Spoonbill and yet more garden goodies!

On Saturday 24th March, the excellent female Brambling still in garden coming to sunflower seeds seen this morning in our garden at Bosquet Close at 9.10am and at 1.40pm and around 4pm. I then drove over to Carlton Marshes and enjoyed watching the excellent Spoonbill feeding on the middle of the scrape. Several Wigeon around 12 seen on the scrape, too. I encountered a very surreal but pleasurable experience, as I was just about to pull up on the garden drive, I viewed from my driver's seat, an incredible female Black Redstart amazingly seen on our front garden path !!! (so the garden purple patch continues in style!) at 12.50am, it then flew back to our fence bordering our neighbours just west of us, then it flew onto their roof, then flew left onto our roof, then our neighbours' to the east then the next door but one neighbours' roof. Then it flew over Fallowfields and perched by the first bungalow and conservatory then it finally settled on the second bungalow roof at 1.25pm at least, on Verdure Close off Fallowfields, Lowestoft and it looked settled. After that I looked in the garden and there was a fine Stock Dove on the garden fence, it flew down and fed with a Wood Pigeon on the scattered sunflower seed on the grass together with a Wood Pigeon. The bright green almost luminescence patch showed well on the side of its neck but it lacked the black double bars, indicating that it was an immature bird. It was extremely wary and I fired off in haste some shots in the camera not realising the memory card was in another camera, when I realised my mistake the bird had flown already, sadly. The female Black Redtsart was still sitting on the bungalow roof, seeing Paul & Jane who had obtained quite literally Ferguson views, it was still there at 4.30pm perched on the same roof and then it flew onto the pathments and patio leading up to Fallowfields giving good views for me too! The male Pheasant was still on Fallowfields.

Garden purple patch continues

On Friday 23rd March, the garden purple patch continues first, my partner Jenny, sent via Snapchat, an IN garden record male Pheasant 3.15-3.45pm (seen by Jenny & photo'd) at Parkhill, Lowestoft feeding on seeds on lawn plus a Snipe flew east over at 7.35am (seen by me!).

Female Brambling and pair of Stock Dove in garden

On Thursday March 22nd, with a morning off work, at 8.50am a different female winter Brambling in garden (see pic) this morning and an all too brief 2nd ever visit in garden of a pair of Stock Doves perched together on our Parkhill garage roof at 11am. In the evening Migrant Redwings (heading back to Scandinavia) again heard calling tonight over the garden (whilst filling up the bird feeders ready for more Brambling visitors!) & Gunton Tesco's this evening, around 10 Redwing heard over Lowestoft town centre last night (Wednesday March 22nd) too.

Male Brambling again in garden and Ness Point

On Tuesday March 20th, a day off work it was great to see a pair of Blue Tits busy collecting nest material and using one of our nest boxes, smart male Brambling in garden again 10.20am but has so far eluded the camera today! It would fly onto the ground and feed on the fallen sunflower seeds. At Ness Point, hoping to find a Bluethroat, no such luck but a small bird which flew across the Birds Eye car park into Tamarisks bushes eventually perched up to reveal a smart male Stonechat. I saw Rob Win and we saw 6 Purple Sandpiper on rocks at Ness Point late afternoon, one posed nicely for the camera in the afternoon sunlight. On some flashes just east of the Net posts, 3 Rock Pipit, 1 Ringed Plover, 2 Dunlin, 2 Redshank & Oystercatcher were seen and the male Brambling still in our Parkhill garden late afternoon.

Sunday 18 March

Earlier at Oulton Broad, 3 Goosander (2 males, 1 female) still seen at the western end of Oulton Broad and a beautiful Male Brambling in garden at 12.05pm plus Redwing heard and 2 Stock Dove flew west over the garden. Smart male Brambling still visiting our Parkhill Garden at Lowestoft this lunchtime & early pm with visits at 1pm, 1.20pm, 1.40pm and 2.40pm. Male & female Black Redstart seen at Heritage Green, Kessingland this afternoon, male showing at no.48 but viewing limited & plse respect residents privacy, female shows occ by green area opp. as we were watching her, around 12 Golden Plover flew north seen just over the treelike bordering the A12 no.48. Big thanks to David B for his precise directions & popping out to see me.

