A Cliff Swallow-less weekend...
A very frustrating two days not being able to get to Minsmere resulted in me still not having Cliff Swallow on my list. On Sunday (06 November) I paid homage to Needham Market's Black-bellied Dipper which has been residing around Hawks Mill for the past couple of weeks, locating it at the weir mid-morning. I spent fifteen minutes watching and photographing it and got a couple of other birders onto it before it flew downstream, maintaining my 100% success rate of never having dipped a Dipper.
 |
| Hawks Mill weir, where I initially located the bird on Sunday |
 |
| Doing what they do best! |
 |
| Nice views of a Grey Wagtail too! |
Early afternoon I walked south along the Gipping Valley to Pipps Ford where I met Moysie and we had a nice flight view of the now resident Great White Egret with six Little Egrets (thanks Ben!).
Happy birding,
Back at Hawks Mill I checked the streams and the Dipper was now present a little further away downstream from the bridge where it roosts. With the rain setting in I decided to call it a day and saw a Goosander on the way home.
The last Black-bellied Dipper I saw was one in Thetford in early February 2013 (pictured below), which was later joined by a second individual. Very nice birds.
Cliff Swallow - it's just a bird,..
Happy birding,
Max.
Comments
Post a Comment