Home: While out in the garden first thing a GREY WAGTAIL flew East to West calling as flew through.
Ness: TURNSTONE very noisy while sitting on rocks at high tide with the resident OYSTERCATCHER feeding on high tide. I also had three SANDWHICH TERN all flying North as was any flocks of CORMORANT which flew through with up to 20 birds in one flock. The good view was the 16 BRENT GEESE flying South which was for me a first for the Autumn. It seems however a day for ducks with two flocks of MALLARD 13 and 16 respectively. I also had a flock of 14 TEAL which flew South between the continental buoys. What was more disconcerting was a flock of duck which I can only assume were goldeneye as they were well North of me and came in and headed North. The very white and black in a sense gives it away with the massive white wing pattern. Around 20 birds in this flock. I also had another which was impossible to id but assumed to be dunlin flying again South.
Gulliver: Found a single bird on dead thistle and proved to be a WHINCHAT.
In reflection a view of birds in the dark seems impossible but if you are in doubt the following is worth a consideration and no sighting should ever be discounted as not solvable. So tonight with discussion at club the following was considered.
It was 23:30 hours on a clear night which was still a fortnight ago this evening. I was lying on my recliner in the garden when I saw above me a flock of white birds flying East to West at about 300 feet. 20 birds in all and silent in flight. The conclusion was that this was a flock of SPOONBILL as they fly at night and in a single line or into a V formation. They also waved in flight from side to side which is also diagnostic. They were silent but the reality is that spoonbill have been seen in Suffolk at the same time with a flock on the Auld of this number. The thing which I did not know was that spoonbill fly and feed at night. So this was a flock of birds coming in from the continent after breeding.
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