Landguard Subalpine Warbler

A great days birding with Chris to Suffolk started with a trip to Landguard Nature Reserve were a Eastern Subalpine Warbler was taking refuge. It took us under two hours to drive to the reserve through both sun and rain. Luckily when we did arrive the rain had stopped and only left a large cloud over our heads. On our drive to the car park we passed a large flock of birders and we were sure this is where the warbler was. We parked the car and walked over to the place were we waited for a few seconds when the EASTERN SUBALPINE WARBLER came out of the bushes and showed it self for a few seconds and then flew off.

Subalpine Warbler in flight

At this Chris and I decided to walk around the reserve and wait for someone else to refind it because we still wanted to see Ring Ouzel and Redstart. On our walk around we walked past one person who told us that he had just seen it and so we scraped our mission and waited for the bird to come out. Sure enough it showed again and did so for a while. The bird was spectacular and came to close for half of the photographers who were having to run away from it.

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

After I took a few photos which could have been better we headed off around the reserve where we connected with; two Ringed Plovers, a few Wheatear, Turnstone and a flock of Linnets. Then it was off to the Rose-coloured Starling in Orford. We managed to see the ROSE-COLOURED STARLING after a short wait and then a second time a little later but it wasn't showing quite as well as Warler.

A terrible picture of the Rose-coloured Starling when comparing it to some pictures of the bird.

It was getting a bit late and we decided to stop off for one last bird on the way back home. When the arrived on the reserve we were unsure of the exact directions to take so we went round the way we thought would be right. When we got to the first view over the lake we stopped and immediately saw what looked like a RING-NECKED DUCK. We were unsure again so we headed over to a more open viewing place were we confirmed it.

Female Ring-necked Duck

All in all a very successful day.