Leathe's Ham, Lowestoft

Late afternoon call in at Ness Point, with the highest count of PURPLE SAND all winter for me 12 birds in all and nothing but gulls.

Leathe's Ham:  Most interesting bird was a single female POCHAED because after 2 weeks of having a male we now it's partner. So where has he gone. CHAFFINCH. BLACKBIRD, BLUE and GREAT TIT, PINTAIL, MALLARD, GADWALL, and surprisingly 5 male SHOVLORE and 2 female. A pair of DABCHICK and plenty of MOORHEN and COOT. Gulls coving in to clean up for the night with four LESSER BLACK BACKED adults. CROW as flyover and also 50 STARLING the same.

 not the best pic of the year due in main to very low light?

Herringfleet Marshes.

Light cold wind from the south with inter cloud for the day.

Herringfleet Marshes:  Had to change place of regular parking seems that Somerlyton Estate has gained back control from the Broads Authority. Wonder what's going on there. More than likely money?
The walk down brought in COAL TIT and a really large flock of LONG TAILED.  As soon as I got out on the marsh a pair of COMMON BUZZARD flew East this side of the Waveney. This was followed sometime later with a male MARSH HARRIER.  I had 7 GREYLAG GEESE and 5 EGYPTIAN. One of these birds was still showing signs of youth with a very light head. 11 MUTE SWAN which is down but good to see 2 SHOVELORE and 4 TEAL. A flyover of 50 LAPWING is always good. On return through wood 8 REDWING on the scene. Saw the visit out with 28 species in all.

 

Lowestoft and area.

These days are dull, cold and wet. Come on spring show us your face.

Lowestoft Cemetery:   The usual ambient CROW was on the scene again today but no shot to talk of. I did have a GREEN WOOD which flew between trees.

Links Hill: Had some old barbeque ribs so the gulls had a special feed today. Altogether there was four MED GULLS, one as a young bird and one full adult and others not yet there. One bird below had a local ring and a BLACK HEADED GULL had a colour ring from abroad as well see below.

Corton Wood:  Walk was very uneventful except for CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, LONG TAILED TIT, MAGPIE, ROBIN, WREN.

Silo:  Both PERIE'S holding territory. Met up with local birder Craig Shaw so introduced myself to him.

                                   

Burgh St Peter, Norfolk

Really bright day with some wind and a chill.

Burgh St Peter's:  After Haddiscoe back road brought in two COMMON BUZZARD and a small covey of RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE. only two PHEASANT on a journey of over 27 miles. A small flock of LINNET and when I say small I mean 15 birds only. Plenty of ROOK and CROW and gulls flying of rubbish tip. The best was the FIELDFARE and REDWING in horse paddocks near the River Centre. I had two KESTREL and a flock of 30 LAPWING. 15 MUTE SWAN on levels.
    How about this for a fleeing Chinese Water Deer                         Back end of a Fieldfare

This is a 1st winter bird as distinguished by the dark bill                These ones not dead yet?

       

Breydon South Wall and Links Hill, Lowestoft.

Breydon South Wall: Bright morning so for my eighth visit to the Wall to find this elusive RICHARD'S PIPET. Well I made it. Why did I bother as it is not as if I have never seen one before. But there you go. It's in the bag for the year and although the view was not I would call long, I did get to see it. I had been watching it for  some time, as it kept looking up above the grass and eventually came right out. Standing tall and all the right stuff, it was no sooner out there than was hacked of by a Skylark. Saw it fly and heard it call. So that was that.

Also 32 species of bird out there today. Including a colour ringed BAR TAILED GODWIT. A COMMON BUZZARD well over the other side of Breydon which put every bird up including the lovely flock of GOLDEN PLOVER who you could hear calling as they sat on the mud. The WIGEON never moved. A pair of PEREGRINE sat together on a gate on Belton Marsh. A LITTLE EGERET was flitting all over the marsh and was joined by a GREY HERON. I would think that there was about 80+ AVOCET and several hundred SHOVELOR which is truly amazing. As for STONECHAT there was four birds in all associating together with an adult male a young male and two females. A pair of STOCK DOVE flew from farm on return.

Links Hill:  Spent 30 minuets looking out to see and had 3 GREAT CRESTED GREBE flying North and 1 RED THROATED DIVER. With 110 CORMORANT heading to roost.

 

NOW THAT TAKES THE BISCUIT



Lowestoft, Denmark Road.

Met up with a guy while out at Ness yesterday who said he saw some birds with a crest on there heads up Denmark Road. Gave it a look and sure enough three WAXWING. Light was poor so pics need some work but one or two ok but not the best as far as I am concerned. Tweeted out but birds flew North East at 11: 20 am.

 



Al over the place

Bright day:

Mutford side of Barnby:   182 FIELDFARE counted and several; more beside. But also 7 REDWING and 2 LINNET. One GREEN WOODPECKER.
Gislham:  Field of about 70 COMMON GULL and 8 STOCK DOVE.
Ness Point:   7 GANNET north and 3 RED THROATED DIVER north and one south.
Cove Bottom:   1 SHORT EARED OWL flying parallel. Good views of it and also a follow up BARN OWL. There was also a female MARSH HARRIER getting ready to roast. COMMON BUZZARD flying due East and also another MARSH HARRIER a male.
But the best all day was a run in front of the car job, a lovely pure WHITE PHEASANT pity it not on the list but what a smacker of a tail.

