A trip to Suffolk August 2026

Our first non-dog related comfort break stop was at the picnic site on the River Stour at Cattawade. The attraction being a long-staying moulting male Hudsonian Godwit on a tidal basin. As soon as we arrived I located it with Black-tailed Godwits feeding in a channel, with the receding tide it moved to another more distant channel, it shadowed a Black-tailed Godwit so I got to enjoy all the flight features. We also saw Common Sandpiper, Greenshank and Redshanks and Lapwings as well as Teal and Shelducks here. We visited the nearby National Trust managed Flatford Mill for a shady stroll in ‘Constable Country’ and enjoy a lunch on the bank of the Stour.

Our next stop was Sutton Hoo to explore this interesting area and take in the historical exhibitions. Following this we headed to where we were to stay for the night, the Bell Inn at Walberswick. It wasn’t long before I had itchy feet and headed along the beach to view the marshes, a birding walk in early evening and again the following morning added a few species to my log, this included Sandwich Terns, Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Curlew, 2-3 confiding Whimbrel, Guillemot, Oystercatcher, Redshanks, Snipe, Reed Buntings, 3 Sedge Warblers, 5 Stonechats and 2 Whinchat but the main attraction was the small but growing population of Zitting Cisticola, I had 4-5 individuals on each of the walks with many display flights seen, they perched up in view more in the morning as the wind had dropped.

A couple of beers in the Anchor inn and then back to the Bell Inn for dinner. A rain front passed through with electrical storm, we headed out after the rain to watch the lightning show as it moved across Southwold and out to the North Sea, spectacular!

Following the walk to the marshes and back, we had a good breakfast at the Bell Inn, then we had a walk about Walberswick. Our next stop was to be Framlingham Castle which we enjoyed exploring. Another stop on the way took in a Suffolk heath, a gathering of 47 Stone Curlew was the highlight but Kestrel, Stonechat, Green Woodpecker were also noted and Yellow Wagtails and Little Owl were at a farm shop nearby.

On the way home we called in at Eastleach Martin, Gloucestershire to enjoy the long-staying Long-tailed Shrike, a second time for me, it showed very well, caught a vole and pinned it on a hawthorn, it had completed a moult since I first saw it, much neater bird now and surely ready for migration soon?