Corton Logging Mill.

Walk round produced a single CHIFFCHAFF and a COMMON BUZZARD that put everything in the air. 1 GREEN WOODPECKER and about 20 CHAFFINCH in all. SKYLARK still flying south but only about 20 birds in all. ROBIN, LT TIT, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, WREN, DUNOCK and a single BRAMBLING over. I also put to flight a SPARROWHAWK that must have been post sitting and I also had a long view of a GREY WAGTAIL. The major surprise was a PEACOCK BUTTERFLY and also a COMMON DARTER.

Links Hill:    The BLACK HEADED GULL with colour ring was again  there J2TK and the MED GULL E861
 

North Dene's

Walk started through Flycatcher Alley and the only real bird of note was a single CHIFFCHAFF. A typical bird which was not calling and was also very secretive. Plenty of LONG TAILED TITS, BLUE and GREAT. Several BLACKBIRD and more ROBINS. However there seems to be less WRENS than normal with a count of 5. I also had 4 JAYS flying by although I saw more than this I expect they where flying up and down.
I did have a flock of 14 GREENFINCH and 2 flocks of STARLING of the sea. I CORMORANT and around 10 MEADOW PIPIT. The other bird of interest was a WHEATEAR which seems to have been a British bird by its stance.
I also had a JAY over the house today which I hope was not the Hoopoe from down the road.

Female GREENFINCH feeding on the rape

Somerlyton

Walk through from the railway station and out on to the fields and return.
 
On arrival saw 2 COMMON BUZZARD and again found the same pair hanging around a cottage in the back fields near Wicker Well. This area is not watched but produced  a 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and several MALLARD and a large group of LONG TAILED TITS, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, GOLDCREST and a single COAL TIT near the railway line. I also had 7 JAYS. I also had 3 very late calling CETTI'S WARBLERS.

Beginning of the month

Yesterday 1 mile from above

  

Yesterday flying with above.

 Peregrine on Silo Lowestoft Harbour

 

Sea Palling

Birds coming in of sea were all STARLING with 7 CORMORANT flying offshore and 9 BRENT GEESE. It was good however to see the bull seals trying it on with the misses. I had one field with about 80 LAPWING and another with 5 CURLEW. The best bird of all day was BRAMBLING in a tree near Hickling. In all there was three birds but views were scant due in main to much cover in the trees. The only other bird of any note was female MARSH HARRIER. mind you I did like the PHEASANTS fighting or is that peasants.

Ness Point.

The weather held for some of the day but wind direction is still not at all favourable. But we make do. Best bird was undoubtedly a BLACK THROATED DIVER which for a change flew close in and gave a very good view. All diagnostics good with under wing and auxiliaries. Head was being held higher than with RTD. and the legs did not protrude as long as they would on the GND. The face was a mask but only slightly so with all these and its very dark appearance I am in no doubt as it's id. This bird was flying south and picked it up early before it even got to the yellow buoys. It was about half way between them so not bad. The other bird of any significance was just the opposite. It was a serious bird being a Shear but which one is am absolute ponderable as it was to far out and no real true id at all. The best you can say was that it was very close to the water and was not an immature Gannet. It was bow winged and a zig zaged or is that zag ziged across the sea and never lifted at all. It was a tad smaller than a gannet but other than that in the words of Tom Hanks, I have nothing to say.

 One PURPLE SAND and 3 MED GULLS feeding off shore. Two pairs of AUK again supposed RAZOR. I also had what I can only describe as wags flying south and one ROCK PIPIT calling.

Walberswick, Suffolk.

Just a short time at Lodge Lane brought out two traditional COMMON BUZZARD one was really being given a hard time in the air by CROWS. I also had a lovely MISTLE THRUSH as you can see below. But also a single CURLEW with some white on the wing. This bird seemed large for a curlew but I think it was because it was far a way and on the top of a rise. I also had a pair of LAPWING and 23 MEADOW PIPIT. 1 PIED WAG and 1 SPARROWHAWK.

