

Lesser Black-backed Gull Gh35784 Nestling caught by ringer

kakrarahu, Laanemaa: 58°46’N 23°25’E Estonia Leathes ham, Lowestoft: 52°28’N 1°43’E (Suffolk) 1,528km WSW 6y 6m 29d the 12th report to the county from the Baltic region. interestingly ringed at the same Estonian colony as the one reported last year.

13-07-1986 06-06-2013

orfordness: 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 26y 10m 24d Botany Marshes, near Snape: 52°10’N 1°28’E (Suffolk) 11km NNW 27y 0m 11d Shawell: 52°24’N 1°12’W (Leicestershire) 192km WNW 28y 1m 17d temporary Pits in Water Eaton: 51°58’N 0°44’W (Milton keynes) 158km W 29y 6m 12d orfordness: 52°4’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) Europoort, rotterdam: 51°55’N 4°6’E (Zuidholland) The Netherlands 174km E 24y 10m 19d Skokholm island: 51°41’N 5°17’W (Pembrokeshire) rymer Barn Pig field: 52°19’N 0°44’E (Suffolk) 419km E 1y 7m 3d havergate island: 52°4’N 1°30’E (Suffolk) chipiona: 36°43’N 6°25’W (cadiz) Spain 1,815km SSW 0y 5m 8d Milton, cambridge: 52°14’N 0°9’E (cambridgeshire) 95km WNW 1y 10m 22d Axe Estuary, Axmouth: 50°42’N 3°3’W (Devon) 353km WSW 4y 1m 18d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 9m 10d

Alive (colour rings seen) 24-07-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 30-08-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 25-01-2016

GG75024

Nestling 29-06-1991 Alive (ring read in field) 18-05-2016

Gr98252

Adult female

GG78271

18-05-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 21-12-2015

Nestling 01-07-2012 Alive (colour rings seen) 09-12-2012

Alive (colour rings seen) 23-05-2014

GA36249

Alive (colour rings seen) 19-08-2016

Nestling 08-07-2000 Alive (colour rings seen) 18-04-2003 Alive (colour marks seen)

Alive (colour marks seen)

19-09-2004

Boulogne-Sur-Mer: 50°42’N 1°36’E (Pas-decalais) France 154km S 4y 2m 11d

19-12-2005

Stanton harcourt: 51°44’N 1°25’W (oxfordshire) 209km W 5y 5m 11d Burhou: 49°43’N 2°15’W (Alderney) Channel Islands 374km SW 14y 0m 13d old Sarum, near Salisbury: 51°5’N 1°48’W (Wiltshire) 257km WSW 15y 4m 5d crabby Bay, crabby: 49°43’N 2°12’W (Alderney) Channel Islands 373km SW 16y 1m 16d chouet Landfill , Vale: 49°30’N 2°31’W (Guernsey) Channel Islands rymer farm, Barnham: 52°20’N 0°43’E (Suffolk) 391km NE 1y 2m 23d Nordoyvi, Bordoy: 62°16’N 6°30’W (Nordoyar) Faroe Islands near hempsted, Gloucester: 51°50’N 2°16’W (Gloucestershire) 1,185km SSE 4y 9m 28d rymer Barn: 52°19’N 0°44’E (Suffolk) 1,186km SSE 13y 9m 1d comilog, Gravelines: 50°58’N 2°7’E (Nord) France

Alive (colour rings seen) 21-07-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 13-11-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 24-08-2016 ciJ

D9192

Dkc

4f0704 frP

Adult Male

15-05-2015

Nestling

24-06-2002

Alive (colour rings seen) 07-08-2016

caught by ringer

21-04-2007

Nestling

27-06-2009

Alive (colour rings seen) 25-03-2016

187

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EA677935 DEW

N032536

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 128km NNW 5y 9m 30d Port of felixstowe, felixstowe: 51°56’N 1°19’E (Suffolk) 121km NNW 5y 10m 15d helgoland-Dune: 54°10’N 7°55’E (helgoland) Germany Minsmere: 52°15’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 471km WSW 1y 9m 8d A selection from the reports of 9 foreignringed and 265 Suffolk-ringed birds, including the first from the faroe islands.

Alive (colour rings seen) 26-04-2015

Alive (colour rings seen) 12-05-2015

Nestling

17-07-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 25-04-2016

Herring Gull Gf92635 Nestling 19-07-1998 Alive (colour marks seen) 17-04-1999 (Essex) 78km SW 0y 8m 29d Alive (colour marks seen) 15-04-2001 Alive (colour marks seen)

Alive (colour marks seen)

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk)

Barling Landfill Site, Barling: 51°34’N 0°47’E orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 8m 27d

26-10-2004

holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 6y 3m 7d

14-10-2005

holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 7y 2m 25d holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 8y 2m 11d holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 9y 5m 28d holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 11y 7m 8d Wells-next-the-Sea: 52°56’N 0°50’E (Norfolk) 108km NNW 12y 7m 5d holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 13y 6m 14d Edgefield: 52°52’N 1°5’E (Norfolk) 93km NNW 14y 8m 28d holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 15y 7m 12d holkham Gap: 52°58’N 0°48’E (Norfolk) 111km NNW 18y 4m 12d havergate island: 52°4’N 1°30’E (Suffolk) Beddington: 51°22’N 0°8’W (Greater London) 138km WSW 0y 6m 21d ythan Estuary, Newburgh: 57°18’N 2°0’W (Aberdeenshire) 624km NNW 3y 0m 21d rufforth Waste Disposal Site: c. 53°57’N 1°11’W (york) hollesley Marshes: 52°2’N 1°27’E (Suffolk) 277km SE 0y 7m 11d rufforth Waste Disposal Site: c. 53°57’N 1°11’W (york) Minsmere: 52°14’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) 267km SE 0y 4m 11d reddern, oberspreewald-Lausitz: 51°42’N 14°6’E (Brandenburg) Germany Southwold: 52°19’N 1°40’E (Suffolk) 854km W 0y 4m 25d Minsmere rSPB reserve: 52°14’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) 858km W 0y 6m 10d

Alive (colour rings seen) 30-09-2006

Alive (colour rings seen) 16-01-2008

Alive (colour rings seen) 27-02-2010

Alive (colour rings seen) 24-02-2011

Alive (colour rings seen) 02-02-2012

Alive (colour rings seen) 16-04-2013

Alive (colour rings seen) 03-03-2014

GG78963

GV31621 GV31610 DEh

EA204330

Alive (colour rings seen) 01-12-2016

Nestling 07-07-2013 Alive (colour rings seen) 28-01-2014

Alive (colour rings seen) 28-07-2016

Second-year

Alive (neck collar seen)

21-08-2015

01-04-2016

Second-year

21-08-2015

Nestling

06-06-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 01-01-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 31-10-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 16-12-2016

188

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

Caspian Gull DEh Nestling

EA203046

09-06-2015

reddern, oberspreewald-Lausitz: 51°42’N 14°6’E (Brandenburg) Germany Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) 857km W 0y 9m 30d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) 857km W 0y 10m 0d Both reports of only the second Germanringed bird to be recorded in the county.

Alive (colour rings seen) 08-04-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 09-04-2016

Great Black-backed Gull SVS Nestling 9181683

two of four reports of German-ringed birds in the county in 2016. twelve reports of Suffolkringed birds abroad were received with eleven to france and one to the Netherlands.

06-06-2015

truthhallen, hallnas: 60°37’N 17°58’E (uppsala) Sweden Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) 1,367km SW 0y 9m 21d the first record in Suffolk from Sweden. More typically, six other reports were received involving Norwegian-ringed birds An interesting contrast with 2015 with no reports in the county of Danish-ringed birds.

Alive (colour rings seen) 27-03-2016

Woodpigeon fh22821 Adult 19-06-2009 freshly dead (hit by car) 26-06-2016 7d fc20859 first-year 06-12-2010 caught by ringer

22-02-2011

caught by ringer

24-02-2014

caught by ringer

26-12-2015

caught by ringer

caught by ringer caught by ringer Collared Dove EL45039 Adult

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

EL56776 EW64822

freshly dead (bird of prey)

full-grown caught by ringer

first-year

thorndon: 52°16’N 1°7’E (Suffolk) thorndon: 52°16’N 1°7’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 0m

Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 2m 16d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 11m 28d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 2m 18d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 5m 29d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 0m 20d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 1m 13d

04-12-2012

04-06-2015 19-01-2016 25-09-2006

Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 6m 22d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 7m 3d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 7m 21d

16-04-2009

28-04-2013

16-05-2015 14-04-2016

Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 9y 6m 20d ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 9y 0m 11d Brandon: 52°26’N 0°35’E (Suffolk)

18-03-2007 29-03-2016

15-09-2009

189

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 190

freshly dead (injury)

20-08-2016

Moreton hall, Bury St Edmunds: 52°14’N 0°44’E (Suffolk) 26km SSE 6y 11m 5d

freshly dead

04-05-2014

11-07-2016

Sycamore farm, Witnesham: 52°6’N 1°11’E (Suffolk) crowfield, ipswich: 52°10’N 1°7’E (Suffolk) 9km NNW 2y 2m 7d

Nestling freshly dead

29-07-2010 11-12-2016

Bintree Mill: 52°46’N 0°56’E (Norfolk) Somerleyton: 52°30’N 1°39’E (Suffolk) 57km SE 6y 4m 12d onehouse: 52°11’N 0°55’E (Suffolk) hitcham: 52°7’N 0°54’E (Suffolk) 7km SSW 0y 11m 1d Great copt hall: 52°6’N 0°55’E (Suffolk) 10km S 4y 10m 27d Nedging, near chelsworth: 52°5’N 0°55’E (Suffolk) 10km S 6y 0m 4 creeting St Peter: 52°9’N 1°1’E (Suffolk) near Manthorpe, Bourne: c. 52°43’N 0°24’W (Lincolnshire) 116km WNW 1y 1m 4d near Manthorpe, Bourne: c. 52°43’N 0°24’W (Lincolnshire) 116km WNW 1y 2m 28d Stonham Aspall: 52°11’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) near Sandridge: 51°47’N 0°19’W (hertfordshire) 108km WSW 1y 0m 28d Again, some good recoveries largely down to the efforts of the Suffolk community Barn owl Project.

