No sign of Dolphins

On Thursday 23rd April, a nice bright evening with a cold north-easterly wind, following Rob Wil tweeting about Dolphins seen in the sea viewed from Gunton Cliffs, I tried my luck from the cliffs above the Oval but had my usual seawatching success this century ie. nothing no sign whatsover, but I did see 2 adult Gannets flying north, which were my first of the year.

Single Arctic Tern still at Peto's Marsh

On Wednesday afternoon of the 21st April, a sunny afternoon but with a biting cold NE wind had me walking down to Peto's Marsh at Carlton Marshes, a male Marsh Harrier was seen flying east over Whitecast marshes. I also heard a Sedge Warbler singing and 2 Chiff- Chaffs by the Barn Owl bushes. OFB was behind me and catching me up as my left had been strapped and special padded footware put in my left boot to enable to undertake this walk leaving the camera & bag behind so sans large camera lens. Much kinder on both my lower back and foot which have been complaining loudly recently! Walking around past the first hide, around 30 Black- tailed Godwits (approaching summer plumage) feeding in the water. Walking onto and past the North hide we joined Maurice B and he only one (the former magnificent seven now reduced to just one!) of the Arctic Terns was still present and it was flying around at the back, a very white bird with black trailing edge to the wings and white translucent wings and very long tail streamers and a very bouncy "marsh tern- like" flight. At one stage a BH Gull chased it and it crazily spiralled up and down attempting to escape the Gull. A little later it was just left of a closer sandy spit, standing in the water showing a blood red bill, tiny shot legs and long white tail streamers. I also spotted first a pair of Pochard, the male respelendant and then another pair nearby, totalling 4 Pochards in all (2 males and 2 females). When we walked back, amongst the grassy area beyond the first hide, I spotted a fine male Yellow Wagtail which both Maurice and OFB observed too. On the grassy area dyke just before the original scrape as we walking back we saw the almost now obligatory Great White Egret still sporting a yellow bill and first Sedge Warbler and then a distant Willow Warbler heard too. By now my foot was hurting, hardly surprising after a 3 mile walk!

Ring Ouzel duo at Hinton the obvious highlight

On Sunday 18th April, mid afternoon, I drove to Hinton crossroad and parked by the adjacent car park taking the track running east, I could hear and see a fine male Yellowhammer singing but it wasn't photogenic at all, a species I would love to photo. Looking out to the field to the north, no sign of the Ouzels for the first hour but on my last look before giving us, 2 fine male Ring Ouzels were out together along the distant sloping grassy area about 800 metres away. Chiff- Chaff also heard. I went to Southwold no sign of the Garganey at either Buss Creek on the Town marshes and I eventually reached Kessingland Sewage works at 7.20pm the sun was going down fast despite scanning the western fence I couldn't see the Redstart probably, a little too late. I heard at least 3 "hwet" calling Chiff- Chaffs and a calling Firecrest too in the thicket to the east of the path but no sighting alas. I barely managed to hobble back to the car at the heel was really sore, too much walking!

Stock Dove first over the garden since building works began

On Tuesday 13th April, hot on the heels of the LT Tit, early morning at about 7.50am, a Stock Dove flew right ober the house in a north- westerly direction the first garden airpsace records since building works began, Stock Dove used to be a bird we would see everyday from the garden (the wall of 5 houses built at the back blocking our view/ light/ no privacy- to the left of us, behind us and to the right of us/ what sort of planning, an absymal abomination that I call claustrophobia building).

Long-tailed Tit in garden first since the building works

On Monday 12th April, I heard the familiar call of a Long- tailed Tit when I arrive home after work at 5.25pm, it sat in the bush at the back on the right for a good 20 minutes, my first since the building works started last July (used to be a bird seen in the garden several times a week).

More Eagle woe

Belatedly hearing of a twitchable WTE yesterday, I drove to Horsey on Sunday 11th August and from 8.30to 12.20am I sttod vigil along the Horsey strait, with another 2 birders we saw a Peregrine mob a Marsh harrier behind us and above the line of hedge again behind us I saw a flying adult Crane fly up and then down again, after hearing several Crane hooping calls earlier. But bitterly disappointing not to see sight nor sound of WTE missed over 20 now in this 21st century.

