Ness Point Goodies

On Sunday 12th November, on a wet and gloomy Ness Point afternoon, I walked down to the Coastguards, the fine Snow Bunting flew up to the Coastguards perimeter fence and by positioning myself behind the Sailors rest cabin, it eventually came down and fed on the seeds on the grassy vegetation growing out from the edges of the concrete. A dog walker walked down the steps and flushed the bird back onto the wall again as did 3 cyclist coming the other way up the steps, but again after another several minutes the bird flew down to the floor resumed its feeding regime. I was joined by Derek M and his wife and we watched it, a little while longer. Walking over to Hamilton Dock, I spotted the 1st winter Eider drake far away in the channel leading into Hamilton Dock, where it swam towards the rocks (eastern end). I pointed the bird out to Derek. Later on a 1st winter Shag swam from right to left, really close in the missel. Back at the Snow Bunting it fed even closer, using the Sailor's cabin as cover it fed down to 20 feet. A calling Rock Pipit flew right low over the rocks and then over the wall disappearing south. Whilst at Ness Point, on the ledge, 3 Purple Sandpipers seen too.

Cliff Swallow at Minsmere

When news came through from BINS at 3.45pm that "a bird showing many characteristics of a Cliff Swallow" flying over the Visitors Centre at Minsmere, I almost fell off my seat at work! I was fervently hoping it would stay and go to roost in the reeds which it appeared to do when a message stated it was lost from view and later appeared to have gone to roost in reeds by Bittern Hide. Just before 7am, Robert Will, Ricky & myself turned into the car park at Minsmere which appeared strangely only half full. As it was already light (it appeared at about 6.40am) we decided to walk to west hide and look west at the reedbed. As we waited, a large Egret which could only have been a Great White Egret flew west. We saw Justin & Chris L, and Andrew E and Paul & Jane F here and we got news at around 7.20 that there were hirundine flying around the Sand Martin colony. People broke out into a run, but having pulled a muscle in my leg I could only hobble along. I got to the Sand Martin colony area, and could see the hirundine wheeling about Andrew E said its the one on the left and I first got my bins on a Swallow and then a dark bird, a small thickset Martin with an almost square shaped tail, it was the excellent American Cliff Swallow but it quickly flew left and out of sight. We dashed up to the car park and again saw the birds quickly wheeling around and then right and out of sight. They were then seen flying high over the east and then south scrape they then flew inland and over trees by the Bittern hide, where we lost them behind trees. After around half an hour, we heard they were flying around the north wall bushes by the Stonie field and rushing to the cliff top behind the old visitor centre area just right of the Sand Martin colony we saw the 8 hirundines, the Cliff Swallow was easily picked out looking superficially HM like but with dark drown plumage a pale buffy rump, and a pale rufous nape shawl, whitish on the forehead and chin with buffy rufous on the breast and top side flanks otherwise the underparts were whitish proving it was a 1st winter bird. It was flying around with the other hirundines and when the other alighted on a bush it joined them perching on the extreme left hand end! .

Woodcock & Little Auks

On Thursday 3rd November, a Woodcock was seen running around in the woods at Fallowfields at around 8.15am. 14 Little Auk were seen in total in 75mins this am off Ness Point, I started the watch at 9am, Richard S and Chris M were already there and Peter N and Derek B arrived later. Richard S spotted the first Little Auk flying north aroundd half way out. The Little Auks flew mostly north 2 which originally flew north were joined by 2 flying south and formed a flock of 4 then they all flew north! Little Auks were seen mainly singles or in pairs. Ones seen on the sea, was one then flew south and settled on the sea just by the rocks near the former lookout point. 7 Fieldfare, flew in off, including a flock of 5 that flew over Birds Eye and dropped down just beyond it. 1 tired Fieldfare flew in and settled in the Turbine yard. in off, Around 30 Gannets seen milling around way offshore, around 15 Brents and then 7 Brents flew north, around 35 Common Scoter flew north, & around 7 Red- throated Divers + 5 Auks flying north.

Carlton Marshes & Hoopoe at Hazelwood Marshes

Looking around Carlton Marshes first thing, a very confiding female Teal was by the dyke walking down to Whitecast marshes. By the overflow wooden wall, but the reeds I saw male Bearded Tit and with it were 2 immature Bearded Tits. The male flew off almost instantaneously before the partially obscured immature birds feed from the reed tops. A tweet stating the Hoopoe was still there had me walking back but not before I saw a female and 2 male Common Darters. Plus a very confiding young Viviparous Common Lizard, which posed beautifully for the camera on the wooden overflow wall and was sheltered by some foliage.I left it there and I saw Chris M and gavin D too. At hazel wood Marshes, walking down by a path to the hide, on an island around 5 Little Egrets seen plus a larger yellow- billed Great White Egret. The path had two groups of people looking, I was looking at the first group looking ahead into the light and the excellent Hoopoe seen briefly feeding before they edged closed and forced the Hoopoe to fly into the tree. It flew further on and I joined the second group and eventually the Hoopoe was seen back at the path. Now looking back with the light behind me the bird was seen in mid distance. All the birds on the estuary scattered and the suspected culprit was seen perched along a thick branch of a distant Pine tree, a fine Peregrine. Meanwhile, the Hoopoe disappeared left into the reeds for a while around 20 minutes, before it re-appeared and showed well albeit in more cloudy conditions. It came out of the grass and reeds to the left and fed on the path, tossing up the occasional grub and catching it in its fine bill.We edged slowly closer and after an hour and a half the bird eventually flew into the trees. We walked past and left the bird in peace.

