Shock horror! A successful seabird twitch from Ness Point

On Sunday 28th November, after a terrible Saturday, amazingly I successfully twitched a fine Little Auk , which Andrew E had found & when I arrived by the funnel, the bird was drifting north out to sea from the Point (thanks to Rob H for relocating a tricky bird to pick up and letting me see it through his 'scope) it was about half way out, but difficult to see with the costant swell of the sea. Several Eiders flew north, including 4 Eiders (1 imm male and 3 females) and then 3 Eiders(3 females) and a single female Eider flew north. A flock 8 Knot flew north. Later 2 Velvet Scoters flew North. Plus many Red- throated Divers going north c30 and same number of Gannets too. You won't be surprised to learn this was my best seawatch of the year. I also spotted a close Grey Seal swimming southwards. I looked to the north of the Point, along the beach and part of Gunton Warren beach but little else was seen.

Nothing doing part 2

On Saturday 27th November, a terrible day missed the Puffin by 5 minutes at Ness Point, not much else seen and no sign of the Hume's Warbler for me late morning.

Shore Lark at Kessingland North Pool

On Sunday 21st November, a sunny but occasionally showery morning had me driving back to Kessingland and getting out of the car, I experienced from light rain walked past heathlands and down the steps to the beach this time wrapped up for winter birding with gloves, woolly hat and Wellington boots. I traveresed the inland pool and just reached the south- east edge of the big shore pool and almost immediately spotted the excellent Shore Lark, but on no! My canine nemesis were yet again upon we 2 small yappy dogs barking and running towards me yet the owner was walking south so I decided to run at the dogs to draw them away from the bird. Anybody observing this might of thought this was crazy behaviour but anything to keep the dogs from disturbing the bird. My unusual tactics worked well and after the dogs had ran back to the owner I was able to turn my attention back to the bird and it showed reasonably well feeding by the flotsam around 4 metres from the pool edge, I was joined by another birder and we both watched and photo'd the bird until 2 horse riders took the horses into the pool from the landward side and then cantered north (the horses, not me!) The Shore Lark flew onto the muddy spit and fed here for a while before it ran north and using the marram grass as cover we were able to get within 15 metres of the bird at one point and it was perched on a ridge I got my best pics before it fed again on the jersam just metres from the pool edge now half way along. We were joined by Neville & Tony B and I left the bird to look out to sea, where 30 Common Scoters were seen around half way out in a tightly packed formation. Back at Ness Point seeing, Andrew E. a very high tide had a single Purple Sandpiper fly up the compass, but inevitable people coming along soon pushed it to fly off north. Later on in the afternoon, after hearing of a Little Auk flying North from Southwold, I looked from Ness Point for 75 minutes, the first 20 not a single bird was seen out to sea, but eventually 4 Shelduck seen flying south, the highlight. Inevitably no sign of the Little Auk continuing my long standing run of never getting onto a bird seen flying in the direction of Lowestoft.

Nothing doing

On Saturday 20th November, the dull and gloomy day reflected the lack of birds with a look at Kessingland North beach no sign whatsoever of the Shore Lark or Snow Buntings anywhere along the North beach. A dog walking couple were continually lobbing a ball into the water for their Alsation dog, at the south end of the shore pool, so no chance there. The only birds seen were 3 Meadow Pipit and 18 Goldfinch flew south disturbed by a hunting Kestrel and a Little Egret that flew over to the large seaward shorepool and fished along the south- east corner. A look at North Quay Retail park, lots of Gulls on Morrisons roof accept the hoped for Caspian, no sign of Peregrines at the Grain Silo and nothing at Ness Point either, a very poor day, which really reflects this worst of all autumn's.

