After months of Covid 19 I had the personal delivery of Lowestoft Lounge Lizard trophy for 2020. So a really big thank you to all our local birders who make the reality of belonging good for all. We will meet up again, but the reality of this cup is being in the right place at the right time and more to chance than skill.
The sun may be shining but with the wind blowing from the North how bad can it get. No rain for a month and driest for 60 years. More like Africa out there with no lions. Best bird was LITTLE GULL picked up on two birds but I think there was three there. Only one GREAT WHITE EGERET. A large movement of SAND MARTINS which kept moving through with a few SWALLOWS. But first for year was 14 SWIFT flying through. Only two REED WARBLER but plenty of SEDGE WARBLER about. List for the site 35.
My regular weekly walk round Pathways brought in a new for year on site BLACK REDSTART. This was a female bird which was post sitting on the Southern paddock.three COMMON BUZZARD flew overhead and our regular KINGFISHER shew itself. BLACKCAP, WILLOW WARBLER and CHIFFCHAFF doing there usual thing. First young, newly hatched MALLARD.
Regular visit to the marsh in support of SWT as guide. Best bird was the BARNACLE GOOSE which seemed to take up residence on Spratt's Water. An odd CHIFF was showing occasionally, with no chiff call but huuit. This bird as can be seen was brown with no eye strip. But did have pollen above its beak. I always worry about these at this time of the year. I aslo had fly by SNIPE and 3 SAND MARTIN.
Pathways: A pair of KINGFISHER back on site with, BLACKCAP, CHIFFCHAFF and a pair of BUZZARD. Stev had a pair of PARTRIDGE fly over the farm so assumed RED LEGGED.
Oulton Marsh: First walk round this year brought in some new migrants with the best being GRASSHOPPER WARBLER with two birds reeling. Altogether 40 species on site with my first for year as a YELLOW WAGTAIL. Got rather scared when I glimsed a view of a small brown jobby sitting on reed in a ditch. Surprised when it turned out to be a MEADOW PIPIT. Not the usual place to find such a bird. Also two WATER RAIL, GREEN WOOD and two calling WILLOW WARBLER.
First time back after months, lockdown on the way out at last. Some things have changed but as for the bird life things have moved on. Spring is in the air with incoming migrants. There was five CHIFFCHAFF and four BLACKCAP with only one of each singing. Also a COMMON SHREW under one piece of corrugated sin sheet. Best bird flyover RED KITE. Only five MALLARD and a pair of PIED WAGTAIL. Also a single KINGFISHER flew over the lake and CORMORANT sat and posed.
