South Beach, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Bright afternoon with some cloud, South breeze and warm.

Drove along the South beach watching or migrants but no joy but did come across a YELLOW LEGGED GULL which had all the classic definitions. Just a good bird to have, and so close but no camera to had as I was not ready to bird. There was also about 20 CORMORANT sitting tight on the concrete outlet.
Home:   I had my first JAY of the year and the closest I have ever seen one to the garden. I also had four MEADOW PIPITS  over the house with GREAT TIT in the big tree. Also three CORMORANT flew in for a rest

Oval and North Denes.

Rather autumnal day with occasional light rain and overcast.

 

Only had two CHIFF for warblers, but plenty of ROBINS about and a few GOLDCREST as well as GREAT and BLUE TIT. I also had a fly over flock of 11 GREENFINCH and a pair of MEADOW PIPIT but other than that a lone KESTREL. But the most encouraging was small flock of three LINNET which were active but managed to get reasonably close for the following.

 

 

Dip Farm and Gunton Railway Track

Back at it all again after c scare........... Keep looking up.

Wondered if I would be able to connect with migrants to start with but made good with 2 CHIFFCHAFF and 5 BLACKCAP 2 male and 3 female. Flyover pair of GREY HERON and counts of BLACKBIRD 23....... COAL TIT 3........ GOLDCREST 11 ......and ROBIN came in at 28.
We all look forward to this time of year and then land up frustrated, nothing changes, you just have to come to terms with how things are.

Sparrows Nest and North Beach plus net area.

Bright with South wind:

Sparrows Nest: Nothing out of the usual here but the usual plus 2 JAY. The surprise is that there was only one Blackbird. Although I did have five GOLDCREST.

North Beach:  The TURNSTONES were trying to rest up as it was high tide. So pictures were close for a change and of interest.  But also on net area 3 PIED WAG with a NORTHEREN WHEATEAR. But what was of real interest was a long tailed WHITE WAGTAIL, just good to see an Alba like this, but sadly the pic was out of focus.

 

Home and North Denes.

Rather had a health issue and still running, but making the best of it.  

At Home:      17/09/2017

Sat in the garden for an hour yesterday morning with a wish list for a are bird when through the gap between the houses at the back came an undulating bird, as soon as I saw it the brain said WRYNECK and sure enough as it came over my head at 20 feet it proved to be true. All the id were in place as the only other bird could be a Great spotted Wood, but in no doubt due to wing shape and no colour on under belly. So this was a garden tick and takes me well up now.

North Denes:   Best bird was a Northern WHEATEAR which sat on builders fence near the caravans. Little out at sea although over the last few days have seen R.T.D. and GANNETS. But today 4 PIED WAG, JAY 2, KESTREL 1,

Cove Bottom, Suffolk.

Now there is a name? Bright for the 30 minuets I was there. But alive with birds but no were to watch them so a disappointment, but also one of those places which deserves more visits.

 

Cove Bottom:  Approach was good with a BUZZARD telegraph pole sitting. It was intent on leaving and eventually moved of despite trying hard for close contact. This was followed by two ;PITTLE OWLS on the road hanging around with a squirrel. SWALLOWS around 20+ birds and SAND MARTINS came in at about 15+. But it was also the first time I have ever had GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER here with two birds in dead tree. Also a pair of MISTLE THRUSH calling well which also flew off. We also had a flock of about 20 LONG TAILED TIT flying through the hedges. Which was also accompanied by 3 CHIFFCHAFF.

 

Just a record shot:

Kensington Gardens and Ness Point

The gardens were sparse of birds with only MALLARD coming in with 28 birds but also a family much scattered of MOORHEN only found one parent with three young. The weather was benign on the cliff, with full sun more than pleasant. Here I came across three HUMINGBIRD HAWK MOTHS which had no interest in plants but obviously looking for a safe place for the winter. 

Ness Point: Was no more productive with just four TURNSTON and 18 HERRING GULLS. Mind you I did get a flock of very distant TERNS eleven birds in all heading steadily South. Also a flock of about ten waders flying South but to distant for id.

 This bird was well offshore as well, but still heading South. Called the Caribbean Princess its a good job she is not there at the moment in the hurricane.

 

Ness Point:

Late afternoon call in at Ness with light wind from South West. Wave very slight but tides very low at this time of the day.

 

Used Birdtrack for the first time live after a gap of a year and a half. Went well so downloaded to BTO. Had five GANNET flying North with three first year birds. A few TURNSTONE and nothing out of the ordinary except a single duck flying South assumed COMMON SCOTER due to flight. PIED WAGTAIL 2 birds on the wall and a CORMORANT which was a classic as it tried under herring gull bombardment to swallow a freshwater eel. Which it managed as you can see from the pic.

                                                      How not to get your neck in?

Abberton Resevoir.

Call in for a short while was good for birding from Layer Church car park. But overall there are the signs of movement for early autumn with seemingly gathering numbers of COOT, SHOVELORE, and GADWALL. There were also some late moving Hirundinidae with SWALLOW, SAND MARTIN, HOUSE MARTIN. But with over 30 LITTLE EGERET it was just good to see big brother with a GREAT WHITE EGERET on show. It was also good to pick up on three BLACK NECKED GREBE and a single SPOONBILL. Which was standing at rest in the open. Also on the wader front was at least 3 GREENSHANK, RUFF coming in at 4 and BLACK TAILED GODWIT around 15 birds. I only heard one CHIFF calling and two PIED WAGTAIL.     

Links Hill and Home

Links Hill:  A rather overcast day but made a new tripod mount for car and telescope. Which worked well but back to birding and the only thing coming through offshore was a flock of 16 WIGEON heading South. Also 5 TURNSTONE on the rocks and a single MAGPIE on the wall.

Home: Early afternoon a WHEATEAR took to roof sitting at the bottom of the garden, with little light just a record shot.