Ornithological escape to the coast. There’s a bird hide overlooking the marshes (RSPB North Warren) not 10 minutes walk from our erstwhile pitstop in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. It’s just up the Thorpe Road past the (in)famous Scallop sculpture on the shingle shore. Anyway, a dozen grey herons, same again little egrets on the water, a couple of shelduck (Tadorna tadorna, another tautonym), some wigeon (Anas penelope) and others waterfowl in the hazy distance, the inevitable black-headed gulls and a tiny murmuration of starlings. Much closer to the hide a male reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) of which I got a quick, not-worth-publishing snap. There various warblers around, although one “warbler” turned out to be a female wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) an early summer visitor to these shores. Here she is, feathers ruffled in the onshore breeze.
Heading back to the main road, spotted another bird I didn’t recognise, I think it’s a linnet (Linaria cannabina) corn bunting (Emberiza calandra) sat for a long time on a gorse perch glaring at me, while I slowly moved towards her with camera raised
