Lound Lakes, Gorleston, North Wall and hOME.

Still cold with ice on lakes which is in no hurry to go.

Gorleston:  On the pier head a pair of fully plumaged LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL the best ones I have seen so far. Also on South car park two MED GULLS and TURNSTONE.

Lound Lakes: A few more ducks mostly MALLARD in here at the moment despite the ice with 12 TUFTED DUCK and a few GADWALL but the best was a female POCHARD. 2 SHOVELORE flew in as I  was about to leave.

Home:  GREY WAG and RED LEGGED PARTRIDEG my usual visitors on que.

North Wall:  Behind Birdseye a sad sight of a dog fox which had met its end. Seems an odd place to be. PIED WAG 2 and TURNSTONE 1.

Leathe's Ham and Ness Point.

Very cold with a lazy wind and overcast.

Leathe's Ham:   Three quarters of the lake covered in ice which means some of the duck are ice sitting. With six SHOVELORE and plenty of active GADWALL, MALLARD, TUFTED DUCK, MOORHEN.
Ness Point:     The South East  wind was not causing much movement, but with 26 TURNSTONE at Birds Eye and a single OYSTERCATCHER on the outlet. One BRENT GOOSE flying South.
Home:  The GREY WAGTAIL was flitting through the garden again today but very quiet.
Silo:  Plenty of food for PERI

Sotterly, Suffolk.

Brightened up at the end of the day so a ride out into the country to see if the usual friends are in position for a new breeding year.

Sotterly:  Along this one lane is a reflection of how birds should be in farm land. With LONG TAILED TITS, BLUE TITS, GREAT TITS, RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE, PHESANT. But the best is finding what I set out for, which was LITTLE OWL. Only one bird at the moment but roosting at the nest site. Also nearby was a pair of YELLOWHAMMER which have already had partnered up. CROW and ROOK as standby birds.

Oulton Broad,Fritton Woods and Haddiscoe Island

Bright dat and serious chill with Oulton Broad frozen.

 

Oulton Broad and Mutford Lock:  Called in for a short walk round, nothing beyond the usual but did pick up a colour ringed BLACK HEADED GULL. Plenty of gulls on the ice and one was colour ringed but to far of. Redshank at Mutford Lock and TURNSTONE.

Fritton Woods:  Plenty of small stuff calling with COAL TIT and MARSH TIT about and a single BEARDED TIT calling from the reed bed. As were MORHEN. ROBIN, WREN, GREAT BTIT, BLUE TIT and several GOLDCREST calling from firs.

Haddiscoe Island: Best was a SHORT EARED OWL well of but at least its on the list for the year. Three COMMON BUZZARD and also a single PERGRINE. I also had two BARN OWL again well of. A single MARSH HARRIER and three GREY HERON as well as two KESTREL. Three WIGEON flew in and a calling SNIPE flew through.

 

Corton Woods, Home and Links Hill.

Bright and cold.

Home:   Woke up to a GREY WAGTAIL  on the roof of the shed , this bird has been about but unseen. It did not stay as it was in and out in a flash. RED LEGGED PARTRIDGE in today and coming to feed when called. GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT, HOUSE SPARROW, MAGPIE, CROW, HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL, STARLING.
Corton Woods:  Heard a single NUTHATCH but it was well of. But palled in seven REDWING which were feeding in holly and also CHAFFINCH, GOLDFINCH, GOLDCREST, LONG TAILED TIT, BLACKBIRD, JAY, MAGPIE.
Links Hill:  Amongst COMMON GULL, HERRING GULL, BLACK HEADED GULL, CROW, MAGPIE, MED GULL 2.

Ness Point, Lowestoft.

Bright day with slight West wind.

Ness Point:     On arrival a young seal was asleep on the lower concrete, so watched it until it made it's way to the end of the outlet and back to see.

Four flocks of COMMON SCOTER all heading North, each flock 30 birds + Also six RED THROATED DIVER, heading in the same direction, except for one the other way. 17 TURNSTONS which acted really oddly when the seal headed in there direction. As he headed along the outlet they seeming watched on in amazement and followed him as he went. It was as if they either could not believe there eyes, but it was as if they were pushing him along. Also on the head, three PURPLE SANDPIPER.

 

 

                                             Caught this in flight, any thoughts out there?

 





Carlton Marsh, Oulton Broad.

Bright and crisp day for a walk round the reserve. With a year list now standing at 72.

The best bird was three GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER flying of between  Spatt's Water and Fisher Row. Also a very pale faced female MARSH HARRIER and also a COMMON BUZZARD. 5 GREY HERON and 8 SKYLARD over Peto's Marsh which was flooded. Here also a few LAPWING and a flock of STARLING about 60 birds. Large flock of PINK FOOTED GEESE well of over Bough St Peter which must have numbered in excesses of thousand birds. 2 GADWALL, 5 TEAL, 1 MALLARD, 2 REED BUNTING, WREN, ROBIN, GREAT TIT, BLUE TIT.

                                Also I heard the plop of a water vole heading into the drink.