Turtle Dove Second-year Male EW71348

Barn Owl Gr18186 Gc92125

Nestling female caught in nestbox

Alive (in nestbox)

Gr80669

Gr80644

Little Owl Et44832 Tawny Owl Gh59765 AJ56642

Nightjar LB12473

Swift SB78667

Kingfisher SB22699

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

caught by ringer

Nestling female caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Nestling female caught in nestbox

13-07-2010 14-06-2011

09-06-2015

17-07-2016

03-07-2015 07-08-2016

01-10-2016

23-06-2015 21-07-2016

Nestling 07-06-2014 freshly dead (hit by car) 29-06-2016

Stanstead Village: c. 52°6’N 0°41’E (Suffolk) near Boxted: 52°6’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) 3km 2y 0m 22d

Nestling

thorpe Street, hinderclay: 52°21’N 0°57’E (Suffolk) hepworth: 52°19’N 0°54’E (Suffolk) 5km 1y 7m 1d henstead With hulver Street: 52°24’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) Lowestoft: 52°30’N 1°43’E (Suffolk) 13km NNE 0y 5m 19d

Dead (hit by car)

09-05-2015

10-12-2016

Nestling

13-05-2016

Adult Male

caught by ringer

30-06-2009

06-07-2016

near Parsonage heath: 52°24’N 0°38’E (Suffolk) near Parsonage heath: 52°24’N 0°38’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 0m 6d

Adult

03-05-2012

Alton Water reservoir, near tattingstone: c. 51°58’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) ipswich: 52°4’N 1°8’E (Suffolk) 10km N 4y 0m 6d

first-year female

20-08-2013

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk)

freshly dead (hit by car) 01-11-2016

Sick (predated)

09-05-2016

190

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

Alive (ring read in field) 30-07-2015

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Green Woodpecker DE37026 first-year Male

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

28-01-2016

30-10-2016

28-07-2011

Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 10m 12d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 8m 10d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 10m 5d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 10m 24d Great to see this individual survive for another year

09-06-2012

07-04-2015

02-06-2016

caught by ringer

21-06-2016

Great Spotted Woodpecker cf22241 Adult female caught by ringer

10-07-2005 12-12-2016

Peregrine Gc54584

rendham: 52°13’N 1°26’E (Suffolk) 18km NNW 1y 11m 10d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 8km N 2y 5m 8d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 8km N 3y 2m 10d No individual ringed in Britain and ireland has been recovered more than three years since ringing.

Shotley Gate: 51°57’N 1°15’E (Suffolk) Gate farm road, Shotley: 51°57’N 1°15’E (Suffolk) 0km 11y 5m 2d

Sfh D226789

Nestling 04-05-2011 freshly dead (hit by car) 29-06-2015

Nestling Long dead (hit wires)

20-07-2016 09-10-2016

Magpie EZ01235

ipswich Docks: 52°4’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) Maasvlakte rotterdam: 51°57’N 4°1’E (Zuidholland) The Netherlands 195km E 4y 1m 25d Site confidential (Lappi) Finland harleston: 52°11’N 0°57’E (Suffolk) 2,270km SW 0y 2m 19d A couple of exchange firsts for Suffolk and the respective countries.

first-year female

24-10-2015

Jay DE37022

Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) forward Green, Earl Stonham: 52°11’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 3km 0y 11m 7d

Adult female

07-05-2011

DE39356

first-year

24-11-2012

Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 1m 14d West farm, Westhorpe: 52°17’N 0°58’E (Suffolk) Moathill farm, Westhorpe: 52°18’N 0°58’E (Suffolk) 2km 3y 3m 12

Jackdaw Et68807

22d EX99728

Long dead (trapped)

caught by ringer

01-10-2016

21-06-2016

caught by ringer

07-03-2016

Second-year Long dead

26-05-2004 17-06-2016

Adult Long dead

Dunwich: 52°16’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) Dunwich: 52°16’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 12y 0m

04-10-2014 14-09-2016

191

Polstead: 51°59’N 0°53’E (Suffolk) Polstead: 52°0’N 0°53’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 11m 10d

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 192

Rook EZ01206 Ey16907

Goldcrest hDJ585 JAJ353 EkB631

BLB cB3339

NLA

AJf394

Blue Tit V687145

Suffolk Bird Report 2016 first-year female

05-04-2015

Adult

10-04-2016

freshly dead (shot)

27-05-2016

full-grown female

04-04-2015

first-year Male

caught by ringer

first-year Male

30-10-2016

04-10-2015

first-year female caught by ringer

18-10-2015 31-03-2016

first-year female

07-10-2016

first-year female caught by ringer

11-10-2007 06-05-2010

caught by ringer

first-year Male caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Great Tit X691944

15-10-2015

31-03-2016

caught by ringer

Woolston Eyes, Warrington: c. 53°23’N 2°31’W (Warrington) Alderton: 52°0’N 1°24’E (Suffolk) 307km ESE 0y 6m 19d flamborough head: c. 54°7’N 0°6’W (East riding of yorkshire) orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 252km SSE 1y 0m 15d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) castricum: 52°31’N 4°36’E (Noordholland) The Netherlands 234km ENE 0y 5m 27d Pepingen: 50°45’N 4°10’E (Brabant) Belgium Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 238km NW 0y 5m 13d Vinkenbann 3de kp: 53°15’N 4°57’E (Vlieland) The Netherlands Bawdsey hall, Bawdsey: 51°59’N 1°24’E (Suffolk) 277km WSW 0y 0m 2d only the second Belgian-ringed bird to the county and the 6th reported from the Netherlands. Additionally, one to the latter.

23-10-2015

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

X691592

28-05-2016

freshly dead (trapped)

caught by ringer

Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 1m 23d West farm, Westhorpe: 52°17’N 0°58’E (Suffolk) Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 14km SSE 0y 1m 17d

09-10-2016

rushmere St Andrew: 52°4’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) rushmere St Andrew: 52°4’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 6m 25d rushmere St Andrew: 52°4’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 2m 30d rushmere St Andrew: 52°4’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 5m 6d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 2m 15d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 2m 22d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 4m 27d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 3m 10d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 4m 2d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 4m 20d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 1m 28d

10-01-2013

17-03-2015

29-09-2009 14-12-2009

21-12-2010

25-02-2012

08-01-2013

31-01-2015

18-02-2016

caught by ringer

26-11-2016

first-year Male

15-12-2009

chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 192

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

caught by ringer

V064349 Marsh Tit L025547

y277711

caught by ringer

13-02-2010 30-04-2016

first-year

08-11-2009

caught by ringer

20-11-2014

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Juvenile

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

first-year caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Bearded Tit L776935 full-grown female caught by ringer caught by ringer

S540658 Woodlark tr58891 tV57413

caught by ringer

Melton Park, Woodbridge: 52°7’N 1°19’E (Suffolk) Melton Park, Woodbridge: 52°7’N 1°19’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 2m 15d Melton Park, Woodbridge: 52°7’N 1°19’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 0m 12d Melton Park, Woodbridge: 52°7’N 1°19’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 1m 21d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 2m 26d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 8m 19d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 0m 20d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 7m 29d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 9m 8d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 0m 7d

23-01-2013

29-12-2016

02-08-2012

28-10-2012

21-04-2013

22-08-2013

31-03-2016

16-02-2013 24-11-2013

23-02-2016

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 4m 17d Stanny farm, iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 8km N 0y 7m 19d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 1m 24d Walberswick: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 6km SSW 0y 1m 5d

17-10-2015 05-03-2016

05-06-2016

11-12-2016

full-grown Male caught by ringer

22-09-2016 27-10-2016

Nestling

05-05-2014

near rougham corner: 52°29’N 0°38’E (Norfolk) Brandon Park: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) 10km SSW 1y 11m 24d Parsonage heath: 52°23’N 0°38’E (Suffolk) Grimes Graves, Lynford: 52°28’N 0°39’E (Norfolk) 10km N 1y 0m 20d

Alive (colour rings seen) 29-04-2016

Nestling 11-04-2015 Alive (colour rings seen) 01-05-2016

Sand Martin Z920793 Nestling S368248

chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 10m 8d chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 0m 2d Santon Downham: 52°26’N 0°39’E (Suffolk) Brandon: 52°26’N 0°37’E (Norfolk) 3km 6y 2m 17d

17-12-2016

first-year Male caught by ringer

caught by ringer

D272843

23-10-2012

caught by ringer

Juvenile

01-06-2016

London Wetland centre: 51°28’N 0°13’W (Greater London) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 154km ENE 0y 0m 26d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk)

27-06-2016

09-08-2016

193

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Z335278

Swallow D453452

caught by ringer

first-year female

caught by ringer

Shorne Marshes, Gravesend: 51°26’N 0°24’E (kent) 124km SW 0y 0m 9d Shorne Marshes, Gravesend: 51°26’N 0°24’E (kent) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 124km NE 0y 11m 24d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 124km NE 1y 0m 20d in addition, two reports of Suffolk-ringed birds to france and four french-ringed birds to Suffolk were received.

20-07-2015

14-07-2016

09-08-2016

first-year

26-08-2013

near charity farm, Shotley: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) kroonstand: 27°37’S 27°13’E (free State (orange free State)) Republic of South Africa 9,206km SSE 2y 6m 13d Sad circumstances for the 16th report of a Suffolk-ringed Swallow to South Africa

04-10-2016 31-10-2016

Brook farm, reculver: 51°21’N 1°11’E (kent) culford School: c. 52°17’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) 110km NNW 0y 0m 27d culford School: c. 52°17’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) 110km NNW 0y 1m 19d

caught by ringer

13-07-2009

03-11-2016

near Sheepcote hall, Stowmarket: 52°10’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) Walberswick: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) 44km ENE 7y 3m 21d A good age for a ‘Lotti’ – the longevity record is 8 years and 11 months.

Juvenile

05-08-2016

howick hall: 55°26’N 1°37’W (Northumberland) orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 429km SSE 0y 2m 17d near East Ness 2016: 54°11’N 0°55’W (North yorkshire) near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) 285km SSE 0y 1m 30d flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) Azud rio Guadiana: 38°52’N 6°49’W (Badajoz) Spain 1,597km SSW 1y 4m 13d Walberswick: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) capitan-Brazo Del Este, la Puebla Del rio: 37°6’N 6°9’E (Sevilla) Spain 1,726km S 1y 1m 8d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) kervijen, Plomodiern: 48°9’N 4°16’W (finistere) France 583km SW 0y 2m 28d near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) Mars-ouest, Saint-Philbert-De-Grand-Lieu: 47°7’N 1°40’W (Loire-Atlantique) France 593km SSW 0y 0m 16d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk)

freshly dead (hit by car) 10-03-2016

caught by ringer

Long-tailed Tit DBX154 Juvenile

ANN151

18-08-2016

caught by ringer

Cetti’s Warbler J092870 full-grown female caught by ringer

Chiffchaff hyE266

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

caught by ringer

23-11-2016

22-10-2016

Juvenile

16-07-2016

hXP163

Juvenile Male

06-07-2015

hPB945

first-year caught by ringer

22-09-2015 30-10-2016

JJN996

Juvenile Male caught by ringer

14-08-2016 11-11-2016

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

15-09-2016

19-11-2016

JXB050

first-year caught by ringer

25-09-2016 11-10-2016

DVL895

full-grown

18-03-2015 194

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

ciJ

182897

caught by ringer

20-03-2016

first-year

31-10-2015

caught by ringer

Longis Pond: 49°43’N 2°10’W (Alderney) Channel Islands 347km SW 1y 0m 2d Grouville Marsh: 49°10’N 2°1’W (Jersey) Channel Islands culford School: c. 52°17’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) 395km NNE 0y 10m 21d A couple of exchanges with the channel islands. the latter, surprisingly, being the first to the county from the islands.

21-09-2016

Willow Warbler JJN696 Nestling

14-06-2016

Blackcap L799849

flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) Litlington: 50°47’N 0°9’E (East Sussex) 165km SSW 0y 1m 29d

Second-year Male

28-05-2011

caught by ringer

05-05-2012

Lackford Lakes Swt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) Lackford Lakes Swt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 0m 22d Lackford Lakes Swt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 11m 7d Lackford Lakes Swt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 11m 9d Lackford Lakes Swt reserve: 52°17’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 2m 2d chelmarsh reservoir, near Bridgnorth: 52°28’N 2°23’W (Shropshire) near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) 266km ESE 0y 0m 10d Stanford reservoir: 52°24’N 1°7’W (Northamptonshire) cauldwell hall farm, hollesley: 52°3’N 1°27’E (Suffolk) 180km ESE 0y 0m 15d Noain: 42°45’N 1°37’W (Navarra) Spain 1,075km S 0y 0m 25d cauldwell hall farm, hollesley: 52°3’N 1°27’E (Suffolk) Noain: 42°45’N 1°37’W (Navarra) Spain 1,059km SSW 2y 1m 3d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) callantsoog: 52°49’N 4°40’E (Noordholland) The Netherlands 218km ENE 0y 8m 23d included above are Suffolk’s three foreign exchanges for 2016.

