Hoopoe along Sizewell beach

After missing several Hoopoes recently at North Walsham, Thorpe cum Haddiscoe, Stubbs Wood, Gunton and realising I would be too late to see it at Thorpeness yesterday. I was very keen on Sunday 17th November, to see the Hoopoe at Sizewell. So once I heard it was still at Sizewell, I drove there, but there was no free parking available by Sizewell village so I tried to another spot I knew where there were a couple of spaces and I took the footpath to the beach, by the caravan park I heard a Stonechat calling 'chack chack.' and wandered down only to be greeted by the news that the bird was showing well 5 minutes earlier but a dog walker had thrown a ball at the bird (!!!) and the bird had flown north, I walked north with no luck and no sooner had that happened then we heard the bird had been seen in flight again in the same original spot by the same lady I had just been talking to. Matthew D, strolled along and as soon as I saw him I saw the excellent Hoopoe fly up near us, wonderful butterfly like flight and then right over out heads before it flew down the beach and appeared to fly up into the small trees on the cliff. We walked down and again we saw the Hoopoe fly up and again into the cliff trees. Matthew saw it fly again. We were then joined by John G. and photographer. I then walked up to the cliff top where we heard the bird had been sighted ten minutes walk away I walked south along the cliff top path skirting Sizewell hall grounds, we saw Rob Win and Julie and then we heard the bird had been sighted back in its original spot so we headed back again. The bird was then seen flying around the cliff and then a little further north into scrub and gorse. Rob, Julie & Matthew all left. Fortunately for them they didn't witness the behaviour of 3 specific individuals who were constantly hassling the bird getting far too close and causing the bird to fly frequently. Which was very disappointing to see, to say the least. This also put paid to me getting really good photos so these are really OK shots only. When I got to the beach, a younger birder, perhaps influenced by this behaviour, was edging far too close to the bird, that was sighted feeding along the edge of the gorse areas. I told him to stop and fortunately he did and the others were temporarily reigned in too, so now finally with a little common sense, we managed to view this bird at mid range for some twenty minutes. The bird was constantly feeding (but always in the shadows) until a family walked towards it (not deliberately), it stopped feeding then raised its crest and then flew north and into some bushes. The bird was seen in flight a couple of times and I last saw it in a bush, it was the other side of the bush and I didn't want to disturb it, I was close to it and I was waiting and hoping to see if it would drop down onto the path and feed. But, inevitably other birders walking south towards the bush, hadn't seen it perched in the bush their side & had inadvertently flushed it and it then flew over the cliff top. A female Stonechat was seen too. The sun was getting quite low and it was my time to leave, having been there around 3 hours.

Desert Wheatear = Birthday bonus

On Friday 15th November, after receiving a very welcome phone call from Jane F saying both her and Paul was watching the Desert Wheatear at Winterton, just after 12.15pm, I drove stright over there and from the triangle sign along the North beach I saw Mick D who was a Seal Volunteer with other volunteers and he said the bird was around 200 metres further north with 4 people, 2 people I knew very well and a photographer who was 'on the bird'. I reached them to see Paul & Jane F and another birder plus photographer Jim L lying down quite close to the bird. The bird was perched on a small sand hill, it was the fine female Desert Wheatear. I almost joined him and took a few pics but unfortunately my camera setting was still on ISO 1600 which was too much for this now bright day. I quickly changed the setting to auto ISO meaning the camera selected ISO 100 which gives the best quality. I then joined Paul & Jane F. saw the bird which was often on the move and now moving north, I went into the Dunes and crawled up to the Dune edge and saw the bird reasonably close then the bird flew towards me and perched on a pebble where I obtained my closest shots, again without disturbing the bird. Also on the beach were around 15 Grey Seals the closest one , but still by the shore/ sea edge, I took pictures of one of their number from the edge of the dunes. It then flew onto the beach and then flew a little way south again. I could see Tim H walking up and I walked and joined the throng of birders where we saw it perch on a tree stump and then it flew again. Drving back past the Casietr bypass dual carraigeway a Buzzard closely followed by a Kestrel flew east across the road. A great trip and only my 3rd female Desert Wheatear having seen previous females at Heacham Hunstanton and a fabulously showy bird on Gorleston beach.

Winterton dip but productive seawatch (for a change!)

