Its called just interesting, well to some.

Take a look at this Lesser Black Backed and the unusual mirrors and the two obviously out of character white feathers on the wing. Have you ever seen anything like this. The other surprise was this at home today an orange ringed Herring Gull.

Oulton Marsh.

Still the air is cold, what is going on.

It's took till today to see my first GARDEN WARBLER. very nice bird and singing well, but also was giving semi favourable views. Also a CUCKOO came into view and several REED BUNTING. A movement of SWIFTS, SWALLOWS and SAND MARTIN, all hunting and filling themselves up for the next few weeks.
Also had SEDGE WARB and CETTI'S WARB with 4 of these.

                             

Sizwall, East Bridge, Dunwich, Hen Reed bed

The day was bright but still a slight chill in the air.

Sizewell: COMMON TERN about off outlet with 3 PIED WAG and few COMMON WHITETHROAT. CROWS and LINNET and that's it.

East Bridge: CETTI'S WARBLER called in Marys ear as we stopped for a car the other way. I think it blew her ear drums out. The only other bird of note was a female BULLFINCH.

Dunwich:   The sight of two HOBBY well above the wood feeding and SAND MARTINS landing in the car park. SWALLOW and HOUSE MARTINS about 17 in the village nesting.

Hen Reed Bed:  Best was three MARSH HARRIER and the sound of REED WARBLER and sight as well as the call of REED BUNTING, CETTI'S WARBLER.

Ottley Common , Bungay, Suffolk.

Walk round with the Waveney Bird Club. A lovely evening after a miserable day.

 

 

Altogether I pulled in 47 bird species but I understand they made it 51, but I think I left out House Sparrow. Best bird was the well singing NIGHTINGALE. But it was also good to see the KINGFISHERS who have made a home in the SAND MARTIN Cliff. How unusual is that. Also the well calling REED BUNTING, WHITETHROAT, BLACKCAP, SONG THRUSH and OYSTERCATCHER.

 

Also set up my new lens with digi. Not to bad ,but room to improve yet. First pic was a hidden WHITETHROAT in the garden and the second the local PERI. I also went for short time to the Ness and had a single COMMON SCOTER through and two SWALLOW.

 

 Nightingale from to far away.

South Wall, Bythburgh

What a serious change in the weather with South West winds and rain. So sought some shelter and headed for the above as it would be high tide.

 

Best bird was obviously the three WHIMBRAL. All seen at different times but there where at least two birds. Also of course there cousins with one bird in good fresh colour which is also nice to se rather than the drab bird of the winter. Just one DUNLIN flew in briefly and a two COMMON SAND flew by low calling. Just the one LITTLE EGERET and several REDSHANK with one pair performing just out of sight. REED BUNTING, MEADOW PIPIT, and 4 WHITETHROAT. Again it was good to pick up on 9 STOCK DOVE over in the time there. Also of interest was the lone male GADWALL which kept flying out and back in again.

                                       Not such a bad pic when you consider the conditions.

 

Home and Stokesby Norfolk.

In the garden birds seemed on edge with sky watching gulls. This turned into an issue around 9:57 am when a raptor appeared well off south over the river. View was very brief on both occasions. But it was being given a hard time by 4 CROWS. I had all of 6 seconds to view it and came initially to the conclusion that it was a pale phase Common Buzzard. But when I sent tweet out it became apparent that a OSPREY had been seen at North Denes at 9:55am.
So what did I see in such a short time and what gave me to believe that this bird was pale and could it have been the OSPREY mentioned.
1.  I did see an eye mask on the bird.
2.  The bird was light brown on upper wing.
3.  It was flying so low that I could see its upper wing, in fact it was being given such a hard time and was flying at about 7- feet due west along Lake Loathingland.
4. It flight was not a typical of a Buzzard, but in retrospect it was of an Osprey.
Conclusion is that this is what I saw and although I was not able to id it. I have little doubt as to it real identity.

So I will make it a garden tick and a year tick.

Stokesby:   Best bird here was a WHITE WAGTAIL. I had 2 KESTREL and 2 COMMON TERN with JACKDAW, CROW, ROOK, GREY HERON, SEDGE WARBLER, COMMON WHITETHROAT, REED BUNTING, SWIFT 2 and SWALLOW.

This is now the 9th day that Sally has been sitting out her nesting duties with some relief when Harry gets the idea.