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

S387074 Z371782

Z205423 Z427754

caught by ringer

first-year female

caught by ringer

first-year Male

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

first-year Male

caught by ringer

first-year

freshly dead (cat)

Garden Warbler D404815 Adult Male

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

12-08-2016

19-06-2011

07-05-2013

30-07-2016

11-09-2016

21-09-2016

08-09-2016

23-09-2016

03-10-2016

20-08-2014

23-09-2016

13-08-2015

06-05-2016

flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 0m 7d flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 0m 20d flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 0m 11d flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 11m 18d

13-05-2013

20-05-2013 02-06-2014

24-05-2015

01-05-2016

195

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

caught by ringer

05-06-2016

Lesser Whitethroat Z157502 first-year Male caught by ringer

flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 0m 23d there were fewer than 5 recoveries of this species in the county. A worrying trend?

21-08-2014 23-05-2015

caught by ringer

15-05-2016

caught by ringer

03-07-2016

Adult

03-05-2015

near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) hargeaves Quarry, Port clarence: 54°35’N 1°12’W (Stockton-on-tees) 332km NNW 0y 9m 2d hargeaves Quarry, Port clarence: 54°35’N 1°12’W (Stockton-on-tees) 332km NNW 1y 8m 24d hargeaves Quarry, Port clarence: 54°35’N 1°12’W (Stockton-on-tees) 332km NNW 1y 10m 12d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Agger tange, Snedsted: 56°43’N 8°13’E (Viborg) Denmark 695km NE 0y 11m 28d cauldwell hall farm, hollesley: 52°3’N 1°27’E (Suffolk) Dunes du fort Vert, Marck: 50°58’N 1°55’E (Pas-de-calais) France 125km SSE 0y 7m 6d Both foreign reports of Suffolk-ringed birds are firsts for these countries.

D278068 Z866321

caught by ringer

first-year

01-05-2016

13-09-2015

caught by ringer

19-04-2016

Whitethroat Z247688 first-year female caught by ringer

09-08-2015 01-09-2016

hen reedbed: 52°19’N 1°36’E (Suffolk) Bierwart: 50°33’N 5°1’E (Namur) Belgium 308km SE 1y 0m 23d Governer’s Lookout: 36°9’N 5°21’W Gibraltar Bawdsey hall, Bawdsey: 51°59’N 1°24’E (Suffolk) 1,841km NNE 2y 0m 29d

02-08-2015

the haven, thorpeness: 52°10’N 1°35’E (Suffolk) orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 10km SSW 0y 8m 22d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 10km SSW 0y 11m 7d

D601594

first-year Male caught by ringer

Grasshopper Warbler D838685 Juvenile Male

caught by ringer

09-04-2014 08-05-2016

24-04-2016

caught by ringer

09-07-2016

Sedge Warbler D942507 Juvenile Male caught by ringer

20-07-2014 10-05-2015

caught by ringer

D288946 D838688 Z843506

caught by ringer

Juvenile freshly dead (cat)

Juvenile

caught by ringer

first-year caught by ringer

05-05-2016

07-08-2016

17-07-2014 02-05-2016

02-08-2015

09-08-2015

16-08-2015 29-08-2015

196

Levington Lagoon: 51°59’N 1°14’E (Suffolk) Sewage treatment Works, Swindon: 51°33’N 1°49’W (Swindon) 218km WSW 0y 9m 20d Sewage treatment Works, Swindon: 51°33’N 1°49’W (Swindon) 218km WSW 1y 9m 15d Sewage treatment Works, Swindon: 51°33’N 1°49’W (Swindon) 218km WSW 2y 0m 18d Brandon fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) Brighton: 50°50’N 0°10’W (Brighton and hove) 184km SSW 1y 9m 15d the haven, thorpeness: 52°10’N 1°35’E (Suffolk) trunvel, treogat: 47°52’N 4°21’W (finistere) France 638km SW 0y 0m 7d Walberswick: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) tour Aux Moutons, Donges: 47°19’N 2°4’W (Loire-Atlantique) France 614km SSW 0y 0m 13d

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 197

Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

L775715

first-year caught by ringer

02-08-2015 16-08-2015

Z339243

first-year

26-07-2015

D291874 frP

7236353

caught by ringer

09-08-2015

Adult female caught by ringer

19-06-2015 07-08-2016

first-year female

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Reed Warbler V145979 first-year X387181 D876755 D292209 Z516567 BLB

13269095

frP

7425401

caught by ringer

first-year caught by ringer

first-year caught by ringer

23-08-2013

02-08-2014

28-07-2016

23-07-2006

16-08-2008 18-08-2016

28-09-2016 09-10-2016

10-08-2015 05-08-2016

first-year

27-08-2013

caught by ringer

first-year

caught by ringer

Treecreeper BPN569 Adult

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

cauldwell hall farm, hollesley: 52°3’N 1°27’E (Suffolk) Stanny farm, iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 14km NE 9y 10m 13d Walberswick: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 6km SSW 8y 0m 2d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) Slapton Ley: c. 50°17’N 3°38’W (Devon) 415km WSW 0y 0m 11d Brandon fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) Pett Level, Sussex: 50°54’N 0°40’E (East Sussex) 173km S 0y 11m 26d herringfleet: c. 52°30’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) terres D’oiseaux, Braud-Et-Saint-Louis: 45°16’N 0°40’W (Gironde) France 822km SSW 0y 0m 7d Willebroek: 51°4’N 4°22’E (Antwerpen) Belgium near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) 231km WNW 2y 0m 12d Marais-Moisan-central, Messanges: 43°48’N 1°22’W (Landes) France Brandon fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) 972km N 0y 10m 1d included above are the only two reports of foreign-ringed birds in the county. twelve from the county were reported abroad – france (9) and Belgium (3).

05-06-2016

Adult Male caught by ringer Adult female caught by ringer

orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) Etangs de trevignon - Loc’h coziou, tregunc: 47°48’N 3°51’W (finistere) France 614km SW 0y 0m 14d cauldwell hall farm, hollesley: 52°3’N 1°27’E (Suffolk) le Bonhomme, Saint-Philbert-De-Grand-Lieu: 47°1’N 1°37’W (Loire-Atlantique) France 600km SSW 0y 0m 14d culford School: c. 52°17’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) kervijen, Plomodiern: 48°8’N 4°16’W (finistere) France 580km SW 1y 1m 19d trunvel, treogat: 47°52’N 4°21’W (finistere) France Brandon fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) 615km NE 0y 11m 10d Brandon fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) 615km NE 2y 11m 5d included above are a few of the 17 reports of Suffolk-ringed birds to france, some dating back to 2015, plus the return of 7236353, a french-ringed bird to the cES nets at Brandon fen.

09-08-2016 16-08-2016

08-09-2015

06-09-2015

07-07-2016

07-07-2012

flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 11m 22d flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 1m 30d

29-06-2013

06-09-2014

197

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 198

caught by ringer

28-03-2015

flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 8m 21d flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 9m 3d

first-year Male caught by ringer

31-10-2007 11-05-2009

ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 6m 10d ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 6m 7d ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 8m 9d ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 5m 27d ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) Skirbeck Quarter, Boston: 52°57’N 0°2’W (Lincolnshire) 129km NW 3y 0m 5d

caught by ringer

Starling LA57873

LE86184 Blackbird LA57743 LE74631

LE39908 LB55019

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer

10-04-2016

08-05-2013 10-07-2014 27-04-2016

Adult Male caught by ringer

10-05-2013 15-05-2016

first-year Male freshly dead (cat)

03-11-2008 12-09-2016

ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) ipswich: 52°3’N 1°10’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 10m 9d kirton: 52°0’N 1°17’E (Suffolk) Windsor: 51°27’N 0°37’W (Windsor and Maidenhead) 146km WSW 2y 10m 7d Windsor: 51°27’N 0°37’W (Windsor and Maidenhead) 146km WSW 2y 10m 15d Leiston: 52°12’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) hirvensalmi: 61°49’N 26°25’E (Mikkeli) Finland 1,836km NE 1y 4m 7d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) Zeebrugge: 51°19’N 3°10’E (WestVlaanderen) Belgium 140km SE 1y 0m 20d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 1m 2d interesting movement in the latter case!

Additionally, five reports of Dutch-ringed birds were received for the county. further Suffolk-ringed birds were also reported in Norway (1), Sweden (2), Germany (3) and Netherlands (4).

first-year Male 31-03-2013 Alive (ring read in field) 07-02-2016

Alive (ring read in field) 15-02-2016

Adult Male freshly dead (hit glass)

first-year female caught by ringer

31-12-2014 08-05-2016

11-10-2015 31-10-2016

caught by ringer

13-11-2016

Song Thrush rt14498 Adult caught by ringer

29-09-2015 21-10-2016

Redwing rf93265

Sandwich Bay Estate: 51°15’N 1°22’E (kent) Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 75km N 1y 0m 22d

first-year

24-03-2016

Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Nerstand, Sigdal: 60°0’N 9°43’E (Buskerud) Norway 1,037km NNE 0y 1m 24d only the third report of a Suffolk-ringed redwing in Norway

first-year caught by ringer

16-02-2011 30-11-2011

cornard Mere: 51°59’N 0°44’E (Suffolk) Great cornard: 52°0’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 3km 0y 9m 14d Great cornard: 52°0’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 3km 1y 10m 29d Great cornard: 52°0’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 3km 3y 2m 26d

Robin L613679

freshly dead (hit glass)

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

18-05-2016

14-01-2013

12-05-2014

198

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 199

Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016

caught by ringer

V582724 NoS

Eh15183

caught by ringer

12-02-2015

09-05-2016

first-year unknown (ring only)

03-10-2007 13-08-2015

caught by ringer

06-10-2016

first-year

27-06-2014

NoS

first-year

02-10-2016

BLB

first-year

17-10-2015

EM07642

freshly dead (hit glass)

Great cornard: 52°0’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 3km 3y 11m 27d Great cornard: 52°0’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 3km 5y 2m 23d orfordness: c. 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) Site confidential (Sevilla) Spain 1,687km SSE 7y 10m 10d hovden, hareid: 62°21’N 5°58’E (More og romsdal) Norway kessingland: c. 52°24’N 1°43’E (Suffolk) 1,134km SSW 2y 3m 9d Slevdalsvannet, farsund: 58°6’N 6°36’E (VestAgder) Norway Mildenhall: 52°21’N 0°29’E (Suffolk) 747km SSW 0y 1m 28d Bellem: 51°4’N 3°30’E (oostVlaanderen) Belgium Bawdsey hall, Bawdsey: 51°59’N 1°24’E (Suffolk) 178km NW 0y 11m 17d A single Dutch-ringed bird was also reported in the county.

