Oval Delight

Rushing down to the Oval after work, I parked by Gunton Cliff looking on what seemed a deserted Oval of both birds (except 30 Wood Pigeons) and birders. I walked around clockwise and eventually saw a small group of people (OFB, Paul & Jane peering through the wall) and Ricky F once again let me view the sought after bird, this time a fabulous female Serin feeding on the grassy edge by the tennis courts. A small bird with proportionately large head and stubby bill. The mantle, back and flanks were heavily streaked with olive green on the upperparts and more yellowy on the rump and breast. Just to the right of her was a male Ring Ouzel. The Serin, my first ever seen in Lowestoft, was feeding in the middle of 2 Linnets and spent a lot of time feeding, occasionally she disappeared, presumably on the path by the tennis court edge. Abruptly without warning, at around 5.40pm the 3 birds, the serin and the 2 Linnets flew up and high west and then north over the roofs of the house along Gunton cliff. sadly arriving birders including Dave H, Chris D and other missed this bird by a couple of minutes. A Swallow also flew south over our head too. Meanwhile the excellent male Ring Ouzel hunted for food wandering over to the far end of the Oval where Richard W who had been present earlier hopefully gor some good pics. I returned with my camera and setting up along the western wall, the Ring Ouzel spent its entire time in the middle of the southern edge of the Oval hunting and succesfully pulling out one very long worm and several normal sized ones too. finally a brief snatch of Blackcap song was heard.