Garden Ups and downs

On the evening of Thursday 30th May, Jenny informed me she had seen a small Newt, almost certainly a Smooth Newt in the goldfish pond of the garden today following the grim and upsetting discovery of 2 dead adult Frogs (29th May) in the detritus of the pond, mystified as to why this has occurred but the pond was fully cleaned out with a change of water leading to the rewarding sight of the Newt and a new Frog in the pond the following day (30th May).

Strumpshaw

On Thursday May 30th in the early afternoon following TOIL from work, at Strumpshaw where 2 Brimstones seen on white flowers at the reception square, suddenly a fine Swallowtail flew past and disappeared south over a wall! At the walk down the lane to the cottage, 2 male Orange Tips seen and 3 Brimstones and a Red Admiral seen by the nettle patch, 2 Brimstones showed really well as they so often do at Strumpshaw. Nearby, driving from Strumpshaw to Buckingham, 2 separate Mistle Thrushes flew up from the road. no luck with the Cuckoo again spent a further 90 minutes in a fruitless wait for it to return, it didn't. 2 fine Bullfinches, male and female were seen feeding by the side of the rod underneath a hedge just as I drove off site.

Red Kite at Smallburgh

No birding on Saturday as I was still suffering some eye problems. Better on Sunday 26th May, driving up for a family get together at Sheringham, a Red Kite seen over the A149 at Smallburgh at 11.50am.

Red- backed Shrike at Kessingland Dunes

On Thursday 23rd May 2019, I walked down to the Kessingland Dunes and the inland area just beyond the caravan site, I saw Rene who gave me excellent directions for the Shrike, walking along the border of the site and going across to a bush, I joined Josh and another birder, in seeing the fine male Red- backed Shrike seen in amazingly singing but nearly always slightly obscured in the bush, it did pop out briefly in full view but then dived into the bush again. Neville L and Tony B arrived and we enjoyed seeing the bird catch the odd bee and singing again before the report of a Wood Warbler at Gunton Hall had us dashing back home. No sight or sound of the warbler but 2 Grey Wagtails seen and a fine male bird seen perched on a pole in the north east corner of the perimeter of the Tesco complex.

House Martins at last!

On Sunday 19th May, 7 House Martins flew over the house, great to see them at last. I am fervently hoping some will nest in the 4 artificial cups installed April last year.

No Ibis

On Saturday 18th May, a walk in the evening from Somerleyton, I heard some Common Sandpipers frequently calling and 2 Common Sandpipers were seen in a nearby pool. Walking further along, In the flooded field just before Smock's Mill, a rectangular piece of water finally revealed 3 Mandarins (2 males and a female) at the back. 2 Greenshank were also seen here and these are flew over to the North Pools, Looking from the raised path at the back, I joined a Golfing birder and pointed out both a Little- Ringed Plover (complete with yellow eye- ring) and the 2 Greenshank. No longer watching the birdie, my golfing friend took his leave and walking further along I was delighted to see 2 Redshank chicks and around 8 Lapwing chicks. There was no sign of the Glossy Ibis however. Good to see both Alison & Chris & Rob M and his wife.

Kentish Plover on Breydon

On the evening of Friday 17th May, after hearing of tweets about the Kentish Plover on Breydon at 5.45pm after work I grabbed the optical gear from home and parked by the South Wall and joined Rene who was scanning several distant flocks of waders. A call from Jeremy G and we drove over to Asda and from the hide, I just missed the bird as it was in a flock by some mudflats but it flew before I could get onto it. However the flock quickly settled, many Ringed Plovers and then the fine male Kentish Plover seen on the middle of the mud with chestnut cap and a paler bird which stood out. A summer plumaged Sanderling was also seen in the flock.