30-11-2016

14378691

caught by ringer

04-10-2016

Nightingale NA82699

Adult Male

11-01-2016

kartong: 13°4’N 16°46’W (Gambia) The Gambia Alton Water: c. 51°59’N 1°7’E (Suffolk) 4,614km NNE 0y 4m 1d A great first record for the county following one from Suffolk to the Gambia in 2011.

Nestling 19-06-2016 Alive (colour rings seen) 26-10-2016

near Brandon Park: 52°25’N 0°37’E (Suffolk) crossness Nature reserve: 51°29’N 0°8’E (Greater London) 107km SSW 0y 4m 7d crossness Nature reserve: 51°29’N 0°8’E (Greater London) 107km SSW 0y 4m 12d

first-year Male caught by ringer

25-10-2008 08-11-2009

caught by ringer

08-01-2012

iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 0m 14d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 8m 2d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 3y 2m 14d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 2m 12d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 5m 26d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 3m 21d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 11m 27d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 2m 29d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 2m 6d klitmoller, hanstholm: 57°1’N 8°30’E (Viborg) Denmark Bawdsey hall, Bawdsey: 51°59’N 1°24’E (Suffolk) 723km SW 0y 0m 9d

Stonechat D544345

caught by ringer

12-05-2016

Alive (colour rings seen) 31-10-2016 Dunnock X114718

caught by ringer

caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer Dkc

BX33141

caught by ringer

full-grown

caught by ringer

27-06-2010 06-01-2013 20-04-2013 15-02-2015 22-10-2015 23-01-2016 31-12-2016

04-10-2016

13-10-2016

199

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Grey Wagtail Z085435 Nestling female

caught by ringer

the latter is the first to the county from Denmark following one to Denmark from Suffolk in 2014

16-06-2015

Swanton Morley, Dereham: 52°43’N 0°58’E (Norfolk) Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 49km SSW 1y 6m 2d

18-12-2016

Pied/White Wagtail D827441 first-year Male 04-02-2015 Alive (ring read in field) 20-03-2016

kessingland: c. 52°24’N 1°43’E (Suffolk) revehamnen, klepp: 58°46’N 5°30’E (rogaland) Norway 746km NNE 1y 1m 16d revehamnen, klepp: 58°46’N 5°30’E (rogaland) Norway 746km NNE 1y 7m 7d only the 8th report of a Suffolk-ringed bird abroad, the 5th to Norway. others have gone to Portugal (2) and Spain (1)

Alive (ring read in field) 11-09-2016

Meadow Pipit D716668 first-year freshly dead

D278697

Chaffinch V003588

V522856

first-year

03-10-2015

Adult female

21-06-2008

freshly dead

06-09-2016

caught by ringer

Juvenile female caught by ringer

caught by ringer

08-08-2008 17-04-2013

03-09-2015

24-05-2016

10-11-2013 22-03-2016

13112300

freshly dead

24-11-2016

Brambling D321494

Adult Male

05-01-2014

Z070045

first-year female

freshly dead (hit glass)

first-year Male caught by ringer

flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) flatford Mill, East Bergholt: 51°57’N 1°0’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 8m 7d Brantham: 51°57’N 1°2’E (Suffolk) 2km 8y 2m 16d Minsmere: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 8m 9d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 0m 26d Minsmere Nature reserve: 52°14’N 1°37’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 9m 16d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) Skjern: 55°58’N 8°28’E (ringk¿bing) Denmark 647km NE 2y 4m 12d de haan: 51°16’N 3°1’E (WestVlaanderen) Belgium Acton, Sudbury: 52°3’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) 180km WNW 2y 10m 2d included above are both foreign exchanges for Suffolk in 2016

28-02-2009

Adult Male freshly dead (hit glass)

BLB

Walberswick: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) Walton-on-the-Naze: 51°50’N 1°15’E (Essex) 59km SSW 2y 5m 6d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Semmerzake: 50°57’N 3°40’E (oostVlaanderen) Belgium 196km SE 0y 0m 16d

17-09-2015

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

D767732

06-10-2013 12-03-2016

22-01-2014

thetford Lodge farm: c. 52°26’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) the Burn, Glen Esk: 56°49’N 2°40’W (Angus) 533km NNW 2y 2m 15d Sheringham: 52°56’N 1°9’E (Norfolk) Brandon fen, Lakenheath fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) 69km SW 1y 3m 30d

20-03-2016

21-12-2014 20-04-2016

200

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 201

Greenfinch th63024

Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016 Juvenile Male

06-07-2009

caught by ringer

14-11-2010

caught by ringer

caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer caught by ringer tZ12006 tZ09620

Goldfinch V451151 V180893

caught by ringer

first-year female caught by ringer

first-year female

Z832608 Z931472

Siskin S090520 D444660 D224848

20-02-2011 14-07-2011 22-04-2012 16-11-2013 22-07-2015 26-01-2016

09-11-2014 25-07-2016

11-10-2015

11-07-2016

first-year Male caught by ringer

28-12-2006 30-12-2016

caught by ringer

D897842

27-11-2009

freshly dead (disease)

first-year Male caught by ringer

caught by ringer

28-11-2015

20-05-2016

14-01-2015 05-03-2016

first-year female caught by ringer

18-10-2015 19-05-2016

first-year female caught by ringer

24-03-2016 30-04-2016

first-year female

caught by ringer

first-year Male

caught by ringer

chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) chelmondiston: 51°59’N 1°12’E (Suffolk) 0km 10y 0m 2d Brandon: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) Brandon: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 8m 9d Brandon: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) 0km 8y 8m 1d Brandon: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) 0km 9y 1m 23d Newburgh: 57°18’N 2°0’W (Aberdeenshire) iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 619km SSE 1y 1m 20d iken Marsh, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) Peterculter, Aberdeen: 57°5’N 2°15’W (Aberdeen) 603km NNW 0y 11m 11d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) fareview, torphins: c. 57°4’N 2°35’W (Aberdeenshire) 574km NNW 0y 7m 1d V451151 now takes the new longevity record for this species

27-03-2007 06-12-2014

first-year Male caught by ringer

Adult Male caught by ringer

Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 4m 21d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 4m 8d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 7m 14d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 0m 8d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 2y 9m 16d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 4m 10d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 0m 16d Landguard Point, felixstowe: 51°55’N 1°18’E (Suffolk) 0km 6y 6m 20d Barrow: 52°14’N 0°34’E (Suffolk) Muckton Bottom: 53°18’N 0°2’E (Lincolnshire) 126km NNW 1y 8m 16d holme Bird observatory: 52°57’N 0°32’E (Norfolk) felixstowe: 51°57’N 1°19’E (Suffolk) 125km SSE 0y 9m 0d

28-11-2015 08-11-2016

23-01-2016

06-05-2016

10-04-2016

16-04-2016

201

Barton Mills: 52°20’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) Shebster: 58°33’N 3°42’W (highland) 740km NNW 0y 1m 6d Brandon fen, Lakenheath fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) Strathtongue: c. 58°29’N 4°23’W (highland) 738km NNW 0y 3m 13d thetford Lodge farm: c. 52°26’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) Brandon: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) 6km WSW 0y 0m 6d

2017 INNER_DH V3.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 12:51 Page 202

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

caught by ringer

22-04-2016

Z477907

first-year Male

28-09-2015

S120843

Adult Male caught by ringer

13-02-2016 27-03-2016

NoS

hE33672

caught by ringer

Adult Male

caught by ringer

26-02-2016

17-05-2014

16-03-2016

SVS cX18940

Adult Male caught by ringer

10-05-2015 31-01-2016

Linnet S232047

first-year Male

10-04-2016

first-year Male

08-02-2015

first-year

13-10-2015

first-year

02-10-2014

Z478252

Twite Z649217 Z380536

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) Gibraltar Point: 53°5’N 0°18’E (Lincolnshire) 115km NNW 0y 2m 21d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) Elsworth: c. 52°14’N 0°4’W (cambridgeshire) 79km W 1y 1m 23d

01-07-2016

31-03-2016

Booth Wood reservoir, rishworth: 53°38’N 1°58’W (West yorkshire) orfordness: 52°5’N 1°34’E (Suffolk) 293km SE 0y 2m 19d Booth Wood reservoir, rishworth: 53°38’N 1°58’W (West yorkshire)

Alive (colour rings seen) 01-01-2016

Alive (colour marks seen)

Alive (colour rings seen)

Z380531

cnoc: c. 56°12’N 4°42’W (Argyll and Bute) 544km NW 0y 0m 12d from Suffolk to Scotland in six days is a particularly quick movement. high Lodge, near Brandon: c. 52°25’N 0°39’E (Suffolk) itzehoe: 53°55’N 9°30’E (Schleswigholstein) Germany 612km ENE 0y 4m 29d Great Livermere: 52°18’N 0°45’E (Suffolk) osnabruck: 52°16’N 8°3’E (WeserEms) Germany 497km E 0y 1m 14d Sore Merkeskog, utsira: 59°18’N 4°52’E (rogaland) Norway Brandon: 52°25’N 0°36’E (Suffolk) 808km SSW 1y 9m 28d umea: 63°49’N 20°16’E (Västerbotten) Sweden flordon road, creeting St Mary: c. 52°9’N 1°3’E (Suffolk) 1,715km SW 0y 8m 21d A further six reports of Suffolk-ringed birds were received from Belgium.

Alive (colour rings seen)

Adult female

Alive (colour rings seen)

caught by ringer

Alive (colour rings seen) Lesser Redpoll Z720741 first-year Male caught by ringer

24-01-2015

near Dunwich: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) 284km ESE 0y 3m 22d

27-04-2015

owlers clough, hey Green, Marsden: 53°36’N 1°58’W (West yorkshire) 4km 0y 6m 25d

20-02-2016

near Dunwich: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) 284km ESE 1y 4m 18d Booth Wood reservoir, rishworth: 53°38’N 1°58’W (West yorkshire)

02-10-2014 22-04-2015

owlers clough, hey Green, Marsden: 53°36’N 1°58’W (West yorkshire) 4km 0y 6m 20d Booth Wood reservoir, rishworth: 53°38’N 1°58’W (West yorkshire) 0km 1y 6m 13d

15-04-2016 02-12-2016

near Dunwich: 52°17’N 1°38’E (Suffolk) 284km ESE 2y 2m 0d

15-01-2016 02-08-2016

fir farm, Boxford: 52°0’N 0°50’E (Suffolk) near Dalchork, near Lairg: 58°2’N 4°25’W (highland) 749km NNW 0y 6m 18d

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Selected Ringing Recoveries for Suffolk in 2016 t084799 Z903659 Z617389 S338030 BLB 12900312 NLA

BB76501

Adult female

caught by ringer

first-year Male caught by ringer

first-year female caught by ringer

first-year

caught by ringer

Adult Male caught by ringer

caught by ringer

full-grown female

caught by ringer

13-08-2015

30-01-2016

17-01-2016 30-11-2016

29-08-2015 31-03-2016

16-09-2016

18-10-2016

13-11-2012 03-12-2015

19-03-2016

04-03-2014

21-04-2016

Yellowhammer X081387 first-year Male

28-02-2008

X081876

first-year Male

26-03-2008

caught by ringer

17-02-2013

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

16-04-2008

30-01-2016

Reed Bunting V872807 Nestling female caught by ringer

06-07-2010 19-11-2016

Adult Male

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

caught by ringer

Great Blakenham: 52°6’N 1°4’E (Suffolk) near Suffolk Water Park, Bramford: c. 52°5’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 4km 6y 4m 13d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 1y 10m 16d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 10m 19d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 5y 10m 25d Alton Water reservoir, near tattingstone: c. 51°58’N 1°6’E (Suffolk) Scunthorpe: 53°34’N 0°41’W (North Lincolnshire) 215km NNW 1y 5m 17d hoby, Melton Mowbray: 52°44’N 1°1’W (Leicestershire)

24-04-2010

11-03-2012

15-03-2015

20-03-2016

D987728

first-year

13-12-2014

Z246373

first-year Male

06-03-2016

Long dead

Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 11m 24d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 0y 0m 21d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 4y 10m 22d Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 0km 7y 10m 4d A couple of good-aged birds from the longterm studies at Brewery farm. the longevity record is 11 years, 9 months, 28 days.

