Ness Point, Lowestoft.

Winter has returned with a North wind and fog.

Ness Point:  With all the above not much expected so with three SWIFT flying offshore hawking for flies is a surprise. One of the very few times that you can get to see this phenomena, with the birds flying fairly low over the water and heading strait into wind and holding there place as they let the wind do the job for them. KITTIWAKE heading out to see to feed and HERRING and LESSER GULLS  as  well. A single SWALLOW flying up and down the sea wall which was in itself a most glamorous bird with feathering as an adult. The speed of this bird and its agility is to be truly amazing. One GOLDFINCH and two PIED WAGTAIL one of which was a young bird having a bath. Even with all the rain it was still not wet enough. Other than that a single GREENFINCH on the sewer pump station perimeter wire.

Links Hill:  A KESTREL was trying its hardest to hunt in the strong wind but with only two GREENFINCH and a COMMON WHITETHROAT time to leave.

Kelling Heath, North Nofolk.

Bright day with still a chilled wind from the North.

 

Visiting the family camping up for the weekend and birding restricted but in real terms turned out well. Sat by the swimming pool and within minuets a WOODLARK flew through. Only a passing view but so distinct. This was followed within ten minutes by seven CROSSBILL flying due West and calling as they went. YELLOWHAMMER not that plentiful but pictures ok with CHAFFINCH, WILLOW WARBLER, CHIFFCHAFF, COMMON WHITETHROAT. WREN, ROBIN, MAGPIE, DUNNOCK, ROOK, CROW, and one JAY. MALLARD, GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT and COAL TIT. I also managed some pic's of the captive breed Red Squirrels and a SHILED BUG on Rachel's leg.



Nicholas Everit Park and late evening Carlton Marsh

Bright day still with a chill.

Nicholas Park:  Walk through with REED WARBLER at Nights Creek and also in reed bed near yacht station. OYSTERCATCHER on the park with a single EGYPTIAN GOOSE. CHAFFINCH, WOOD PIGEON, COLLARD DOVE, BLACKBIRD, ROBIN, COMMON WHITETHROAT, CHIFFCHAFF, CETTI'S WARBLER, PIED WAGTAIL.
Carlton Marsh 8pm:   Three COMMON BUZZARD and a pair of MARSH HARRIER. One GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, COMMON WHITETHROAT and two willow warbler, with a really beautiful SONG THRUSH singing its heart out. BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, GOLDFINCH, GREENFINCH, PIED WAGTAIL, CETTIE'S WARBLER 3. One GREY HERON flew well off heading North and a CUCKOO could be heard around Fisher Row.

Corton New and Old Sewage Works or as I call it logging mill.

Still overcast but slightly warmer.

Old Works:   A pair of BLACKCAP with male calling and female dotting around.  CHAFINCH and CHIFFCHAFF with a small family of WREN with very noisy young STARLINGS. I only had a single SKYLARK here with four SAND MARTIN along cliff. A COMMON WHITETHROAT was singing well from cover. A single PHEASANT in the field with a single fly over LINNET I also put to flight a GREEN WOODPECKER.
New Works:  Again three COMMON WHITETHROAT with four CHIFFCHAFF and again a male BLACKCAP singing  near the pond and a MORHEN on her nest with 4 young. A CROW was giving a big heave ho to a C0MMON BUZZARD and about three SKYLARK about as well as GOLDFINCH around a nest sight and a pair of LINNET. I also had the GREEN WOODPECKER laughing several times.
Flowers are on the increase with RAGED ROBIN and VETCH as well as a very fair looking NOON FLY.

Leathe's Ham.

Still dull and it will soon be winter.

A variety of ducks with a pair of SHOVELORE and the same in WIGEON. With 2 GREY HERON who can guess what these birds are doing here as they usually come in here for food for there young. I also had a REED WARBLER and 2 CHIFFCHAFF. There was 10 TUFTED DUCK of which only none was a female. Several MALLARD but only 2 DABCHICK which does not bode well. Not so many COOT either and only 3 MORHEN.

Camps Heath, Oulton Marsh and Carlton Marsh evening.

Reasonably bright but still a chill in the air.

