Black Darter influx at Corton Sewage works

On Sunday 6th October I missed out on seeing Black Darters at Corton because I had been gardening all afternoon. Well done to Andrew E for findinga further3 at this site, but I am kicking myself for not going myself as I thought it would be a good area to check following Andrew's stunning bief sighting of a Vagrant Emperor, an Odonata I am particularly keen to see. So on Monday 7th October at 1.15pm, and despite grey clouds looming, I made my way to the Corton sewage works pond armed with my wellies and I was initially unsure on whether I would see any and was mightliy relieved and elated to immediately see a male Black Darter on the hand rail. As I waded through the submerged board walk. This magnificent Odonata showed really well and was particular obliging for the camera although this was spoilt by the slightly overcast conditions making photography particularly difficult. This species has a very thin pinched in abdomen which makes sharp photography particularly difficult and this requires a normal aperture rating of F8 for Dragonflies increased to a more light demanding F11 aperture. This causes serious problems in the poor light and this wasn't an option on the day with such poor lighting. A further Black Darter, another male, was resting on the handrail along the eastern end of the boardwalk. Whilst around the grassy margins just west of the pool, another male Black Darter was seen and took a particular shine to Ricky, often alighting on his hand. Meanwhile I saw a Willow Emerald hanging from the bushes and viewed from the western side a pair of Willow Emeralds were mating (initially viewed through Steve A's telescope), this bodes very well for the future of this species at this site. Probably around 5 male Black Darters seen in total, plus several, 5 Common Darters mostly male, 1 Emperor Dragonfly buzzing about and several 3 really smart male Migrant Hawkers. We also saw Nick M, who was asking about Lesser Emperor sighting including my record from last July at the now Odonata hot spot of Links road/ North Beach/ Gunton Dunes area! On Tuesday 8th October, the sun was shining and a late night at work (working to 7pm) I was able to break for very early lunch at 10.30am and by 10.45am, I was walking down to the Pool. A case of deja vu, as it was good to see Ricky F here again. Ricky hadn't seen any Black Darters but I soon spotted a male Black Darter perched on the hand rail of the boardwalk over the far eastern end. But our concentration was on the grassy bank, where we spotted up to 10+ male Black Darters flying around then either perched on the ground or on a frond of sticking vegetation sticking up. The perfect sunny conditions made all the difference as several male Black Darters posed beautifully for the camera giving some good results. The trick was to either spot them perched which was tricky or follow one seen in flight and hope it landed within view. The bright sunlight meant we had to be very careful not to cast shadows over these insects which would quickly fly off again. Also seen were an Emperor Dragonfly, 3 smart male Migrant Hawkers and 5 Common Darters (4 males and 1 female). After leaving work at 7.05pm this evening I heard a Tawny owl calling "kewick" calls from just north- west of the site not far from the Doctor's quarters.

Ring Ouzel and Firecrest duo

On Saturday 5th October, I went straight to Gunton Warren and parking at the end of Corton road took the path heading east onto Gunton Heath, good to see Chris M & James W, the finder having initially seen it in bushes along the top. Down on the warren, we heard the chacking of a Thrush and a very grey looking long- tailed Thrush which perched in the top left of a Sycamore at the top of the cliff. It was the excellent Ring Ouzel, showing very silvery wings. It perched here for several minutes before it flew down and left. Only seen at distance with bins, it would have been nice to have seen this bird close up to check if it had shown any characteristics of the pale scaled "Alpistris" race? Back at the top it was eventually seen flying back into the Sycamore and then away again. 2 Song Thrushes and 2 Redwing, 1 flew over and another flew in and 1 perched in a mountain ash with a Song Thrush. A visit to Corton was fairly uneventful, with 2 Goldcrest seen in bushes along the coast road just north of Corton Church were the only birds seen. A return visit in the afternoon, parking at the Links Road carpark, an adult winter mediterranean sat in the car park with several BH Gulls before a dog let off the lead ran directly into them like an exocet missile with the Gulls promptly dispersing. Warren House Wood was very quiet indeed, eerily so whilst alook a few yards further north revealed 2 Firecrests, they were calling from the bushes just west of the Holm oak copse itself just north of Warren House wood. First one and then a second Firecrest flew into the Holm oaks showing the bronze sheen on the shoulders as they flew in and quickly disappeared amongst the dense foliage of the Holm Oaks. Seeing both James W & Nick B, 2 Thrushes, one the grey Ring Ouzel suddenly flew from the slope and appeared to drop down by a Sycamore near the N Holm Oak copse but they were not seen again.

