Boxing Day walk

On Boxing day, Tuesday 26th December, in the afternoon, I walked along the seawall along the North Beach directly opposite Swimming Pool road and was delighted to see a small flock of Purple Sandpipers fly onto the low seaweed encrusted ledge to feed, there were 6 in number and I scanned over to the further ledge 200 metres further south and saw a further 2 Purple Sandpipers amongst 7 Turnstone and 2 Oystercatchers, totalling 8 Purple Sandpipers, easily my highest tally this winter. Nothing at Ness Point or Hamilton Dock.

Christmas Treats

A slightly delayed start to Christmas Day, I started at Hamilton Dock where again the GND had done a bunk but looking from the old Coastguards I could see a Duck on the sea by the rocks area, I saw Andrew E & we both made our way to ness Point proper and indeed it was female Common Scoter close in but against the light seen just off the sea defence rocks just south of the compass. Sad to see 5 plates had been vandalised and removed hopefully for full restoration. Groups of 4, 3 and 2 Brent Geese flew south close in too. I decided to follow the Scoter as I knew if it swum north the light would impove and indeed it did as I photogphed from the NE tip of Ness Point. As I followed the Scoter, I saw a lone Purple Sandpiper stood on the defence rocks near the north- eastern tip and I paid homage to this bird, my first Purple sand seen this winter. I also checked around Lake lothing and Oulton Broad area but apart from a sheltering Little Egret in the alcove in the lee of a bay and 2 Little Grebes on Oulton Broad viewed from the Wherry, little else was seen. I did however take a few pics of the Bee Orchid rosettes at the Lowestoft Cruising Club grassy area. Mid afternoon following a tweet from Jane F, I drove immediately down to Hamilton Dock and initially couldn't see the GND but then I saw it, the fine Great Northern Diver swimming out of Waveney Dock and it slowly swam closing, diving many times, twice catching fish including 1 large flounder it had difficulty initially swallowing. It then came even closer but by this time the light was fading and it started raining, time to go but a great end to the festive treats for the day!

Disappointing day for birds

On Saturday 23rd december, the forecast was for sunny intervals, so I was keen to get out and about and get some pics of the Divers in sunny weather,, I tried Hamilton Dock, Ness Point and then Lake Lothing and Oulton Broad, but no birds were seen. At the Cruising Club along Lake Lothing I saw 2 newly emerged rosettes of Bee Orchids. Travelling back from Yarmouth along the A47 nacreous clouds, which was a new cloud formation for me, were seen. later in the afternoon, I tried Hamilton Dock but the Diver had disappeared again. The sunset though was really good looking south- east. Back home, the sunset was even better.

Kites over the M25 and M4

Travelling to Wales on Sunday 17th December am, I saw 4 Red Kites over the M25 just before Rickmansworth and along the M4 by Reading/ Newbury area a further 4 Red Kites seen.

Cattle Egret at Breydon

Also on Saturday 16th, around late lunchtime, following a tip off from John h he had just relocated the Cattle Egret with the Horses in a field just before the farmI drove over to Breydon South wall car park and walked south along the estuary path towards the farm, I found the aforementioned field just before the farm but the only Egret I saw initially was a Little Egret walking in the ditch and around the south- east corner. A male Reed Bunting flew up and over the pathway and briefly settled on a close reed. I could hear shooting on marshes just east of the farm and then I saw it, the excellent Cattle Egret was in a ditch in a field immediately south of the farm near the path, but it then flew east and out of sight.

Divers at the Bridge

After a lot of continuous rain, the previous weend and Wednsday afternoon, it was good to get out on Saturday 16th December, parking along Commodore Road, I walked up to the Mutford Lock bridge and nice to see and catch up with Maurice B. Initially the Great Northern Diver was in the Lock just this side of the railway bridge, but much closer was the fine Black- throated Diver which fished in the water right in front of us before swimming towards the wooden jetty then away again. Later on, walking along Nicholas Everitt Park, I saw the Red- throated Diver along the far south- west of Oulton Broad fairly close to the reeds and swimming by the pink buoys, diving frequently it then swam towards the wooden posts. Back at Mutford Lock, the Black- throated Diver had swum east of the railway brdige and was more distant, whilst a Kingfisher flew in and settled for a second on a wooden post before flying off. 4 Little Grebes also seen. Walking along Lake Lothing, I saw diver south of the Cruising club for a split second, presumably the Black- throat again. Very nice to see all 3 species of Divers again, it would just be the icing on the cake to see them and photograph them in good light.