Camps Heath:   Arrived to the call of a single CUCKOO calling well from the marsh. Was not able to view but everything was on cue with Cuckoo Flower on the marsh and five Orange Tip Butterfly feeding on them. A COMMON BUZARD flew through but view was minimal. GOLDFINCH, GREENFINCH, BLACKBIRD, CHIFFCHAFF still calling with two birds. Three BLACKCAP and four COMMON WHITETHROAT, SWALLOWS, HOUSE MARTIN, SAND MARTIN  and SWIFT flying over the far marsh feeding as they go. CROW, ROOK,  JACKDAW, MAGPIE and four MALLARD, with a pair flying and two males out on the marsh. I also had a single Spotted Wood butterfly and two calling ENGLISH PHEASANT, with WREN and ROBIN tuning in.

 

Carlton Marsh:  Just one GRASSHOPPER WARBLER but three COMMON WHITETHROAT, SEDGE WARBLER, 5 calling REED BUNTING, LAPWING, but a very good male STONECHAT at the corner. Male MARSH HARRIER and a reasonable view of a SHORT EARED OWL which I picked up early but with fading light and reeds around no chance of any pic. On the scrape three REDSHANK, 2 LITTLE EGERET, 1 GREY HERON, a pair of WIGEON, 8 MALLARD and a single MUTE SWAN. On the river Waveney a very light plumaged BARN OWL as well as 9 Chinese Water Deer.





Carlton Marsh.

Rather dull with light wind increasing.

Well after all my visits I at last gained a good sight of a MEADOW PIPIT but the best thing of all was it was feeding young although my pic shows it on its returning journey. Viewed six REED BUNTING all male, most of them just chasing each other about. The other bird which was only the second one for the year, which was a HOBBY, seen hawking over Spratt's Water. Just one LITTLE EGERET and three GREY HERON as well as a single DUNLIN which was an adult male bird. Also a single YELLOW WAGTAIL which was feeding around the scrape. With also four young LAPWING chicks. SEDGE, CETTI'S, REED, WARB'S and COMMON WHITETHROAT. Also a single male MARSH HARRIER hunting on far West of land. Also my first PAINTED LADY butterfly as well as GREEN VEINED WHITE.

 

 

Somerlyton to Wickers Well

Still rather cold, but an occasi0onal sun show.

Walked along the track and the most predominant bird was the calling of male BLACKCAP I counted 15 birds in all with about the same in CHIFFCHAFF, 1 WILLOW WARBLER, 1 TREECREEPER, 2 GREEN WOODPECKER, 1 COMMON BUZZARD, 2 MARSH HARRIER, 2  CETTI'S WARBLER, ROBIN, WREN, RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE 2, ROOK, CROW, DUNNOCK, GREAT, BLUE and LONG TAILED TIT, BLACKBIRD, 2 JAY, GOLDFINCH, CHAFFINCH, 3 COMMON WHITETHROAT, MALLARD, GREY LAG GEESE 3, 2  MOORHEN,
Also                                 GREEN VEINED WHITE and ORANGE TIP.

 

Winterton, Norfolk.

Bright but still a cold North wind.

Over the years I have dipped put on this bird more than any other, but at last on my ninth time I made it. What a great bird to add to my list after such a long while. I tried very hard last year to see the ones at Theberton in 2015 as every time they had just flown. Thought I was in for the same here but the bird back tracked and I got there to view. Perhaps not the best pic in the world but the viewing makes up for any pic.
One local resident asked me what we were all looking at. When I pointed it out her response was to any of us odd. I thought they were bigger than that. If they were, perhaps she would have seen it with ease, but it seems that she had difficulties in this department. Either that or she was looking for an eagle.
Other birds seen were SWIFT, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER, CROW, ROOK, SWALLOW, and a mother BLACKBIRD feeding her two young. Also a garden full of 14 HOUSE SPARROWS.

Leathe's Ham

Bright with North wind.

The usual REED WARBLER in his usual spot calling well and also a COOT sitting on eggs. LONG TAILED TIT very excited by what I have no idea. CHIFFCHAFF calling and also GREAT TIT with brood patch, BLUE TIT calling and feeding young.
There was also 10 TUFTED DUCK and one GADWALL, two PINTAIL acting as a pair. But a good adult male WIGEON which is not usual here, perhaps already a return.
One HERRING GULL dead on island with a pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE as well as L.B.B.GULLS.

