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nationally important<br />
for Redshank and<br />
they can be seen on<br />
any exposed piece of<br />
mud when the tide<br />
is down. One of the<br />
best places to see the<br />
Avocets is around<br />
Ramsholt. They tend<br />
to be on the water’s<br />
edge where they sift<br />
for food with their<br />
upturned beak. They<br />
can also be seen up<br />
the Alde as well and<br />
a flock of 100 or<br />
more flying to roost<br />
can take your breath away.<br />
Boyton RSPB reserve is a good place<br />
to see many of our wintering wildfowl—Mallard,<br />
Teal and Wigeon especially<br />
are using the grazing marshes to<br />
feed. We also are lucky enough to have<br />
the RSPB land at Hollesley as well<br />
which is developing into an excellent<br />
spot for ducks and geese, especially if<br />
it gets cold in the New Year.This was<br />
not meant to be an advert but don’t f<strong>org</strong>et<br />
you can plan your route using the<br />
excellent Walks book that Debbie Pipe<br />
and Pauline Austerfield have created.<br />
Red-line Quaker<br />
On the Heaths winter is a pretty quiet<br />
time on the whole. There are, however,<br />
still birds about although some<br />
of them do migrate. Often in <strong>January</strong><br />
Wood Larks will sing if the sun is out<br />
and it won’t be long before they start<br />
to breed, in March. And remember the<br />
poor Dartford Warblers that don’t tend<br />
to leave. Last winter, down in Hampshire<br />
and Dorset, many of them suffered<br />
and died because of the very cold<br />
weather they experienced. Here we<br />
were lucky that we didn’t have it too<br />
bad even though we had a bit of snow.<br />
Nick Mason<br />
www.<strong>villagevoices</strong>.<strong>org</strong>.<strong>uk</strong><br />
<strong>January</strong> 2010 page