Breckland Birder

Breckland Birder
Red Deer in Breckland, Norfolk Photo by Paul Newport

Friday 10 August 2018

Migrants at Bodney, Norfolk

What a beautifully comfortable morning this was with much cooler conditions with a cool breeze. Sunny at first with cloud increasing to bring heavy rain by early afternoon.
Early August is when passerine migration really gets started and choosing the correct habitats will see evidence of this phenomena.  Rivers, streams, and brooks provide essential highways for migrants, and along with the lush waterside vegetation for food and cover, who knows what will turn up.
Watton Brook Valley is one such important highway for migrants at which I find such an important location for witnessing migration.
The previous couple of days have seen Reed Warblers in the Watton Brook Valley, using Reeds and Great Willowherb for cover.  Today I chose a different location in the valley to see what I could find today, and indeed, the small site I watched produced.  Most of my efforts were given to rough grassland with some lovely Elders, a shrub/tree I always target at this time of year.
Specifically, my highlights for this visit with regard to migrants were:

1 Sedge Warbler
3 Reed Warblers
Blackcaps (males/female/juvs)
Whitethroats

Blackcap in Elder
Elder habitat.
These four Warbler species were all seen to visit one particular Elder where ripe berries were consumed.  I find it such a great pleasure to see a number of species, often together, sharing the same bush/food source, all with the same aim in mind, to build fat reserves in readiness for their continuing passage
Along with the above migrants, other species seen visiting the Elder for food was Dunnock, Blue Tit, Robin, Song Thrush, and Goldfinch.

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