On Wednesday 13th November, a day off work meant I could twitch the Winterton Desert Wheatear, only problem was I missed it by 5 minutes as I had walked around 900 metres north of the beach car park and the bird had moved to the beach opposite the car park walking back I could see a group of people watching it but by the time I got there I had missed it by just 5 minutes. It didn't reappear. A seawatch was quite productive from the car park revealed 6 Eider flying north (1 adult male leading the 6), plus a female Goldeneye flying north. 2 single Red- throated Divers flew north, 3 waders- a Knot and 2 Dunlin flew north, 1 female Goldeneye on the sea.

Long-eared Owl viewed from the Pier

On Tuesday 12th November, at 2pm I was finally able to take a lunchbreak and drive to Gorleston Pier walking out I saw Dereham Paul just leaving but there was also Paul & Jane F.,John R. and Rene B. all trying to photograph the bird in windy and rainy conditions. From the end of the Pier we looked north and saw the Long- eared Owl perched on defence rocks at the very edge of Yarmouth Harbour, the bird was distant but you could see most of the bird and its ear tufts though the scope that Jane kindly let me look through, by 2.10pm I had to leave, a really good lunchbreak twitch.

Amur Stonechat at Trimley Marshes

After an interesting Eastern type Stonechat had been typically found the previous Sunday and having to wait all week, albeit I had a few days off but there was the small matter of attending 2 Deep Purple concerts one in Birmingham at the BP Pulse Live arena on Monday (driving back Tuesday) and going down by train on Wednesday to attend a show that night at the 02 Arena at Greenwich, travelling back Thursday and working Friday meant I had to wait until the following Saturday 9th November to twitch this bird. The weather was on my side as it had been misty and murky all week and this weather pattern continued for the first part of the weekend at least. Amur Stonechat is the Stejneger's Stonechat of old with the last one seen (a first for Suffolk at the time) in Suffolk in October 2016 at Landguard and typically it did a bunk by the following weekend. Having not visit Trimley since the Whiskered Tern/ Little Bittern celebrated double bill in 20--, I had to look up where to go vagually remembering heading for Trimley St. Mary then crossing the railway line (where I had to wait for 6 minutes whilst a seemingly neverending goods train trundled past! At the end there was parking for around 15 cars and luckily there was one spare space so parking up I took the very long 1 mile + walk through farmland. Around a 1/4 of the way down an immature or female Black Redstart was seen flitting around in a large Oak tree not the usual habitat for this species but very welcome nonetheless. I carried on walking turning a corner right past some agricultural machinery and then following the track winding first one way and the next before a large bush was seen on the right, just past this was a load of Umbilfers set in a long strip of set aside by the edge of the field and the vehicular track plus 3 birders. I quickly got onto the bird, a fine Amur Stonechat, which appeared to be a 1st winter, it was flying and perching up onto the top of the umbilifers or perched half way up or even sometimes on the ground. The bird was incredibly confiding at times it flew past flycatching just above our heads and on 2 occasions it flew past me just a foot away. It perched on around a dozen times in vegetation on the very edge of the road just a couple of feet away. It had a black face, white throat, brownish streaked crown with a rusty streaked back, rusty rump with rusty uppertial coverts and a pale creamy wash on the underparts. It had a black bill and legs. As time went on more people arrived and was especially pleasing to catch up with Justin Z, Ellie Z & Justin's son having not seen them for several years. Equally pleasing was seeing David W, Roy M, Lee W from the Ipswich area and closer to home Rob W and James W. The bird continued to show well for all until one perosn went out to collect faecal samples (to confirm the bird's ID but given the showiness of the bird and all the photos taken that might not be necessary. Sadly, this action spooked the bird a little and it moved to the further side of the set aside strip for the next 30 minutes or so. As I walked back I saw the Black Redstart in the same area, this time flitting in the large trees the otherside of the road. Again typically elusive but occasionally seen. Please note some of the accompanying photos have been lightened.