Flycatcher Alley-Oval- North Denes.

Really dull and misty with the occasional very light drizzle.

Flycatcher:  counted three BLACKCAPE all male and two WILLOW WARBLER as well as three CHIFFCHAFF. BLACKBIRD, four ROBIN, two DUNNOCK two WREN and two MAGPIE.

Oval:  A few WOOD PIGEON feeding amongst the grass with one bird very dark and a single STOCK DOVE feeding briefly with the above.

North Dene's:  Best bird here was a single male WHEATEAR which was so wrestles due to doggy dodgers. There was an enormous group of COMMON WHITETHROAT here with at least nine birds. I also heard a single MEADOW PIPIT but could not locate it. CHIFFCHAFF on the cliff with some five birds as well as a few WILLOW  WARBLER. BLACKBIRDS were five male and a single female. A SONG THRUSH was calling in Warren Wood and three LINNET flew.

Lound and Home

Lound:  held interest with SEDGE WARBLER, WILLOW WARB, CHIFFCHAFF, REED BUNTING, MALLARD, MOORHEN,  COOT, MUTE SWAN, COMMON BUZARD, and a KESTREL with calling young from a tree. WREN, ROBIN, COMMON WHITETHROAT, CHAFFINCH.
But the best pic was a of a GREEN HAIRSTREAK one of two on the rose bush and also a HOLLY BLUE again.

 

Fisher Row, Oulton Broad.

Bright day with some heat in it.

Home:  Spent a few minuets in the garden with a calling CHIFF. With 2 birds about and some warb's flying over, a good day to get out.

So of to Oulton Marsh, with at least 11 BLACKCAP at one point four birds in view at once, CHIFFCHAFF as well as six WILLOW WARBLER. As for GRASSHOPPER WARBLER three birds in all. I also had a single male STONECHAT a pair of YELLOW WAGTAIL in flight heading over to Carlton Marsh scrape. The where many SEDGE WARBLER but finding a REED WARBLER was more difficult. There seemed to be plenty REED BUNTING but I never saw a female. Ducks were short on the ground with no surprise with just one pair of MALLARD but also two adult male SHOVELORE. CETTI'S WARBLER calling well with at least five birds. Also SWIFTS overhead and SWALLOWS on the wing.

I also had my first ORANGE TIP butterfly and a HOLLY BLUE in the garden in the late afternoon and also a SPARROWHAWK flew over as well as two HOUSE MARTIN.

 



Carlton Marsh, Lowestoft.

Late evening visit.
Just one CUCKOO calling as I left with 3 LITTLE EGERET, SEDGE WARBLER 5, BARN OWL 3 all seem to be in different plumage and one very white. GREY HERON 3, SWALLOW 4, REED BUNTING 3, LINNET 10, REDSHANK 3, MALLARD, MUTE SWAN 4.

Friday Woods & Abberton Resevoir, Essex.

Family funeral meant a short visit back to roots on the best day of the year for a funeral. But auntie Norah ran well for 95 years. The last of the line.

Friday Woods:    Of to see the blue bells and what a sight they are but for any birder the sound of NIGHTINGALES singing throughout the day is always a joy, so to hear five birds in an area no larger that 300 square yards is in this day and age rare. Also two BLACKCAP, COMMON WHITETHROAT, WILLOW WARGBLER, CHIFFCHAFF, JAY, MAGPIE, CARRION CROW, and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
Abberton Reservoir: Called in at the farm and I drew up a pair of CUCKOO flew off, managed a view but not good. Also YELLOW WAGTAIL, PIED WAGTAIL, STONECHAT, CORMORANT, LAPWING, PHEASANT, CORN BUNTING, COMMON WHITETHROAT, STOCK DOVE, CHAFFINCH, CHIFFCHAFF.
Fordham Heath: The common ground opposite the Crickiters had many birds in it with PIED WAGTAIL, BLACKBIRD, WREN, ROBIN, HOUSE SPARROW, GREENFINCH, the good bird was the MISTLE THRUSH.