Oulton Marsh, Oulton Broad,

This was a winters day with frost on the ground and that beautiful blue sky. Just one of those days that will never be forgotten for the following reasons.



St Michaels Church:  I stepped out of the car and immediately had birds to view. A female MARSH HARRIER flew reasonably close as PIED WAGTAIL scampered across the church roof and on my return a GREY WAGTAIL was doing the same. ROBIN, WREN, WOOD PIGEON,

 Along  track to Fisher Row:  CHAFFINCH and BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, CROW, ROOK, JACKDAW, MAGPIE, and JAY. MOORHEN and BLACKBIRD.

Fisher Row to bend: This walk along the river was alive with the call of four WATER RAIL and two CETTI'S WARBLER still calling well. A GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER was keeping close cover at the corner but the best here was the eleven BEARDED TIT that flew from close to me onto the reed island. I also had a single REED BUNTING here. LITTLE EGERET 2

Viewing Platform:    Here again I had five BEARDED TIT and nine REED BUNTING which were feeding on reed. WIGEON at only two and MUTE SWANS the same. A single KESTREL flew through as did a flock of LAPWING. As I left I heard a whistle and new it was the sound of a OTTER as I scanned the river and the reed I caught sight of it only 30 feet ahead of me, on the path but it was gone in a second. GREY HERON two.

Level Crossing:  Again another pair of STONECHAT and a flock of nine MEADOW PIPIT flew in, a SNIPE was in the air after being put to flight by a ROOK. A single STARLING which was in the reed bed and looked rather ill.

Walk back:  Again another pair of STONECHAT in the sheep pen bring the count to six. A KESTREL flew by and GOLDFINCH as  a small flock as well as CHAFFINCH.

Gunton railway and Gunton Wood

Bright and chilly day with light breeze from the East.

Gunton Railway Track:  Heading North birds few but BLACKBIRDS feeding on berries and BLUE and GREAT TIT as well as ROBIN and WREN about. CARRION CROW flying noisily about while feeding. STARLINGS overhead but the best bird was a single female BULLFINCH about with a robin but flew after a couple of minuets. Did not show itself well but good enough for an id.
Gunton Wood: A small flock of GOLDFINCH above the tree canopy but with ROBIN, WREN, BLACKBIRD and MAGPIE.

 Links Hill:                     Common Gull                             Med by any other name?

Ness Point and Links Hill.

East wind but little to show for it.

Ness Point: Not even a turnstone about, but plenty of GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL and more gulls is all you can say.

Links Hill: Was gulls again but at least there were some rings on. One MED GULL with an unknown ring to me, so recorded and sent of to BTO. A usual med gull with a previous ring on it and a BLACK HEADED GULL with a ring but no colour. Tried hard to pic the aluminium ring but with no joy. The other stuff round here was CARRION CROW and one COMMON GULL.

Earlham Marsh, River Yare. Norwich.

Started out foggy so pic's with difficulty but by the time I left it was bright.

Best bird was a single WATER PIPIT which flew from the side of flood water and headed of calling. Distinctly different and that slightly different to MEADOW PIPIT of which I saw three others. Also a SNIPE flew of West and the other birds of note were at least two STONECHAT. But the most obliging was a REED BUNTING which was ground feeding on seeds. It also associated with the stonechat. Several BLACKBIRDS, FIELDFARE and REDWING at far end. GOLDCREST 5, JAY 2, MAGPIE 7, CARRION CROW, ROOK, GOLDFINCH, WREN, ROBIN, COMMON GULL 1, BLACK HEADED GULL, HERRING GULL, MUTE SWAN 2,

Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk.

Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk.This place never fails for me as I always visit in winter. It again kept its norm as it rained and even the road beneath the Brundal railway bridge. So road closed and a long way road. In view of the above no way was I going to walk always round. So sat under the heater in the entrance hide. With good camaraderie with RSPB staff. This is more like things should be amongst people which is always a good thing.

Rain, rain and more rain and still it was good to see so many BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, COAL TIT and MARSH TIT. These were interspersed with a few CHAFFINCH and GREENFINCH. A JAY put itself through the area by calling well as did the COMMON PHEASANT. 2 MORHEN, 7 COOTE, 2 MUTE SWAN and the usual single BLACK SWAN. Talking to a local it seems that several years ago there where two black swans and they did once breed and had young. This was around Christmas and because of the time of year none of the young survived.

Best bird however was a KINGFISHER and not at all close. Calling resting and flying.

