Ring Ouzels & Red-flanked Bluetail

A look around Gunton Old Rail Track this morning before work revealed a male and female Blackcap in bushes at the bottom of the Pitch & Putt course by brambles. On the ORT, 2 Goldcrest heard, again many Song Thrush at least 30 and 30 Robin too, "takking" constantly. Another male Blackcap and a female Ring Ouzel flew north along the ORT.

Walking back at the bottom of Dip farm pitch and putt, I raised my bins and saw a fine male Ring Ouzel, fine bird with white crescent on it's breast, lemon- yellow bill and silvery wings perched and facing left on a large bramble bush voraciously eating blackberries. No sooner had I seen it than it flew off.

Arriving at Gorleston Library from the car park, I heard and saw a fine group of 10 calling Bramblings fly north.

A call from James B saw me at Corton lunchtime watching the row of trees, especially the sallows that I had looked at the previous evening for over 1/2 an hour!!! I had seen many Robins and there were still around 5 present but James picked up the excellent Red- flanked Bluetail and I saw this stunning bird which flew down to low branches and even the ground on the edge of Sallows bordering the edge of the green field just west of Corton Old Sewage works. Robin-like though smaller with cream throat, a little orange on the flanks (1st winter or female bird) and stunning blue tail. It showed very well on the edge of the tree line flitting about and perched on low branches. Other visitors, included Ricky F, James W & Andrew E. I visited later in the evening (straight after work), a small crowd was present including LGRE, Richard W, Dick & Ali R and Richard S and the Bluetail was still showing well on the edge of the trees favouring the lower tree branches and even flying out onto the grass on occasions. 10 Siskin flew over, whilst a Reed Warbler was seen in some tamarisk, Brambling also seen flying over.

As I walked back from the old sewage works back down the track to the road, a large grey warbler with white outer- tail feathers flew right into sycamore and brambles in perfect unison with a Song Thrush, a possible Barred Warbler but it disappeared from view and I couldn't wait as I had to return to work.

A 6pm trip to Gorleston Beacon Park, giving both James B & Rob Wil a lift and followed by LGRE, also driving a Corsa (!) chasing after Ian S's RT Pipit seen an hour earlier led to the usual dip, I've never seen any of his rarities (no inference on Ian's bird finding/ID abilities which are excellent, just on my luck on twitching his birds!) 

At Martham Library calling Coal Tit heard.