21-02-2016

caught by ringer

L216910

near Dalchork, near Lairg: 58°2’N 4°25’W (highland) Brewery farm, Earl Stonham: c. 52°10’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 740km SSE 0y 5m 17d near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) Logie hill, Ballchraggan, near kildary: 57°45’N 4°4’W (highland) 725km NNW 0y 10m 13d near kildary: 57°44’N 4°3’W (highland) near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) 724km SSE 0y 7m 2d Deer Park, forest croft: 57°34’N 4°10’W (highland) near hollesley heath: 52°3’N 1°25’E (Suffolk) 710km SSE 0y 1m 2d Bierwart: 50°33’N 5°1’E (Namur) Belgium Brandon fen, Lakenheath fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) 377km NW 3y 0m 20d Brandon fen, Lakenheath fen: c. 52°26’N 0°30’E (Suffolk) 377km NW 3y 4m 6d tilburg: 51°31’N 5°0’E (Noord-Brabant) The Netherlands culford School: c. 52°17’N 0°40’E (Suffolk) 309km WNW 2y 1m 17d the latter is only the third report of a Dutchringed bird in Suffolk.

30-05-2016

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NoS

Ek19094

caught by ringer

Adult

caught by ringer

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

near Suffolk Water Park, Bramford: c. 52°5’N 1°5’E (Suffolk) 162km ESE 0y 9m 24d Sogardsvatnet, oygarden: 60°28’N 4°55’E (hordaland) Norway iken Marshes, near iken: 52°8’N 1°33’E (Suffolk) 947km SSW 0y 5m 23d the fifth report of a Norwegian-ringed reed Bunting to the county.

30-12-2016

01-10-2015

24-03-2016

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

List of Contributors

Whilst every effort has been made to make this list as comprehensive as possible, some observers names may have been inadvertently omitted. if your contribution has not been acknowledged, please accept my sincere apologies. it is doubtful that all those who only submit to Birdtrack will feature here.

S Abbott, D Adcroft, J Alder, P Aldous, k Allenby, P r Allard, Alton WeBS counters, N Andrews, S r Appleby, J Arnold, S Atkinson, r Attenborrow, t Austin, r Ayers, P J Aylward.

S Babbs, f Bagnall, c Baines, P Baker, D E Balmer, t Bamber, M f M Bamford, N Banham, L J Barber, P Barker, i Barthorpe, B Baston, G Batchelor, E Bathgate, G S Batho, P Beeson, G Bell, M P Bevan, r Biddle, BiNS, Birdline East Anglia, Birdguides, Birdtrack (thousands), S Bishop, M Blount, t Bolderstone, D Borderick, G Bowen, G Bradley, P Bradnum, W J Brame, k Britten, M Broughton, G B Brown, J Brown, Bto thetford, M Buckingham, t Budden, B Buffery, i J Burfield, t Burke, t Butler, c A Buttle.

A M cage, N calbrade, B calversbert, G W candelin, B r carpenter, D carr, M carr, c carter, D & M carter, N carter, t carter, M cartwright, P cartwright, i castle, P catchpole, M cavanagh, D cawdron, A chaplin, A cheke, r chittenden (Birdline East Anglia), t churchyard, f c clark, f A clements, r clements, B t c coates, J c coe, P collins, G conway, G coppard, M L cornish, c courtney, A cowlin, S cox, J crapnell, D crawshaw, N crouch, L cutting.

c Darby, A Damant, J Davies, L Day, M Deans, J P Dickie, P Dolton, E Douglas, A Dowe, r Drew, M Dron, r Duncan, J Durrant.

A c Easton, D Eaton, D Elliot, c Elmer, B c Embling, P Etheridge, r Etheridge, c Evans, J Evans, L Evans, L G r Evans, S P Evans, A Excell. i fair, r fairhead, D fairhurst, M fairley, J ferguson, M ferris, h fisher, k fleming, P follett, forest Enterprise, L forsyth, B fountain, k freeman, r frost, S fryett, c fulcher.

S Gatley, D Gibbs, S Gillings, Gipping Valley Birders, J Glazebrook, S Goddard, M Gooch, S r Goddard, c Gooddie, A Gooding, S Gough, P Gowen, S Graham, J h Grant, A Green, D J Green, P D Green, A M Gregory, c Gregory, L Gregory, A Gretton, G Grieco, S Grimwood, r D Gross, B Guy.

r hall, i hambleton, P J hamling, S hanks, B harrington, r harding, r harris, B and M hart, c hartwell, r harvey, W r hayward, c herrington, r hicks, J higgott, P hobbs, r hoblyn, J hogg, t holland, S J holloway, A holmes, P J holmes, P holness, G honey, A howe, S V howell, B huggins, c hullis, t J humpage, A humphreys-Jones, E hutchings.

M ixer, E Jackson, c Jacobs, c J Jakes, M James, S Jarvis, G J Jobson, r Johnson.

E keeble, c keeling, M kemp, P kennerley, J kennerley, t kerridge, A kettle, D B kightly, D king, V king, M kirkland, J kornjaca.

P c Lack, Lackford Lakes Log, Lackford ringing Group, Landguard Bird observatory, D Langlois, A Last, Lavenham Bird club, r Leavett, J Levene, M Linsley, N Lloyd, D Lockwood, c Lodge, N Loth, L Love, D Lowe, G Lowe, Lowestoft Lounge Lizards, E Lucking.

P Maddison, r N Macklin, J h Marchant, o & M Marks, N Marriner, E Marsh, M Marsh, r Marsh, J E Mason, N J Mason, r Mason, M Mattewson, r Maughan, M May, t Mayhew, S 205

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Mayson, M Mccarthy, h Mcclennon, c McDonnell, A J Mercer, Mickle Mere Log, A Miller, M Miller, S Minns, Minsmere rSPB, S Moore, N J Moran, J Mountain, B Moyes, N Murphy, P W Murphy, A Musgrove, c Mutimer, i Muttitt, c Muttitt, E Muttitt-Jones, J Myers.

A Nairn, P Napthine, National trust orfordness, Natural England, S J Newton, r Nice, S Nixon, r Noble, S Noble, North Warren rSPB, M Nowers.

J f o’connor, N odin, P oldfield, orfordness report.

r Parfitt, J M Parkin, r M Patient, E Patrick, h Patrick, D J Pearson, D Pearsons, M f Peers, B Perkins, y Perlman, E i Peters, P Phillips, A Piccolo, D Ping, S h Piotrowski, S P Piotrowski, r Plowman, A Plumb, c Poulson, c Powell, k Puttick.

A rafinski, J rankin, P J ransome, S read, L record, D G reece, J rendel, A richards, J richardson, E richbell, A riseborough, S rolf, V h ross-Smith, J A rowlands, rSPB Lakenheath, rSPB North Warren, r D ruffell, E ruffles, S rush.

i Salkeld, c Sandham, c Shaw, P Shaw, D Sheppard, N Sherman, J Shore, A c Sims, N Skinner, r f J Slade, o Slessor, B J Small, J M Small, P Smith, r Smurthwaite, c M So, N Spicer, r Spiers, c Spinks, A J Steele, M V Stephens, r Stewart, t Stopher, B Stuckey, Suffolk Wildlife trust, W Sutherland.

J A turner, M taylor, B thompson, M thompson, D thurlow, M M tickler, D tomlinson, J trew, trimley Marshes SWt, J A turner, D tyler.

D k underwood, J underwood. k Verlander, P Vincent, N Vipond, r Vonk.

r Walden, B Wallace, D f Walsh, J Walshe, r Walton, J Warnes, S Waters, E Watson, WeBS counters, West Suffolk Birders, c White, D White, G White, P Whittaker, P Wiggens, h Wilcock, S Williams, B Williamson, P Wilson, r Wilton, r Wincup, N A Wood, P Wood, G Woodard, G Woodard, B Woodhouse, L G Woods, h D Wright, J Wright, M t Wright, r M Wright.

B yates, M young.

E Zantboer, J Zantboer.

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Gazetteer

Gazetteer

this gazetteer gives locations for sites listed in the main checklist section of this issue of Suffolk Birds. the intention is to make it easier for newcomers to birdwatching, or those less familiar with the county, to be able to locate sites. Specific sites are given a six-figure reference where appropriate; larger sites are given a four-figure reference for the 1km square in which they are situated. Whilst a complete list of all sites would obviously be of most use, it would of necessity, be very long. therefore, it does not, in general, contain parish names, which are easily located by reference to a standard road map.

Aldeburgh town Marshes Alde Estuary Aldringham common Aldringham Walks Alton Water Ampton Water Barham Pits Barnhamcross common Barsham Marshes Barton Mere Bawdsey Marshes Belle Vue Gardens, Lowestoft Benacre Broad Benacre Pits Bentley Berner's heath Blundeston Marshes Blyth Estuary Botany Bay Bowbeck Boxford Boyton Marshes Brackenbury cliff, felixstowe Brent Eleigh Breydon Water Bromeswell carlton Marshes campsea Ashe castle Marshes cattawade Marshes cavenham heath cavenham Pits christchurch Park, ipswich cobbold’s Point combs Lane Water Meadows cornard Mere corton railway line corton sewage works cosford hall, hadleigh cove Bottom covehithe Broad Deben Estuary Dingle Marshes Dunwich heath Eastbridge East Lane, Bawdsey

tM450560 tM3957-4450 tM458606 tM4661 tM1436 tL8770 tM1251 tL8681 tM4090 tL910668 tM340390 tM550944 tM530828 tM535842 tM120385 tL7976 tM5095 tM4575-4776 tL675854 tL9475 tL9640 tM3946 tM322360 tL943480 tM4706-5107 tM3050 tM4991 tM3256 tM475915 tM0932 tL755725 tL763715 tM164454 tM315349 tM043581 tL887391 tM537579 tM539982 tM013446 tM4979 tM524808 tM2850-3238 tM4872 tM4768 tM452660 tM354401

207

Easton Broad Elveden Erwarton Bay Euston Lake/Park fagbury cliff falkenham Marshes felixstowe ferry fisher row flixton GP foxhole heath fressingfield fritton Decoy/Lake frostenden Gedgrave Marshes Gifford’s hall Gipping Great Wood Glemsford Groton Gunton Warren hardwick heath hare’s creek, Shotley haughley Park havergate island hazlewood Marshes hengrave hall hen reedbeds herringfleet Marshes herringswell hinderclay fen holbrook Bay hollesley Marshes holywells Park, ipswich homersfield Gravel Pits icklingham Plains ilketshall St Lawrence ipswich Golf course ipswich Wet Dock kedington kentwell hall, Long Melford kessingland Levels kessingland sewage works king's fleet king's forest, the kirton creek knettishall heath Lackford Lakes

tM518794 tL8279 tM2333 tL9079 tM270346 tM3138 tM3237 tM507927 tM3187 tL735776 tM260775 tM4800 tM4781 tM410480 tM0137 tM075625 tL8348 tL9642 tM5495 tL854625 tM244360 tM000620 tM4147 tM435573 tL824686 tM470770 tM468977 tL7169 tM025788 tM1733 tM375450 tM175435 tM287855 tL7573 tM3883 tM207433 tM169439 tL7046 tL863479 tM530850 tM533857 tM310379 tL8173 tM292417 tL952804 tL800710

