A rainy and very gloomy Christmas

It rained almost continuously over Christmas (and it is still raining as I type!) and has been completely birdless, making it the worse Christmas ever (birdwise) and it was always going to be a difficult one following the year we have just had. We, Jenny, Matthew & I finally managed to get out on Monday 27th December to see the Seals at Horsey, parking by the bend in the road by the Nelson Head, a single Grey Seal seen near the slipway to the beach, but the entire area was cordoned off both to the beach and going south. The only way was to walk north and see the Seals by the pillbox area walking north towards Horsey gap car park. On the way we saw a female Stonechat and diverted up in a roped off area (unfortunately funnelling around 200 people into a small area not ideal with Covid Omicron raging remorselessly around the country at the moment, but I imagine there are a lack of volunteers to staff a wider area) by the pillbox with loads of Grey Seals c70 on the beach with several young pups including 4 cream white newly born ones, 2 adult ones fighting by the seas edge. On Tuesday 28th December, I firstly saw a Dunnock in the bush just behind the kitchen window which was a welcome surprise, these days. another break in the rain, I drove over to Cucumber Lane area, near Beccles which was difficult to find especially with the new road layout and roundabout west of Ellough. After eventually locating it after and initial drive into Coney Hill Beccles area. A thourogh look failed to reveal any Grey Partridges, a species I have continually dipped over the past 5 years (last ones seen were in 2016 at North Cove, courtesy of Dick W) even worse were 2 Buzzards seen in a field just off Cucumber Lane, which doesn't bode well. One was perced in a field feeding (hopefully not on a Grey Partridge!)

Christmas Eve gloom

On Christmas Eve, the weather matched the lack of birds as it was decidedly gloomy, albiet from 3pm onwards. A look at 3pm after work Christmas Eve revealed very little from the Bridge over Lake Lothing save for a Kingfisher flying across Lake Lothing, a Water Rail screeching from the reeds at Leathes Ham, plus a male and female Pintail, but no sign of the Sibe Chiff- Chaffs (again), or the Guillemot, Shag or Razorbill. Merry Christmas everyone!

Winter Thrushes

On Thursday 23rd December, as I was leaving for work at 8.20am I first heard the "pssst" then the chackle of a tight flock of 2 Redwings and 12 Fieldfares flying low over the house tranversing the corner and flying south west in the direction of Parkhill hotel.

Fogbow & fog bound migrants

On Saturday 18th December, after I had bought the Suffolk Bird Report 2020 from Minsmere, I was travelling back to Lowestoft in thick foggy conditions but suddenly it cleared a little and the sun came out so I diverted to Kessingland. Walking along the seaward side of the shore pool, 2 birds flew up a calling Sky Lark and the "churr" of a Lapland Bunting. I walked along and was joined by Paul & Jane F and we saw the bird perched on a black mound, I managed to crawl behind some Marram grass and get a couple of shots. We were soon joined by Andrew E. The sun had created a wonderful Fogbow. It then flew north a little way and we saw it again with 2 Snow Buntings. It was a smart male with chestnut at the rear of the ear coverts and a lttle black on its breast, probably the second smartest Lapland I have seen (following the breeding plumage smart male one of the 5 Laplands seen in the same place the previous year). It later flew across the water and was perched on the mud before feeding with a SkyLark in some short grass. We were joined by Rob H. It was here, a Pied Wagtail walked towards us, along the edge of the shore. It then flew south westwards. We then saw 3 Snow Buntings in the dunes just landward side of the pool, before 5 were seen along the seaward side and they flew along with the Sky Lark and the "churr" of the Lapland Bunting. We then saw it feeding for sometime by some Marram grass with seakale just to the right of it. Later on fed along the beach again, with 5 Snow Buntings right along the edge of the pool we all got reasonably close and managed to get some pics here. It was nice to see Matt S. who I had not seen since the Bush Chat in North Norfolk. Walking along to a marshy pool, Jane was walking along the westward edge and a super Jack Snipe (small with shorter bill) flew and flew the other SE side of the marshy pool. Walking back, I checked the Heathlands copse and checking it, as I al,ways do, (from October onwards) for Woodcock, I finally struck it lucky, as I walking through to the middle westward edge a super Woodcock flew up from the floor and flew south- east. This rounded off a really enjoyable stop off at Kessingland.

Suffolk Bird report 2020 record 7 photos included!

Delighted to have 7 photos included in the current Suffolk Bird report with pics in order of publication in the report: of the Rustic Bunting, Male Scaup, Male Eider, Little Stint, Little Tern, 2 Shags and Shore Lark.

