Thursday, 30 October 2014

Breydon Rough- legged Buzzards and very confiding Hoopoe

On Sunday the 26th October, at first light at be nacre no sign of the hoped for Hoopoe which was really disappointing. 1 Wheatear and 3 immature Brent Geese on the Broad were the only birds of note seen. At Breydon a really long exhausting 2 1/2 mile walk along the north wall, eventually produced the goods when first a hovering Buzzard and the first one Rough - legged Buzzard patrolling the railway line area and by the windmill. Before it settled on a bush. A second Rough- legged Buzzard flew around much closer and settled in a small tree and gave the best scope views of a perched Rough- legged Buzzard that I have had in a long time.18 Golden Plover, Wigeon and Teal flying over were also seen. possibly a third Rough- legged Buzzard was sen on the walk back hovering over a near field. back at Kessingland Sluice, I finally saw the superb confiding Hoopoe, a superb bird feeding from within the pumping station compound. As I walked by I was conscious that there were around 20 people string at it and I had to walk past badly feet away. I needn't have worried as it continued feeding. It ws only when it flew out of the compound and fed on the grass just east of there that I was able to start taking picture. It would characteristically probe in the ground for ood find a grub and then toss it in the air and catch it in its long down curved bill. Wonderful to see, but difficult to photograph in the exceptionally poor light. It carried on feeding here before once again flying back to the compound where I saw it down to 2 feet! Amazing! later it flew out and fed along the ridge leading to the only pit left and a whole line of photographers stood parallel to it and were taking pictures of it like a scrum of paparazzi snapping an "A" list celebrity. It later flew to the area just west of the compound where it hopped around the bank leading down to the river.

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