Not happy

After a reasonably successful trip to Thorpeness I drove down to Minsmere RSPB solely to pick up the Suffolk Bird Report for 2022, initially I couldn't find it in the shop but staff were able to show me the one place where I had not looked, I thought I had scoured the shop thoroughly...but apparently not! Having successfully purchased that plus some cards and the "Friends & Neighbours' calendar. The rain sodden environment meant I beat a hasty retreat to the car, to check the report, initially all was well with my first check for the Black Guillemot and was pleased to see I had been credited for my efforts in initially looking for this bird at Lowestoft and writing the description, although Jane had famously found it, when I had to answer an urgent call of nature behind a nearby bush at Ness Point. Also, very pleased to see my picture of the bird reproduced as well. In all, I had 10 pictures published in the report including in old Voous order (none of this new evolution sequence for me!) Red- throated Diver, Shag, Knot, Bar- tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden Plover, the aforementioned Tystie, Caspian Gull, Red- rumped Swallow (although not the wing stretching picture I expected which I thought was a better and more dramatic photo), Lesser Spotted woodpecker and juvenile Green woodpecker, which was pleasing. More than I was expecting as I am limited with the time I can be out due to work and often bad weather when off (re: past 2 weekends constantly raining being a case in point. But the final and damning travesty of justice that despite my initially finding the Westhall Road/ later Wissett Way Waxwings, just off Hollingsworth Road at Gunton on 17-23 December 2022, no mention of my name afterwards but that of a different observer, who I know had twitched the birds after I had first put the news out! Actually, to have complete justice my name and James W's names should have been included, as I was the first to find the 13+ birds and then James joined me and we jointly found a further 10 birds totalling 23 in all. After my find of the inital 13+ Waxwings, I had immediately spread the news via Whats App groups, including the Lowestoft Lounge Lizards, Suffolk BINS (Bird Information Network services) and the Thursday Clubbers Group. I had also tweeted the information out too. I even kept all these groups regularly updated on subsequent days (visiting early mornings before work) as to their movements too. Don't forget, I had been previously checking this area over the previous fortnight on an almost daily basis to see if any Waxwings would turn up here. The non inclusion of my name is perplexing because I specifically submitted these records to the local recorder and 2 local members of the SORC (Suffolk Ornithological Records Committee) Committee, even also submitting a description accompanying and photos of the birds, too. One always hopes one can find good birds and goodness knows it is hard enough to do that, but at when you do find a rarity/ies, I at least expect to properly and fairly credited with the find. It won't undo the damage done, but I will be asking for the error to be corrected in the following year's report with a statement correcting the error & the record credited fairly to the original finder/s. I'll be making sure my Red- backed Shrike, self found, at Corton Old Sewage Works this year is submitted and I got pictures of that one, too.

Thorpeness Meare

On Sunday 10th December, always a nice place to visit, with the House in the Clouds dominating the western skyline and ornate brick architecture as you drive in from the north. I parked up and walked over to the Meare and scanning at the back, I instantly saw the fine male Ring- necked Duck. Way at the back in front of an island. I thought I would get a better view from the GC Car park, so I walked down the road to the Golf Club but couldn't see it from the car park. Walking back through one of the gaps in the houses, I could see a fine female Goosander resting on the island. I walked back to my original spot, momentarily pausing to see a fine yellow billed winter- plumaged Great White Egret feeding around the reed filled margins of an island again viewed in gap between the houses. Finally back at my original viewing spot I was perplexed as the area where I had seen the male Ring- necked Duck (obvious black back and head greyish flanks and whiter area buffer area between the flanks and the breast and the pale blue bill with obvious white black band near the tip and slightly knobbly topped head). I saw an obvious male Tufted Duck but the Ring- neck nowhere to be seen. I was beginning to doubt if I had seen a mirage earlier. But i was joyfully distracted from these doubts by a fine male Goosander swimming left followed by 4 redhead Goosanders, so 5 Goosanders in total, nice! I shouldn't have doubted myself as I saw Adam R and he said the RND had swam back into the reeds bordering the island and just part of its flanks were just about visible. It did indeed later swim out. I then spend time watching the bird that consorted with 3 Mallards (2 males & 1 female) swim over to the reed fringes on the south side of the Meare before swimming back to its original spot, some very long range shots taken, I was hoping for much closer shots but it was not to be. 3 redhead Goosanders surprised me by swimming past and right at mid distance at terrific speed so again I missed the shot. I had seen some Ipswich birder (I'd actually thought they were from Colchester Essex) who told me about Bewick's Swans just east of half way house, I parked near Sizewell Hall and walked west (the route to the resvoir where the RND had been seen a year or so ago), saw a flying Great- spotted Woodpecker, but little else as it started raining and I got slightly lost ending up on the road to Sizewell before Halfway House and I had to walk a full 1.5 miles back to the car in the pouring rain without a raincoat which wasn't my best choice of clothing apparel.

Divers in the mist!

On Saturday 2nd December, back at Lake Lothing in fairly foggy misty conditions, the visibilty waxed and wained sometimes you could view 150 metres away sometimes half that. Walking to Mutford Lock bridge, a fine Great Northern Diver was fishing and I made my way to the lower walkway, joining John B and family and was very fortunate to see the Great Northern Diver come even closer and I managed a couple of pics. Meanwhile looking beyond the railway bridge the fine Black- throated Diver could be seen but it soon swam east disappearing into the mist. Sadly, just too far away to photograph it. Jeremy G strolled up and saw both Diver species with me & we then saw Richard W who said the RTDiver was on Oulton Broad Dead End and could be viewed from either Caldicott Road or from the Commodore PH. We walked over to the picnic area of the Commodore, initially we couldn't see it but after 10 minutes I spotted swimming right in front of some boats. This fine Red- throated Diver then swam further west towards us before swimming back again and this completed seeing the set of all 3 relatively regular Diver species within 30 minutes, & the first time I have achieved this feat. I am pretty sure this is the first time all 3 Diver species have been seen in Lowestoft area at the same time! Walking back along Lake Lothing, I bumped into Kevin B and we saw a total of 6 Little Grebes on the water. A very enjoyable hour and a half spent in good company around this area!