 

Away from Birding but still in the Blue

Went fishing instead of birding at Ness Point today. Still very cold but when the sun was out not so bad. Fishing was interesting with a lovely male CUCKOO WRASSE. This is not the first time I have caught one here, but it is the first time I have had the sense to take a camera. Although not a big fish how amazing to have caught it on a real that 100 years old and a rode the same.

I also managed a BASS of 2lbs which fought well on the light line of 10lbs and a weight of only one once. It even jumped for a couple of feet out of the water. I also had a small WHITEING POUT and my mate had a small ELL.  Birds what birds. There where none. Well not of any distinction.

 

Kessingland to Beach farm and return.

Bright and warm with southerly breeze:

 

The best birds where obviously 3 HOBBIES one of which came near enough to watch it feeding in flight. It was catching small stuff in the air, but pictures are hard to come by in such circumstances. I also had several WHITETHROAT calling today but only one BLACKCAP and only one CHIFF. The song of MEADOW PIPITS parascending is always a joy but how few there where in comparison with several years ago. I could count 50 birds plus today, seven. So what does it say for the SKYLARK of which there was only one singing. The other missing birds where no Green Woodpecker and no Ringed Plover. What does this say for us let alone the birds. On the good side it was a thrill to hear SEDGE WARBLER chatting away and the KESTREL, still alive this year and doing so well after a few years of decline.

Gunton Cliff.

Gunton Cliff: Bright and warm.

Several COMMON WHITETHROAT about with some GREENFINCH. Fly over SWALLOWS all seem to be heading south as they have overshot. 5 CROW over North Denes and a few CHIFFCHAFF calling.

Have remodelled the digi adapter and the results are good. Why spend hundreds of pounds when a milk top will do. Results are ok I think.

Abberton Resevoir and Friday Woods.Essex

Returned my sister home so this gave me the opportunity to spend several hours at the above over three days. Well worth while with an increased year list and again all self found birds. I suppose in birding terms the best was two WHIMBREL which although 1 hour away in time, still took the same flight path away from the waters edge. I also had my first GREENSHANK which you can see in a few days as a vid clip. Also YELLOW WAGTAIL, and although the LITTLE RINGED PLOVER was not a first for the year it was good to see two together and again viewable in the next few days. A MARSH HARRIER which could be mistaken by some as an Osprey flew through It was a first summer bird but very light on top with an almost white head instead of buff. I managed to find a single LESSER WHITETHROAT at Friday Woods and also four NIGHTINGALES. I also had a pair of GREAT SPOTTED WOOD and a COMMON BUZZARD which is the first for the site for me since I was 13 years old.          Video link for Little Ringed Plover:  https://youtu.be/pMSDy38GfUw  

 

                                          
https://youtu.be/OOR8_kRT5hY

Home

Home: After yesterday warm flush the birding has just took off.

While watching a PERI well up in the clouds it was being escorted by two SWIFTS a first for the year. I scanned the sky but these where the only pair I could fix on. I also had a fly overs in the following: 2 YELLOW WAGTAIL, small flock of LINNET and GOLDFINCH. A single SPARROW HAWK hunting over railway line and also a good surprise for here in 3 JAY flew south.
Lound Lakes:   A single OYSTERCATCHER 4 GREY LAG, 1 CORMORANT a last years bird and several SAND MARTIN and SWALLOW flying in and out.

Pleased to be back but who on earth are you?

 Look at the difference in condition of each of these birds.

Just for intrest sake.

Of recent I managed to acquire a local book from around the area of the Broads dated 1927 28. In this are a number of pictures which in respect of birding are of interest. This picture was taken a  local area of interest. That being Fritton Lake. Which in the book is said to be one of the best lakes of the area. It informs the reader that it is 3 miles long. That was then, but with Essex and Suffolk Water taking over half this it reminds us of the changes over the years. The picture shows a wildfowler on the bank of the duck decoy which was inaction even after the last war.

Home

 

 

Home:  Had a surprise visit this morning of a fly over bird that I have never had in 11 years. The sort that although not that uncommon should never have been over the house. In fact it was flying West to East adjacent to Lake Loathingland just behind my house and along the roof tops along Denmark Road. Why a FULMER should be around here I have no idea but it was a good garden tick for me.

          My frisky Dunnock in the garden getting amorous with himself in the glass.

To watch open link?

                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bn78XOt7Ys


 
                   My frisky Dunnock in the garden getting amorous with himself in the glass.