Iced over

Saturday 11th February, I can honestly say that since Christmas, i haven't taken a single photo with my new lens in sunny weather. Today was the exception. First stop at a very icy Leathes ham with just 2 pools of fresh flowing water along the northern side from an other wise completely frozen area.
As I walked around, the excellent redhead Smew could be seen on the left- hand side of the Pool, before swimming out and being mainly at the back, but after a while she relented and spent a lot of time swimming around the north= west corner barely 5 metres away and we, OFB and I obtained some good shots in good light.
Around 20 Pintail, mostly males were at the back asleep on the ice, but a number of Gadwall and 1 male Wigeon swam close in.
The redhead Smew was diving frequently and often there was weed stuck in its bill.
A look at Oulton Broad and it was completely frozen over, so no Sawbills today there!
getting great advice from OFB, I drove down to the North denes caravan park along swimming pool road and went to reception to ask for permission to drive over the mobile caravan park site. The lady in reception was very nice and said yes, so I drove in and saw instantly 2 Lapwing and 2 Golden Plover, I drove up to the Golden Plover turning the engine off and eventually the Plover ran a little way towards me, I manoeuvred the car to get a good position in the best light and managed to obtain some good shots, especially near the fixed home blocking the concrete road running south. Also just north here near a patch of snow, the other Golden Plover ran towards me a showed well too.
Not to be outdone one of the Lapwings flew in close near the diagonal parking spaces at the end of Swimming Pool road and I was able to get good shots here too, especially of it successfully pulling out a leatherkjacket from the ground, which needed quite a tug before it swallowed its well earned meal!
i also made sure I went back to reception to thank the lady too.

Smew on Leathes Ham

I have been searching for a Smew all week, although I have been at work all week, I have checked local stretches of water, most have been completely frozen, but all without any Smew. Until today, when a tweet from Andrew E had me racing to Leathes Ham after work and at 5.15pm, I arrived but the light was fading rapidly and with dusk approaching, I scanned the area of open unfrozen water and initially I couldn't see it, instead seeing lots of duck especially Pintail where around 20 were seen. Then at the back, behind and island with a cut tree stump amongst the duck, I could see the excellent redhead Smew, with dark red crown and white cheeks. The silhouette was distinctive too in the rapidly fading light. A rare sight record and my first Smew seen here and first in Lowestoft for some time!

Record count of Gadwall

During the late afternoon, in the fading light, checking the Lound lakes; all were completely frozen except an area east of the causeway where 40 Mallard and 1 male Tufted Duck vied for swimming space.
At the "Anglian Water" Lake by the A12 opposite the entrance to Gunton Hall, a really impressive tally of 221 Gadwall were actively feeding and upending in the water (in the third of the lake which was not frozen), easily the highest count I've had at this location and indeed anywhere in Lowestoft! 5 Wigeon, 5 Pochard and 1 Little Grebe and 2 Mute Swans were also seen in the water too.

Trio of Bullfinches

The marvellous Bullfinches have been visiting the garden regularly (4 occasions once every 20 minutes or so) this morning, first the pair (the male and female) and then all 3 Bullfinches (male and 2 females) keep returning to the Cherry tree to feed on the sprouting buds!
One of the females has been feeding from the front branches and the male has proved quite showy too.
A Song Thrush flew into the garden and fed underneath the pagoda area. Up to 4 Wood Pigeons have been in feeding on the berries of the Holly bush. The Green Woodpecker was perched up against a verticle branch in the middle of Fallowfields.
Jay seen too.

Frozen Out!

On Monday 6th February, a Snipe flew west over the Gapton Hall roundabout at 8.50am as i was travelling to Great Yarmouth Library.

Today, 7th February, the female Bullfinch was perched in the Cherry tree at 7.50am in the garden.
Glancing over as I drove past Ormesby/ Rollesby Broad, travelling to Martham Library, revealed both Broads were frozen with just a small patch of open water near the feeding area on ormesby broad which included several female Pochards c8.
A quick half hour lunchbreak visit to Burgh castle end of Breydon water failed to reveal any Twite, although could have been disturbed by a jogger who ran ahead of me and then came back 10 minutes later and another walker just ahead too 2 Linnets were feeding along the usual area. Several Bar- tailed Godwits seen, at least 2 on the estuary and a further 2 in flight. The estuary channel was quite low, low tide and in the distance (half way between Burgh castle and the Pump house) by some buoys I could see 4 Goosanders, 2 fine males and 2 females, a jogger in luminous green jacket ran ahead of me and flushed them further out onto the estuary. Masses of c600 Wigeon seen and these flew up in a state of panic when first a female Marsh harrier quartered the estuary and then a Peregrine swooped down low to catch a bird but missed on this occasion.