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Lake Lothing Lakenheath fen Lakenheath Warren Lakenheath Washes Landguard Lavenham railway walk Layham pits Leathes ham Leiston Abbey Levington creek Levington Marina Lineage Wood, Lavenham Livermere Lake Long Melford churchyard Long Melford sewage works Loompit Lake Lound Waterworks Lowestoft harbour Market Weston fen Martlesham creek Mayday farm Mickle Mere Middleton Minsmere Minsmere Levels Mutford Needham Market Lake Ness Point

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

tM5392 tL7085 tL7580 tL7085 tM2831 tL9049 tM021402 tM530933 tM444643 tM237383 tM246380 tM890485 tL882716 tL868468 tL855459 tM255377 tG501007 tM5592 tL980787 tM2647 tL7983 tL937699 tM4267 tM4766 tM4667 tM4988 tM094548 tM555936

North Denes, Lowestoft Northfield Wood North Warren Nowton Park Nunnery Lakes old Newton olley’s farm orfordness orwell Bridge orwell Estuary outney common, Bungay oulton Broad oxley Marshes Pakefield Beach Pakenham fen Peewit hill Pipps ford Potter's Bridge Puttockshill ramsey Wood ramsholt Marshes redgrave and Lopham fen redgrave Lake reydon Marshes Santon Downham Sedge fen, Lakenheath Shelley Shingle Street

North Warren Richard Allen

208

tM551951 tM024600 tM4658 tL866615 tL872815 tM0562 tL824815 tM4654-3743 tM175413 tM1641-2534 tM3290 tM5192 tM370435 tM5389 tL930680 tM289338 tM108538 tM509791 tL898695 tM065430 tM298423 tM046797 tM055767 tM485766 tL818878 tL6784 tM0338 tM365425

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Shotley Marshes Shottisham creek Sizewell Beach Sizewell SWt Slaughden Snape Wetland Sole Bay Sotterley Park Southwold Boating Lake Southwold town Marshes Spinny Marsh Staverton thicks Sternfield Stonham Aspal Stour Estuary Stradishall Airfield Stratton hall Stutton Mill Sudbourne Marshes Suffolk Water Park Sutton common Sutton heath tangham temple Bridge, cavenham theberton Grange thetford heath thorington Street reservoir

Gazetteer

tM248350 tM3043 tM4763 tM460640 tM464555 tM385585 tM5177 tM460850 tM510769 tM500754 tM292428 tM3650 tM3961 tM1359 tM1032-2433 tL7452 tM254388 tM133330 tM4553 tM120485 tM3247 tM308478 tM355485 tL758728 tM438652 tL845800 tM012352

thorpeness common thorpeness Meare tinker's Marshes trimley Marshes trinity hall farm, Moulton tuddenham heath tuddenham St Martin ufford undley upper Abbey farm, Leiston Walberswick NNr Waldingfield airfield Waldringfield Pit Walpole Wangford Warren Westleton heath West Stow country Park Westwood Lodge Westwood Marshes Wetherden Weybread GPs Wherstead Strand Wilford Bridge Wolves Wood Wordwell Workhouse Green

209

tM475604 tM4659 tM484760 tM2635 tL693651 tL7472 tM1948 tM300525 tL6981 tM453646 tM4674 tL8943 tM274438 tM3674 tL758842 tM4569 tL800713 tM465737 tM4773 tM0062 tM2481 tM173408 tM291501 tM055440 tL828720 tL9037

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

EARLIEST AND LATEST DATES OF SUMMER MIGRANTS 2016

ARRIVALS DEPARTURES Date Locality Date Locality Garganey Mar 21st Minsmere Nov 1st Mickle Mere osprey Apr 30th Blyth Estuary/ Lower holbrook oct 11th Nacton hobby Apr 12th Minsmere oct 12th Minsmere Stone-curlew Mar 6th cavenham Nov 21st Westleton Little (ringed) Plover Mar 28th Minsmere Sep 24th Minsmere Whimbrel Mar 25th thorpeness Nov 13th Deben Estuary Wood Sandpiper Apr 30th carlton Marshes Aug 29th Minsmere Little tern Apr 21st kessingland Sep 10th Lowestoft Black tern Apr 21st Alton Water oct 7th Landguard Sandwich tern Mar 27th Gorleston Nov 6th Southwold common tern Apr 6th Minsmere oct 2nd Lowestoft Arctic tern Apr 15th cavenham oct 7th Landguard turtle Dove Apr 3rd chillesford Nov 1st Landguard cuckoo Apr 12th Minsmere Sep 11th Lowestoft Nightjar May 8th West Stow Sep 22nd Minsmere Swift Apr 6th Pakefield Sep 21st fritton Wryneck Apr 23rd Southwold Sep 25th Landguard Sand Martin Mar 23rd Lakenheath fen Nov 27th Great Livermere Swallow Mar 25th Minsmere Dec 2nd Minsmere house Martin Mar 28th Minsmere Nov 8th Minsmere Wood Warbler Apr 28th carlton Aug 9th Landguard Willow Warbler Mar 30th kessingland/Minsmere/ felixstowe Sep 30th thorpeness Garden Warbler Apr 17th Minsmere oct 1st Minsmere Lesser Whitethroat Mar 27th kessingland oct 15th Minsmere common Whitethroat Apr 7th carlton Sep 24th Lowestoft Grasshopper Warbler Mar 31st carlton oct 1st orfordness Sedge Warbler Apr 5th Minsmere/ hen reedbeds Sep 30th Lowestoft reed Warbler Apr 3rd Lakenheath fen oct 15th orfordness ring ouzel Jan 23rd oulton oct 27th thorpeness Spotted flycatcher Apr 29th Blythburgh Sep 30th Minsmere Nightingale Apr 30th Westleton Sep 6th orfordness redstart Apr 5th Lowestoft oct 30th Gunton Whinchat Apr 6th Lakenheath fen oct 15th carlton/orfordness Wheatear Mar 25th Minsmere/orfordness/ Landguard/ cavenham heath oct 23rd orfordness Pied flycatcher Apr 12th Landguard oct 9th Southwold yellow Wagtail Apr 3rd Boyton oct 3rd Landguard tree Pipit Apr 5th king’s forest oct 11th Landguard

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A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk

A GUIDE TO RECORDING BIRDS IN SUFFOLK

Introduction the foundation stone of any report is the data upon which it is based. unless we all submit our records diligently, and in a usable form, then the Suffolk Bird report will not be a comprehensive account of the birds recorded in Suffolk.

The system the recording of the county’s avifauna is the responsibility of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, working in close co-operation with the Suffolk ornithologists’ Group. the linchpins of the system are the recorders, who are the initial point of contact for all records. Because of the volume of records in Suffolk the county has been divided into three areas. See the inside front cover for a map and addresses. observers are reminded that Suffolk works to Watsonian vice-county boundaries, taking in areas that are now administered as Norfolk, cambridgeshire or Essex. the most significant area affected is that of Lothingland, the northern limits of which follow the river yare and include the south side of Breydon Water. We have retained these original boundaries as we feel that sensible comparison of data can only be made from year to year if the recording area is kept constant.

Submission of records All observers are requested to submit their records monthly. We also suggest that the following format be followed: (a) Location (precise place name from the ordnance Survey map plus parish if ambiguous). oS grid reference should be added if in any doubt or if reporting breeding locations. (b) Species (c) Date (d) Name and address of observer (e) Sex/age – male, female, juvenile etc. (f) Abundance – count numbers, frequency, etc. (g) type of record – dead, ringed, etc. (h) other comments considered relevant – behaviour etc. in particular see the list below for particular information required for each species. All claims of national rarities should, of course, be accompanied by a full description. the recorder will automatically forward this to the British Birds rarities committee (BBrc). if submitting a list of records for one particular site, please put all details at the top of the list and annotate with sex and/or frequency. remember, if in any doubt as to the value of any record, please send it in!

A spreadsheet is available for submitting records and can be downloaded from the SoG website. this can be sent electronically to the recorders and is a much easier and quicker method for them.

Whilst this is not essential, we would encourage all those who can to use this method of submitting their records.

Assessment of records All records come under the scrutiny of the Suffolk ornithological records committee (Sorc) and for rare or scarce species, verification is sought – i.e. photographs, field sketches, witnesses, sound recordings (for calling or singing birds) and (most importantly) written descriptions. the Sorc’s policy for vagrants, classified as national rarities, is clear; records should be channelled through the county recorder to be considered by the British Birds rarities committee (BBrc), whose decisions are accepted by Sorc. A full list of species that are considered by the Sorc follows. the committee may also request further details regarding any other species that, in the opinion of the committee, is out of context in terms of season, habitat or numbers.

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A list of records which have not been accepted for publication can be found in Appendix iii and includes those which have been circulated to the respective committees but were considered unacceptable due to either the identification not being fully established or, more rarely, a genuine mistake having been made. it does not include records still under consideration.

Guide to species the following list shows all the species recorded in the county and thus this is also a checklist for Suffolk. for any species not listed, a full description will be required. the list shows those species accepted into categories A, B and c, as per the British ornithologists’ union (see the introduction to the Systematic List for more details). Note that a large number of species included can also fall into categories D and E (basically as escapees); a description of such a bird may be requested but will be essential if it is believed that the bird is of wild origin.

A reminder that turtle Dove, yellow Wagtail, Nightingale, Spotted flycatcher, Marsh tit and corn Bunting have all been moved from category 4 to category 3 – records of all of them would be appreciated.

A reminder that Black-throated Diver and Grey Phalarope have been moved from 3 to 2, especially for those seen at sea.

SoG/Sorc would also like to receive any breeding records for the following species: Kestrel, Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Common Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Common Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Swift, Sand and House Martin (colonies), Mistle Thrush, Willow Warbler and Reed Bunting. there have been a few changes of category from BBrc over the past years and they are here as a reminder:Moving from category 1 to 2 are Lesser Scaup, Penduline tit, Blyth’s reed Warbler and citrine Wagtail. Sorc, of course, will still require descriptions of these species Moving from category 2 to 1 are Aquatic Warbler, tawny Pipit, red-throated Pipit and rustic Bunting. Descriptions of these species will need to be sent to BBrc. Western Swamphen, forster’s tern and cliff Swallow have been added to the Suffolk list in 2015.