Birthday bonus: a fine afternoon out

On Sunday 14 November seawatching at Ness Point revealed very little I had received a puncture the day before. 15 November 2021, I had to work in the morning have to attend an important clinical skills MS Teams meeting. However by 12.30pm I was able to leave and I drove straight up to Waxham. Parking at the end of Penny Lane, I was fortunate to bump into Tony S. and he said he'd seen the Shrike all over! I walked down Penny Lane, no sign of it, but 2 Stonechats (first a male then joined by the female) seen on a line of bushes bordering the fields. So I walked north towards Waxham chuch along the path just east of the field. On walking back, I saw the excellent Great Grey Shrike fly across the field (oviously been inland somewhere) and it flew into a thicket half way along. No sign of it when I reached there, so I decided to look along the beach. In the far distance were around 30 adult Seals and 2 cream-white pups. Whilst out to sea, a Red- throated Diver sat fairly close in on the sea. Back at the car, I heard the contact call of a Yellowhammer and looking north-west along the road, I could see a fine male Yellowhammer perched atop of a tree and it was soon joined by a female Yellowhammer. I then heard about some Whoopers and parking near the farm shop at Inham, I looked east into a field, where there were aload of Mute Swans in a dip with a lake, just right of them were 6 fine Whooper Swans that swam left to join them. Driving back and parking back at Penny Lane looking due east and by the footpath to the Church, the fine Great Grey Shrike was seen very distantly in a bare spindly tree. Finally nearer, I stopped and counted 68 reasonably close Pink- footed Geese in the field just east of the road.

A trip out to Covehithe and Easton Broads

On Saturday 13th November, after a few really difficult weeks, I was really pleased to join Paul & Jane F over to Covehithe Broad where we saw first a female Marsh Harrier and then a male Marsh Harrier quartered the reeds at the back but very sadly, no sign of the hoped for Bewick's Swans. There were several Mute Swans, 5, 2 immatures and 3 adults. Out to sea, we saw first a flock of 123 Common Scoters far out to sea, they were joined by other Common Scoters and totalled 210 in all. Walking to Easton Broad by walking over the wooded cliff, no sign of hoped for Woodcock by a small field with Highland Cattle a Long- tailed Tit flock included 3 Marsh Tits and 1 of these birds regularly flew over to the trees along the cliff edge and fed on some seeds. By the Broad edge at Easton Broad, 2 Turnstone seen and walking back, an inquisitive Grey Seal stuck its head out of the water close several times. Several small groups of Starlings flew in off the sea (about 10 of groups c30 birds each). 2 Gannets flew North and a Red- throated Diver flew North as did 1 Dunlin too. Back at Covehithe Broad first a female Stonechat flew into the reeds at the back and then she was joined by a male Stonechat too.

At last finally some birds & a fine Merveille du Jour

On Sunday 24th October, a look around Gunton Warren revealed the Ring Ouzel, as I walked behind and aove the second Holm Oak copse just north of Warren House wood, the Ring Ouzel flew out and landed in bracken just behind. from here it flew into a Mountain Ash tree. It was later seen along the cliff top in flight at Gunton Warren before eventually returning back flying into the Holm Oak copse. A look out to see by Warren House wood revealed a fine mid distance Little Auk flying north, (my first for several yaers) which I was able to put a recently arrived Rob H onto. Meanwhile at Pakefield by Crazy Mary's Gulley, behind the lighthouse and assembled team of birders initilalay failed to find or see anything, until late on. We received a shout and Dick, Paul & Jane F, Maurice et al went to the southern end of a wooded shrub copse where we saw the excellent Pallas's Warbler that flitted up a tree then down again and then it flitted to the right hand side. It showed the array of broad yellow latteral crown stripes, yellow rump showed well when it briefly hovered in flight flycatching. A few minutes after we first saw it it disppaeraed lile a willo the wisp and was gone! On Wednesday 27th October, John H very kindly informed me he had caught a Merveille du Jour Moth and would I like to see it? A very pretty Moth that I'd always wanted to see. This was a very welcome diversion for me from recent travails and as I was off at 2.30pm from work that day it was perfect timing too. John lives at Hemsby in Norfolk and I arrived at John's and he took the Moth out of the fridge I managed a few pics with my 150mm Macro lens and managed the following shots on a piece of log then outside where it was left to eventually fly again back in the wild. A special very special afternoon, so big thanks to John.