A 'Serindipitous' occurrence

On Tuesday 5th November hearing of Rob M spotting a female Serin at Corton OSW, I walked down the west side couldn't see anything in the fading light as it was about 4pm, as I walked around the east side aside from 3 Linnets, Goldfinches and Greenfinch I spotted the shape of a smaller dumpier bird with domed head and short deeply forked tail flew up and it flew to the south- east corner of the OSW, presumably to roost in the Tamarisks. I suspected it was the female Serin. The very next day, Wednesday 6th November, I walked around around the west side of Corton OSW & at 7.50am I saw a bird fly into a bush near the north-west corner of the OSW from the compound, it looked very promising. It then flew again with some 4 Goldfinches and flew to the Rosebay Willow herb tall weed stems on the west side of the path. It was the fine female Serin. In flight it showed a deeply forked tail and noticable and prominent lemon-yellow rump. When it feed it showed a deep streaked body (above and below) only becoming unstreaked with the underparts near the undertail coverts white and unstreaked. It showed 2 faint wingbars. The pale breast, there was a tinge of yellow on the middle of the breast. Crucially, there was no yellow in the tail. It often spent time feeding behind the tallest stems and was obscured for most of the period of observation. After only 3 minutes for no reason the entire flock flew east towards the sewage works compound and sadly the female Serin wasn't seen again. About 20 minutes, later Andrew E arrived, then Paul & Jane and Maurice and finally Jeremy, but despite the additional observers present we couldn't relocate the bird. POSTSCRIPT: Later on amazingly Rob M found a female Serin at beach farm Benacre, was it the same bird that had moved on?

A quiet weekend with a showy Kestrel

On Sunday 3 November I parked up at the bridge nothing along Corton OTR although I did see James B and as we were talking a Green Woodpecker flew up and onto the left side of the trunk of a tree the other side of the road Stirrup's Lane, asI looked around Corton very little about save for a family of c12 Long- tailed Tits in St. Bartholomew's Churchyard, Corton included Blue & Great Tits and a Coal Tit. I heard the "tseep" of a Redwing and walking to Corton OSW I saw one fly out from the carvan park, nothing around Corton OSW save for 4 Greenfinces, 3 Goldfinches, a pair of Chaffinches and a male Blackbird by bushes by the dyke. As I walked back I saw a Great- spotted Woodpecker flew west. I looked around the parks inc. Arnold's Walk, Sparrows Nest nothing there but as I walked around the Netposts, I saw a male Kestrel perched up and over the next hour or so I got a few pics as the bird was quite confiding and allowed a close approach with care. It was pleasing to see the bird hunting and catch a mouse/ vole which it dispatched and fed from a post. I walked up to the seawall and I saw a Rock Pipit perched on the newish wooden ramp it flew up to the Birds eye with 2 other Pipits. Looking from the seawall to the ledge below opposite the wooden ramp I saw 1 Purple Sandpiper amongst the 3 Turnstone, my first of the winter. I then went back to look at the male Kestrel again. Before I then looked around Ness Point where a grey Black Redstart with white flash on its wing flew from the turbine yard and by the defence rocks just south of the Point. A dog walker somewhat inevitably flushed just a minute after I found it, I then bumped into Rob H for a chat. Looking at the pictures of the Kestrel, I could see it was rung with a silver ring with a partial read of '725' and from a different angle '0 (or 8)944' &'4323'. So, I think it is 7250 (or '8')944323 maybe??

Dartford at last & Orange Peel fungus

After missing the Dartford Warbler at Gunton Heath, I was determined to have another go. So leaving work at 3pm on Wednesday 30th October 2024 I was at the Heath by 3.30pm, I walked around and saw Nicholas on the Heath and by the cleared area I saw the Orange Peel fungus and got some pics, with the macro lens. There were several areas with spots of the fungus in the cleared area and on the entrance paths too. Finally, at 4pm, in an area directly opposite half way between the Hubbards Loke entrance and the south Dip Farm car park entrance just a few metres east of the cleared area I saw the fine Dartford Warbler fly out from a metre high clump of heather and directly into a large gorse bush, all of a 5 second view and it didn't call at all. As the light was fading I didn't want to disturb what might be its roost spot. So I walked off & also seen were a Green Woodpecker in undulating flight flying south, later on a Greater- spotted Woodpecker flew north and a Jay seen too. Finally, in the fading light a male Kestrel perched on a tree on the heath.

