I was out just after 4am this morning where I drove over to Chislet Marshes to collect the recorder. I had not long parked up and got out of the car when I heard a distant Quail calling. I heard one briefly a few weeks ago but this one was heard much easier. I walked up the track a hundred metres or so when another Quail called much closer. You wait 10 years and then 2 Quail come along! This is a Mega bird for the patch and excellent to have a couple of birds in the area. I continued to walk up the path and in the end, I must have been within a few metres of the calling bird but still didn't see it. The second more distant bird continued to call before they both went quiet. As I stood listening to the Quail, 4 Barn Owl were seen along with 1 Little Owl. A Tawny Owl was sound recorded during the night. After the morning excitement, I then spent a few hours walking around the Nethergong, Chislet Marshes area were I noted 60 species which included 7 Mute Swan, 9 Egyptian Geese including 7 goslings still and the adopted Mallard, 2 Swift, 9 Moorhen, 1 Green Sandpiper, 2 Black headed Gull, 10 Herring Gull, 2 Lesser Black backed Gull, 2 Common Tern, 26 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Marsh Harrier, 2 Common Buzzard, 2 Great spotted Woodpecker, 5 Green Woodpecker, 4 Kestrel and 1 Jay. There were 10 Magpie, 74 Jackdaw, 2 Raven, 2 Skylark, 2 Sedge Warbler, 10 Reed Warbler, 2 Sand Martin, 8 Swallow, 2 Chiffchaff, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Long tailed Tit, 6 Blackcap, 4 Whitethroat, 1 Treecreeper, 32 Starling, 3 Song Thrush, 4 Robin, 2 Dunnock, 3 Yellow Wagtail, 4 Pied Wagtail, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Bullfinch, 69 Linnet, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Yellowhammer, and 3 Reed Bunting. 

Quail

Having recorded Quail a couple of times recently out on Chislet Marshes, I thought I would get up at silly O'clock and see whether I could actually hear one on the patch. On the 1st July, I arrived at 03:00 and spent a few hours walking around the southern end of the patch. At 03:40, I could hear a distant Quail calling a couple of times before it went quiet. Although I have recorded them here this year, it was pleasing to be able to add this species to my patch list. The other obvious highlight has been that the pair of Egyptian Geese have bred and are raising 7 young goslings at present, plus an adopted Mallard which they seem to have picked up. This constitutes the first breeding record of this species on the Nethergong patch. I shall hopefully follow how they grow over the coming weeks. I have also been seeing the odd Barn Owl and Little Owl when I have been going down in the evening to put out the recorder. 

Egyptian Geese 

With a number of Quail being heard over the past few weeks, I thought I would give it a go last night at Chislet Marshes, so on arrival at 8pm, I walked around the area for an hour listening in warm sunny conditions. birds noted included 11 Mallard, 1 Grey Partridge, 2 Common Tern, 1 Marsh Harrier, 4 Barn Owl, 2 Kestrel, 2 Raven, 1 Sedge Warbler, 2 Reed Warbler, 6 Swallow, 2 Cetti's Warbler, 10 Linnet and 7 Reed Bunting. I put the recorder out on the marsh in the hope I would get something going over. 

I was up early this morning at 4am where I spent an hour or so walking again around the fields listening out for any Quail. I didn't hear any but unbeknown to me, when I went through the recording from last night, around 2am, a Quail (112) was heard calling a few times. This is the second record I have sound recorded in 10 years but I have still not heard one on the patch live. It's nice to know they are passing through. I just need a bird to hang around and call for a while one early morning. Other birds this morning included 5 Mute Swan, 1 Egyptian Goose, 1 Tufted Duck, 1 Grey Partridge, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Swift, 1 Moorhen, 2 Common Tern, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Marsh Harrier, 2 Barn Owl, 1 Little Owl, 2 Kestrel, 4 Raven, 3 Skylark, 6 Sedge Warbler, 5 Reed Warbler, 2 Swallow, 1 Cetti's Warbler, 1 Blackcap, 3 Whitethroat, 3 Chaffinch, 2 Linnet, 1 Yellowhammer and 3 Reed Bunting. It was pleasing to see 3 Norfolk Hawker and 3 Emperor Dragonfly flying around at 04:30 and a little later, I saw my first 7 Willow Emerald Damselfly of the year along with 12 Emerald Damselfly. I shall hopefully record again tonight and have another early morning walk in the hope of hearing a Quail. 

Sunrise over Chislet Marshes

Quail