Home.

After yesterday had to make do with the garden, feel lousy.

 

Best bird so far was a LESSER WHITETHROAT, just one but that's enough. Mind you I also has a COMMON WHITETHROAT and so far 4 WILLOW WARBLER. I also had a very high flying SPARROW HAWK again.

 



Minismere, Suffolk.

Spent most of the day with my daughter and the two girls at Minismere. The girls really enjoyed the pleasure of seeing birds rung and Lily actually set free a BLUE TIT. How great is that for littlies. They spent over an hour watching birds being rung and making arm bracelets. So thanks to WAVENEY BIRD CLUB and the R.S.P.B. and the B.T.O. for this most wonde3rfull experience. It takes me back to how I began. What more can you say. We saw the following birds rung:

GREAT TIT....BLUE TIT.....GREENFINCH.....CHAFFINCH.....WHITETHROAT

The girls also had a distant view of an OSPREY which decided to fly very high and North while we where enjoying our drink for lunch. We also saw RED DEER and perhaps the best thing was chasing CLOUDED YELLOW butterflies. Never seen so many in my life.

 



North Dene's. Lowestoft.

Yesterday had a SPARROW HAWK flying twice over the house. Good white rump on this bird. Last thing last night as light was going a LBJ decided to put in an appearance in the garden. So brief again.

Nets:  As I was cruising by I saw a WHEATEAR rise in the air, so stopped and dragged out the following shot. Altogether there was 5 birds in all.

 

This was followed by two MEADOW PIPITS that were intent on chasing each other.



 

I walked up then onto the Den's to find local guys talking. before I reached them I picked out a WHINCHAT in firs on the Oval. As well as SWALLOW and SANDMARTIN diving about the water tower again. I joined the group and they pointed out the juvenile RED-BACKED-SHRIKE which had decided to stay overnight. I walked of with Rob and we tramped the grass were we put up another Whinchat. On my return I took a not to unobtrusive look at the RBS and refused to look at the couple who were starkers' and doing hanky panky in the meadow. I also saw a clouded yellow and a small copper.

 

I have also included in thumbnail a picture of a SWALLOW TAILED MOTH found in the conservatory.

 

THERE IS A NEW SPORT IN MY GARDEN, NOT UNLIKE THOSE ON THE NORTH DENE'S

 



North Dene's, Lowestoft.

It's called frustration in another life is birding. Especially on those annoying occasions when the ball of fluff will not stay long enough to get a view. What can you say also about dog walkers. One dog yes, 2 dogs you have a problem 3 dogs I have problem. 4 digs we all have a problem. So the dog walker walks along the beach just as you have seen this little LBJ land. It takes off and flies passed you and lands 500 feet away behind the dune grass. You creep up just as this dog beastie  sends it in the air again and it flies of and lands 70 feet away in a dip. Again you just get all of a second on it and it flies to oblivion. Oh that dog walkers would take the same route............ Enough of the rant.

 

To day faired a little better, but not much. Best bird was a GARDEN WARBLER. It sat tired a cleaning itself up in the early sun. Also 5 COMMON WHITETHROAT and a smattering of SWALLOWS. I also picked up on a calling CHIFF and that was it. Except in the afternoon at.

 

GORLESTON:   While watching off and on MED GULLS in every plumage you can think of I saw a what I assume was a PORPOISE rolling. If it wasn't then I missed out on a dolphin. It was a meter in length and a meter high and no fin?

North Dene's and Oval.

First bird was a single CHIFF which was the only one I got to see. Other than that I had 2 WHEATEAR see below for interest sake. Also a pair of YELLOW WAGTAIL flew over and circled somewhere where I could not pick them up near the Oval. 4 COMMON WHITETHROAT behind the car park as well as WREN and BLACKBIRD. SWALLOW and SAND MARTIN around the Oval water tower. Flocks of MALLARD moving south. 8 flocks in all with about 100 birds in total also 3 COMMON SCOTER. TERN'S had little to offer only in that some of the COMMON'S where rung.

 

 

Beccles, Marsh.

Spent some of the day fishing so an opportunity to watch birds as well as float.

 

Best bird was a high flying COMMON BUZZARD above the Waveney heading East. Very high like 2000 feet. Also a COMMON WHITETHROAT kept putting in an appearance behind where I sat as did a CHIFF and WILLOW WARBLER. Plenty of Hirundo action on the wires as they all began to leave before 4 pm. 2 MARSH SANDPIPERS where busy feeding and flew at the same time. PIED WAGTAIL and Goldfinch as well as GREENFINCH. The laugh of a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER broke the silence occasionally.

 

HOME:  Sat in the garden when a MERLIN flew through a female bird which came from the garden next door low and saw me a skirted off south between the houses. A first for me as a garden tick.

 

Also Jonathan took a pic of a  HERRING GULL with colour ring. I assume it is a ORFORD bird as it was red rung. We will wait and see.

Sizewell Suffolk.

Called in for just a short walk round.

 

One surprise was that there where no Tern's of any description around the outlet. Which I would have thought would have been the case, but then I was wrong. More around Lowestoft than around this venue. We had good views of a hawking HOBBY which continued to feed on the wing on and of for the hour we where there. The only passerine was the usual BLACK REDSTART which included an a adult bird and a juvenile. The young bird was well able to fend for itself, but the sad thing was the that this birds days are numbered. The photograph is enough to tell its own story. I doubt if it is the result of Sizewell, if it is then we are all at risk. But I wouldn't think that it is a genuine case of avian pox, or a growth. The sighting of it is unusual as it is not totally on the face as is often seen. Especially from birds on feeders.

The only other bird of interest was hunting low over the fields. COMMON BUZZARD at Kelsale near Saxmundum.