Mute Swan tundra (Bewick’s) Swan Whooper Swan Bean Goose tundra taiga Pink-footed Goose Greater White-fronted Goose Greylag Goose Snow Goose Greater canada Goose Barnacle Goose Brent Goose Dark-bellied Pale-bellied Black Brant red-breasted Goose Egyptian Goose ruddy Shelduck * common Shelduck Mandarin Duck Eurasian Wigeon American Wigeon Gadwall Baikal teal Eurasian teal Green-winged teal

4 3 3

3 2 3 3 4 1 4 3

4 3 2 1 3 1 4 4 4 2 4 1 4 2

Mallard Northern Pintail Garganey Blue-winged teal Northern Shoveler red-crested Pochard common Pochard ring-necked Duck ferruginous Duck tufted Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup common Eider king Eider Long-tailed Duck common Scoter Surf Scoter Velvet Scoter Bufflehead common Goldeneye Smew red-breasted Merganser Goosander ruddy Duck red-leggedPartridge Grey Partridge common Quail 212

4 4 3 1 4 3 3 2 2 4 3 2 3 1 3 3 1 3 1 4 3 3 3 2 4 3 3

common Pheasant Golden Pheasant red-throated Diver Black-throated Diver Great Northern Diver White-billed Diver Black-browed Albatross Northern fulmar cory’s Shearwater Great Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Manx Shearwater Balearic Shearwater European Storm-petrel Leach’s Storm-petrel Northern Gannet Great cormorant European Shag Great Bittern Little Bittern Black-crowned Night-heron Squacco heron cattle Egret Little Egret Great Egret Grey heron Purple heron

4 3 3 2 3 1 1 4 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 1 2 1 2 3 3 4 2

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Black Stork White Stork Glossy ibis Eurasian Spoonbill Little Grebe Great crested Grebe red-necked Grebe Slavonian Grebe Black-necked Grebe European honey-buzzard Black kite red kite White-tailed Eagle Eurasian Marsh harrier hen harrier Pallid harrier Montagu’s harrier Northern Goshawk Eurasian Sparrowhawk common Buzzard rough-legged Buzzard Greater Spotted Eagle osprey Lesser kestrel common kestrel red-footed falcon Merlin Eurasian hobby Eleonora’s falcon Gyr falcon Peregrine falcon Water rail Spotted crake Little crake Baillons crake* corncrake common Moorhen Allen’s Gallinule* common coot Western Swamphen common crane Sandhill crane Little Bustard Macqueen’s Bustard Great Bustard Eurasian oystercatcher Black-winged Stilt Pied Avocet Stone-curlew cream-coloured courser* collared Pratincole oriental Pratincole Black-winged Pratincole Little ringed Plover ringed Plover killdeer kentish Plover Greater Sand Plover Eurasian Dotterel American Golden Plover Pacific Golden Plover

1 2 2 3 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 3 3 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 3 1 4 2 3 3 1 1 3 3 2 1 1 2 4 1 4 1 3 1 1 1 1 4 1 3 3 1 1 1 1

3 4 1 2 1 2 2 1

A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk European Golden Plover Grey Plover Sociable Lapwing Northern Lapwing Great knot red knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Little Stint temminck’s Stint White-rumped Sandpiper Baird’s Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper curlew Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Broad-billed Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper ruff Jack Snipe common Snipe Great Snipe Long-billed Dowitcher Eurasian Woodcock Black-tailed Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit Whimbrel Eurasian curlew terek Sandpiper common Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Green Sandpiper Spotted redshank Greater yellowlegs common Greenshank Lesser yellowlegs Marsh Sandpiper Wood Sandpiper common redshank ruddy turnstone Wilson’s Phalarope red-necked Phalarope Grey Phalarope Pomarine Skua Arctic Skua Long-tailed Skua Great Skua ivory Gull Sabine’s Gull kittiwake Slender-billed Gull Black-headed Gull Little Gull ross’s Gull Laughing Gull franklin’s Gull Mediterranean Gull Audouin’s Gull common Gull ring-billed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull 213

4 4 1 4 1 4 3 1 3 3 2 1 3 3 1 3 4 1 2 3 3 4 1 1 3 4 3 4 4 1 3 1 3 3 1 3 1 1 3 4 4 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 1 2 4 1 4 3 1 1 1 3 1 4 2 4

herring Gull yellow-legged Gull caspian Gull iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Sooty tern Little tern Gull-billed tern caspian tern Whiskered tern Black tern White-winged Black tern Sandwich tern Lesser crested tern forster’s tern common tern roseate tern Arctic tern common Guillemot razorbill Black Guillemot Little Auk Atlantic Puffin Pallas’s Sandgrouse* feral Pigeon Stock Pigeon common Wood Pigeon Eurasian collared Dove European turtle Dove oriental turtle Dove rose-ringed Parakeet Great Spotted cuckoo common cuckoo yellow-billed cuckoo Barn owl Eurasian Scops owl* Snowy owl Little owl tawny owl Long-eared owl Short-eared owl tengmalm’s owl* European Nightjar common Swift Pallid Swift Pacific Swift Alpine Swift common kingfisher European Bee-eater European roller hoopoe Eurasian Wryneck Green Woodpecker Great Spotted Woodpecker Lesser Spotted Woodpecker red-eyed Vireo Eurasian Golden oriole isabelline Shrike red-backed Shrike Lesser Grey Shrike Great Grey Shrike

4 3 3 3 3 3 4 1 4 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 1 4 4 4 4 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 3 3 1 3 4 1 1 2 3 2 1 3 3 4 4 3 1 3 1 3 1

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Southern Grey Shrike Woodchat Shrike red-billed chough* Black-billed Magpie Eurasian Jay Spotted Nutcracker Eurasian Jackdaw rook carrion crow hooded crow common raven Goldcrest firecrest Eurasian Penduline tit Blue tit Great tit crested tit coal tit Willow tit Marsh tit Bearded tit Greater Short-toed Lark crested Lark Wood Lark Sky Lark horned (Shore) Lark Sand Martin Barn Swallow cliff Swallow house Martin red-rumped Swallow cetti’s Warbler Long-tailed tit Greenish Warbler Arctic Warbler Pallas’ Leaf Warbler yellow-browed Warbler hume’s Leaf Warbler radde’s Warbler Dusky Warbler Western Bonelli’s Warbler Wood Warbler common chiffchaff Siberian chiffchaff Willow Warbler Blackcap Garden Warbler Barred Warbler Lesser Whitethroat common Whitethroat Spectacled Warbler Dartford Warbler Marmora’s Warbler Subalpine Warbler

3 1 2 2 4 4 1 4 4 4 2 2 4 3 2 4 4 2 4 2 3 3 2 1 4 4 3 4 4 1 4 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 1 3 4 2 4 4 4 3 4 4 1 3 1

Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Sardinian Warbler 2 Lanceolated Warbler 1 common Grasshopper Warbler 1 river Warbler 3 Savi’s Warbler 1 olivaceous Warbler 1 Booted Warbler 1 icterine Warbler 1 Melodious Warbler 2 Aquatic Warbler 2 1 Sedge Warbler Paddyfield Warbler 4 Blyth’s reed Warbler 1 Marsh Warbler 2 Eurasian reed Warbler 2 Great reed Warbler 4 Bohemian Waxwing 1 Wood Nuthatch 3 Eurasian treecreeper 3 Short-toed treecreeper 3 Winter Wren 1 common Starling 4 rosy Starling 4 White-throated Dipper 2 White’s thrush 2 ring ouzel 1 common Blackbird 3 fieldfare 4 Song thrush 4 redwing 4 Mistle thrush 4 Spotted flycatcher 4 European robin 3 thrush Nightingale 4 common Nightingale 1 Bluethroat 3 Siberian Blue robin 2 red-flanked Bluetail 1 Black redstart 1 common redstart 3 Whinchat 3 Stonechat 3 Siberian Stonechat 3 isabelline Wheatear 1 Northern Wheatear 1 Pied Wheatear 1 Desert Wheatear 3 White-crowned Wheatear (White-tailed Wheatear) 1 red-breasted flycatcher 1 collared flycatcher 1 Pied flycatcher 2 hedge Accentor 1 Alpine Accentor 3

house Sparrow Spanish Sparrow Eurasian tree Sparrow yellow Wagtail Blue-headed Wagtail Grey-headed Wagtail Black-headed Wagtail Ashy-headed Wagtail citrine Wagtail Grey Wagtail Pied Wagtail White Wagtail richard’s Pipit Blyth’s Pipit tawny Pipit olive-backed Pipit tree Pipit Meadow Pipit red-throated Pipit rock Pipit Water Pipit chaffinch Brambling European Serin European Greenfinch European Goldfinch Eurasian Siskin common Linnet twite Lesser redpoll common (Mealy) redpoll Arctic redpoll two-barred crossbill common crossbill Parrot crossbill trumpeter finch common rosefinch Eurasian Bullfinch hawfinch Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Lark Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Pine Bunting yellowhammer cirl Bunting ortolan Bunting rustic Bunting Little Bunting yellow-breasted Bunting reed Bunting Black-headed Bunting corn Bunting

4 1 4 1 3 3 3 3 1 2 2 3 4 3 2 1 1 3

4 1 3 3 4 3 2 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 4 2 2 1 2 1 4

* not recorded as wild since at least 1949 Key: 1 National rarity – detailed description required.

2 county rarity – notes detailing observation will always be required.

3 All records requested – supporting notes may be requested.

4 Specific records – records of breeding, large counts, earliest/latest dates, unusual inland records or migration/weather-related movements requested.

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Rare Birds in Suffolk 2016

Rare Birds in Suffolk 2016 David Walsh

Accepted BBRC records 2015 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors: carlton Marshes, male, June 6th-7th (A c Easton et al. per Suffolk recorder).

Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus: trimley Marshes, male in song, June 7th-8th (c J Bridge et al.).

Black Stork Ciconia nigra: Shimpling, July 28th-29th (B Perkins et al.), presumed same, Lavenham, July 29th (r rush) and cowlinge, July 31st (c McDonnell); also seen cambridgeshire.

Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus: Lakenheath fen rSPB, juvenile, January 17th (N rolph per Suffolk recorder); also seen Norfolk.

Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio: Minsmere rSPB, adult, July 31st to August 5th (f clark et al.); also seen Lincolnshire.

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus: Minsmere rSPB, adult female, May 20th (E W Patrick et al.).

Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii: Minsmere rSPB, adult, July 24th and 25th (J h Grant, P J Phillips et al.).

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes: Breydon Water, october 29th 2015 to february 22nd 2016, seen on south shore from Burgh castle on at least five dates between January 1st and february 19th. carlton Marshes, April 3rd (A c Easton et al. per Suffolk recorder).

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia: Burgh castle to Gorleston, adult, June 19th to 21st and 24th to 26th (many observers); also Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Minsmere rSPB, adult, July 31st (k Britten, c Gooddie, r harris et al.); also Norfolk.

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida: trimley Marshes, adult, June 7th-9th (N odin et al.).

Forster’s Tern Sterna forsteri: river Stour, first-winter, November 19th-20th (N harvey et al.); presumed same, felixstowe ferry, November 21st (S h Piotrowski et al. per Suffolk recorder); also seen Essex, kent.

Laughing Gull Larus atricilla: orfordness, adult, May 30th (D crawshaw, M c Marsh).

‘Thayer’s Gull’ Larus glaucoides thayeri: Minsmere rSPB, adult, March 27th-28th (B J Small et al.).

Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota: Minsmere rSPB, first-winter, November 4th-6th (E W Patrick, S h Piotrowski et al.).

Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis: Landguard, first-winter, September 20th-21st (c J Bridge et al.).

Hume’s Warbler Phylloscopus humei: corton, october 24th (B J Small et al.).

Savi’s Warbler Locustella luscinioides: Minsmere rSPB, male in song, April 12th to May 27th (r harvey, J A rowlands, A Salkeld et al.).