Sat March 17

On Saturday 17th March, 5 Redwing just flew E directly over Parkhill/ Fallowfields garden, Lowestoft 9.12am plus 6 Greenfinch and 5 Chaffinch on feeders/ garden this am. I had a look at the Hollies Caravan Park, no sign of any Black Redstarts viewing from the road. I also checked Heritage Green at Kessingland, not entirely sure where the BR's were, but there was a big grassy area bordering the dual carriageway which looked a good bet but no sign of them. I walked round the estate, depressing to see 8 gardens carpeted with the dreadful artificial grass, it looked awful too. I took a look around Heathlands hoping to find my own BR, no such luck, several Blackbirds and a Song Thrush and a pair of Mallard by a large puddle at the side of the path. A fine Fieldfare at/in "Mint Condition" (Heathlands regulars might appreciate the pun?) at Heathlands, Kessingland no sign of any Black Redstarts at Heritage Green or the "Hollies" By the mid afternoon, a male Scaup still with Tufted Duck at the W 'end' lake opp. the old Temple Lound, a Tawny Owl hooting and 4 very close Shovelor by Blue Door Loke until shooting started then flew east.

Brambling heard and seen just outside the garden

On Tuesday 13th March, a mewing Buzzard was heard and seen looking to the north of the garden it was circling with another bird of prey that disappeared as soon as I spotted it. On Wednesday 14th March, 1 Brambling heard just outside the garden, its dry rasping call, alerting me to its presence heard and then seen 9.10am Fallowfields in one of the few bushes left, just as I was leaving for work (pic from last Sat at Titchwell RSPB)

Male Scaup again at Lound

On Sunday 11 march afternoon, from the car I managed a few shots of the male Scaup, again in the company of Tufted Ducks there were also 3 Wigeon seen further east too. The Scaup swam strongly left initially but later swam right back to the west end of the 'middle" lake where I obtained further shots in the fading light. The bird was diving readily.

Snowy Owl at Thornham Point

Hearing reports of a Snowy Owl in NW Norfolk somewhere it was finally pinned down on Scolt Head on Friday and hearing it was at Thornham Point (viewable from Titchwell beach or Thornham on Saturday 10th March, I eventually headed up there with Maurice B. Driving to Fakenham then going through Docking we reached a packed Titchwell RSPB with the cars parking down the side of the entrance road, as luck would have, it there was one space and we started the long walk past the reserve, many people were walking back including Lee Evans. A birder informed us that we needed to hurry as the bird was by the tideline and likely to fly if the tide came in and the tide was coming in! We continued walking quickly past the freshwater and saltwater scrapes and walked 3/4 mile right along the crowded beach. We initially scoped along the beach and saw the distant shape of the majestic 1st winter female Snowy Owl perched on a tree which looked like a dead Christmas tree lying on the beach. We power- walked up the beach for 3/4 of mile and joined the hundred strong group of birders strung out in a line looking from the dunes across the beach 400 yards away to where the 1st winter female Snowy Owl sat. Even at this range she was still a really impressive bird. Generally white and slightly smaller size-wise than an Eagle Owl, she sported heavy brown markings on her body. Her head swivelled around always on the alert and marvellous to see those piercing yellow eyes. The most active she got during our period of observation was when she fidgeted around and ruffled her feathers. She was so far away I couldn't autofocus on the bird so I switched to manual and got one record shot. Sobering to think the last Snowy Owls I saw were both with Ricky in at Wainfleet, Lincolnshire in December 1990 (also with Peter N) and Oct 2001 at the Port of Felixstowe, Suffolk. Along the shoreline birds included 14 Bar- tailed Godwits, 3 Grey Plover and 15 Sanderling. (all new birds for the year) Walking back a fine female Snow Bunting was seen routing around the Dune edge. from the Salt water scrape, we immediately saw down a channel, a winter plumaged Spotted redshank and then a Greenshank walked into view. Also there 3 Avocet and a a handful of c8 Black- tailed Godwits including one fine summer plumaged individual half way back and just a few feet away a very confiding winter- plumaged individual. By the bird feeders as we walked back we saw first one very smart winter plumaged individual that was quickly joined by a second bird. Walking back past the woody copse, an extremely well camouflaged Woodcock proved exceptionally elusive until I noticed a movement at the back and kneeling down on the ground I spied a half concealed Woodcock amongst the leaf litter and got everybody onto it, the bird moved once and the head and bill were seen briefly. The Dereham boys picked up 2 additional Brambling in the bushes behind and I saw 1 Brambling here.

Male Scaup again

On Thursday 8th March, as I drove past (without camera gear) the male Scaup was seen again at Lound 500 yards west of Blue Door Loke on the "middle lake" near the road in the company of 8 Tufted Ducks.

Little Gull & Scaup

On Sunday 4th March, a very frustrating early morning, when I saw 2 Fieldfares alight into a tree on Fallowfields (one of the few left) they flew left and then one alighted on a berry bush, Running round I was getting in prime position to get some great shots and guess what? A dog walker appeared at exactly the wrong moment and flushed the bird. I later saw 1 Fieldfare perched on top of a bungalow roof but it would have been just a silhouette shot, so no pics taken, very frustrating. One 1st winter Little Gull on sea (with 6 BH Gulls) at 10.30am from Baker's Score, Corton, whilst looking 20 yards north, it flew towards me and south settling on the sea in front of me. It flapped its wings and then flew south. Thanks to James B & Craig S for information. Also at Oulton Broad by Wherry PH- the Male Red- breasted Merganser still, although an interested passer-by flushed the bird out to the middle of the Broad. 3 Great- crested Grebes too. No sign of any other sawbills. A text from Jeremy G. late afternoon had me heading to Lound, although confusion of which was the middle Lake, Drake Scaup still Lound (thanks Jeremy) with 4 Tufted Duck on the middle lake meant that I only found the bird at 5.40pm just as the light was fading (i.e. 300 yds west of Blue Door Loke) best viewed from inside car looking down (through trees) on the Lake, also walking down Blue Door Loke, a Woodcock flew up, my 5th in 4 days.

5 Sawbills on Oulton Broad

In the morning at 9.30 am, a look from the Wheery revealed the 2 excellent redhead Smew 300 yards out diving frequently, the male Red- breasted Merganser was swimming close to the pleasure boat showing really well. Even better, by the houseboat at the very western end of Oulton Broad, a distant male Goosander. Seeing James B, I showed him the sawbills and we walked around to Mutford Lock basin, initially we could see 5 Dunlin on ice sheets with water flowing over it. At the back, some 180 Dunlin seen and amongst them were 5 Redshank and I eventually saw the 2 dumpy grey Knot feeding at the back of the group, albeit in poor light and seeing Paul & Jane we were delighted to see a Kingfisher fly and perch on the boat. Walking around to the yacht club, I looked at the male Goosander and it soon flew right and amazingly was joined by a second male Goosander which flew right and to the back of Oulton Broad and out of sight. Hearing a tweet from James B, about a Jack Snipe in a dyke by Furze wood, Corton and I was walking down the snow covered track, a Woodcock flew up and away. I followed the track down past the turnstile and took the path along the field bordering the dyke to the left and then it bent round to the right following the wood around. The Jack Snipe flew up from the dyke about 5o yards away and flew over the field and back again. I walked back and it did the same again, not wanting to disturb the bird further I left. By the dyke bordering the southern fringe of the Corton new sewage works, a Woodcock flew up and away. Checking Corton old sewage works another excellent Jack Snipe flew up and flew NW from dyke opp Corton old sewage works. 1 Fieldfare fl east over Fallowfields 2.30om missing all the apples in our garden just now!

'Beast from the East' brings avian visitors in from the cold

On Friday 2nd March, I was walking out from the Library over to the main Hospital building at 10.10am and I was delighted to see a Woodcock heading east over the Hospital building. I was especially pleased as I though I had lost my chance to see any at Fallowfields with the recent 85% scrub/ tree clearance. Unbeknown to me but I was informed by jenny, that my plan had worked and the apples I had put out in the garden had attracted 2 visiting Fieldfares into the garden (only our 2nd & 3rd garden records after I had seen one briefly during a similar cold spell 5 years ago). So we were now members of the rapidly expanding garden Fieldfare bird club, I just want to see and photograph them myself, I have to yet a good shot of a Fieldfare. I had replenished all the feeders and put out all the food I had as we were being inundated with birds during this Siberian blast. After work, I dashed down to Oulton Broad looking from the Wheery I could immediately see the excellent male Red- breasted Merganser, asleep amongst the Gulls (mostly Black- headed c200) just off the Wherry but I searched in vain both here and at the Dead end, I didn't see any Smew, although the light was fading fast and it was snow too this made viewing difficult. Back home I was replenished the feeders and putting out more apples in the garden at about 8.30pm, when an excellent Woodcock flew north east right over the garden and barely 10 foot above my head, thrilling and good to see the remaining scrubby/ tree area of Fallowfields is still delivering the goods!

Waxwing fly by & garden visitors

A t(h)rilling Waxwing flew east right past me on Crestview Drive 10.10am walk back from ECCH meeting at Hamilton House! A Meadow Pipit also flew onto a roof calling just after I had seen the Waxwing (also along Crestview Drive). A quick look in the garden revealed an incredible total of 12 Greenfinches and 5 Chaffinches (my highest numbers for both species) feeding on the sunflower seeds whilst a Robin and 3 Blackbirds (1 male, 2 females) seen too and a wonderful Song Thrush perched on the fence facing us showing its spotty breast. I wonder how much more I would have seen had Fallowfields not been cleared?