Trio of Firecrests in the Cemetery

After a wet night and a loud thunderstorm in the early hours we were all expecting a good fall of migrants. So I was up before dawn and well before work this morning, Friday 4th October, and looked around Corton Old Rail Track with Song Thrush and heard Chiff- Chaff the only birds noted. Down one of the rides a mist net was seen and Derek & Colin were around with bags full of an unseen Song Thrush & Blackcap. At the Corton Old Sewage works, I immediately heard a very vociferous Yellow- browed warbler, fantastic, but then it started singing unusual in the autumn, to say the least! I turned around and behind me I saw Derek & Colin walking up the track with their bags and the penny belatedly (it was an early start) dropped, it was their bl**dy tape playing!! Later on, I saw Craig, he hadn't seen much, so I decided to check the bushes to the west of Broadland Sands Holiday camp where the OBP had been seen last autumn and I saw an excellent early Fieldfare perched within the bush, it saw me and hopped further in. By Church Farm entrance I heard some 'Crests briefly, worthy of further investigation, but that was it. At work we had the door open and being based in the Burrage centre, I heard the sharp "Tzchikk" call of a Grey Wagtail flying west over the buidling and inland. At lunchtime, at 1.30pm, I walked into the south side of Great Yarmouth Cemetery and it was great to see Tommy C and we walked just east of the main path in the usual bushes and in one bush, I immediately saw 2 Firecrests in the same field of view. My belated first 2 of the autumn! They were calling regularly and were even started singing to each other. They were joined by a third Firecrest, as usual lovely birds with olive green mantle, fiery crests with white supercilia bordered by a black stripe. They were constantly on the move and giving good brief views within the bush.

Pomarine Skua at Breydon Water

A quick lunchtime visit to Breydon Water along the south wall from 1.40pm, it was really good to meet Peter A, its finder and who easily by a mile has the record for finding a whole multitude of rarities at Breydon over the years. As usual I'd timed the tides completely wrong so the waders were over the far side and couldn't be properly I'D'd apart the larger ones such as Curlews etc. Apparently the Pom had regular fly rounds every hour and was due another fly around and had been last seen sat on the lumps. After a while I drove round to Asda and viewed from the steps and was pleased to see Paul, one of the Dereham boys. We watched for around ten minutes before suddenly at 1.15pm Paul said "It's flying!" and almost instantly I picked up the excellent Pomarine Skua flying up left from the north-west end of the lumps and powering low and left over the estuary scattering some Gulls. The Skua flew right over the estuary and high above the bridge it wheeled up and chased and harried a Herring Gull, that dropped its food which was expertly caught by the Pomarine Skua and then it flew west over the estuary towards Burgh Castle. A superb sleek but barrel chested Skua with all dark bill and distinctive white flashes beneath the base of the primaries on the underwing. Thanks to both Peter A for telling me where he had last seen and an update from Tommy C on when he'd last seen it this is much appreciated, especially when you have so little time to spare on a lunch break.

Continental Migrants at the Nest

On Wednesday 2nd October, a late morning TOIL (working 8 to 6pm Monday and 8 to 7pm Tuesday!) visit to Sparrow's Nest today, revealed a mini fall of greyer looking Robins and Song Thrushes, 4 of each species were seen, obvious migrants from the continent. The elusive Firecrest still eluded me, not sure where its been seen exactly? I assume it has been seen either round the bushes on the north side of the loop trail at the top of the bottom of the lighthouse top of the bowling green area? Finally got problems of tweeting out in the field from my mobile phone sorted but this has been replaced by me not being able to login on the Vodafone website will be calling their customer services tomorrow, why is new technology so difficult???

