Tuesday 7 April 2009

Red hot Corton!



Corton Old Sewage works came up trumps again today, when Neville S found a fine Great Grey Shrike there. Thanks for the call, Neville. Barely a week since the Hoopoe was found there (and funnily enough, the last Hoopoe I saw in Lowestoft was in Neville's garden!), Corton Old Sewage works is turning into THE Lowestoft hot spot this Spring. I arrived after work and had a 45 minute window in which to see it, due to a talk I was due to give that evening for Sea Palling Women's Institute. Initially it looked as if I might dip, as the bird had dropped down into the compound an hour previously and not been seen since, the inference being it had flown off undetected.  After I had just left Dick refound the bird and a very big thank you to Roger for kindly giving me the all important call; and I was able to dash back and enjoy 5 minutes of this wonderful Great Grey Shrike. A fine Swallow also fleew overhead.
Earlier in the afternoon, I was surprised  to see a very tame fledgling Collared Dove in the Gorleston Library car park, it appeared dazed and sat on the tarmac close to the boundary wall.
I can only assume it had flown into the wall and stunned itself! After putting some crushed Rich Tea biscuit and some water close by, the bird fed and watered itself. It soon started to perk up and after preening it must have flown off as there was no sign of it, when I checked on it 10 minutes later.
I could have kicked myself from here to Corton (probably a good idea, as I might even have found a rarity!) as I hadn't taken my camera with me (due to the aforementioned talk) so sadly no pics of this bird, but instead a pair of adult Collared Doves taken in the garden in May 2008. 

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