Wiveton Barred & Salthouse Iceland

After a long week waiting for the weekend (& go for the photogenic Barred warbler) to come, it finally arrived and soon as I heard the Barred was still there I drove up to Cley, on the journey between Weybourne and Salthouse, I saw a big flock of c120 Brent Geese in a seaward field. and parked just west of Cley and walked down Leatherpool Lane on Saturday 11th December on the way to Wiveton. I saw Richard (with a very impressive white beard) and a lady and they gave me great directions and where to look for the Barred. By bushes with red/ orange berries opposite a stone pebble wall opposite Barn Cottages and also 30 metres further down the road by a single large spindle tree with orange berries, opposite Barn Cottages. As I arrived with another/ birder photographer a large grey warbler flew out undoubtedly the Warbler. We waited and waited and 40 minutes had elapsed, where we had seen a female Blackcap, 2 Bullfinches (an elusive male and a more obliging female), 2 Fieldfares flew over out heads chackling and into the wood behind us. Plus a skein of 200+ Pink- footed Geese flew west over our heads. Then suddenly the excellent Barred Warbler flew into the bushes spending most of the time at the very top of an ivy clad tree, it showed well. A group of younger birders arrived and 2 further birders one spotted the fine Barred Warbler gobbling down berries by the spindle bush. It then flew into the trees at the back of us, spending a little time in an Oak tree just behind us, sometimes at the very top of the tree and also the Blue Cedar behind. The bird then flew into the original bushes again. before being seen in bushes by the road, it then flew into a berry bush just within the grounds of Wiveton House, where I got my best shots and views of it gobbling down several berries and it posed well here, albeit in poor light. It then disappeared again. Before being sighted again eating berries in the spindle tree opposite. By this time the light detioriorated further at 2pm and I decided to leave despite the arrival of Jim L. At Salthouse, I parked just before the beach and walked onto the beach and it was immediately apparent they were very sadly, tragically 4 dead Seal pups along the beach. Looking furthest west, I could see the distant 1st winter Iceland Gull about to gorge on the pup seal carcus, before a couple walking up to it, disturbed it and the bird subsequently flew west towards Cley Coastguards.

A delightful Dovekie on Oulton Broad

On Monday 6th December, at first light I was walking down to Broadlands Marina but very fortuitously I met some birders who said that they'd seen Phil D. and he had said the Little Auk or Dovekie, was making its way over to the Boulevard. That was very good news a) because the bird was still about and b) it would be much easier to get pictures of the bird in this area. As I walked around it was obvious the bird was still about as they was a small gathering of birders including Rob H, Robin C, Phil D. and the bird was seen, a fantastic Little Auk or Dovekie, between the birds here and it was actively hunting as it was 'motoring' around diving frequently. The bird was very mobile seen bu the Boulevard close in and then by the private jetty running parallel with the Boulevard walkway and then swimming over to the public jetty where we could walk out and see it. It would then swim back to the Boulevard fishing between the boats often at very close quarters barely 3 feet away! It was often between the boats and diving frequently. Only when it started preening on the water was it more settled and providing opportunities to get some pictures, albeit in poor light. At one point it swam over to the Wherry and it was often seen at close quarters, albeit only for a second or too, as it was constantly diving. It was here I saw it dive and scyth under water using its wings effortlessly to motor through the water, where it caught a fish. An incredible sight to witness and a wonderful observation, I've not witnessed before and a real privilege to see. I managed to phone work and get my half day transferred from Wednesday afternoon to this morning, Monday morning, I took full advantage by spending around 2 hours with the bird it was a really good workout as I was running or walking quickly with the optical and camera geat and tripod.

Dips by the bucket load but Iceland was a welcome surprise

On Sunday 5th December, I was bitterly disappointed to miss out on the Barred Warbler at Wiveton, North Norfolk today and a late afternoon twitch failed to in pursuit of a Little Auk on Oulton Broad. James W walked around to the Marina and the Marina office and couldn't see it but James spotted a white- winged Gull, a 1st winter Iceland Gull flying away west which was a great spot and a personal first on Oulton Broad for me, having missed all the others. no sign of the Goosander either at Dead end on anywhere on Oulton Broad and to make matters worse the Auk was found again at the Marina just as I arrived home at 3.20pm, just as the light was starting to go, both birds (Barred & Little Auk) I am still get some get good pics of. Good riddance to 2021, I look forward to a better 2022.

Blinded by the light

Oulton Broad Dead end Goosander