We have some Great News! We have a stand at the Suffolk Show for the very first time! This has only been possible by the kind generosity of Suffolk Ag Assoc and the Suffolk Show. Many thanks to them. More news soon!!

I was counting waterbirds today for the British Trust for Ornithology, a coordinated count whereby all the estuaries and open-water areas throughout the UK are counted. My roost today was well spread out and included 550 Redshank, 400 Dunlin, 370 Turnstone plus Great N. Diver.

Gull enthusiasts! BTO needs your help with the Winter Gull Roost Survey in January. Lots of vacant sites where we need volunteers to count gulls coming into roost. Thanks! Wetland Bird Survey
app.bto.org/wings/public/v…

Another long day ending with over eight hours spent at my wader ringing site. I was with Terry and Anna; the weather conditions were good. The estuary was quiet apart from noisy Brent Geese and Wigeon; a hard, cold night, we only caught 7 waders, 4 Dunlin, 2 Redshank & 1 Snipe.

Our nets were up before first light, as usual. At dawn first bird was a Wren, by 0930 hrs, the best catching period had passed us by and we had still only caught one bird. Then we thought our luck had changed we caught a Kingfisher and a Coal Tit, that was it for the day, Dire.

Webs count this morning carried out in lovely weather conditions: My count included 550 Black-tailed Godwit, 320 Oystercatcher, 370 Redshank, 18 Turnstone, 170 Canada Geese and 4 Egyptian Geese.

Anna and I risked the weather predictions last night and carried out our first wadering session of the season. High tide was half past midnight, only four waders were caught, 2 Redshanks but was pleased with 2 Greenshanks, all were colour ringed.

I checked out some sites on the Orwell estuary this afternoon looking for Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher chicks, unfortunately, as was expected, I did not find any. These days there are only a few pairs breeding. However, I did find another Ringed Plovers nest with 4 eggs.

Anna and I ringed two more broods of three barn Owls and two stock Dove chicks today.

A few photos of raptors from my Australian trip, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Falcon, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Ospreys.

I was ringing at my Farmland site this morning. I caught another 15 summer migrants, my first Garden Warblers and Lesser Whitethroats of the year, another Nightingale, It was nice to see a brood of Blackbirds almost ready to fledge, I ringed them a week ago.

Lovely weather conditions yesterday morning. I was out ringing at one of my sites with my brother. 25 birds caught, mostly warblers, including Sedge 6, Whitethroat 6, Reed Warbler 4, Cetti’s 2, Goldfinch and Linnets. Observations included 12 Whimbrel and a Cuckoo.

I ringed a brood of 4 Grey Wagtails, photographed A Blue Tits nest with 12 eggs and my brother and me found two Linnets nests each with 4 eggs BTO NRS.

For the second year in succession Anna, Pete and myself were at the SUEZ, Suffolk energy-from-waste facility plant at Great Blackenham where we ringed three Peregrine Falcon chicks, the first for 2023.

I was ringing with Jenny R. yesterday morning; we caught our first Nightingale for the year, 4 Blackcaps and 3 Chiffchaff. Five Willow Warblers, my favourite summer migrant was also on site and singing.

I was at my Sycamore Farm ringing site well before dawn this morning. More birds on site and in song and setting up territories now. Best capture goes to a Woodcock. Bird of the day goes to a light-phase Buzzard. I finished off the morning by erecting more nest boxes.

I visited one of my old stamping grounds this morning Trimley NR. Mild conditions but very windy on the sea wall. There were over 2000 waterbirds present, which included c600 Wigeon and c600 Lapwing.

It was a cold misty damp start to the morning. The mist, thick at times, did not lift until late morning. There was an obvious increase of Reed Bunting that had moved into the reed bed overnight. I caught 11 and a Cetti’s Warbler was retrapped, which is now a minof 6 years old.

I visited Woodbridge STW works this morning with my daughter Sue. Weather conditions were very good with a light breeze for a change. We set four nets and our catch included another 3 Rock Pipit (at least 22 on site), 3 Pied Wagtails, Goldfinch and Goldcrest.

Highlights from my WeBS count this morning Oystercatcher 520, Black-tailed Godwit 300 (usually c700), Wigeon 110, Goldeneye 2 and Red-breasted Merganser 3.