Waxwings at Rectory Road & Dusky again

At 9.30am I eventually reached Rectory road and immediately saw 1 Waxwing perched by a Rowan/ Mountain Ash tree. I parked up opposite the junction and joined a lady who was waiting by the hedge. I spotted the bird, 2 Waxwings were perched high at the very top of a massive Oak tree one of the biggest I've ever seen, another bird flew confirming the 3rd Waxwing, so all 3 Waxwings were there. 1 bird suddenly flew down and fed on berries although it was partially obscured. After 2 minutes it flew back to the Oak tree. As we were watching the 3 perched on top, I first heard trilling, the spotted another warm brown buff Waxwing flying past and north. I looked at the tree and all 3 Waxwings were still there, so this was a 4th bird, a singleton flypast. While the birds were at the top, 1 bird was surrounded by flying wasps and this bird often kept its mouth open maybe to entice a wasp to flying! However all 3 birds flew high up several metres in vertical flight and caught wasps and fed on them when back on their perch at the top of the Oak. I include a picture of one hungrily eying up a mass of wasps! A male Blackbird flew onto the tree and fed. Then later all 3 birds flew across, 1 was out in the open but sadly its lower body was covered in shadow. Around 20 minutes later all 3 birds again flew down this time one bird was perched high up on a twig. Another fed on berries right in front of us, giving outstanding views and bathed in warm sunshine too, perfect for a bird barely 30 feet away! A Kestrel flew past calling and the birds quickly hid within the Oak. Whilst further away 2 soaring Common Buzzards seen. Finally at around 12.15pm, just as some cloud covered the sun, all 3 birds flew down again. This time 2 of their number feeding on berries right in front of us. It was really good to see Charles G from Lowestoft RSPB and Roy & Ruth H who popped off following my tweet to Rob Wil. I was famished at 12.30pm, so I reluctantly pulled myself away from the Waxwings and after a hearty much I made my way to Warren Lane Hopton, where I joined Murray & Dick (and later Cliff W). The Dusky Warbler was again was seen very high up in the tree foliage of the trees bordering the western edge of the path. It "talked" regularly and showed well with bins, but was impossible to photograph with my lens mounted to a tripod, it was far too unwieldy! It flew to the east side before eventually flying back to the west side in the tops of the trees again.

Dusky Warbler saves the day

After a poor week for birding missing the Pallas' on Tuesday 25th October (leaving too early 7.50am at Corton ORT when I had to be at work to open up at 8am) not seeing anything after work either. On Wednesday 26th October, after leaving work at 12 noon, I had a look around the Links road area, seeing 3 adult winter Mediterranean Gulls on the car park ( including 1 ringed with E861 black lettering on a white ring) and a large group of LT Tits around the Links road area contained 1 Chiff- Chaff northing around Gunton Warren and checking the beach too revealed little. 1 adult winter Mediterreanean Gull with its right leg dangling seen fly over to Link's Road car park. After 3pm, hearing Ricky F had found a Dusky. I drove over to Hopton and walked up Warren Lane, around 30 metres past the cottages I saw OFB and Chris & Alison A, "takking" was heard and the bird, the excellent Dusky Warbler was around the other side of the hedge in bracken. It then flew into a bush in front of me and it then moved and flew right into another bush directly in front of me at the side of the track and the whole bird was seen well for around a minute, its face, dark eye stripe and cream supercilia as it moved through a bush. It then flew right again and we all moved over to the east golf course side and followed the bird as it flew down the hedge then flew a long way east by the hedgerow extending eastwards to the cliff where we lost it and didn't see again, despite some searching. This is the 5th Dusky Warbler I have seen this autumn, (1 at Corton, 2 at Spurn, 1 at Walsey Hills and now this one- quite unprecedented!) Further down the track, a group of 6 LT Tits included a Goldcrest. By the cottages were 3 Goldfinch and also 3 Goldfinch with their their "tinkering" calls perched on top a tree by the Holiday camp.

Lowestoft patchwork hard work!

On Sunday 23rd October, in the morning a Siskin was heard calling several times from a bush within the western edge of the garden. It flew out to Fallowfields. A Pied Wagtail flew north west calling over the garden. In the parks, a young Wood Pigeon seen along the top loop track. On the North Denes by the first shelter belt north of the Oval, 10 LT Tits included Goldcrest and Chiff- Chaff. A Redwing calling at the top loop track in Sparrows Nest. By the steps on from the Oval, another group of LT Tits included a Chiff- Chaff and Goldcrest. Nothing at Ness Point or the North Denes. Nothing at Gunton save a by the sunlight hedgerow by the field, LT Tits, Goldcrest and Chiff- Chaff. In the woods, Wren, 2 Great Tit, 2 Chaffinch and a Blue Tit by the Sallows, 2 Redwing calling by the fenced area by Gunton estate plus a male Muntjac deer first on the path on the circular reserve at Gunton Meadow.