Goldeneye

A male Goldeneye was seen at the back of Rollesby Broad as viewed from the A149 road on Tuesday 6 November, early morning. Solitary Sandpiper shot added to Soggy Scilly post, Blackpoll Warbler pics have been added to the "Arrival of the Americans days 3 & 4" Oct 2012 Scilly post. Also Wryneck details and picture notes added to "Soggy Scilly days 1 & 2" post (Oct 2012).

Waxwings!

After a weekend fruitlessly trying to twitch Waxwings firstly at Thurston street, Lowestoft (Saturday) and then Pasteur road retail park, Great Yarmouth by Perenco (Sunday) without any luck. I had to return some equipment to Great Yarmouth Library on Monday 5th November and at lunchtime, having to fill up with fuel, I had briefly called in at Asda to fill up. Passing the new Breydon bridge on the way back at around 11.30am, travelling along the Yarmouth bypass road, just 50 metres from the Gapton Hall retail park roundabout, I noted 5 excellent Waxwings perched on the tree on the east side of the road, driving around the roundabout and pulling into the layby by Gapton Hall retail park, I parked the car just before Black Gate farm and decided to take my lunchbreak. The 5 Waxwings were still perched in the tree and I was able view them from a gap in the bushes. However, they soon flew off and when I drove back, seeing Keith D, I returned to the layby, where Keith D had walked there before me, when I heard the distinctive trilling call of a Waxwing. I looked west across the fence and there were now 6 Waxwings perched on a bush on the "farm area" behind metal fences. Two of their number then east flew over our heads and perched on some berry bushes right in front of us (but the light was very poor here) before a lorry driving past flushed them back to their bush. Another 3 Waxwings, that Keith spotted flew overhead and directly west again right over our heads, so 9 Waxwings seen in total, today.

A few Ness Point goodies

On Saturday 3rd November, I arrived at Ness Point at 9am in the morning and saw some birders scoping 2 Purple Sandpipers by the defence rocks just left of the finger. A further 2 Purple Sandpipers were then seen on the top of the large boulders amongst a group of 5 Turnstone behind the ledge just right of the compass, so 4 Purple Sandpipers in total. On checking the tamarisk bushes, I could see no initial sign of the LW, until I spied some birders gathering by the Tamarisks by the seawall near the southern walk entrance to said wall. A bird flew back into the Tamarisks bordering Birds Eye and eventually it was seen deep in the bushes in particular skulking around the barer branchy bit of the bush, showing on occasions briefly, it was the fine Lesser Whitethroat, looking typically like a normal one. Grey above, white below and browner (earth brown) back. It then flew right, started "takking" and then showed briefly on two further occasions, once out in the open for around 10 seconds! Some birders walked south along the Point and I saw Jeremy G, who was keen to get further views of the bird. Unfortunately, the bird was becoming more difficult to see or even locate, I had only had one further glimpse. It appears to favour the Tamarisk opposite the southern entrance walkway to the seawall and up to the staff entrance gate for Birds Eye. By now I had given up all thoughts of trying to photograph it, perhaps my last chance this year for this species? I met the birders on their return walk from the old Coastguards and they pointed out they had just seen a confiding Snowie by the aerial. A good find. I drove straight round and found Danny P and his 2 children, plus Barry W digiscoping the excellent Snow Bunting. It was feeding between the cracks of the pavement on the raised path at the most southerly tip of the point bordering SLP and next to the cabin there. It flew up the SLP wall and I was just about to photograph it, when a dog walker walked up the wooden steps and flushed it, it flew north. I thought that was it, until Danny P had it feeding around the weedy margins of the concrete floor slabs by the aerial. Another passer-by flushed it back to its original area. A few minutes later it was flushed again by a walker going up the steps and it returned to the area by the aerial. With the others, I tried to get some pics, but wasn't very happy with the results, until it did some wing stretching. When all the others had left I stayed, the sun came out and the bird showed particularly well down to 10 feet right in front of my car and feeding along the weedy perimeter of the blue western most fence. It was nice just to watch it without it being disturbed by anyone. Then some teenagers arrived on bikes and started messing about by the aerial, flushing the Snow Bunting onto the wall just left of the wooden steps, Andrew G then arrived and I pointed the Bunting out to him before I left.

