Spoonbills.

[NatureBoy]

Good to hear Spoonbills have finally successfully bred on Havergate Island in Suffolk and for first time in 300yrs. RSPB milking that one.  Shame it took a new ditch system and 350m of predator fence to make it happen. Well done DEFRA/NE. Island heavily predated by foxes and lot more  big gulls breeding there knocking back wader numbers. Particularly avocets. I wonder if they have upped there pest control? Lack of/fewer gull licences this year not helped the increase in gull numbers.     NB

[Rob85]

I think gulls should just be under General licence like crows and any other avian pest

[Farmboy91]

Definitely good news they are breeding successfully there but it seems a bit fruitless given the expected lifespan of the island, still I suppose they have to spend their supporters money somewhere! 

[islandgun]

4 hours ago, NatureBoy said:

Good to hear Spoonbills have finally successfully bred on Havergate Island in Suffolk and for first time in 300yrs. RSPB milking that one.  Shame it took a new ditch system and 350m of predator fence to make it happen. Well done DEFRA/NE. Island heavily predated by foxes and lot more  big gulls breeding there knocking back wader numbers. Particularly avocets. I wonder if they have upped there pest control? Lack of/fewer gull licences this year not helped the increase in gull numbers.     NB

but but... those nice WJ people said that predator control isnt needed and that left to nature all species will find a balance..😲

[Farmboy91]

27 minutes ago, islandgun said:

but but... those nice WJ people said that predator control isnt needed and that left to nature all species will find a balance..😲

Hmmm 🤔

From what I read there's quite a few hares on the island too, with all that variety just imagine what effect proper management would have. 

I did look at taking the trip over seeing as it's the only island in my home county but at over £50 for the 3 of us I think we'll make do with sharing the bino's.

[islandgun]

1 hour ago, Farmboy91 said:

Hmmm 🤔

From what I read there's quite a few hares on the island too, with all that variety just imagine what effect proper management would have. 

I did look at taking the trip over seeing as it's the only island in my home county but at over £50 for the 3 of us I think we'll make do with sharing the bino's.

I spent a quite few nights fishing on Orford "island" in the late 70's,  [deep water in front of the lighthouse] went over with Ralph Brinkley, even had some nice Codling ! 

[NatureBoy]

2 hours ago, islandgun said:

but but... those nice WJ people said that predator control isnt needed and that left to nature all species will find a balance..😲

Yep. Shame there's not more clarity and honesty form RSPB and Trusts about the amount of pest control and deer management they do. Staff and members have said about there concerns about the amount of predator pressure there and on boyton marshes. . . . .  Sadly The Lighthouse is no more IG. They finished taking it down last month before it fell in to the sea, Brinkleys still sell fresh fish off the Quay in Orford. Most of the houses in Orford second homes now.       NB

[Farmboy91]

1 hour ago, islandgun said:

I spent a quite few nights fishing on Orford "island" in the late 70's,  [deep water in front of the lighthouse] went over with Ralph Brinkley, even had some nice Codling ! 

That's the UFO lighthouse isn't it 🤭

I wouldn't of minded a bit of that myself 👍

[NatureBoy]

2 hours ago, Farmboy91 said:

Hmmm 🤔

From what I read there's quite a few hares on the island too, with all that variety just imagine what effect proper management would have. 

I did look at taking the trip over seeing as it's the only island in my home county but at over £50 for the 3 of us I think we'll make do with sharing the bino's.

Hares very tame to. See few people and no dogs! Some swim to and from. Very unique habitat. Used to be inhabited and grazed by cattle years ago. Boyton marshes, Butley creek and shingle street just as good. Plenty of passage migrants to see at mo and in Spring. East Lane good to. May even find a few fossils/sharks teeth if there's been wash out.     NB

[Farmboy91]

3 minutes ago, NatureBoy said:

Hares very tame to. See few people and no dogs! Some swim to and from. Very unique habitat. Used to be inhabited and grazed by cattle years ago. Boyton marshes, Butley creek and shingle street just as good. Plenty of passage migrants to see at mo and in Spring. East Lane good to. May even find a few fossils/sharks teeth if there's been wash out.     NB

You know what I've never been to shingle street, always been on the list with the history it has.

