Goosander (at last!) and Velvet Scoter

Luckily, I checked the computer (still receiving no tweet and I am mystified as to the problem??) and there were several tweets, the first was (13 minutes ago) saying the Goosander was back on Oulton Broad, I raced over there and parking at Pets corner, I looked around and I couldn't see any sawbills, but as I wandered around the channel by the moored boats there it was at last, the female Goosander. Setting the camera up quickly I fired off a few shots but the light and wind weren't making things easy, the bird was preening and then restful, but then she decided enough was enough and she swam under the jetty and over to the next channel that was only viewable though a 6 foot tall wooden fence. Photography was going to be tricky. She reared up and flapped her wings a few times and a boat owner walking along the wooden jetty (sadly locked and not accessible) didn't alarm her too much.

I left soon after and remembering the second tweet on the computer I drove to Great Yarmouth and parking at the end of Blackfriars road, was soon taking the path to the beach along the southern edge of the Pleasure beach at Great Yarmouth, I joined Dick W by the water's edge and scoped the wonderful female Velvet Scoter with white wing clip on her dark black body, pale circle area on the head and orange based bill, she was around 100 yards away. On one occasion she caught a shellfish shook it about and eventually swallowed it whole creating a bulge in her throat, i just hope it doesn't give her indigestion. My slightly embarrasing lack of Med Gull sightings for 2012 were soon rectified when an adult, a fine immature bird flew past going north, whilst finally 10 birds, Mediterranean Gulls congregated on the beach, most were winter adults but 1 immature bird seen also. We were also joined by Paul W who briefed us on his latest birding adventures.
UPDATE: 23/1 Twitter now working again for me, I changed my settings and transferred the SIM card to a better mobile phone.

No tweets or birds either

I have had absolutely no Tweets today, has Twitter gone down today or is it a problem with my phone I have no idea? Not sure how to rectify this problem, either, so I won't be doing any tweets if I find anything, as it probably won't reach anyone either.

So going out "blind" back at Oulton Broad, from Pets Corner, a Kingfisher flew away from its perch on a moored boat. Again the wind was very strong blowing from the west making birding difficult. I failed to see yet again the now near mythical Goosander at Oulton Broad, the Wood Duck was showing well resting on the side of a rowing boat, when the sun eventually came out. I checked the along from the Bouleevard and Lake Lothing too but again nothing. Nothing on Carlton Marshes either.
I also had a look at Riverside road and Asda overlooking the river and all I saw was a Cormorant and a diving Little Grebe. Nothing in Hamilton Dock either.
At Ness Point by the rocky ledge by the compass, 8 Purple Sandpipers fed close in, but in appalling light. They later flew north and 4 were asleep on a rock jutting upwards along the northern tip of Ness Point.
I also checked Links road car park but they were no birds on there either.

Showy Iceland & non-existant (for me) Goosander

Allowing for the rain to clear, I visited Leathes ham, a male and female Pintail were very close to the feeding area but the light was dreadful again and the superb adult Iceland Gull was perched on one of the cut tree stumps, mostly preening during the period of observation, I did manage to get a few shots of it. Eventually the Iceland Gull flew over to a distant roof and it was my cue to leave. Good to see Andrew E and Paul & Jane here.
Next stop, Oulton Broad after receiving danny P's messages of the Goosander showing well. Thoroughly checking the Boulevard and the rowing club slipway I couldn't see hide nor hair of it. Compensation came in a very confiding Wood Duck amongst some boat, so close I had to step back a little way to obtain shots with my 500mm fixed lens. Paul & Jane arrived and Andrew and Rob Wil arrived my we still didn't see it!
Going back at 3pm following Dick's text, parking at Pets corner, Rob & Andrew were there and had seen it but I couldn't find this really elusive bird on my 4th attempt! Some birds have really given me the runaround this year already, Hoopoe, RLB and now this sawbill. Disappointing.

Burgh Castle again

I had a look again at Breydon today at 8am walking out from Burgh Castle and taking the path for 300 yards and walkin north- east, I could see a lot of Redshank c40 this side of the channel and they flew further along. sadly, the weather conditions were poor with oveercast cloud, light rain and a moderately strong westerly blowing into my face. No chance of any photography this morning. A Stonechat flew up (my first of thee year) and over the west over the water. A bird flew up from the grassy area in front of me the other side of the flood barrier, it was an excellent Twite and 4 additional birds joined it, and they were seen briefly out in the open, 5 excellent Twite the pale chestnut faces and yellow bills were noted before they hopped over into cover, I had to go too, it was 8.30am, to get back to work in time for 9am. Very nice to see them and my first sighting of this species for several years.

