Goosanders on the river

Today, I was using up some of my annual leave and you take pot luck with the weather, after 2 brilliantly sunny but cold days we had a cold misty murky day. First stop was the Oulton Broad, a juvenile Cormorant was on the jetty by Mutford Lock but no sign of the mega elusive Shag. Next stop was the Little Owl site at North Cove and no surprises when it wasn't showing. I decided to park at North Cove stature as I though the path would be easier to follow to the riverbank. Having reached the railway line, I was dismayed to see a car already parked probably a dog walker/ birder and guaranteed disturbance if the Goosanders were on the river. Sure enough, a dog walker with 4 dogs and also predictably no Goosanders on the walk down. I did however see 3 separate Water Pipits flying up from the recently enlarged dykes by the river path, great habitat creation from SWT, their white bellies noted and white supercilia clearly seen too plus different flight call i/d'd them. I also saw first a male then a female Stonechat. I met Carl B, who was also after the Goosanders and he decided to walk east. Ten minutes later at 11am, I suddenly stumbled on a lone female Goosander on the river looking very wary and swimming away, I saw 2 further Goosanders and I slowly dropped down but too late, all 6 female Goosanders took to flight and flew west a long way up river. Shame they were so wary I didn't get a chance to get any pics. I couldn't get hold of Carl so I walked back. Opposite North Cove turn, around 12 Red- legged Partridges in the field, Back at Lowestoft at Asda, as I walked to the river, I heard the screeching of a Peregrine calling and a magnificent male Peregrine flew around the grain silo twice and then flew half way over the river before heading east. That was to be it for my birds of today because apart from plenty of Cormorants on the river, 12 , not much else seen, still no sign of any Shags. In the afternoon, another stop at the railway bridge revealed 5 Little Grebe and more Cormorant, but still no Shag, will it be a case of 13th time lucky (in 2017) next time I check? No sign of any Waxwing at or around the vicinity of 99 Oulton Road.

Lunchtime Grey Wagtail

On Tuesday 24th January, having some business in Gorleston town centre this lunchtime at around 12.30pm, walking from the high street down the alley way towards Morrison's supermarket, I heard the metallic "Tzshik" call of a Grey Wagtail and I had a good view of a bird flying low over the path and north in undulating flight as it flew.

Viking Gull at Ness Point

A look at Ness Point and I saw Rob Hol raising his lens to photograph something it had flown behind the funnel, I didn't see it. It was the hybrid Glauc X Herring Gull or colloquially known as "Viking Gull", great name but I hadn't seen it yet. We walked down the road to the Bird's Eye entrance and we saw it perched on a low roof, it was the excellent Viking Gull. 2 Purple Sandpipers seen in flight at Ness Point albeit at low tide. At Oulton Broad finally, finally the Common Sandpiper gave itself up to me (after 8 fruitless attempts) showing on the distant rock edge at the basin and even saw off 3 Turnstones that flew off! A Kingfisher then flew over and east. At Outon Broad briefly seeing Rob & erin, we also saw a Kingfisher fly right, I walked off to get the sun behind me and despite the excellent light, I picked out definitely one Yellow- legged Herring Gull, typically brute of a bird, slightly darker Common Gull grey on its mantle and crucially when it stretched its wings it showed the diagnostic grey secondary bar.

Glaucous saves the day

A look around Oulton Broad on Saturday 22nd January, looking over Lake Lothing from the railway bridge, Mutford Lock basin and Oulton Marshes failed to reveal the hoped for Shag, