Filby Broad

A look at Filby Broad on Sunday 16th December failed to reveal the Smew typically, 3 female Goldeneye seen right at the back (north- west corner and 3 Pochard (2 males and female) again at the back. A walk over to Ormsby broad I was accompanied by a low feeding Marsh Tit in the alder plus 5 Long- tailed Tits and Goldcrest. Looking out over the broad saw a close Common Gull and several Marsh Harriers, 1 a female type with red tags "PD" on it and another with green tags. Saw Tony S and he spotted 2 female Goosanders flew in from the south and landed on the water just in front of the cafe to the south east. The redhead them swam right and out of sight. The up to 3 Buzzards were seen including 1 very pale bird and they flew over the Broad and over our heads.

Found in fridge?

This is a weird one, this chrysalis, unbelievably, found in our fridge!!! 18 November (Parkhill, Lowestoft) anyone know what species this is, I assume a Large White? (Thanks to Gi G, Anthony W & Jeremy G for their ID & replies)

Redwings over

On Monday 11th December, 4 Redwing flew south over the house at 8.10am.

Purple Sand at last

Having gone down with a very sore throat, infected sinuses and toothache it was a weekend for resting up and catching up on sleep, however I did venture out briefly to Ness Point on Saturday 8th December in the afternoon. Grey skies meant photography was out of the questions however amongst 8 Turnstone on the finger was a lone Purple Sandpiper busily feeding, my first for this winter. It then ran down the finger towards me but when I looked again it had disappeared. The light was appalling by this stage. A look in Hamilton Dock, revealed a very close 1st winter Shag swimming left, that always does what close Shags do in the dock as soon as I got the camera gear set up, it also disappeared. I had to retreat to the car and home as the cold was starting to affect my throat again.

Fieldfare flypast at the Paget

At 11am on Wednesday 5th December I was delighted to see the wonderful sight of 20 Fieldfare fly past very low and just over my head (they were strangely silent and didn't chuckle once!) as I walked over to the Education & Training Centre from the Burrage centre at the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston. I have a real soft spot for these Scandinavian Thrushes and hope one day soon to get some nice pics of this species. They didn't settle in southern perimeter hedge of the site as hoped but instead continued over to the housing estate and beyond.

Sawbills & Eastern Phyllosc

On Sunday 2nd December, starting again at Oulton Broad, I had a fantastic start when disembarking from the car parked on the road, 4 chattering Fieldfares flew low over my head and towards the Nicholas Everett Park. I walked up to the Boat club and despite crouching down I saw 5 female Goosanders swim purposefully away from the jetty, they swam to the back of the Broad. Meanwhile, an additional singleton female Goosander was seen around the reedy edge of the broad just north of Broadlands Marina. She slowly swam closer and closer passing the buoys and swimming past the Yacht club and down the channel towards the Boulevard area of the Broad. She was joined by the other 5 female Goosanders and they swam towards the Wherry. Well pleased with my sightings, checked my phone no news, which was odd I thought. I turned my attentions to the Park to track down the vociferous Ring- necked Parakeet and with the help of a couple saw her perched in the big Pine tree just north of its usual haunts. She then flew towards its favourite tree by the toilet block and spent a little time trying to enlarge the metal protected opening. Realising this was a fruitless activity she gave up and used her beak and feet to give her leverage to climb round to the back of the tree where she briefly appeared in sunlight before flying to the evergreen tree to feed on the berries. She was showing so well, 3 other "dude" photographers got in on the act too. I checked my phone still no news, so saying my goodbyes, I walked back to the Boulevard and I could see 7 Goosanders, the 6 females had been joined by the splendid male. I walked round couldn't see them from the Wherry so I decided to try my luck from the Commodore and walking to the deserted front lawn area overlooking the Broad. I crouched down to view the Goosanders on the other side of the water. To my amazement they started to swim directly towards me led by the ebullient male. Sporting his elegant dark green head crest. It had a lovely dark green velvety sheen and he truly was the emperor of elan, especially being followed by 6 females and their plumage being shown off in the sunshine that had just appeared through a break in the southern clouds. They then swam directly past me swimming north and were too close to get the whole flock in the picture, so I concentrated on the male and was pleased with the dozen or so shots I obtained. On reaching home, I checked "twitter" on the laptop and of course the first thing on there was Rob Win's wonderful find of a Dusky at KSW at around 11am. Obviously I'd been in an internet blacktop but glad noe news had led me to check on the Goosanders again. I cooly had some lunch then drove over to Kessingland and met Jeremy G down the Lane just before the Sewage works northern fence. More people were looking from the north at the fence and I joined them. Their number included Phil H & Dave H & his wife from Norfolk, Carl B and Pauline & Dave (also from Norfolk) Pauline ever vigilant said she had some thing moving in vegetation just above a large bramble bush and I got into it straight away, its Dusky hues and dark stripe and contrasting whitish super cilia confirmed it was the fine Dusky Warbler but as I soon as I latched onto these features it dropped like a stone behind the bush. It repeated these action every 20 minutes or so on at least another 4 occasions. Until neat the end of my visit, having also been joined by Maurice B, I spotted it slightly left of where I had first seen it, back on but again showing its whole body and distinctive head marking when it turned to look at us. Finally ten minutes after that it flitted through at the back in the same area giving reasonably views for a couple of minutes.

Goosander flock finally at Oulton Broad

7 Goosanders (6 females and 1male) at Oulton Broad was a fine way to see in December also the Ring-necked Parakeet was heard calling from St. Nicholas Everett Park, Kingfisher, Oystercatcher & Little Grebes also seen too. Thanks to Richard S & Jane F for the heads up yesterday that they were still around! As I walked in, I had a quick look for the Parakeet but couldn't see it in a brief look. Spying Andrew E and Paul & Jane F at the Boulevard I made a beeline for them who had seen the Goosanders flying west along the Broad. I hadn't seen them but looking from the Yacht club we saw all 7 Goosanders distantly. I also spotted a Kingfisher flying past far west flying north across the Broad. They then swam back and then flew past and settled in the Broad viewable from the Boulevard just beyond the boat moorings in the middle of the Broad. The male Goosander glowed a Salmon pink- white on his underparts despite the gloomy weather!