North Dene's,

Just a look to see if some of the Black Red's were still about but no joy. But did bring in a pair of LINNET and three MEADOW PIPIT. Some HOUSE SPARROWS and a calling SONG THRUSH but the best was a single FIELDFARE on the Oval with a white breasted CARRION CROW.

Home:   The female PERI was circling over the house and also very high which was impressive to the gull fraternity.

Home again.

If you wonder why no outside birding I am still suffering from a chest infection and on the third course of steroids.

Home:     It's been a few days since the MAGPIES took to building another nest. Progress looks slow but they are in most of the day with her watching while he works. Nothing new here then?
PEREGRINE are flying on most days with the male circling her as they flew over the house two days ago and her flying round above the house today. She was also on the silo feeding station later on in the day. 
PIED WAGTAIL fly over twice today with birds flying South West. No PARTRIDGE today but HARRY and SALLY have been fed well. HOUSE SPARROWS in on the table as were GREAT TIT and GREAT TIT. But there was also an odd fly over of three very high flying CARRION CROWS the local gull population were not happy. I also had one GOLDFINCH flying North East.
ASDA:   A pair of GOLDFINCH in fire trees in car park and a pair of PIED WAG on the little bit of rough land that is left. Three REDSHANK feeding at low water and HERRING, LESSER and GREAT BLACK BACKED GULL.
Ness Point:   A close hugging flock of BLACK HEADED GULLS about 20 birds in all close to the water and heading South with determination. I think they were on the move to there breeding ground by what they were doing.

       

Magpies are now at the second stag with the bower starting to climb on the right.

Here they are?

Woke up this morning and found these two in my garden. So what I heard has proved to be right, but it has took five weeks to get her in here. She is very flighty but by the way they are fed it won't be long. Rather foggy when I got up so sorry for the bad pick.

Home alone?

This is not the first time MAGPIES have tried to build a nest in the tree next door. In fact this year is no different from any over the last few years. They never really get going and no sooner do than along comes a CROW and upsets the apple cart. The thing is that the last time they done this which was in 2015 they dismantled the nest in a morning and moved it to the popular trees on Norwich Road. Which as a crow flies (pardon the pun) about 500 yards away. So don't hold your breath about anything else other than the Magpies "have flown the nest".

 

Not  much to show but then they only seem to be practicing.

 

 

 

Bright with strong wind from the North East.

Ness Point:    A good look of shore proved there was nothing?

Silo:  So a look at PERI and the male was busy feeding and the female looked on as he sky danced for her. With all he ate no wonder.

Whitlingham Lake, Norwich, Norfolk.

Dull into rain with South West wind and colder.

Best bird a single TREECREEPER. but also plenty of other good local birds. With four CHIFFCHAFF and LONG TAILED TIT, GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT, WREN, ROBIN, PIED WAGTAIL, CORMORANT, GADWALL 2, MALLARD, TUFTED DUCK 40+, SHOVELOER 9 over. COOT, MORHEN, L,B,B,GULL, HERRING GULL, MUTE SWAN, GREEN WOODPECKER 1, GREAT CREASTED GREBE 1, CARRION CROW, BLACKBIRD, CHAFFINCH 1, GREY LAG GOOSE, EGYPTIAN GOOSE

 Big Head

North Dene's and Ness Point

Bright but with a chill in the air and an of land wind.

North Dene's:  Two CHIFFCHAFF both calling but it was also good to see a lovely SONG THRUSH. At least 9 BLACKBIRD and 2 CHAFFINCH as well as 3 LINNET. I also had a short view of a single MEADOW PIPIT and a GREEN WOODPECKER. Several CARRION CROW and 4 JAYS, ROBIN, WREN, MAGPIE.
Ness Pont:   On arrival several CORMORANT heading mostly North as were 7 RED THROATED DIVERS. But as for a first for the year I had 5 GANNET also heading up the coast. But also a pair of OYSTERCATCHER on the outlet.

Pakefield Beach,

South Westerly breeze half of the land not that it would make any difference. Birding was more than slow. With just one CHAFFINCH, 5 BLACKBIRD, a pair of CARRION CROW and a few HOUSE SPARROWS. As for the sea only LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL and HERRING GULL. Did have a single Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly  settle.

Corton New Sewage Works.

