Corton Old Sewage Works

Just the circular walk with very few birds, but insect life well above average. So many RINGLET butterflies I just gave up counting. But what with SMALL COPPER, SMALL SKIPPER, COMA, RED ADMIRAL, PEACOCK, MEADOW BROWN, LARGE WHITE, COMMON BLUE both male and female. Also a male SOUTHERN HAWKER in Corton Church yard.

Spratts Water, Carlton Marsh.

Seemed very few SEDGE WARBLERS about and only one REED WARBLER. Also picked up on another pair of STONECHAT. Also found a female REED BUNTING clinging well to a reed. Also a MARSH HARRIER flew low with the biggest inder carriage I have ever seen. Catch was at least a foot long. Also one COMMON BUZZARD  flew low over Spratts Water.

Links Hil and North Dene's

Raining when I arrived so sat in the car and waited till it was over. With the first COMMON TERN on the groyns for the summer. A couple of CROW and two MED GULLS at rest in the car park. So of for a walk around circular walk while the sun was out. 5 GREENFINCH flew out off wild rose bush. A single GOLDFINCH over and 4 LINNET. But at first bramble up poped an adult WHINCHAT at 10ft away no mistaking this little ditty. When on the next bramble just fledged STONECHAT I think there may have been three in all. But found an adult pair nearby. There must have been at least a dozen COMMON WHITETHROAT.

Pathways

The regular weekly visit brought in the sighting of a LESSER WHITETHROAT the adult was tacking lower down and out of sight. But the young one was feeding furtively higher up and spent all its time hiding. So just snapped away at the bush, so the photo below has a lot to be desired. But at least its there.

Also had 2 LITTLE GREBE and a really yellow CHIFFY which was calling qith a hewit call and an of Chiffchaff. The photo of a COMMA is good and no complaints. 9 SWIFT, GREENFINCH. as well as 2 EMPEROR DRAGONFLIES.

Ormesby Broad, Thurne, Stocksby.

Had a stop over at Ormsby, with the best being a BAR-HEADED-GOOSE more than Likly from Thrigby Hall Gardens. A KINGFISHER heard but not seen. COMMON TERN, GREAT CREASTED GREBE, EGYPTIAN GEESE, SWIFT, SWALLOW, KESTREL, GREY LAG GOOSE. A GARDEN WARBLER was singing near the toilet block snd sldo s BLACKCAP could be heard. But the other surprise was that I saw a WREN fly into a tree trunk and sure enough a nest.

Stocksby: SWALLOWS were flying in and out of the bank collecting mud and green weed to daub around nest.  A single SEDGE WABLER took to flight over reed bed. A single COMMON BUZZARD as we left was heading into wind

Ashby Dell, Near Fritton.

Circular walk to Ashby, St Marys Church.

The best find was a pair of LITTLE OWL, mind you one could have been a young bird. But at distance who can tell. These birds where sheltering out of the strong wind. It looks like the birds may roost on church tower in view of the amount of poo on sills.

A KESTREL flew low in front of me carrying a large vole, but only one singing YELLOWHAMMER. as for WHITETHROAT I had 4 birds singing. A COMMON BUZZARD was harrying everything around the wood over Fritton. A single PIED WAG and CHIFFY. The verge by the church was a delight.

Walberswick,

Birthday bash with family after lock down. Physically distant, brain out of kilter.

A very worrying and out of character BLACK HEADED GULL. showing some very odd plumage. To start with an adult head which means in its second year. But the odd back end in the tail trailing edge is black. Also the tail seems long. But the bird shows some of the odd marking in the wing with the P9 and P10 showing black fringing. Not very often seen and always a second look required. Movement of SWIFTS off the water.
One MEADOW PIPIT parachuting down from 50 feet. With young SWALLOWS and four OYSTERCATCHER, Two overflying REDSHANK and one GODWIT. The family of CROWS had an issue with each other.