Return to the Whoopers

On Sunday 27th October, I was keen to try for some more pictures of the Whoopers at Benacre and following the extra hour in bed, I made my way there by 8am new time and walked down to the beach. The birds were there so I set up in the south- east corner hoping theyb would come to me they didn't. I looked in the hide, there was a couple in there. Against lots of wildfowl on the Broad with c300 Coot still, c400 Wigeon still, a male Shovelor and 2 male Pintail at the back. A female Marsh harrier flew at the back of the broad. There were lots of activity particularly from a party of 7 'tping' Bearded Tits flying around quite frequently but always flying into the reeds and out of sight. The high pitched call of a Kingfisher heralded the sighting of a Kingfisher perched on a stick in front of the hide scrape at the back and I managed a few pics. Looking at them the lower orangy/red mandible proved it was a female. I then walked back to the beach and slowly crawled up the fallen tree trunk using it as cover, the Swans were now on the Broad beach edge roughly two-thirds north. There were 7 Whooper Swans (3 adults and 4 immatures), the family party plus the adult bird. When people walked along the beach the Swans would slowly swim out onto the Broad and I was able to obtrain some nice shots in perfect light without disturbing them as they returned to the same position the beach edge when the walkers had gone. Later on a look around Corton was virtually birdless save for 2 parties of LT Tits and a look on Gunton Warren opposite for James W's dartford proved fruitless but I did see several examples of Orange Peel Fungus (thanks to Izzie for the ID) on the cleared area opposite Hubbards Loke.

Saturday Surprise

On Saturday 26th October a look around Mutford Lock in the morning failed to reveal the reported 'Arctic Tern', all I saw was a Grey Wagtail. Despite checking Mutford Lock, Oulton Broad and Lake Lothing. A 'Whats App' from Rob H seeing he had seen an immature Peregrine Falcon at Corton Church. So I drove up there, parked up and I looked over to the Church spire at St. Bartholomew's Church at Corton and there it was a superb immature Peregrine Falcon perched on the top of the spire, I moved to under the Sycamore tree to conceal my presence, the bird was facing me and I took a shot. lightened the exposure, and carried on. After a while the bird shifted and then looked back and unfortunately a very noisy motorbike was coming down the road (no silencer?) and the bird immediately flew north- east over the churchyard and out of sight. I had realised an ambition of seeing a Peregrine on the Church tower as I knew the last birds to breed in Suffolk (before recent breeding success) was at Corton Church in 1800. Just after lunchtime at home, a tweet went out saying the "Arctic' was back on the jetty. I drove back following Rob H's car. I parked up nearby and walking to the Lock, lots of Gulls on the Jetty, no Tern on the jetty, I saw Rob H walking up who said he had just seen it on a jetty near the Boulevard, we walked over but sadly it had flown as a boat had docked where it had been. Rob then said he thought it was a Common and not an Arctic Tern, he showed me his excellent pics and it was clear that indeed this bird was a Common Tern and not an Arctic. After a very civilised coffee break, Rob walked back to his car and I walked back to Mutford Lock and peered over to the Jetty only to see the Common Tern sat on Mutford Lock Jetty where it stayed for 15 minutes, initially it was sat on the jetty after 5 minutes it stood up and then 10 minutes later it flew to a verticle structure underneath the railway bridge. It stood facing away from me for 3 minutes before it finally flew over to Lake Lothing north- east and out of sight. A look through the pictures of the Peregrine I could see it had a silver ring on its right leg, a partial read of '4323' and on its left leg a larger pale yellow ring with hand writing on it all I could read here was 'S3'. STOP PRESS: It is likely this bird was ringed in Finland.

Corton look around

On Thursday 24th October, a look around Corton, the Churchyard, the old sewage works and the old rail track, all I saw was a female Chaffinch along the rail track bushes (west side near the road/ bridge).

Benacre Trip 2

On Sunday 20th October, at first light I walked down to Benacre Broad from Covehithe and as I approached the wood from a Broome bush to the right, I heard "chacking" and saw a fine female Ring Ouzel look out and then she flew west, this was just some 30 metres prior ie. south of the woods by benacre Broad hide. I walked down to the Broad and the adult Whooper Swan was initially in the north-east corner but swam to the middle section of the beach side of the Broad, it was with Mute Swans and Canada Geese so no chance of getting any closer so I stayed in the south east corner. At 9.10am, the family party of 6 Whooper Swans (2 adults and 4 immatures) flew in from the south and headed for the north-east part of the Broad and landed near the beach, by some Canada Geese. Rob M. walked along the beach. from the north and the lone adult Whooper Swan swam a little nearer to me and the sun briefly came out. Walking to the hide, I joined Rob M and he said he had 3 Red- crested Pochards amongst the duck, I scoped them and I was very pleased to find an additional male in full plumage, so 4 Red- crested Pochards (2 males & 2 females) in all. A great tally of this southern Mediterranean species (& hopefully not fence hoppers from a nearby wildfowl collection?) Amongst the ducks there were around 300 Coot, c400 Wigeon and 3 male Pintails, with at least 2 Great crested Grebes and a single Little Grebe. Whilst by the close reeds just to the right of the hide, a female Stonechat and then a male Stonechat perched high up on a reeds and flew up and hovered in the air briefly. Also seen were up to 4 'tpinging' Bearded Tits flying across right and into the same patch of reeds. When Female Marsh harriers flew over, the Wigeon would take to flight whilst the Coot flock huddled together, safety in numbers?