Waterloo Park:  Walked through just a part to the sound of BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, ROBIN, WREN, REDWING, FIELDFARE, BLACKBIRD, and two CHIFFCHAFF.

Links Hil and Ness Point.

Wind light from South West and reasonably bright.

 

Called in at Links Hill which was again partially open. Looking for rung birds and sure enough three birds in all. Nothing out of the ordinary but sent through info to BTO. BLACK HEADED GULL and MED GULL gave up there info. HERRING GULL, GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL also here with CARRION CROW.

Ness Point: CHAFFINCH on wired are below Gulliver and seven TURNSTONE but only one PURPLE SAND at Ness. The usual OYSTERCARCHER about and that was it.

Ness Point, Lowestoft.

South Westerly wind at 15 miles an hour with bright intermittent conditions.

 

Two flocks of COMMON SCOTER heading south one of seven and another of eight. All birds seemingly female. GANNETS flying South 14 birds in all with 3 AUKS flying North but id not possible.  Three RED THROATED DIVER North and also another diver very black and white heading North. A single ROCK PIPIT on point with several TURNSTONE and a single OYSTERCATCHER. Two PIED WAG flew up and down and three GREENFINCH kept flying through.

There was a sad situation with a white fishing buoy being towed against the tide by what I believe was a seal, a younger seal was watching from nearby. The pilot boat gave it a look but I am not so sure they were able to do anything as they moved of.

WE WANT TO BE TOGETHER

"Close encounters of the moon kind" They say it is in the eye of the beholder. In think they might be right as the moon does not look that bright to me. But what is close? and what is a few meters between friends, not that the moon is a friend although the man on the moon has never communicated with me. Although John Lewis advert from last year was much more meaningful than the new one. But the truth remains that I have been closer to the moon than I will ever be but am I really impressed, no.



Carlton Marsh, Lowestoft.

Rather a dull day, but could be worse as it brightened up a little as the day moved on.

Two male MARSH HARRIERS put in an appearance with a single BEARDED TIT on back end of Oulton. Three MEADOW PIPIT and the same for CETT'S WARBLER who are still in full song despite the other week when they seemed to go of key. Two GREY HERON and three FIELDFARE flew East along the valley. Just one single JAY and only two MAGPIE. But several CARRION CROW, ROOK and JACKDAW. I did find four MALLARD but not one bird on the scrape. To much wet around to bother with it. Calling WREN, ROBIN, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, LONG TAILED TIT and two GOLDCREST as well. 

Halvergate Marsh, Near Acle.

Ride through on the A47 to Norwich and called in at the above near the bridge. Bright but fresh.

 

Several hundred PINK FOOTED GEESE flocking and calling, but very unsettled. All birds well of and closer to Bernie Arms than to were I stood. Two flocks of FIELDFARE and about 60 birds in all. STARLINGS feeding and wandering all over the show. Best bird here was a single CURLEW and two BLACK TAILED GODWIT feeding with several LAPWING in adjacent meadow. MUTE SWANS about and one family of five young still with mum. One field had over 100 CROW feeding close together in ploughed field. I also had a COMMON BUZZARD which flew over the car as I was driving but no surprise. One GREY HERON standing in the field and also one LITTLE EGERET. I did hear 2 MEADOW PIPIT and I also had a fly over PIED WAGTAIL. As I left a ROBIN stood and watched me head off.                  Plenty of berries for these Fieldfare.

 

Ness Point, Lowestoft.

After a stormy night with a low slipping down the East side of the North Sea from Siberia a visit was inevitable. On arrival the local guys in position and birds flying North was information they gave.

 

It was not long before bird began to appear with flocks of BRENT GEESE flying North. Some of these where mixed with CORMORANT and WIGEON. A single flock of WIGEON came through with TEAL interwoven within. GANNETS flying well out but also some between Ness and Yellow Continental Buoys. COMMON GUILIMOT on the water and some flying through. I would think in the time I was there it must be in excess to 20 birds. I also had two SHELLDUCK and on one occasion three KITTYWAKE flew North. Beside these birds singles flying the same. Three MED GULLS flew close by as did five GREENFINCH. But the surprise of the day was a SPARROWHAWK that flew in from the sea. I have never seen one hunting offshore, where as I have seen hobby, peregrine, kestrel do this. Leaving the best to last is the great sight of flocks of EIDER flying North close in. Most of these being males in really good plumage. In my terms all the flocks must come out at over 34 birds.

RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE still in garden but he managed to scare the living day light out of me when I went out the back door and he was the other side. But he also came down on the lawn to feed when I was sitting out in the garden.