On Thursday 13th Oct, at 1.15pm I pulled in the car park at Corton churchyard, Ricky F and OFB directed me to look south from Corton Old SW The excellent Great Grey Shrike was perched on top of a large bush on the hedge bordering the holiday caravan park.
It disappeared but minutes later I was watching a Great Grey Shrike along the hedge running parallel with the western edge of the old SW
10 minutes later our esteemed Chairman Derek B (in a very fetching pair of what looked like pyjama bottoms!!!) rang Ricky F to say they had caught it in a net and Colin was bringing over so we could have a quick look and photo's he did, one of our number was very vociferous in his opposition to the ringers.
Later a Yellow- browed Warbler was heard calling around the Farm opposite the Churchyard and car park and the hedge bordering this but it was not seen.
The day ended with a nasty sting in the tail when I missed an Isabelline Wheatear found on the caravan site just south of Tookes.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Shrike still there
On Thursday, I enjoyed watching the Woodchat again around the perimeter of the LR car park.
One vocal Chiff- Chaff also seen in Warren House Wood.
One vocal Chiff- Chaff also seen in Warren House Wood.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Skua Passage
This morning before I work, I travelled to Links road, where the excellent immature Woodchat Shrike continued to show very well on the bushes bordering the western edge of the car park and the large bush just west of here. At 7.30am I was the only person there and I was able to get quite close (without disturbing the bird) to get some pics. Later on I was joined by Andrew E, Clive N and 2 others.
This evening from 5.30 to 6.10pm, I tried my luck with a seawatch for just 20 minutes from North Gunton Cliff and was instantly rewarded with a Bonxie or Great Skua flying south and then north, 2, 1, 1 & 1 Arctic Skuas flew north in quick succession.
A Gannet also seen flying north as did a adult Kittiwake. On the groynes below was an adult Mediterranean Gull and I could see it sported a green ring with white lettering on it, was it our old friend "3XA9" walking down the cliff I'd just set foot on the beach when all the Gulls flew fishing but the adult winter Mediterranean Gull returned and a quick scan revealed it was indeed our old friend "3XA9"
Finally on the groynes south of here another regular the adult Yellow- legged Gull perched on groynes too.
This evening from 5.30 to 6.10pm, I tried my luck with a seawatch for just 20 minutes from North Gunton Cliff and was instantly rewarded with a Bonxie or Great Skua flying south and then north, 2, 1, 1 & 1 Arctic Skuas flew north in quick succession.
A Gannet also seen flying north as did a adult Kittiwake. On the groynes below was an adult Mediterranean Gull and I could see it sported a green ring with white lettering on it, was it our old friend "3XA9" walking down the cliff I'd just set foot on the beach when all the Gulls flew fishing but the adult winter Mediterranean Gull returned and a quick scan revealed it was indeed our old friend "3XA9"
Finally on the groynes south of here another regular the adult Yellow- legged Gull perched on groynes too.
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Arrival of Siberian waifs and strays & northern visitors too!
A look around Lound this morning failed to turn up any goodies save for 2 Bramblings flying up from the road by Fritton woods and a Pale Tussock Moth larvae on some Purple Asters which were hastily bought at Lound garden centre! The caterpillar was very striking, being very hairy green in colour with yellow/ black barring on the back; the rear end hosting an impressive pink "spike".
Having read the larvae feeds on Deciduous trees, I decide to re-patriate the caterpillar on our Mountain Ash tree, lets hope the local Blue/ Great Tits doesn't find it and wolf it down as a tasty morsal!
At Ness Point, I finally saw 2 Black Redstart, a fine male beneath some wooden planks and a pale female/ immature bird perched right on top just to the south of the wind turbine.
In a location in Lowestoft, I stumbled across a fine Fox asleep on some grass and cursing myself for not having my camera in hand, I admired this beautiful canine as it got up sleepily looked at me before strolling off left.
Later on, I saw Rob Wil and Josh in the Sparrow's Nest park and from high up in the Vireo Holm Oaks I heard a Yellow- browed Warbler call twice, but it wasn't seen, despite seaching through the Tit flock which included a Treecreeper. Walking across the Denes I enjoed further views of the superb immature Woodchat Shrike that favoured the bushes west and on the western edge of the car park.
At this point Nick B and I heard 2 Yellow- browed Warblers constantly calling from the Links Hill slope, one being nearer Links road, I ran up the slope but failed to see it as it stopped calling the second I reached the top!
I had better success at Corton Old Sewage works, where in the trees just to the west of here, amongst a Tit flock, a Yellow- browed Warbler stuck its head out of the foliage and showed of its cream supercilia briefly before disappearing from view.
A flock of Long- tailed Tits along Corton ORT revealed a single Chiff- Chaff.
Finally from the garden early evening I heard the pszzeee call of 3 Redwings flying up from Fallowfields and north, a further 6 single birds flew up minutes later one after another they all, the 9 Redwing, flew north too.
Having read the larvae feeds on Deciduous trees, I decide to re-patriate the caterpillar on our Mountain Ash tree, lets hope the local Blue/ Great Tits doesn't find it and wolf it down as a tasty morsal!
At Ness Point, I finally saw 2 Black Redstart, a fine male beneath some wooden planks and a pale female/ immature bird perched right on top just to the south of the wind turbine.
In a location in Lowestoft, I stumbled across a fine Fox asleep on some grass and cursing myself for not having my camera in hand, I admired this beautiful canine as it got up sleepily looked at me before strolling off left.
