Closed for Business!

Taking TOIL yesterday, yesterday (Wedneesday 12 May) was a disappointing day looking for birds, dark clouds and a very cool moderate north- east wind didn't help matters. I started at Breydon Water at High tide and failed to see the hoped for Spoonbill, several smart Grey Plover and 5 sp Knot were seen though. Yarmouth Cemetary was disappointing, the only thing of note seen was a Muntjac Deer in the south section inn the S/W corner east of thee main path. 

Seeing my work colleague Peter C & I failed to see the Hoopoe at Corton Radar Lodge, so that may have gone.

We then looked for Orchids and saw 4 spikes of Early Purples at a local wood and nearby were 8 & 43 spikes of Green- Winged Orchids.

At Oulton Marshes walking down the path I saw a Stoat running towards me that dived into cover on the left as I reached for my camera. By the rail track a big notice had been put out saying footpath closed. This is due to the Broads Authority doing flood alleviation work and creating new wildlife habitat for SWT. But this is the third area I regularly visit that has been closed off in the past 6 months, first Walberswick Hoist Covert for 6 months, than Ness Point for several weeks and now this. Retracing my steps near the entrance hill path, I photographed just a couple of feet away, a very close singing male Blackcap.

At the end of Fisher Row, a big metal fence has been erected across the path, effectively barring any further progress. Scandalously, it is closed until 30 Sept! Why couldn't this work be done in the winter time? Walking back past the "Wildcat sighting" area I heard vaguely familiar high pitched calls from a tree just west of the path and was delighted to see a Treecreeper (a sadly uncommon sighting in Lowestoft these days) spiraling up a tree. It was seen several times and further calls indicated there were at least and 2 and maybe with a young family. My first sighting off this species at Fisher Row for many a year.