Benacre trip 1

On Saturday 19th October, late afternoon I travelled down to Benacre, parking at Covehithe and walking out down the cliff where a family party of 6 Whooper Swans flew south and almost directly over my head, calling "whoop" as they went, a wonderful experience! Looking from the hide, there were lots of ducks and I could see the lone adult Whooper Swan in the south- east corner of the Broad, the light was going by now. As I walked back I realised my trusty favourite M&S blue jumper was missing, I retraced my steps to the hide and side of the beach but no luck but as I was walking past the Church, some kind soul had hung said jumper over the iron gate post so I gratefully retrieved it and reunited with it, fortunately.

Western Conifer Seed Bug in front garden

In the afternoon of Saturday October 19th, at about 4pm in the front garden I saw a large brown bug on the wall of the house just left of the front door. I moved it to a bush and took a few pics. I could not find it in my insect book (published in 1996!), I wondered if it was some kind of Longhorn beetle? Jane F kindly ID'd for me as a Western Conifer Seed Bug, no woder I couldn't find it as it was an American species that was introduced to the UK in 2007.

Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS spotted from the garden

On Wednesday 16th October, I went out as it was getting dark to set the Comet from Millenium Way but couldn't see it. Thanks to our Whats App group I checked again from the garden at 7.15pm and standing on a chair I could clearly see it, Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS with an obvious flared tail stretching up above it, low down in the west. I had especially good views using my binoculars. First time sighted from earth in 80,000 years!! I couldn't get a pic of, (never very good at night time photography) so instead here's a picture of our much loved boy, Comet, our former lovely black and white cat, who we sadly lost all too early on 14th August 2023 last year, we miss him and of course we miss our also much loved, beloved and equally lovely Tabby cat Cosmo too, who we lost suddenly and unexpectedly on 1st February this year, we still miss both of them dreadfully.

Ospreys and Shore Larks!

After a series of dips it was good to see some birds today starting off at Thorpeness Meare where typically as I arrived the Osprey I had come to see had been flushed off its tree by boaters on Meare and it had flown off! But it came around again and I joined Paul & Jane F and others here and hunted over the Meare really low right in front of us, frequently flapping and 'hovering' performing beautifully, the only problem was the light was really hideous and it was near silhouette shots only. I dialled in a plus 1 and a quarter exposure setting rating but could have pushed it to over +2 really. The bird then settled on. large bare branched tree on the island at the back. It was disturbed once again when rowers approached it and it flew out the back. It flew back from hunting/ fishing at the back and perched up again feeding on fish. As we watched I haerd the wonderful distintive call of an Osprey close by (the first time I have heard this call in England!) and looked up and saw a wonderful second Osprey flying in from the right (north) I called it immediately and everyone was pleased to see the 2 Ospreys. They both then flew up and flew round island and the back and were both seen gaining hide and going south? Were they leaving, but it was our queue to leave and I followed Paul & Jane F to Kessingland where we parked up and after a short walk we were on the Kessingland Dunes/ beach opposite the southern most carvan by the caravan park. We could see at least 3 birders/ photographers (including Gavin) and we slowly crawled up and joined them to view the fine quartet of 4 Shore Larks busy feeding. They were reasonably confiding but they became even more so when a local lady made a bee-line for them and fortuitously for me pushed them in my direction where I managed a few shots. Otherwise, they held a respectful distance until again a dog walker heading for the beach pushed one even closer to us where I got a shot of the bird stretching its neck up. Otherwise the protective cordon of birders/ photographers kept the dog walkers away and most had their dogs on leads, great to see such responsible behaviour from both the dog walkers and birders/ photographers waiting for the birds to come to them whichj they did with a little patience. Around 8 Linnet also seen that flew north. Good to see Steve A. too and I even managed a brief chat with him as I drove through the beach village.