I did see something about the hares been tame too and it being habititaded till 1920 something, I find anything like that facinating and so does my lad. Might have to take a trip over that way and make a day of it.

[NatureBoy]

21 minutes ago, Farmboy91 said:

You know what I've never been to shingle street, always been on the list with the history it has.

I did see something about the hares been tame too and it being habititaded till 1920 something, I find anything like that facinating and so does my lad. Might have to take a trip over that way and make a day of it.

lovely and remote and worth a visit any time of year. Badgers undermined the road bridge there a while back. If you fish it don't cast to far. War time bunkers a tunnels still down East Lane. Sutton Hoo and The UFO trail in Rendlesham Forest good to. Bawdsey radar site interesting. Ramsholt Arms pub on the river  good if you that way.      NB       

[Pushandpull]

If it's open again try The Froize at Chillesford (next to Butley) - fine food and run by a Suffolk native who shoots.

On the subject of spoonbills, I think it is wonderful to see them here. There is a small colony breeding at Holkham now. I am old enough to have met an old marshman at Burgh Castle (back of Breydon Water) who recounted shooting one as a young man and showing this great rarity to John Knowlittle (Arthur Patterson).

[Farmboy91]

18 minutes ago, NatureBoy said:

lovely and remote and worth a visit any time of year. Badgers undermined the road bridge there a while back. If you fish it don't cast to far. War time bunkers a tunnels still down East Lane. Sutton Hoo and The UFO trail in Rendlesham Forest good to. Bawdsey radar site interesting. Ramsholt Arms pub on the river  good if you that way.      NB       

It's the mystery of the wartime event's that gets me. 

Can't have been badgers..... 🤫😂

I could get into sea fishing quite easily, along with fowling but I'm not sure I dare haha. I haven't been to Sutton Hoo since I was a kid, we did do the UFO trail once, also watched a play done outside at the main car park at Rendlesham once about the UFO, that was pretty good. My late stepfather was in hospital once after an operation and was in bed next too one of the blokes who was some sort of radio operator on the base when it all happened.

The last time I ventured that far up the coast the mx5 blew a water hose and I haven't gone that's far since 😂

[islandgun]

1 hour ago, NatureBoy said:

Yep. Shame there's not more clarity and honesty form RSPB and Trusts about the amount of pest control and deer management they do. Staff and members have said about there concerns about the amount of predator pressure there and on boyton marshes. . . . .  Sadly The Lighthouse is no more IG. They finished taking it down last month before it fell in to the sea, Brinkleys still sell fresh fish off the Quay in Orford. Most of the houses in Orford second homes now.       NB

Agree on the RSPB, pest control when it matters to them,  Glad to hear the Brinkleys are still going strong, reckon Ralph was the father. lovely village Orford, took a boat out of the river one winters day, theres a fair sea builds up with wind over tide..😀 

[marsh man]

On 07/09/2020 at 21:57, Pushandpull said:

If it's open again try The Froize at Chillesford (next to Butley) - fine food and run by a Suffolk native who shoots.

On the subject of spoonbills, I think it is wonderful to see them here. There is a small colony breeding at Holkham now. I am old enough to have met an old marshman at Burgh Castle (back of Breydon Water) who recounted shooting one as a young man and showing this great rarity to John Knowlittle (Arthur Patterson).

I might had known the marsh man who you were referring to as I only live a mile or so from Burgh Castle , in the 60s we would practise pushing on to anything that was swimming so we could get used to handling our gun punt that was 21 foot  , we would often see Spoonbills while tied up in one of the drains waiting for Curlew to flight down the estuary , when the sun was going down it made the Spoonbill look as if it was Pink with the reflection from the setting sun , strange birds indeed and highly prized in Patterson times for the taxidermist.