Ness Point & Southwold

I started at Oulton Broad hoping to get some pics in the sun of the Slav Grebe, sadly I didn't see it. Looking in at Hamilton Dock, 1 Guillemot was seen. Joining Tony B at Ness Point, we saw 3 Redshank fly south and a Little Auk flew north at 9.15am and pitched onto the sea briefly before flying north again. A Red- throated Diver was seen fairly close in on the sea. 2 Purple Sandpiper popped up on the defence rocks amongst the Turnstone. Blackbirds were arriving in off the sea during the morning in ones and twos and around 30 were seen coming in off. 4 Fieldfare flew in off and over Hamilton Dock.Whilst checking the Tamarisk bushes, we saw a male Blackcap briefly and a Chiff- Chaff. This afternoon I driving to Southwold, I had a brief diversion at Oulton Broad Mutford Lock bridge Pontoon, where 1 immature Shag was seen. Finally reaching Ferry road In Southwold driving down to the harbour on the east end, I reached the rectangular pool, by the side of the road, parked at the nearby car park and saw the excellent female Common Scoter asleep over the far side. She woke up, preened and swam tentatively around the reed stems in the corner initially, but then she became bolder and swam around right in the middle on the water, occasionally accompanied by a Little Grebe, which she chased off on one occasion when the Dabchick got too close! She dived frequently, sometimes rearing up in the water and showed very well in the middle of the pool even swimming right towards me on occasions and showing down to 3 feet at times, finally she swam back to the corner got onto the bank and went to sleep again!

Scilly blog updated!

I have now finished the text Scilly blog. I have finished the blog for days 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7 & 8. Pictures to be added soon!

Long- tailed Duck & Little Auks off Ness Point

With a strong north- easterly blowing and frequent squally showers and hail storms the only place to be was Ness Point! Arriving at Ness Point this morning, by the former Coastguard lookout, I could see James B looking from within his car sheltered from the elements and the more intrepid Paul & Jane were presumably the other side of the Lookout as I could see their car parked there too. As it was raining/ hailing steadily, I elected, like James, to stay in the car and had 2 single Knot fly by plus a female Common Scoter and a single male Eider, all flying north. A flock of 15 Wigeon flew past north over the horizon, With the sun coming out, I joined Paul & Jane & Andrew E to the east of the lookout first we had a pair of Scaup flying north. We also saw impressive single sex flocks of 10 and then 12 male Eiders flying north, later a flock of 16 birds included 4 females. Another flock of 16 Wigeon and some Teal flying past north incredibly included a superb Long- tailed Duck (my first for many years), certainly the first one I have seen this century. We also had 2 small groups of Knot, 8 & 12 also flying north. Andrew E, did really well to spot it trying to hide within the middle of the flock of Wigeon. These days this bird is rarer in Lowestoft than RF Bluetails or OBP's! A Harbour Porpoise was seen briefly too. We were still celebrating when shortly afterwards, Andrew shouted "Little Auk!" and sure enough, an excellent Little Auk was flying north a third of the way out. We were all there, fervently hoping we would get some Little Auks, with the first strong northerly blow of the late autumn. Ten minutes later, Paul got our total of Little Auks into the plural, when got onto another Little Auk which was about half way out also flying north. We also saw a Snow Bunting flying north low over the sea about half way out. Plus 21 Starlings flew south and west over the sea. With the sun out, I raced to Oulton Broad and sure enough the Slavonian Grebe was still near the Wherry end, but the light was still not right, sadly.

Quiet afternoon

Friday 26th I had the afternoon off as I was giving a Library talk in the afternoon. At Corton, I flushed a silent Pipit up to the OBP hedge, where it perched, but sadly this bird was a Meadow Pipit and not the OBP, 3 Meadow Pipits seen in total, little else. The Slavonian Grebe was seen on Oulton Broad near the Wherry this time in strong sunlight only problem was, I was looking straight into it.