Great Northern

On Thursday 3rd January, a quick before work half hour visit to Hamilton Dock early morning, the immature Great Northern Diver was seen half way out in Hamilton Dock and it was seen around the jetty area and came close once feeding catching yet another crab, workmen who were arriving at SLP were keeping a little way back, one was curious what was out there and I eventually saw Rob Wil who'd just seen some WF Geese fly over.

New Year birding in and around Lowestoft

The Great Northern Diver was in Hamilton Dock again, initially very close, it then swam far out before disappearing for a while by the marina before once again coming quite close. 1 and then 2 Shag seen plus a Seal then a Guillemot seen far out. At Ness Point, first one then 3 Purple Sandpipers seen on the seaward edge of the sea defence rocks just south of Ness Point compass and viewed from the 200 yards to the south and looking back. In Link's Road car park initially few Gulls but several flew back including 1 adult Mediterranean Gull flying towards the car park, the flock returned and then I spotted 2 adult Mediterranean Gulls both ringed with white rings. Walking out from St Olaves Bridge, onto Chedgrave marshes, a close Barn Owl flew past me along the reeds running just east of the new cut, a further 2 Barn Owls seen. At 3.15pm the excellent Great White Egret flew around bigger than 300 Pink- footed Geese and then the Egret landed stretched its long neck with a kink in the middle and yellow bill, it stepped down and disappeared into a dyke. Finally, a female Marsh Harrier perched close by in a field, and 212 Greenfinch flocked by some trees by the house.

Great White Egret saves the day

Arriving at Hamilton Dock at midday, I missed the GNDiver by seconds as it swam left either into another dock or along Lake Lothing. Visiting Fritton woods, viewing from the mound only revealed the pale Common Buzzard sitting in a field. No sign of the RLB (5th time I've dipped on this bird! Sotterley and Hawfinches spring to mind!) or the GWE in very windy conditions. I decided to walk out to Chedgrave marshes walking along the cut from St. Olaves bridge, after 2 miles and past a pylon and house I saw the Alison & Chris A, they had just seen the GWE in flight just left of the caravan and a yellow post. I'd just missed it by 5 minutes despite keeping an eye on the area as I was walking up. After 20 minutes they left and 5 minutes later at 2.40pm, just from the right of there, the excellent Great White Egret complete with all yellow bill flew up and flew left a little way before landing, spreading its large white wings as it landed. It was seen out in the open briefly for a couple of minutes before disappearing into reeds and then becoming partially and finally completely obscured. Also around 300 Pink- footed Geese seen on the marsh, plus a hunting Barn Owl and 2 female Marsh Harriers quartering the fields.

Great Northern Diver at Hamilton Dock & no show (yet again!!) at Fritton

Switching on the phone, a tweet from Rob to say a GN Diver was at Hamilton Dock and within 15 minutes I was on site strolling along I saw Guy O, but could not see the Diver or the Shag for that matter. No sooner had Guy and his friend got in their car than the excellent Great Northern Diver reappeared swimming left from the jetty/ boat area at the back. I called back Guy, and the Diver then eventually swam into the north- eastern corner just a few metres from us and therefore showing extremely well at times, especially when people knelt down by the block it was happy to hunt close by, in front of an appreciative audience. It had a particular liking for Crabs and must have caught at least 7 or 8 during the two hour period of observation. It was joined by 2 Shag at one point, hunting not too far away too and I noted their characteristic jumping hunting dive on a variety of occasions. I was later joined by Ricky F, Jon E, Paul W, John H, Justin & his brother, Steve & Dot, Rene B and others. The bird would then swim back often to the far side before swimming back again and showing exceptionally well in the north- east corner. The bird frequently dived during the 120 minutes observation period hunting for food. At Fritton Woods mound, I saw Andrew E, Rob Wil, Paul & Jane F and Paul W again. Both the RLB (4th time I have dipped this bird) and GWE had just been seen but they failed to appear from 2pm to dusk. A Sparrowhawk flew east in over the wood and our heads! A Peregrine Falcon perched on a fence post out on the marshes was the only significant bird seen.

Christmas Catch Up

Overall a very wet Christmas, I drove across to Wales to see the family on the afternoon of Saturday 22nd December. At Fleet early morning (staying with cousins) on Sunday 23rd I saw a Grey Squirrel run across the lawn and bury a nut right in the middle carefully pacing it beneath a tussock of grass, no doubt "squirrelling away" for a hard winter treat. 3 Robins were seen, 2 males who inevitably squared up to each other thrusting their chests out and then launching at each other whilst the female looked on disdainfully! Between Reading and Newberry whilst driving west along the M4 I saw a Red Kite on the left hand side of the road flying, using its forked tail as a a rudder in flight, a Buzzard was seen near Swindon. On Christmas day, in the rain a Nuthatch came to the food Mum put out at the Lodge at Llanddarogg and at my sister-in law's at Llannon, I saw 2 Mistle Thrush, perched on overhead wires opposite. On Boxing Day, further rain restricted my birding actvities but 2 Nuthatches came to the food Mum put out plus 3 inquisitive Jays and a loud "croak" revealed a Raven flying over the Lodge and south. A quick visit to the stream and I saw 4 Redwing on a distant tree, a Nuthatch showed well fairly high up in a tree and Goldcrest in trees by the stream. Finally, a Red Kite flew east across the fields seen from the Lodge. Thursday 27th early on the 2 Nuthatches came to food again and I was able to get a half decent shot of one of them. A pair of Raven again flew over the Lodge as did a Buzzard. A visit to the Cymisfael stream revealed an excellent Willow Tit, my first of 2012, by the Whitehall bridge, seen initially foraging deep in some bushes it flew up to a tree showing its bull- necked appearance, long matt black crown extending well onto the nape and a very white cheeks, another buffy bird that flew away earlier may have been a second. Walking back along the stream, first a Goldcrest seen in a fir tree (Treecreeper heard also) and an immature Grey Wagtail seen feeding by the edge. A Buzzard flew over the woods here by the stream. Finally mid afternoon on the return journey, just before turning onto the main road at Llanddarogg, a Raven flew left over the road and the fields. 2 Buzzards seen one near Cross Hands and another near Swindon (a pale bird) on the return journey east along the M4.

Sparrowhawk Kill

At 9.45am today Saturday 22nd December, a male Sparrowhawk landed in the garden perched on the bird table roof for what must have been a preliminary reconnaisance. At 10.25am he was back with murderous intent as he swooped in low talons out at the last minute, all the birds scattered but he caught a female Chaffinch as it tried to evade his clutches in mid air. He then stood at the end of the lawn with the unfortunate Chaffinch pinned to the ground, pecking at it before minutes later he flew back over Fallowfields.

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, healthy and bird/ wildlife- filled 2013, thank you for taking the time to read the blog and they'll be more posts later this year and 2013. Cheers everyone!