Green Cross Code!

Returning from a talk last night (Monday 8th February) the silhouette of a small deer, showing the distinct shape of a Muntjac Deer crossed the road at 9.20pm, on the Halesworth town centre bypass road (Saxon Way) crossing from right to left from one wooded area to another, but very close to the town itself! 

Bullfinch Bonanza

I have just seen 3 amazing Bullfinches perched high up in one of our trees at the back of our garden (11.05 am) feeding off the buds of the Cherry tree.

Most prominent of the trio was of course the striking male, with peachy pink underparts, who perched higher up and on the front edge of the tree. Whilst one female perched higher up in the middle and the other lower down at the back, their underpart colour was of a less striking mocha coffee-brown shade. The male spent several minutes feeding on the buds, before the higher female took the initiative and flew down to the bushes on Fallowfields followed next by the female and then finally the gorgeous male departed, sadly.

Jenny called these plump stunners "the fat birds" and I was fortunately able to fire off several photo's albeit in poor light with the window open without disturbing them.

There are of course another new garden tick.

A walk down Oulton Marshes/ Fisher Row this afternoon revealed a Barn Owl that from the barn, appropriately enough and flew storngly over to N & S Rede Marsh it flew back strongly and settled on a distant post before flying back again. The bird had several whitish areas on it's upperparts giving it a distinctive appearance. 7 Fieldfare flew up from the Barn and flew east and overhead. 10 Wigeon were on the new cut, the western most flood alleviation dyke, a male and female Tufted duck flew down the river whilst a Cormorant flew up the river. Something disturbed the birds on Peto's marsh and amongst 300+ Lapwing were 14 Golden Plover, about 30 Starlings and 200+ BH Gulls. On the far pool, 3 male Tufted duck were seen. Whilst a Great Spotted Woodpecker seen by the "bowl" area (a Bullfinch was heard here too), one was also seen near the horse field just before the paths winds back up the hill, in the horse field were 20 Redwing feeding.

At Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Marshes 22 Egyptian Geese were seen in the dip of the field together with a seated Pink- footed Goose which soon stood up when a dog walker went past. 

From Asda 300+ Black- headed Gulls and up to 4 great Crested Grebes (1 was also seen on Oulton Broad).

At Ness Point, the Purple Sandpipers had moved north by 100 yards to the sea defence rock protecting the northern section of Ness Point, initially only 4 were seen but several joined them and at 4pm, I counted 8 birds in all, my highest Purple Sandpiper count this winter. 

I will post the photo's later.

Purple Sands to the Rescue

After a brilliantly sunny early morning where I noticed the first 2 Snowdrop plants were flowering in the garden.

I went out birding and the fog rolled in all of a sudden, typical! Looking from Asda, a Kestrel perched on the grain silo and a Great Crested Grebe was seen amongst a a group of 50+ Black- headed Gulls.

Nothing in Hamilton Dock. At Ness Point, 6 Turnstone were on the seawall and 6 Purple Sandpipers fed on the "finger" only around 20 feet away. 

The accompanying pictures shows a local farmer's opposition to the plan by English Nature to re-introduce White- tailed Sea Eagles to the East Suffolk coast. I, for one, would be in favour of the re-introduction provided they will be self- sustaining, although whether this project will reach fruition is very much in the balance. I suspect there will be lots of opposition from farmers, landowners and maybe even some birders (who will argue disturbance to some of our rarer breeding species such as Avocets & Bitterns). Archaeological evidence has proved that these magnificent raptors used to inhabit East Anglia and were at the very top of the food chain until they were driven out by man). They surely deserve a second chance to regain their East Anglian foothold, but what do you think?

Redwings still around

2 Redwing flew up from Fallowfields meadow just beyond the garden at 8.15am this morning and flew east. 1 Redwing was also feeding on the large berry bush just behind Great Yarmouth Library at lunchtime today.

Please see update to Black Kite identification at Gigrin Farm (included in the 26 Jan Black Kite Magic blog).

Lunch break Goodies

A strict 50 minutes lunchbreak stop at Whittlingham Lane Great Broad was in order today after a morning training course at County Hall. 

I was particularly keen to see a couple of new arrivals since my last visit, not least the elusive female Ring- necked Duck, which I'd missed previously at Wroxham Broad.

I walked west of the island and together with Mike P scanned the ducks including several Pochard and there it was at last the excellent female Ring- necked duck but she was asleep. A smaller duck than the nearby Pochard with dark blackish- brown back, grey looking head with peaked rear crown and a tiny prominent tail sticking up a little like a Ruddy Duck's tail. When she woke up twice briefly the greyish head sported a white eye ring and white line extending back and down a little from the eye. The was a was a white band or crescent around the lores and base of the bill.  The grey bill had a wide black tip and white sub- terminal band given the bill a distinct tri- coloured appearance. Often it was seen between 2 posts where 2 Cormorant sat on each one, including 1 white- headed "Sinensis" race Cormorant. A female redhead Goosander swam out right from the island.