 Do you like my own Hedgehog. I think I have made a home for Nature.

Caister, Norfolk.

Caister: 

Best bird was undoubtedly a lovely ARCTIC SKUA. This was a pale phase bird and gave a lovely view as it worked its way North for over 5 minuets. It was in no hurray but had obviously been blown down the coast and was making its way up again in the lee of the coast.
The other bird of real note was a single bird on its own at the end of the prom at Caister. It was content to site there but was only interested in giving me his back. So the pic is a surprise.

Snow Bunting

 

Gunton Warren and Rail Track, Links Hill.

Home: Before I left home this morning had a single SPARROW HAWK fly up from south of the river and fly parallel west. This was an adult bird.


Gunton Warren:  Rather light on the bird front with 3 JAYS, 2 CHIFF, MEADOW PIPIT over and a single GREENFINCH, ROBIN WREN and 2 GOLDCREST. MAGPIE, CROW, and one STOCK DOVE over.

Rail Track: GREY HERON heading south, 3 GOLDCREST, and 4 ROBIN, with 2 JAY and 3 GRAET TIT and 2 BLUE TIT. Best bird along here was 3 MEW GULL in field adjacent. On return to car a GREEN WOOD. I again had another SPARROW HAWK this time flying south down the track.

Links Hill: A first winter MED GULL in good plumage (see below) and a colour rung BLACK HEADED GULL. also 2 GREENFINCH. 

 

                                         

 

 

North Dene's

Ness Point: Yesterday called in and had 3 PURPLE SANDS and 24 DARK BELLIED BRENT heading south. Also 2 ROCK PIPIT kept me company. Had an unusual calling pipit over my house in the morning...no idea.

North Dene's:    Walk round as earlier in the day a Dartford Warb was around but no chance by the time I got there. So all I had was 15 MEADOW IN A FLOCK and 3 GREENFINCH. Mind you I had a second look at this lovely NORTHERN WHEATEAR. ( Oenanthe oenanthe) but could it be(leucorhoa)  GREENLAND. In all probability it is an intermediary, but well on for me. 
                          In the words of a bird watcher look at them pair of legs and the wings.



Flixton Marsh Lane

It was foggy so decision time. Stay away from the coast as birds will have moved in land. Seemed like a good idea at the time and I think it was because there where birds to lock on to. I walked half way to Somerlyton and back along the marsh. Best bird was undoubtedly a RINGED TAILED HARRIER. I was watching a SPARROW HAWK at about a hundred meters flying adjacent to me about an hour into the walk, when a raptor came shooting out of no where and headed strait for the SH as I was looking at it. Came from behind the bird and dwarfed the SH. As it turned away the clear white rump and clearly a HEN HARRIER. Now that was worth the decision to go.

I had a flock of SONG THRUSH in excess of 50 birds which had got together in a hedge and after a few minuets they decided to clear. I also had a flock of 30 MEADOW PIPIT over and I did id 3 TREE PIPIT pic of one below. I also had a KETREL and 3 YELLOW HAMMER. A large flock of GOLDFINCH about 40+ birds interspersed with SISKIN although as a clear visual id I only had one bird. 2 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER and 1 GREEN WOODPECKER. 1 GREY HERON and loads of ROBIN, some WREN with about 5 GOLDCREST throughout the walk. On way back a very pale COMMON BUZZARD this bird looks very much like the bird I saw over CORTON yesterday.

So is it a Common or is it a female Rough Legged Buzzard shows the signs.



Corton Old Sewage Works and Track as well as Ness Point

Corton Old Sewage Works:  On arrival heard this call of a BRAMBLING only to work out that Derick was ringing birds. Mind you there where three at the top of a near by tree. GREENFINCH, MEADOW PIPIT, ROBIN, WREN, SKYLARK in off sea and also in field. 1 CHAFFINCH and 2 WHEATEAR on cliff. There was also a CORMORANT on the sea and on return to ringing station they where just about to release a BULLFINCH a lovely male bird.