‘Black-bellied Dipper’ Cinclus cinclus cinclus: Needham Market/Pipps ford, first-winter, october 20th to November 26th (D Middleton et al. per Suffolk recorder).

‘Stejneger’s Stonechat’ Saxicola (maurus) stejnegeri: Landguard, first-winter male, october 6th7th (W J Brame, P J holmes, E Lucking, N odin et al.).

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina: Sizewell, first-winter, october 21st (r M Patient, c M So).

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Alphabetical Index of Species Accounts – Common Names Alpine Swift American Golden Plover American Wigeon Arctic redpoll Arctic Skua Arctic tern Avocet Baird’s Sandpiper Balearic Shearwater Barn owl Barnacle Goose Barred Warbler Bar-tailed Godwit Bean Goose Bearded tit Bee-eater Bewick’s Swan Bittern Black-browed Albatross Black kite Black redstart Black Stork Black tern Black-throated Diver Blackbird Blackcap Black-headed Gull Black-necked Grebe Black-tailed Godwit Black-winged Stilt Bluethroat Blue tit Blue-winged teal Blyth’s reed Warbler Brambling Brent Goose Buff-breasted Sandpiper Bullfinch Buzzard canada Goose carrion crow caspian Gull cattle Egret cetti’s Warbler chaffinch chiffchaff citrine Wagtail coal tit collared Dove crossbill common crane common Gull common rosefinch common Sandpiper

– – 59 165 106 118 93 97 75 122 55 142 99 51 135 126 51 78 – – 152 81 116 73 148 142 108 84 99 92 152 134 64 144 161 55 98 166 89 54 132 112 79 140 161 141 157 135 121 165 91 110 165 101

common Scoter common tern coot cormorant corn Bunting corncrake cory’s Shearwater crossbill cuckoo curlew curlew Sandpiper Dartford Warbler Desert Wheatear Dipper Dotterel Dunlin Dunnock Dusky Warbler Eider Egyptian Goose feral Pigeon ferruginous Duck fieldfare firecrest fulmar Gadwall Gannet Garden Warbler Garganey Glaucous Gull Glossy ibis Goldcrest Golden Pheasant Golden oriole Golden Plover Goldeneye Goldfinch Goosander Goshawk Grasshopper Warbler Great Black-backed Gull Great-crested Grebe Great Egret Greater yellowlegs Great Grey Shrike Great Northern Diver Great reed Warbler Great Skua Great Snipe Great-spotted Woodpecker Great tit Green Sandpiper Green-winged teal Green Woodpecker 216

68 117 91 76 168 – – 165 122 100 97 143 – 147 – 98 156 141 67 56 120 – 148 133 74 59 76 142 63 113 81 133 72 130 94 69 163 71 88 143 114 83 80 – 130 73 – 107 – 127 134 101 60 126

Greenfinch Greenish Warbler Greenshank Grey heron Grey Partridge Grey Phalarope Grey Plover Grey Wagtail Greylag Goose Gull-billed tern Guillemot hawfinch hen harrier herring Gull hobby honey Buzzard hooded crow hoopoe house Martin house Sparrow hume’s Warbler iceland Gull icterine Warbler isabelline Shrike Jack Snipe Jackdaw Jay kentish Plover kestrel kingfisher kittiwake knot Lapland Longspur Lapwing Leach’s Petrel Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Grey Shrike Lesser redpoll Lesser Scaup Lesser-spotted Woodpecker Lesser White-front Lesser Whitethroat Lesser yellowlegs Linnet Little Auk Little Bittern Little Bunting Little crake Little Egret Little Grebe Little Gull Little owl Little (ringed) Plover Little Stint

162 140 102 80 72 105 93 158 53 – 119 166 87 111 128 84 132 125 139 156 141 113 144 – 105 131 131 96 127 126 107 96 167 95 75 110 130 164 – 127 – 142 103 164 119 79 168 – 79 82 108 122 95 96

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Little tern Long-billed Dowitcher Long-eared owl Long-tailed Duck Long-tailed Skua Long-tailed tit Magpie Mallard Mandarin Duck Manx Shearwater Marsh harrier Marsh Sandpiper Marsh tit Marsh Warbler Meadow Pipit Mealy redpoll Mediterranean Gull Melodious Warbler Merlin Mistle thrush Montagu’s harrier Moorhen Mute Swan Night heron Nightingale Nightjar Nuthatch olive-backed Pipit ortolan Bunting osprey oystercatcher Pacific Golden Plover Pallas’s Warbler Pallid harrier Pallid Swift Pectoral Sandpiper Penduline tit Peregrine Pheasant Pied flycatcher Pied Wagtail Pink-foot Pintail Pochard Pomarine Skua Puffin Purple heron Purple Sandpiper Quail radde’s Warbler raven razorbill red kite red-backed Shrike red-breasted flycatcher red-breasted Goose

115 – 123 67 106 140 131 61 57 75 85 – 135 144 160 – 109 – 128 150 87 90 50 – 151 124 145 159 168 89 92 – 140 87 – 97 134 129 72 151 158 52 62 65 106 120 81 97 72 – 133 119 85 130 – –

Index of Species

red-breasted Merganser red-crested Pochard red-flanked Bluetail red-footed falcon red-legged Partridge red-necked Grebe red-necked Phalarope red-rumped Swallow redshank redstart red-throated Diver red-throated Pipit redwing reed Bunting reed Warbler richard’s Pipit ring ouzel ring-billed Gull ringed Plover ring-necked Duck robin rock Pipit roller rook roseate tern rose-ringed Parakeet rosy Starling rough-legged Buzzard ruddy Duck ruddy Shelduck ruff rustic Bunting Sabine’s Gull Sand Martin Sanderling Sandwich tern Savi’s Warbler Scaup Sedge Warbler Semipalmated Sandpiper Serin Shag Shelduck Shore Lark Short-eared owl Short-toed Lark Shoveler Siskin Skylark Slavonian Grebe Smew Snipe Snow Bunting Snow Goose Song thrush Sooty Shearwater 217

70 65 – 127 72 83 104 139 102 152 73 160 149 168 144 159 147 – 94 – 150 160 – 132 118 – 147 89 – – 99 – 107 137 96 116 144 66 144 – 162 77 57 – 123 – 64 163 136 83 70 105 167 – 149 74

Sparrowhawk Spoonbill Spotted crake Spotted flycatcher Spotted redshank Starling Stock Dove Stonechat Stone-curlew Storm Petrel Subalpine Warbler Surf Scoter Swallow Swift tawny owl tawny Pipit teal temminck’s Stint tree Pipit tree Sparrow treecreeper tufted Duck turnstone turtle Dove twite Water Pipit Water rail Waxwing Wheatear Whimbrel Whinchat Whiskered tern White-fronted Goose White Stork White-rumped Sandpiper White-tailed Eagle Whitethroat White Wagtail White-winged (Black) tern Whooper Swan Wigeon Willow tit Willow Warbler Woodchat Shrike Wood Lark Wood Sandpiper Wood Warbler Woodcock Woodpigeon Wren Wryneck yellowhammer yellow-browed Warbler yellow-legged Gull yellow Wagtail

88 82 90 150 102 146 121 154 92 – 143 – 138 125 123 – 60 96 159 156 145 65 104 121 164 161 90 145 155 100 153 116 52 81 – – 142 159 – 51 58 135 142 131 136 103 141 105 121 146 126 167 141 111 157

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Suffolk Bird Report 2016

Sufffolk Or nit n hologiists’ Group o SOG are Q The voice of Suffolk birdwatchers Q An independent birding grroup and registered charity

For conser servat va io in

For enjoy men e t

Protecting birds

Provid ding birding resources...

Q Active lobby protecting ha abitats and extending

Q Annua ally 20+ field trips – ideal for novices or

birding amenities

expertts, young or old; practical birding skkills

Q Generates and undertakes conservation projects

Q Programme a of talks and presentations – variety

that have secured excellen nt outcomes:

of top pics (county, national, or internation nal) with quality speakers

– Contributed to several specie s s breeding

successes (Barn Owls, Peregrine Falcon etc.)

– Involved with community and education projects – Organises and hosts dawn w chorus walks – On-going participation in key surveys for the BTO, such as BBSS, the Bird Atlas, plus studies for environmental waste companies etc.

...and d media Q Strong g web presence – www.sogonline.or . g.uk Q Active Twitter feed – @suffolkbirds1 Q Annua all revie i w – Suf S ffollk Bir Bi ds d report Q Quarterly e magazine – The Harrier

Join us Q Membership of SOG is ope en to everyone.

Q Download a membership application form from our website Q Or write to Matthew Dean ns, Membership p Secretaryy 49c Oak Hil H l,, Hollesleyy,, Woodbridge g , Suffolk IP12 3JY J

or tel: 07912 859747

For birds ds & for birder ders w www . .sogonline .org.uk SOG Registered Charity No. 87 71446

218

Founded in 1929 by Claude Morley (1874–1951), the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society pioneered the study and recording of the County’s flora, fauna and geology, to promote a wider interest in natural history.

Recording the natural history of Suffolk is still one of the Society’s primary objects, and members’ observations are fed to a network of specialist recorders for possible publication, and deposited in the Suffolk Biological Records Centre, jointly managed with Ipswich Museums.

Suffolk Natural History, a review of the County’s wildlife, and Suffolk Birds, the County bird report, are two high quality annual publications issued free to members. The Society also publishes a quarterly newsletter and organises an interesting programme of field excursions and winter lectures at venues throughout the County.

The Suffolk Naturalists’ Society offers a joint membership with the Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group at a reduced subscription. This entitles joint members to receive literature and attend the meetings of both organisations.

If you are not yet a member of the Society but would like to join, contact Mrs J. Hardingham, c/o The Museum, High Street, Ipswich IP1 3QH.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES: Individual Family Corporate

SNS £15 £17 £17

Joint membership SNS/SOG £30 £35

2016 COVER V1.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2017 13:03 Page 1

Page

Editorial: Nick Mason................................................................................................................ 5 Weather report: Edward Jackson.............................................................................................. 7 Review of scarce and rare birds in Suffolk in 2015: Eddie Marsh.............................................. 9 The British List: Brian Small.................................................................................................... 19 Lackford Lakes: Mike Andrews and Colin Jakes........................................................................ 20 25 years of CES at Lackford: Alex Lack, Colin Jakes, Malcolm Wright and Peter Lack.............. 23 Purple Swamphen – a first for Britain: Frank Clark................................................................ 34 Thayer’s Gull at Minsmere in March: Brian Small.................................................................. 36 Cliff Swallow at Minsmere: Steve Piotrowski.......................................................................... 40 Forster’s Tern on the Stour and Deben Estuaries: Ed Keeble.................................................. 41 Stejneger’s Stonechat at Landguard: Paul Holmes and Ernie Lucking...................................... 42 David Pearson RIP: John Grant, Adam Howe and Steve Piotrowski.......................................... 44 The 2016 Suffolk Bird Report Introduction........................................................................................................................

Systematic List....................................................................................................................

Appendices........................................................................................................................

Suffolk Ringing Report 2016: Simon Evans List of Contributors............................................................................................................

Gazetteer ..........................................................................................................................

Earliest and Latest Dates of Summer Migrants..................................................................

A Guide to Recording Birds in Suffolk................................................................................

Rare Birds in Suffolk 2016: David Walsh Index of species:....................................................................................................................

48 50 169 205 207 210 211 216

Vol. 66

£10.00

SUFFOLK BIRDS 2016

CONTENTS