Full of Eastern Promise? Not so far!

Ever since Thursday, there has been strong easterly winds offering plenty of promise but delivering very little so far, lets hope we get some bad weather to ground the inevitable migrants. As it turned out the weekend delivered a couple of visitors from the north rather than the east! On Thursday 26th September, I made my way after work to the pool by Corton New Sewage works where Andrew E had brilliantly found both Black Darter and Willow Emeralds. Sadly I missed all of these Odonatas (the sun had just gone in when I arrived at 5.40pm, too late!) and had to content myself with 4 Chiff- Chaffs in the plantation (always a productive area) following a nice group of 20 Long- tailed Tits moving through. On Friday lunchtime, I had a 2 hour extended lunch (TOIL) at the Corton New SW Pool and Ricky F refound a superb Willow Emerald, my first in Lizard land/ Lowestoft. showing well but just out of photographic reach and enjoyed by Chis M, Maurice B and myself it was perched on the vertical branch of a bush bordering the western side of the pool. The dagger mark on the side of the thorax being a diagnostic feature. On Saturday 28th September, a very disappointing total lack of migrants in the afternoon (a nagging headache, due to the high pressure/ humidity, kept me housebound in the morning) and couldn't see the Firecrest at any of the 4 entrances to Bird's Eye (I assume it was seen by the western offices entrance but not entirely sure!) but it was nice to see a close Brent Goose on the east side of the Oval, looking through the fence albeit directly facing into the fading sun. IThe Goose was faithful to a small shaded area and was constantly feeding in a small 3 metre square area during the whole time of observation. On Sunday 29th September, another Firecrest dip, this time it was too windy in Sparrows Nest again in the afternoon, but a tweet from mid afternoon Danny P, had Paul F, Jane F & myself dashing to the northern path slope leading down from CEFAS and I refound the excellent Snow Bunting feeding on a secluded bit of concrete at the bottom. It then flew a little way onto the main path, before it was about to feed in the sunlight on the main path, it was inevitably flushed and it flew back to the pink tarmaced path sloping down from directly underneath the CEFAS's northern side and the bird was particularly confiding (see header shot! & below) and seen just 2 feet away until some walkers pushed it towards me, I couldn't believe it (ala Victor Meldrew) when two of their number apologised for flushing saying they hadn't seen it when it had been trundling down the slope barely 3 feet in front of them for a good ten metres!! They flushed it but it flew up and alighted further up the slope. It was seen again for a while before the inevitable dog walker flushed it right off the slope again and flew further east down the slope

Yellow- browed Warbler at the Nest

At around 10am today, I made my way to Sparrow's Nest after the fog had dispersed but had been beaten in finding the first YBW of the autumn and above the Bowling Green I saw Andrew E, Robert Win, OFB and later Robert Wil as we waited a short time and suddenly the excellent Yellow- browed Warbler started constantly calling a high pitched "tsuuip". The only problem was we couldn't initially see it, as it was near the very top of the trees but eventually came down to 2/3 of the height of the tree and a flitting movement soon put us all onto it. A small Warbler with whitish underparts and cream supercilia seen from the angle we ewre viewing it from, as it flitted around in the tree showing occasionally before after 4 minutes it suddenly stopped calling and we lost it from view after seeing it three times for around 3 minutes. Little seen on the Denes save for an adult winter Mediterranean Gull flying south over the sea and an adult Common Tern perched on the groynes. 3 Chiff- Chaffs heard and later on in Sparrow's Nest at lunchtime where 5 Migrant Hawkers were seen flying around the bowling green hunting insects at least 3 were blue adult males. At Fallowfields in the afternoon, 2 Chiff- Chaffs heard.