Corton.

Walk round the Logging Mill (Sewer farm) and on to cliff edge:

The logging trees where not seen and neither where many birds. Just the usual with BLACKBIRD, REDWING, CROW, and flock of around 12 FIELDFARE flying south west. A few PHEASANT, ROBIN, WREN, GOLDCREST, GOLDFINCH and the well polished JAY. Along rail track the only thing was BLUE TIT and GREAT TIT.
At the cliff a very white HERRING GULL flew by, with no real way of knowing it may have been a YELLOW LEGGED. Off shore the only thing visible was a GUILIMOT. On way back to footpath a single SWALLOW flew over caravans. But along the cliff a SKYLARK was in full song and not to high either. 4 LINNETS sat on cliff edge until they saw us and took to the air. We came across some more around 8 birds in all sitting on fence surrounding water board land with 6 GREENFINCH. A GREEN WOOD was also feeding on the land. A KESTREL hovered close by and then left after defaulting on a catch. We had over fly us here another 2 SWALLOWS heading in desperation South. We also saw 3 GREAT SPOTTED WOOD and 2 JAYS between church and caravans and walked back along road.

Sparrows Nest, Oval and Ness

First called in at NESS: With only 3 COMMON SCOTERS flying North and GANNETS far over the horizon. However a few MED GULLS feeding with others a mile offshore on a shoal of something, more than likely herring. A few TURNSTONES and that was it.

A Short walk around S.N. brought in the usual array of Tit's. With several GOLDCREST putting in an appearance. The best birds where BLACKBIRDS with European traits. Large bills and dark ones at that. Found a single WILLOW WARBLER behind the Oval and plenty of JAYS. Also a GREEN WOOD on the Oval itself. CHAFFINCH,WREN and ROBIN all about and calling. The sad part of the walk was coming across a SHORT EARED OWL. It had obviously flown in from the continent and was well wasted away. No size and just fluff. Literally nothing to it. Rather sad to think it made it all the way to demise.

                                                      Moribund:   Short Eared Owl

Ness Point, Lowestoft.

Just a short time brought in some really lovely male EIDER two flocks flew close in shore. Also plenty of GANNETS way out. BLACK SCOTER close in to. 

BUT RATHER COLD WET AND WINDY.

Ness, Lowestoft.

Just a short call in brought several SCOTER flying north, one flock of 12 birds and another of 30. Plenty of action far out with juvenile and adult GANNETS all seemingly flying south. Must be Herring out there. I did see one other bird which on my reckoning was a GOOSANDER. this bird was flying south as for the few BRENT that are hanging about I don't think they know where they are heading.

Corton, Suffolk.

LIFFER......OLIVE BACKED PIPIT I was only thinking the other day. If there was an area of improvement on my life list it was in the area pipits. So sure enough it happened today. Although the bird has been there for seven days and I had dipped yesterday. I sure did get it this time round. What great bird to see and so conffinding  Yes it passed about 8 feet away and what a striking bird for such a small job. It's gizz action is really odd with it skull king and disappearing in the leaf litter and short grass. What a job at times to see, but what a lovely bird.

Lound Lakes

As usual I was giving my time to young people this morning. We had a very able guy sharing with them the basic principles of Search and Rescue. It was all a very encouraging and soul searching experience as it can never be really easy to carry out such work. As volunteers how much we owe them.

For the bird front the best bird was a a lovely male BLACK REDSTART that put in a few just outside the centre. A bird for everyone to see and enjoy, for most a first time experience  Other than that was the number of REDWING feeding on adjacent hedges. But for me the sight of GREEN WOODPECKER was as always breathtaking. I also picked up a female BLACKCAP which again is as so many birds right now on the way through. Also those really dark and large BLACKBIRDS with their large beaks from assumed Bavaria  well at least from the far continent of Europe.

Sparrows Nest and Oval

Walk through SP brought in an immediate SPARROW HAWK female bird which flew in front of me as I parked up on Whapload Road. Flew very low hunting over the old net hangings. Plenty of ROBINS on arrival and calling GOLDCREST. Walk up to the top and caught up with the TIT flock. No surprises although they did stay for about 20 minuets before moving on. REDWING and FIELDFARE in abundance. I also caught a flock of FIELDFARE flying in above the trees about 12 birds in flock. Plenty of BLACK'S about and THRUSHES everywhere. Walked along Flycatcher and picked up some very noisy JAY'S who seemed to be intent on just enjoying the noise. REDWING, FIELDFARE and SONG THRUSH over the oval. A single CHAFFINCH feeding above and one flying. Came across a single REDSTART at farside of Oval and walked back to car.