A Two Phalarope day is always a good day!

On Saturday 10th April, I drove over to Southwold and walking to the flooded area flash in the north-east section of the Town Marsh, I soon saw the fine Grey Phalarope at 9.45am, busy feeding along the north edge of the flash, it was busy feeding all the time, meanwhile in the long grass along the eastern edge a fine male White Wagtail was seen and it fed from the edge of the flash. Also 4 Tundra race Ringed Plovers seen too. Next stop Minsmere, where I had to sign in and give contact details (just in case they had an outbreak of Coronavirus they could contact me to isolate or get tested. No sign ogf any Stonies on the North field, so walking/ hobbling along to the ridge by the beach, just left of the East Scrape hide (no access due to Covid) just abbove the reeds, my second Grey Phalarope of the day was also seen busy feeding around a Canada Goose. Whilst at the back a fine immature Little Gull seen flying around the scrape immediately in front of the West hide (Wildlife lookout). 2 Black- tailed Godwit seen on South Scrape plus up to 8 Sandwich Terns seen on several sand spits. Plus 2 very pale white Bar- headed Geese perched on another ridge spied again just above some reeds.

Buzzard duo over the Paget

On Thursday 8th April at 9.45am, the sound of Gulls calling I look outside the Burrage Centre at the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston and I first saw one Buzzard heading north, closely followed by another second Buzzard heading west, being mobbed by the Gulls. My first record of these birds going over at work.

Fifteenth time unlucky with WTE in Lizardland area

On Easter Sunday 4th April, midday I was out at St. Olaves, when I heard a WTE was circling over Carlton Marshes, and heading north, checking the marshes of St.Olaves, Herringfleet, Somerleyton Staithe, Flixton Marshes and Camps Heath failed miserably to sight the bird. 8 Buzzards, 2 Marsh Harrier seen and several flights of circling Gulls, but no Eagle. Following, a tweet from Rob Wil, hoping to salvage something from a disappointing day despite the excellent weather, I drove down to North Beach and saw the fine 1st winter Shag perched on groynes the extreme south one, opposite the Birds eye Factory, I got some pics although the bird was on the furthest most groyne post. It spent a lot of time stretching, scratching and looking around nothing seen at the Netposts, save for the usual flock of 22 Linnet.

Good Friday birding in the Norfolk Broads

On Good Friday, 2nd April, a look at Rollesby broad in Norfolk, revealed 8 initial close Tufted Ducks whilst crossing the road to check Ormesby broad, nice to see 16 Goldeneye at the back, 4 males and 12 females. Plus a female Pochard, along the middle of the Broad. By some closer Tufted Duck barely 80 metres back (1 third of the way back) the 2 excellent Slavonian Grebes seen, coming into summer plumage with a faded version of their breeding plumage finery. John H turned up and I pointed out the Grebes to him. We also saw several Sand Martins and Swallows too, around 4 of each at least. A good start, going to Filby Broad, we failed to see the LT Duck, there were 12 Goldeneye and around 6 each of Swallows and Sand Martins. A walk along the track to Ormesby Little Broad, we saw a fine singing male Blackcap and Chiff- Chaff and at the end, a fine Great White Egret flew up from the close reeds to the left, it flew over the water and perched in a distant tree to the left.

A quartet of Chiff- Chaffs

On 31 March, a very pleasant cycle ride with Jenny from home to Normanston Park revealed 4 singing Chiff- Chaffs, one showed reasonably well.

Iceland Gull at last!

On 30th March, a tweet from James B stating that the Iceland was currently on groynes opposite the Netposts had me going to twitch the bird for the fifteenth time and it was fifteenth time (tried 10X North Beach, 5X at Gunton Church Field) lucky as James was still there when I arrived ten minutes later. The fine 1st winter Iceland Gull perched on the far groyne before flying down settling on the sea and swimming over and feeding on the seaweed around the groyne posts. It then flew back to the groyne again. James tweeted that a female Black redstart was by the compound (east of the Oval) and I walked down and saw it perched along the southern edge perimeter fence. Back at the Iceland Gull, it stayed put perched on the groynes until 5.37pm, when it flew inland along North Parade and over Lyndhurst road.