Later on, I saw Rob Wil and Josh in the Sparrow's Nest park and from high up in the Vireo Holm Oaks I heard a Yellow- browed Warbler call twice, but it wasn't seen, despite seaching through the Tit flock which included a Treecreeper. Walking across the Denes I enjoed further views of the superb immature Woodchat Shrike that favoured the bushes west and on the western edge of the car park.
At this point Nick B and I heard 2 Yellow- browed Warblers constantly calling from the Links Hill slope, one being nearer Links road, I ran up the slope but failed to see it as it stopped calling the second I reached the top!
I had better success at Corton Old Sewage works, where in the trees just to the west of here, amongst a Tit flock, a Yellow- browed Warbler stuck its head out of the foliage and showed of its cream supercilia briefly before disappearing from view.
A flock of Long- tailed Tits along Corton ORT revealed a single Chiff- Chaff.
Finally from the garden early evening I heard the pszzeee call of 3 Redwings flying up from Fallowfields and north, a further 6 single birds flew up minutes later one after another they all, the 9 Redwing, flew north too.
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Lowestoft Woodchat
After an autumn which has been sadly lacking in scarce passerines on my local patch so far, today certainly delivered.
A brief vigil at Ness Point in the company of Andrew E and Rob M we saw up to 40 Red- throated Divers flying north, 12 Brent Geese flying north and 15 Gannet flying north with 12 Common Scoter and 1 Wigeon flying north also. 1 adult winter Mediterranean Gull flew south.
The Denes, Flycatcher Alley seemed quiet, I had to sit down for a while as I suffered a mild migraine which soon passed but always impairs your observation for up to 24 hours afterwards. As we approached Warren House wood we were joined by Robert Wil we looked at a passing flock of Long- tailed Tits and Rob M picked up an excellent Yellow- browed Warbler tagging along behind that showed briefly. It soon disappeared into the wood, but Andrew refound it by the eastern edge of the wood by the pillbox and we were treated to further glimpses of this enigmatic species. It also called once here, As usual olive- green plumage with a riot of cream supercilias and wing-bars.
A calling Redpoll flew over flying south.
By the northern edge of the wood, some "chop- chop calls revealed 8 excellent Crossbills flying south west over the wood.
Our luck didn't stop there, walking south out of the wood, we were approaching Links road, when Rob Wil said there's a Shrike on the bushes over there and there was, it was an excellent immature Woodchat Shrike!
Wow! I'm just not used to seeing so many quality birds especially on my local patch, usually i walk around and see absolutely nothing, this was incredible!
The bird then flew to a bush a few yards east of bordering the northen end of the car park and a passer-by flushed it onto the tall post on the northern edge of the sea wall before another walker flushed it back onto its original perch. It was feeding occasionally. We stood by the concrete blocks near the entrance and looked across to its perch first on a bramble and then a nearby post. It then flew south and perched on the small concrete water tap wall where it stayed for sometime making occasional forays on the ground catching Bees (including an Orange-tipped Bumble Bee), a Devil's Coach Horse and other insects. It even coughed up a pellet at one point that sadly blew off the wall a few minutes later. It would always return to the wall. Once or twice it flew right away over the seawall and the beach but it always returned. I left it to check the Gunton Dunes area, I didn't see much here but I did see the regular adult Yellow- legged Herring Gull on the groynes off Gunton beach. Returning to the Shrike it was seen on the large evergreen bush along the southern edge of the car park. It then returned to the concrete wall hunting from here and a small grey post nearby before some dog walkers flushed it to a post much closer to us where we had further good of this stunning bird.
new birder arrivals included OFB, Justin L, Derek B, Peter N, Chris M, James B, regular correspondent Paul W, Morris B, Nick B, Danny P & others.
James B spotted a Skua flying north, it was an excellent dark phase Arctic Skua flying north close in low over the sea, would have been very good views from the beach/ sea wall.
Walking back along the seawall south, a Grey Wagtail flew north over the Denes by the netposts and along the old broken up sea wall, I spotted 3 singleton Rock Pipits and on the grassy area within Birds Eye 2 Wheatear.
Friday, 7 October 2011
Gathering of Martins
It was lovely to see around 25 House Martins flying very low over the Oval and Marine Parade as I parked the car at 7.50am this morning. The Martins were presumably feeding up on the proliferation of flies flying around before their long migration south to Africa and I counted around 30 flies resting on my car when I returned to it after my walk around the Oval and the Parks and "No Mr. Martin Hughes- Games!" re: from his opening comments of this evening's otherwise excellent edition of BBC Autumnwatch; all of the Swallows & Martins haven't left these shores yet! You should know better, especially given your first name!!
At lunchtime, I looked around Great Yarmouth Cemetary and again very little was seen save for a female Sparrowhawk flying away which had caught a brightly coloured luminous yellow- breasted bird which it clutched close to its chest and the prey could only have been an unfortunate escaped green and yellow plumaged Budgerigar!
This evening, a look around Corton sewage works (both old and new), Corton cliffs and sea revealed little save for 2 Wheatears on the grassy area to the east of Broadland Sands Holiday camp. Crouching beneath the height of the fence I was able to get quite close to one and photograph it albeit in poor light.
At lunchtime, I looked around Great Yarmouth Cemetary and again very little was seen save for a female Sparrowhawk flying away which had caught a brightly coloured luminous yellow- breasted bird which it clutched close to its chest and the prey could only have been an unfortunate escaped green and yellow plumaged Budgerigar!
This evening, a look around Corton sewage works (both old and new), Corton cliffs and sea revealed little save for 2 Wheatears on the grassy area to the east of Broadland Sands Holiday camp. Crouching beneath the height of the fence I was able to get quite close to one and photograph it albeit in poor light.
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