While another birder put me onto the first winter male Scaup, dark green-brown head, brown breast with the brown on the flanks getting lighter on the rear of the bird and grey brown upperparts. A distinctive bird when picked out but difficult to pick out unseen when it was right at the back of the broad with some 200+ Tufted duck and around 70+ Pochard.  

walking down towards the Yacht station I saw the redhead Smew swimming right over the far side just right of a wooden jetty. 

Walking further left, seeing Mike P I could see the Great Northern Diver was really close just beyond the trees lining the Broad, Unfortunately he swam back a little before I could get some shots. On one occasion he crouched really low on the water as if wanting to appear inconspicuous, as always a magnificent bird. 

Nearer the Yacht club, some people were working on the boats, a rattling pair of Mistle Thrush flew overhead , on the far side and they had fortuitously for us, pushed the Red- necked Grebe over to our side and I took full advantage firing shot after shot of the camera. It also swam back and right.

Red Fox

Driving north along the A12 at 8.50am this morning on the way to work, just before I reached the Hospital roundabout I could see in a field to the east of the road, a Red Fox "snuffling" around.

The enclosed pic was taken recently in Wales.

See my blog for early morning 24/1/10 below.

1 Hare, 100+ Fieldfares, 3 Rough-Legs & 25 Woodcock!!

A look around Mutford turned up a few more Fieldfare (around 10) & Redwing too (around 15) all fairly distant, but most photogenic though, was a sleepy Hare in a field. It woke up, "boxed" (it's not March yet, although Jenny fervently wishes it was!) and then ran off!

The fields near Covehithe were scoured and again the field, which you reach by taking the A12 to Wrentham, turn off towards Southwold and then take the left turn to Covehithe, 300 yards up here on the right, is the Fieldfare field. Today, it hosted some 70 Fieldfare all were seen fairly close to the road. I managed to get a few shots, but looking into the bright sun was far from ideal. back to the main Southwold road & taking the next turn to the right, looking around the farm with the Horse in the field, 1 Fieldfare was seen really close to the road. It was photographed through gaps in the hedge. Another Fieldfare was seen in a field further up. Nearer the bridge, a field hosted some 15 Fieldfares again looking directly into the sunlight! Why do 90% of Fieldfare flocks, flock in fields where you are looking directly into the sun??

At Southwold on the Golf Practise green, a flock of 9 Black- tailed Godwit were feeding at the back, they walked left and then flew left and over Southwold marsh before changing their minds, they turned west and flew over heading west.

At the Bailey Bridge, I could see just west on the River Blyth, a flock of 12 Dunlin that flew onto the south side of the riverbank and I managed to get some reasonably close shots of them.

walking back a very close Turnstone was seen feeding on some green turf, whilst overhead I heard "yapping" calls, I looked up and saw a flock of 19 White- fronted Geese flying directly overhead in a north- westerly direction. About 5 Redshank seen here also. Back at the Practise green, I managed to see 1 excellent Water Pipit for 10 minutes before it too flew east high over Southwold marsh. At Potters Bridge, 2 female Marsh harriers flew over the reedbed.

Back at the Fieldfare field, the 70 Fieldfare were showing well again and as the cloud briefly obscured the bright sun I managed to obtain a few reasonable shots.

Viewing Chedgrave marshes and joining the assembled throng (Andrew E, Rob W, Richard S, Roger C, Phil H & others) from the "Bun" (a raised area) at the edge of the woods giving an ideal view over the marshes to the west. I immediately saw the Rough- legged buzzard perched on a gate post. Also flying over the marshes was an excellent Short- eared Owl and an equally excellent ringtail Hen Harrier. The Rough-leg flew from his post and flew right and then left. At excatly the same time to the feft of that bird, another Rough- leg flew right and was joined by a third Rough- leg, so there were incredibly 3 Rough- legged buzzards flying around!!! Other observers having confirmed this afterwards also. Certainly a record number for the local area. The Short- eared Owl quartered the fields as did the female Hen Harrier which flew strongly right. About 3 female Marsh harriers were flying around also.

The Rough- legs all disappeared for twenty minutes, before I saw a single bird perched on a gate post below the distant church. A typically squat bird with small head, pale upper breast and dark rear belly, I let everybody know especially the newcomers who were keen to see it. As twilight descended, it flew off towards us and flew directly overhead, silhouetted beautifully against the rose- pink horizon. It will presumably roost somewhere in Waveney Forest. We witnessed the wonderful spectacle of mostly singleton but also sometimes a duo of Woodcock flying from over the forest and out onto the marsh, 25 Woodcock were counted in total, and I personally saw at least 18 of their number.