Drift Migrants

A pleasant stroll around the Lowestoft North Denes area today, where I saw 4 Chiff- Chaff behind the Oval and a further 8 in bushes on the slope on the northern section near Links Rd. Meeting Chris M, we made our way through Warren House Wood seeing a male Great Spotted Woodpecker here. Walking up to Gunton Warren, we heard "chuckling" and a fine male Ring Ouzel flew out of a bush and into a large green bush. A further "chuckling" revealed a female Ring Ouzel feeding on berries on a bush but partially obscured before she flew out. Both Ouzels then flew up to the big green bush and then flew down again, the female into a bare bush north of the bushy area, but very sadly she was flushed by the inevitable dog walker & before I could get any pics. Both Ring Ouzels flew together from the bushes on the beach and back up the slope again.

By the marram grass area on the beach just east of Link's rd, a Wheatear initially seen on the eastern edge of the sea wall was carefully stalked.  Although initially flighty, by my judicious fieldcraft, I was able to sneak up and obtain a few pics. One is pictured alongside this post.

Walking back almost to the Oval, in the large elderflower bush I spied a female Blackcap eating elder berries. At the back of the Oval, a calling Pied Flycatcher gave me the slip, but I saw 2 immature Wood Pigeons feeding at the north side of the Oval. I also saw a male Muntjac Deer slip through, initially he stopped and looked at me before he headed north 2/3 of the way up the slope. At the top of Sparrows Nest, near the southern entrance, the constantly calling "hwet" (similar to Chiff Chaff but harder) revealed a fine Pied Flycatcher near the top of a sycamore. In Arnold's Walk, another calling Pied Flycatcher was seen briefly on the edge of the walk and the houses south from here. A Chiff- Chaff was also seen and a Red Admiral butterfly.

I spoke to a lady who had just seen a Clouded Yellow butterfly (her description of a yellow with a spot seen at rest and becoming orangey when it flew was spot on!) at Ness Point and it had flown into the grounds of Bird's Eye factory.

I finally saw a fine Small Copper butterfly near the "exhibit' at north end of the net posts by Whapload road.

Retracing my steps through Flycatcher alley, I was drawn to a male Blackcap, which was doing it's best to impersonate a Flycatcher, flycatching for insects in a sunny spot on the slope.