4 inches of snow!

Woke up this morning to see the garden and the Close covered in 4 inches of snow. 2 Bullfinches (male and female)- visiting as a couple once on separately on the other occasions the female the more frequent visitor; are regularly visiting again this morning eating the buds off the Cherry tree. Other birds in the garden include 15 Black- headed Gulls landing in the garden plus a 1st winter Common Gull, the first time I have seen either off these species perched in the garden, they were after the bread I had put out! Up to 6 Chaffinch (4 males and 2 females), 4 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Collared Doves, 2 Robins, 4 Blackbirds and the 3 Starling have been flying over too, plus a Pied Wagtail flew oveer south.
A check of Fallowfields revealed 4 Bullfinches flying away but no Woodcock seen today so far.
Later on some children wandered onto the Fallowfields waste ground and half way along near the edge of the road, they disturbed a Woodcock that flew low and west.
I then drove over to Oulton Broad and parking at Pets corner, I saw the excellent female Goosander resting on the jetty barely 3 metres away by the rowing club slipway. It spent most of its time asleep and seeing Morris B, I left him with it while I put some money in the parking machine. Big mistake, as it had woken up and swam away in my absence. Meanwhile some Mallard swimming towards us included the fine male Wood Duck which swam over and under the jetty.
Walking around by the Boat club, a newly arrived of 18 Pochard were seen. At the bowl by the Mutford Lock Bridge, a Lapwing, Snipe and 33 Dunlin were seen on the far muddy bank. Whilst walking along over towards the railway bridge, we saw up to 4 Grey Plover, 2 were very confiding, 2 Golden Plover, 6 Dunlin, a Kingfishersped past flying left and from the bridge, a Shag was seen where we also saw Rob Wil and Andrew E.
Walking back to Oulton Broad, 1 Dunlin was particularly confiding, whilst the flock had increased to 40 Dunlin back at the bowl. 20 Tufted Duck also seen.

Hard Weather Birding

Waking up to the first snow fall of the year, really just a light dusting. Lots of birds were in the garden early morning including Bullfinches, first there was a female, the both the male and female and then 3 birds; 1 male and 2 females. The visited every 20 minutes or so on seven different occasions. The male often feeding on the buds at the front of tree. The 2 females were slightly less showy.
A walk over Fallowfields revealed 2 Woodcock; 1 flushed from the base of a bush in the middle and another bird flew up from the private gardens just west of Fallowfields.
A tweet from Jane and I was off to Leathes Ham, where the adult Iceland Gull was seen on the ice, usually unfortunately back on and preening. Up to 3 male Pintail were also very close as was a perched female. A Wigeon seen also and male Tufted Duck. A Woodcock flew east behind us.
Dick, Rene, Paul & Jane were also seen here.
Next stop Riverside road, where the excellent Black- throated Diver was on the river straight out but never my side of the river sadly. The excellent Peregrine was seen briefly perched on its perch on the west face of the Grain silo. 2 Shag and 2 Cormorant were seen also. From Asda the river was very low and on the exposed mud on the south side were 2 Dunlin and 5 Redshank.
At the North Denes caravan park, on the south side, I spotted 3 Golden Plover and 1 Dunlin just 10 metres away. The Plovers were running a short way then feeding, 1 bird plucked out and devoured a really long worm.
There was nothing on the Oval and I walked along the entire North beach and Gunton beach and no Auks were seen alive or dead. an adult Mediterranean Gull in winter plumage flew over several times north the south then north again, probably the same bird and this bird has spared my blushes as this is my first Suffolk one for this year! But I did see a flock of 130 Brent Geese flying south right over my head over Gunton Beach and then 9 Brent Geese flew south a little later. Whilst walking along the Links road wall, I inadvertently flushed a Dunlin that must have been huddle close to the wall. It flew a little way over to the dunes and settled down near some marram grass and taking great care not to disturb it I managed to get a few shots of this bird as it sat down.
Popping into Warren House Wood, I flushed 4 Woodcock, the first flew up from the middle part of the wood near the western fence, the second I could have predicted as it was the spot up the hill on the southern side where I have seen Woodcock on three previous occasions. The next one got up near the pillbox in the middle of the wood and the final one flew up near the north eastern edge. My tally of Woodcock was seven in total for the day.