The rich song of the Nightingale, deepest Suffolk, 20 April 2013

We were in deepest Suffolk today visiting some old childhood haunts of Belinda's. With unbroken blue skies it was gorgeous and from a birding point of view the spring has quickened a pace.

Completely unknown to me before today was Ramsey Wood, about 2 miles east of Hadleigh. This RSPB managed woodland was alive with singing birds and I'd heard Nightingale from the track before we even got up to the wood itself. Closer inspection revealed at least 2 singers with particularly good views of one leaping about singing in bare saplings. Blackcaps were suddenly everywhere with 2 - 3 Common Whitethroats, loads of Chiffchaffs, Nuthatch, Green Woodpecker and then a fly-over Tree Pipit as we headed back along the track towards the car.

We bumped into an RSPB field worker doing a survey and she hadn't seen a single butterfly and wasn't sure she'd heard Nightingale as she thought it was too early. You have got to wonder!  

Near Hintlesham 3 Common Buzzards were circling together as we headed home.

4 species of butterfly were seen - Comma, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Brimstone as well as the first Bee-flys of the year.

Common Violets were out in abundance and the first few Cowslips were along a south facing hedgerow.

Cowslip

Common Violet