Best bird of the day in respect was a YELLOW LEGGED GULL this is the closest I have managed to get to this bird as it sat with other gulls near puddles at the bottom Links Hill car park. Managed not only to gain reasonable photo but short video clip as well.    http://youtu.be/S7gWL9qwurg

The other main challenge for me was a woodpecker at Sparrows Nest this morning. I expect I am still learning after all these years of birding, some things do not add up some birds just remain a pain. So the jury is out and we will confirm my ignorance latter. That is unless you know better. My thoughts are simple the branch is obliterating the eye and the lore strip is high.

Not so black

Managed to call in at Oulton Broad to take a view of this bird. It seems that it owed me as it came in real close, I wont complain. These birds are very exquisite in there bib and tucker. Seems he could jump out of the water and go and serve meals at the Wherry. They might get more people in there if they did.
Seems to be confusion over this bird and that it has now sorted out as Slav, but depending on view you can understand the difficulties in relation to bill and crown.

Scotland the brave.

You need to brave to make this journey, for us it was just 2680 miles in two weeks. But then if you are going that far you might as well see what you go up for. So a real thank you to my son Jonathan for making it possible by driving so many miles and making dads dream come true to visit again. A year ago who would have dreamed it possible, but we done all praise and thanks to the living God. Who does all things well.

We stopped at Edinburgh on the Friday night and set of for Lock Lomond on the Saturday and we where greeted to a lovely family of RED BREASTED MERGANSER they where hunting feed together only to gain a fly over far from see of two GANNETS heading south over land. The RBM which we saw where many i should think that altogether we saw 200 birds scattered around. But only one RED THROATED DIVER. The best day was no doubt the day of the best scenery when we headed from Shin Falls into the heart land of County Sutherland. Our first GOLDEN EAGLE was at the falls and by the time we reached Ullapool we had 7 different birds. With some flying high over us. Ho majestic they are and on such a lovely day to. We also had 2 SPARROW HAWK and also one which we found dead on the caravan site where we stayed.. In regards to this on the Black Isle it lived up to its claim  of the reintroduction of KITE. This was the bird of every day with the knowledge that they liked my sausage rolls. They chased the crows away and took to feeding and waking us up in the morning as they scampered about with long struts on the roof. What a privilege was our just to think when I was a boy there was only six birds in Wales and now this generation has this privilege. We also picked up with MERLIN on the east side of Ness on the moors  It was chasing a flock of SANDPIPER about 13 birds in all. It came to rest in a tree near by and was that slat grey that you come to expect. On the mores we had some lovely RED GROUSE which decided to walk in front of the car, but then you cant go fast up there.
Fortrose was a spectacular point to watch birds especially on the Tuesday which was full gale. I met up with two guys who lived in the area and new there stuff. We had no difficulties in picking up BONNXIE and ARCTIC SKUA but the best was a first for me in the shape of a LEACHES STORM PETREL. I just gotten in the car when the guys shouted and shore enough I saw a bird not 30 yards away in the surf with head into wind. I jumped out and joined them on the shore as it flew across away from us in the trough of the wave. I watched it for about 3 minuets until it was out of view because of the rain. We also has 3 GREY PHALLAROPE in the same place just working there way against the wind. What a great view for us all and according to these guys  this was the best day in 20 years. So not so bad. We had 2 encounters with OSPREY on the Black Isle one on the North Shore the other on the south. We also picked up 12 male EIDER near Cromerty on the north of the inlet.These birds where in summer plumage which again is a first for me.
I was amazed at the amount of small birds especially CHAFFINCH but the only CHIFFCHAFF I was able to locate was at the point at Fortrose. I also had SWALLOW and SAND MARTIN, HOUSE MARTIN AROUND THE CARAVAN WITH pied wag but I also picked up a pair of GREY WAGTAIL at Fortrose. As for DIPPER we gained two good sightings one was on SPEYSIDE. the other was at the end of Loch F

Other birds of interest where a GREAT-SPOTTED-WOOD which had just flown over the Moray Firth and landed in a tree nearby, unusual for these birds to fly over water. I had altogether 4 ARCTIC TERNS  and several TWITE which flew each morning near the caravan, and also a LONG TAILED DUCK fly by.

In all we had 88 species of birds as well as Mountain Goat, Red Rat, Grey Seal Mountain Hare, Salmon, Fox and Red Deer.