Lean Pickings

Having a day off work today, I started at Ness Point where 4 Purple Sandpipers fed, bathed and had forty winks on the rocks at the base of the "finger" that juts out to sea. Always nice to see, I was amazed to see 2 birdwatchers just walk past without even looking!

Even though there was a strong southerly breeze nothing was moving out to sea. Finally 5 Turnstones flew in.

In the parks, a Grey Wagtail was seen briefly perched on the main path in Arnold's walk before it flew down to the stream where it perched for a while on a rock. I then saw "chatty" Paul from Norwich (who wanted to see a Firecrest, should have been here last Sunday, Paul!) and we then made our way through Sparrow's Nest (1 Goldcrest seen) , Flycatcher Alley, N.Denes, Links rd car park, North Beach, Warren House Wood & Gunton Warren seeing just a few flocks of Long- tailed Tits, Blue & Great Tits, 2 Jays north of Warren House Wood. The Gull flock on the Links rd carpark comprised Black- headed gulls, Common & 2 Herring Gulls but nothing else.

Walking back past the Oval along Flycatcher Alley we spied through the wall a close female Green Woodpecker feeding amongst the tussocky grass.

Back in Sparrow's Nest, Goldcrests were heard and several Chaffinches were seen.