Bright with light South West breeze:

Corton New Sewage Works: Best bird for the day was a single calling fresh CHIFFCHAFF only one but then at the end of the walk I had an odd calling bird. It was moving through fast and reasonably high in front of me and on my left. It kept on going feeding on the way but not still. I kept in touch with it for three minuets only to loose it as it kept bon going through the birch. I managed to get my bins on three times and it confirmed my hearing as I consi9dered even without seeing as being a SIB CHIFF. When I did gain a fix it was a very dull bland brown. With no wing pattern and just the call to give it away. Single call sounding like were it was at "Sewarr"  no T on the end and more like an "are".

PIED WAG, 6 SKYLARK, LONG TAILED TIT, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, CHAFFINCH, ROBIN, WREN 4, 5 GREENFINCH,CARRION CROW, STARLING.

Links Hill: Several BLACK HEADED GULL and one with metal ring. ST19337 see what this brings. 2 GREENFINCH.  

First Coma Butt for the year and also a Small Tort as well as a few large Bumble Bee.

    

Norwich, Catton.

Really mild day and insects more than birds in the air.

Caught a glimpse of my first for year in the shape of a YELLOW BRIMSTONE and an odd looking BEE FLY, if any one has any idea of id I would be interested. It was very aggressive and chasing bumble bees all the time. BLACKBIRDS singing and three LONG TAILED TITS in Angel Park. DUNNOCK, WREN, ROBIN, BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, GOLDCREST, and a fly over SPARROW HAWK.

North Dene's, Lowestoft.

Bright with breeze from the North West.

Oval:    Best bird here and about the only one was a GREEN WOODPECKER feeding on the ground in the far corner.
North Dene's:  Best bird here was a pair of LINNET which flew in and of as soon as. Also five GREENFINCH, two CHAFFINCH and a pair of LONG TAILED TIT that seemed to be nest building. Also BLUE TIT and WREN as well as DUNNOCK singing well everywhere. Only on MED GULL feeding in short grass. Also a single REDWING flew North through the trees along the cliff.
North Wall:  Only seven TURNSTONE

 

and two CORMORANT.

Oulton Broad,

Overcast and a tad warm.

At bird club last evening conversation was that GOOSANDERS were still at Oulton Broad so though I had better get them on the list. So a record shot as they are well off but at least they were there. Also 7 TURNSTONE and 2 PIED WAGTAIL and 9 GREAT CRESTED GREBE. A scattering of gulls and the best one a BLACK HEADED GULL with a green ring. Not to forget the BARN OWL sitting in a tree near Knights Creek. A surprise was a pair of OYSTERCATCHER on North side of broad.

                       Record shot of four Goosander.            The white dot abo0ve reed bed is a Barn Owl?

Ness Point.

Good visibility but little to view.

Altogether there was five PURPLE SANDPIPERS and eleven TURNSTONE one of which came and gave me a smile, well one can only imagine. CORMORANT with only two heading North and four sitting on the groynes. The only other thing of interest was a large bull seal that was heading North as well.

Carlton Marsh,

One of those odd days with Westerly wind and spring not arrived as yet.

Barnby: From a distance you could see four COMMON BUZZARD in the air and flock of duck.

Carlton Marsh:  A really lovely male MARSH HARRIER quartering the ground along the back track.
 Main track:  very little except for one very forlorn GREY HERON.
Scrape:  Two pairs of SHOVELORE and a single WIGEON. Plus one REDSHANK and a scattering of gulls. CARRION CROW and JACKDAWS very noisy and in the air. Three pairs of MAGPIE together and three REED BUNTING in flight as were five GOLDFINCH. I also had three CETTI'S WARBLER and two calling WATER RAIL. BLUE TIT, GREAT TIT, flock of 22 STOCK DOVE and six calling separate SKYLARK with some viewable.

Camps Heath, Suffolk.

Inter day with just a short walk along track.


CAMPS HEATH:   Good to catch up with 3 TREECREEPER and a single GREY WAGTAIL. I also had three STOCK DOVE and four GREENFINCH. A single KESTREL sat on a horse box trying to get out of the wind coming off the marsh. There were several very noisy CARRION CROW, ROOOK and JACKDAW. Several ROBIN, WREN, and GREAT TIT with a scattering of BLUE TIT. Some CHAFFINCH sounding off but although calling well kept all well out of sight.