Burgh Castle

A look at Breydon Water at Burgh Castle at lunchtime failed to reveal the hoped for Twite, apparently they had flown across the river as I walking up (just my luck and Breydon had rarely been a happy "hunting" ground for me). However, I did managed to see 1 Bearded Tit flying over the reeds and 3 Avocet in the water which were new year ticks.

Rough-leg at last!

Walking down again through Fritton woods following an earlier sighting of the Rough- leg, it was good to meet John H, Paul & Jane. They hadn't seen it, was it to be my fifth dip for this bird? A female Marsh Harrier was perched on the deck just beyond the reeds by the river, in exactly the same position I had seen her last night. A further 2 female Marsh Harriers quartered the reeds, and to complete the girly theme, a female Sparrowhawk flew out of the wood and left over the marshes.
John H said he had a bird which looked interesting but it was a long, long way away and initially it could either have been the Rough- leg or a large female Marsh harrier. It was seen sitting on a post on the right edge of a wooden gate post. It showed a dark back and tail and pale head and breast.
It looked promising and we continued to observe, but we also wanted to rule out an abberant Common Buzzard and when more plumage features could be seen, clearly on size and shape it looked just too big and far too wide in the girth (of the breast) for a Marsh Harrier. It showed a pale cream head and breast with dark streaking on it (classic RFB features), the breast was puffed out making it look quite corpulent. It showed a dark brown streaked back with what looked like creamy streaks.
But the tail looked all dark. it was only when it started preening and it lifted its tail to the vertical that I could make out white on the mid tail and uppertail, this became more apparent as it preened.
At this point OFB rang to say he and Ricky F were watching a RFB from Burgh Castle and their location fitted our bird precisely.
When the bird preened again, I could clearly make out a lot of white on the tail (except the dark tip) and we could finally say that we were watching a magnificent immature Rough-Legged Buzzard. Regular correspondent Paul W arrived and concurred with our ID, too.
Leaving shortly later, I was delighted to spot 8 delightful Crossbills (including 2 stunning brick- red males) feeding from the very top of a very tall leylandii tree just past the Fritton Lodge on north side of the track. An incongrous setting for them, I expected to see them in a Pine tree but they appeared happy on the Leylandii (around 5 females seen, one very green female sat a foot down from the top giving resonable views, the other 3 birds appeared to be immature birds but a real treat to see and new for 2012.
A trip to Southwold with Jenny revealed 1 Redwing in the Churchyard as we walked through but when we walked back at least 8 Redwings were seen calling and flying out of some holly bushes.

Iceland in the Dock

From around 8am, I was looking over Waveney Dock from the car park and after 10 minutes I saw the excellent adult Iceland Gull flying around. Again flying low and appeared to perch of the ground in front of the fish market. I could see Chris D looking from Hamilton road but otherwise there was not a soul about. I tweeted the news out and just after 9am the bird even flew up and perched for some 10 minutes on the fish market roof. As it alighted onto the roof, I received a call from OFB.
After some 30 minutes I was belatedly joined by James B, Tony B, OFB, Paul & Jane and others.
OFB and I looked at Leathes Ham, we had close views of 4 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon and 2 male Pintail, one had a pale buff- brown head.
On Oulton Broad, from Caldecott road, I saw a Shag perched on a post and from the railway bridge, I spied 4 Shags swimming around the ship, a Redshank and Turnstone were on the near shore. I was back at Leathes Ham mid afternoon but just missed the Iceland there and went onto Fritton woods via Bradwell where the Ruddy Shelduck was with c40 Egyptian Geese viewable from the road down to Belton.
From Fritton woods, I saw 2 Short- eared Owls, 1 perched on a post, one on a gatepost, they later quartered the fields/ reeds area. 4 female Marsh Harriers flew around and later on c6000 Pink- footed Geese flew north over the marshes, an impressive sight.
Near Dusk, a Buzzard flew into Fritton woods, definately a Common and not the hoped for RFB, so disappointingly again despite a 2 hour vigil until 5.05pm, I again missed the RFB, 3 Snipe flew out from the woods over the marshes. Birds heard only were Bearded tit and Green Sandpiper.