Southwold

A visit to Southwold Town marshes on Sunday afternoon, looking over the marshes from the entrance to the Golf Club was ultimately unsuccessful as the hoped for Glossy Ibis had flown off 20 minutes earlier. Dick W & Roy H from Beccles were already there but had also just missed the bird.

No wonder since loads of walkers were crossing the marshes. A Cetti's Warbler sang it's explosive song from a nearby bush and calling a soft "tchik" it flew across the road showing it's distinctive rustic brown upperparts and paddle shaped tail as it dived deep into a bush right in front of us and out of sight.

A visit to Southwold Churchyard nearby was for once devoid of migrant birds. A very tame young Blackbird perched on a hedge nearby showed down to a foot. It appeared quite scruffy as the feathering on it's nape was almost bare and it sadly had 2 ticks attached like Limpits to the side of it's neck, 1 large one and 1 small one. Their size equates to the amount of blood they have sucked out of their unfortunate host and eventually they become so big that they fall off, severely and often fatally weakening the host. So I don't hold out much hope for this young Blackbird's prospects sadly. 

The Last in Line

Having to work yet again, (I've worked over 50 hours this week for the Norfolk Library Service), this Saturday, I cast regular envious glances of news on my mobile of the excellent seabird passage passing north off the North sea off Ness Point today.

Finally finishing work today at 4 by 4.20pm I had joined Andrew E and the chairman of the Lowestoft Bird Club, Derek B at Ness Point and we saw several Gannets, 21 flying North, (a mixture of adults and subadults and immatures) the biggest group a trio that flew by. 

4 Red- throated Divers flew past, 3 North and 1 South.

After Derek had left at around 4.40 the ever sharp Andrew spotted an excellent Great Skua, (colloqually known as Bonxie because of its habit of dive bombing intruders on their breeding grounds! of which I was a victim once on the remote island of Unst; one of the Shetland islands; when I tried to cross the edge of a colony of Bonxies in August, after they had finished breeding, This was in order to reach a viewpoint to look for "Albert", a rare Black- browed Albatross. I didn't make it as the Bonxies well and truly saw me off!) this Bonxie was typically bulky, broad-winged with white wing flashes and brown flying way out on the horizon flying north up above the horizon and then dipping below again and so on. 

This was the last, 36th Bonxie that Andrew had seen today at Ness Point and was pleased I'd seen the last of today's passage of Bonxies off Lowestoft Ness Point.

I fervently hope the title of this blog doesn't apply to the rarest bird I have ever seen.

Of grave concern regarding World Bird News, is the plight of the critically endangered Northern Bald Ibis, there are few colonies in the world and specifically there is a small group of just 4 individuals, which I believe are resident in Syria, I have been very lucky and extremely fortunate to have seen these wonderful birds myself in Morocco. I heard the very distressing news that an immature bird has been recently found shot on migration in Saudia Arabia.

We must not let this wonderful bird (or indeed any other species die out), without them the world would be a much poorer place.

Garden Birds

The first of the garden birds to make itself heard was the loud "kewick" call of a Tawny Owl that must have been in/ flying over the Close or the road opposite this morning at 12.30am.

Long-tailed Tits and Great Tits were in the garden around 8.30pm and the grey back was noted on a male Sparrowhawk that darted down the Close and swooped down the side of our next door neighbours sparking several Long-tailed Tit alarm calls.

In the late afternoon the "ticking" Robin was again in the garden.

Trio of Ibis' & Waveney Forest reprieve

A return visit to the RSPB Boyton Marshes reserve this afternoon in the hope of better Ibis shots, met with the same problem. Instead of 1 Glossy Ibis there were now 3. But they remained feeding the entire time on the right hand flash, always in the sunlight and despite them flying down to the western end of the flash and then feeding right in front of the gate only silhouetted images were obtained.

The picture seen beside this text was of the original bird taken on the 20th September.

An overflying female Marsh Harrier caught the attention of all 3 Ibis who abruptly stopped feeding and kept a vigilant eye on it as the Harrier flew over!

Also I am overjoyed to hear that the gravel pit extraction application (the online petition I signed to the Prime Minister and my letter to Michael Jackson, no not the late singer! He is the director of Planning at Norfolk County Council, I'm sure helped the cause!) has been rejected and Waveney Forest will remain a thrilling place (pun intended) for the many people and of the course the special wildlife that inhabit the area. Hurrah!

Ortolan Photoshoot!