I counted 160+ in here and this was only part of the flock of Fieldfare, Redwing.

        1st winter Common Gull                                                       Stock Dove.

         

Breydon South Wall.

What can I say only that I have failed again to contact with the Dickey Pipit.

Breydon South Wall:    On arrival put to flight a SNIP which zig zag or was that zag zig away. CHAFFIN and GREENFINCH as well as GOLDCREST and BLACKBIRD on arrival. A single tree had 13 MAGPIES in it of which 4 were chased off. CURLEW fly over 57 with flocks of LAPWING over about 50 birds in all. 1 PEREGRONE and small flocks of TEAL on the river as well as 8 SHELLDUCK. SKYLARK around with a count of 10 birds on way up. 1 STONECHAT and 1 CETTI'S WARBLER.. As for LITTLE EGERET only one bird seen and the same for COMMON BUZZARD. I also put to flight this fox below.

Links Hill: A few NED GULLS coming into good plumage. The Hungarian bird and the Dutch one still there. But the sad one was the one legged job.

Ness Point, Lowestoft.

Bright day today with North easterly wind. Light, Heat haze unusual.

Ness Point:  RED THROATED DIVER 21 North  and 17 GANNET North. The unexpected was a movement of GREAT BLACK BACKED GULLS North with 80+ birds in all. I also had my first KITTIWAKE heading in the same direction as the rest. A fly by to of a ROCK PIPIT, guess which way it was heading. Ok you got it right.

Lake Loathingland:  Good to see our friends making Lowestoft there home again.

Lound lakes SWT

On way back from JPH called in overcast and cold.

Lound Lakes:     7 CARRION CROW on arrival with only one SHOVELER on the water. We also had a good fly by of a GREEN WOODPECKER and this was followed by a MISTLE THRUSH. The usual stuff around in the shape of GADWAL and plenty of MOORHEN.

Somerlyton:    As we were driving alongside Hall wall there were four KESTREL.

Corton Logging Mill

Cold lazy wind from the East made it rather chilly but some sun with little heat in it.

Corton:   The best birds were undoubtedly the 2 pair of BULLFINCH to the East path which seemed to be feeding on bramble bushes. These birds did not give good views so was pleased to come away with something even if it was a rear view. GOLDFINCH and CHAFFINCH flock and a few ROBINS, WRENS, BLUE and GREAT TIT. I also had a GREEN WOODPECKER which was a good tree hugger.

Links Hill, Lowestoft.

BIRD FLEW LANDS IN LOWESTOFT

From Budapest

H5N3 Influenza has crossed over from Europe and has been found here on the East coast. Shock horror what shall we do. I know we will kill all the chickens?

The above bird has been about for a few weeks now but it the first time I have found him or her. Why would he really want to come al this way to Blight'y, what is it that we have that is found over the water.

As for this big boy I dread to think where he comes from. On inspection he is a MEW GULL but how big and how small do they go. This bird must be from the far North of the range as in size he I think the biggest that I have seen. If you read the books a Ringed bill Gull walks about a lot. This boy hardly ever stood still so nothing is guaranteed. But if you were his body weight you would not stand still either.



North Cove

Still cold but light at 5pm this evening. Signs of things to come.

 

Ellough Airport:  While driving through behind it a single REDWING, FIELDFARE and SONG THRUSH. Also a small flock of COMMON GULL feeding in a lower field.

 

North Cove:  A purposeful visit to get MARSH TIT on the list for the year. Managed this with

several birds coming to a feeder. As were GREAT, BLUE, LONG TAILED, and COAL TIT. 7 BLACKBIRD on entry to reserve and a fly over COMMON BUZZARD. A pair of RINGED COMMON PHEASANT were eating the fallen nuts and a squirrel was enjoying the feast to. Scampering around a single DUNNOCK. A large flock of small stuff flew in high calling well. This was a serious mixed flock of birds containing mostly GOLDFINCH but a scattering of the following in with them. CHAFFINCH, SISKIN, LESSER REDPOLE, BLUE TIT as well. The flock was between 60+ to 80 birds.



Breydon South Wall

Yet another try and dip over Richard's Pipit. But then it was cold and some snow falling. But the old warmers in the boots were very good.

 

Breydon South Wall: Best I suppose was the GREY PLOVER and BAR-TAILED GODWIT feeding together as the tide went down. So some of the stuff today a single COMMON BBUZZARD well over the other side. But closer to home and on Lizard side was a small flock of 5 BRENT GEESE dark bellied which again flew of North to join the buzzard. However for a change the AVOCET moved up river on Lizard side so a pic was in order. Also had a single in the following. MEADOW PIPIT, SKYLARK, ROCK PIPIT. A few RINGED PLOVER flew up on the tide and the usual DUNLIN. French CORMORANTS feeding the river with the scattering of TEAL, MALLARD, and 6 SHELLDUCK. LAPWING were cutting up the sky at times and a few CURLEW put in an appearance. I also saw 2 CHINESE WATER DEER in one of the dykes.