East Anglia Holiday - Day 8

Another day, another tricky sighting. We were on a walk from Sutton Hoo (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-suttonhoo.htm) again from the AA's 1001 Walks in Britain book. We'd been taking in the view along the River Deben:














when we turned a corner into a ploughed field and saw two birds, I immediately said 'crakes', as the ran across the field away from us. I was too busy watching these mainly brown birds through my binoculars to take a snap until they were some distance away:
















We tried to creep along the side of the field to relocate them but they'd gone to ground. As we got nearer to their hiding spot one flew away across the hay field, the other stayed and continued to make long mechanical call, whether warning or otherwise I don't know but the bird and the 'song' combined lead us to believe we had seen Corncrakes. We listened to this call for a good few minutes and had plenty of time to check the bird guide for this and the other possible species based on shape, colour and sound and confirmed this view.

Getting over the excitement of this we carried on with the walk and spotted another Yellowhammer:




















We got closer by circling around and hot a good rear view of the bird:

We also saw Red-legged partridge and youngsters. Finally in the farmland before the turf farm we saw these two deer. They didn't hang around once they'd detected us but I managed to get this snap. Interestingly one of the Roe Deer was an uncommon black variety:

















Along then to Witchford, for our final B&B accommodation, although not at a venue I'd recommend. Again we saw Red-legged Partridge, as well as a Turtle Dove on a local telephone wire and as the evening drew in, a Little Owl perched on a telegraph pole at binocular only range.

A very hot day for seven miles of walking.