Visiting Corton Old Sewage works track (early morning before work it wasn't initially on show, 20 House Martins flew south though) after work, I couldn't see the bird along the track, a pleasant diversion was a Grey wagtail calling and flying over in a westerly direction and I walked round to the south- east corner where I saw another birder. Apparently the Bunting had been sitting in the bush mid afternoon, but it hadn't been seen for several hours. Walking back along the path, another birder accidently flushed a bird which flew to the Sewage works fence, it was the Ortolan. It perched on the fence for 10 minutes before eventually flying down to the track 100 yards east of the old sewage bed and it fed intently from the side of the path. I and another birder slowly using our well honed fieldcraft techniques; we crouched and crawled like Army Commandos (!) and got within 12 feet of the bird via a roundabout route from the field to the North side. The Ortolan Bunting was very confiding and perfectly intent to carry on feeding and I fired shot after shot after shot (a perfect distance but a slight pity the bird was in the shade though) until I slowly crawled back. The bird still contently feeding and I was even able to show a newly arrived Dave W (who'd driven all the way up from Ipswich) exactly where it was. I'm very glad that I did so because literally a minute later (so Dave W recounted when he kindly phoned later to thank me), an inconsiderate car driver (not a birder or well known bird photographer!!) drove down the track and flushed the bird into the field.

Ortolan (Wheatear & Firecrest!)

Bright and early at 7.10am this morning, I was looking along the track 50 yards past Corton Old Sewage works, when I saw the excellent Ortolan Bunting along the path it flew to the field to the left then in the company of Meadow Pipits it flew again onto the path. As it flew it called a soft distinctive "quip" call. early morning about 60 Swallows flew North over the old Sewage plant. A Wheatear also hopped down the path, totally oblivious to me as it passed within 10 feet of me!

I then stalked the Ortolan very carefully down to about 18 feet and watched it as it fed by the side of the track on the edge of the field hopping in and out of the weedy edge of the field. I was then joined later by Clive N who managed to get a few shots of this lovely bird. After the bird hadn't been seen for a while we walked back but sadly the bird had been on the track all along and it flew calling once as it perched on the bushes behind the old sewage works.

I then walked down the Corton Old Rail Track and by the trees of the central track I heard the distinctive "wheezing" call of a Firecrest, I then very briefly saw it in the bushes to the right of the track before it quickly flitted out of view.

Highs & Lows

Sunday the 21st September was certainly a day of highs and lows. An early morning drive to the excellent RSPB Boyton Marshes reserve was quickly rewarded with good views of the immature Glossy Ibis (High no.1) . It was on the flash initially to the right of the path and Rob H & I took the well trodden path through the reeds and photographed the birds down to 40 feet the only problem was it was mostly silhouetted against the sun and the bright water. The Ibis fed on snails and at least 1 Frog. Initially it loosely associated with a pair of Mute Swans becoming more independent as it fed closer and closer. It then abruptly took flight and flew right over us grumbling a croak as it flew over. As we were watching the Ibis here, we heard the distinctive "chup chup" calls of Crossbills and 3 Crossbills flew North then finally a singleton Crossbill flew North also.

Sadly, the Ibis had settled at right at the back of the left hand flash but it soon flew over and fed closer to us in good light before it flew back to it's original feeding area.

On looking at my mobile phone, I realised I had missed a message about an Ortolan (Low no.1) seen at Corton. Driving straight back I reached the fields around the old Sewage works area and I was informed that it had been seen just 5 minutes ago, but it did not reappear (Low no.2) 

It had been flushed by a well known photographer who did at least have the decency to apologise for his indiscretion. Apology accepted.

Driving to Winterton I took a walk down the valley just 200 yards beyond (south) of Hermaness, a few Oak trees stood in a cluster by a few other trees and a big gorse bush.

Looking at the base of the Gorse bush the flitting shadows quickly revealed a superb split second view of an immature Red- breasted Flycatcher (High no.2). walking around the side of this clump by the main path, I decided to do my own thing and not follow the crowd but try and pick up the bird myself. I was seeing quick darting shapes of the bird, but it was also calling it's soft rattling "tchik-tchik-tchik-tchik" trill fairly regularly and I was soon regualrly able to pick out the bird through the foliage sometimes getting really good brief views and even some good pics too (High no.3). It flicked out into the open very occasionally preferring to show in the foliage of the tree. A Wheatear was seen near Winterton car park.

Having just returned home, I had a message from Rob W that the Ortolan was showing well down to 12 feet and I raced out of the door and parked by the old Sewage work and raced down the path and south along the cliff top path to roughly half way down the stubble field where a small crowd of 5 were watching the bird feeding in one of the 2 big furrows,

Rob W kindly let me have a good look through his scope and I finally saw this superb Ortolan Bunting (High no. 4) feeding and then hopping down the furrow before finally crossing left into some dense stubble, it didn't come out so presumably it had  gone to roost.