Corton Old Track: Met up with Chris Mutimer and we walked together. Best bird was a YELLOW BROWED WARBLER which we heard before  we saw. It was a brief encounter but good because of the sun on the bird. We also had a BLACKCAP a male bird again. The surprise was also 2 COAL TIT which I have not picked up there before. A flock of SKYLARK over and several flocks and roosting REDWING as well as many BLACKBIRDS there must have been an ooze among them. We also had a fly over COMMON BUZZARD and several JAY.

Ness Point:  Two BRENT GEESE I suppose the ones from Hamilton Dock where feeding under Gulliver also a PIED WAG and ROBINS. In the sewage area a GREY WAAGTAIL was bathing and plenty of MEADOW PIPIT and DUNOCK as well. At sea a single MED GULL and RED - THROATED- DIVER assumed flying by heading North as where GANNETS mostly North but adult South. I also had 2 AUK'S? flying North.

 How is this for camouflage





Home and Ness Point

This morning from the clouds and light rain descended our Autumn birds. The first was a ROBIN the garden followed by GOLDCREST and then the calls of REDWING as they spiralled down from on high. I would think that in the space of an hour a 100 birds moved through. I also had SONG THRUSH and BLACKBIRD, but also my first FIELDFARE for the year.

 

Ness Point: Large movement of BRENT GEESE with some flocks of 200 birds. Most between 30 and 50. Flying with them 3 PINTAIL and with some others 2 TEAL and yet with others WIGEON. The best bird was a white bellied ARCTIC SKUA which was flying south and also 2 LITTLE GULL. I also had 2 BLACK SCOTER north and another flock of the same North later. 1 Curlew and a boggy wader. As for small stuff 2 ROCK PIPIT and MEADOW. A small flock of 7 SKYLARK flying south just of shore and another in of sea.

                                         A very wet Meadow Pipit with white tail feathers.

 

Minsemere, Suffolk.

Run through to see the elusive Little Crake. Chance would be a fine thing. But the following was about BITTERN flew through while there with GREAT WHITE EGERET in the distance. KESTREL, REED BUNTING, PINTAIL, WIGEON, MALLARD, TEAL, MUTE SWAN DABCHICK, 2 KNOT really very big Tundra birds. 9 DUNLIN some young birds. LAPWING, 2 SNIPE, BLACK TAILE GODWIT, 12 BRENT GEESE dark bellied.1 GREENSHANK (Below) and what I record as a CASPIAN GULL. Long primary projection and box back head and very long legs. Problem with it however is size of beak and not so sloping forehead.

Any comments on gull would be appreciated as I am still learning.

 

Ness Point:

This is the best wind we have had for a long, long while. It was not that strong but at least it was from a good direction. I suppose it was also frustrating as birds were still well out but in all 13 SKUA of which one was clearly a BONXIE. But as for the others who can tell, the only thing is that most were sea huggers but 2 were not. Very much high flyers about 60 feet from the sea. I also had what I would call a family of three. About 100 BRENT through with some young. PINTAIL duck a flock of 10 as well as a few small waders. 3 BLACK SCOTER.

North Dene's

Walk round the top of the Oval brought in very little a few BLUE and GREAT TIT with 2 JAY and a single MAGPIE. 1 PIWD WAGTAIL and 1 ROBIN and WREN. Along the cliff things became slightly more encouraging with 4 CHIFFCHAFF and 2 SWALLOWS flying south with no call. 9 MEADOW PIPIT and 3 TURNSTONE. 3 fly by CORMORANT and one well out.

Ness Point

Today was a migration day, with GREY WAG flying through over the house and two small flocks of small stuff as well. No idea what some of it was but even 4 STOCK DOVE over the house is good one. As for the NESS, well I had 3 BLACK REDSTART under Guliver two of these birds where continually chasing each other up and down. They where also hanging around with a pair of WHEATEAR and several MEADOW PIPIT,  and of course the proverbial RED BACKED SHRIK. Still a crowd puller.                                                        This is migration as it should be seen Black
                                                                                              Red and Wheat together.