Cuckoo not posing at all but Turtle Dove joy

On Wednesday 15th May in the afternoon I had TOIL from work and on a beautiful sunny day I was keen to photograph the showy Cuckoo at Buckingham. It wasn't at all showy for me. I arrived as soon I went to the riverbank walk as instructed it flew to a bush by the river. A binocular laden walker walking across the path 5 minutes later flushed it. Right over the river. Half an hour later it returned it was in its favoured bush, I saw it for a mili second before buried itself in the bush. Another binocular laden walker flushed over the river! Avocet around 4 seen on the scrapes and 2 Buzzards. In 3 and a half hour wait the bird returned 4X but each time was flushed by passers by (3rd time- 2 men spraying chemicals CP3/5 and CP15 on the marshes on an RSPB reserve??! and 4th time- a dog walker). Thorough dispirited I moved onto my traditional Norfolk Turtle Dove, the mood brightened considerably as I immediately heard the purring and in front of the usual built place, 2 flew up from a field and east. Meanwhile one could be heard by the built place, one heard and seen in a bare tree just west of there and one from the copse making 5 Turtle Doves in all! A great tally and hopefully it means there are thriving here and will have another successful breeding season. On Thursday 16th May, arriving at Buckingham again at an empty carpark at 7.30am I was hopeful of less disturbance. As I was setting up my kit first a dog walker arrived walked off ahead of me then a bloke on a buggy drove down the track and passed the bush in question, but he didn't flush the dog walker was ahead of me walked past the bush and the Cuckoo flew over the river and didn't return in 90 minutes!

Savi's Warbler at Carlton Marshes & Wall Brown in the garden

On Sunday 12th May, I got up really early and I arrived at Carlton Marshes around 6am and parked outside the car park joining Paul W and we both walked over to the Whitecast Marshes path, as we walked over we could hear the loud buzzing of the excellent Savi's Warbler, reaching the wooden flood defence wall, we looked exactly where one had been found so well by Ricky 20 odd years earlier. The bird was soon seen from the left hand bush buzzing away from near the very top branches, when it hopped out to the top it showed in full view. Later on during the day, I saw a Wall Brown (1st garden record) very briefly in the garden, Parkhill, Lowestoft 11.25am flew out from the western wall settled on the lawn and then flew south over to Fallowfields come back please! also 2 Holly Blues. Too quick even with camera and macro lens in hand! Slightly later on, during the 12th, the Wall Brown was back again in our Parkhill garden 12.45pm seen in flight only this time, but not seen subsequently.

Pied Flycatcher at Maltsters Score

On Saturday 11th May, a look in Maltsters Score from the top looking north- east to the large sycamore and the excellent male Pied Flycatcher was seen it was often flying around the trees. Occasionally it flew out from the immediate copse of trees flycatching in bushes just west or south of there, but it always returned. Often obscured when seen in its favoured tree, twice it flew to the southern extremity and perched on the wall, the second time it perched here for several minutes and I was finally able to get an unobscured shot of it.

Little about

On Monday May 10th, in the early evening, a look at Maltsters Score was entirely bridles save for an alarm call by a Wren, nothing at Ness Point, SLP yard, netposts or at Corton OSW or ORT or Corton Churchyard or t Corton caravan park save for 2 Sand Martins flying east over the Corton OSW field.

Chats at Corton OSW

On May 7th, A female Whinchat seen along the far fence and a female Wheatear flew onto a bush in the middle of Corton Old Sewage Works this evening at 7.10pm.

Herringfleet Marshes Wood Sandpipers

On May 7th, at Herringfleet Marshes, 5 Wood Sandpiper- an incredible tally for the spring, 4 Greenshank, (N of Smock's Mill), a Little Ringed Plover, 4 Dunlin & 2 Ringed Plovers (south of the Mill- Herringfleet Marshes this evening + Cuckoo & Lesser Whitethroat (both heard only) & 5 Swallow, 10 Sand Martins (again no sign of mega elusive Mandarin). Also Male & female Yellow Wagtail Herringfleet Marshes on an island with 5 Pied Wagtails north of the Mill this evening.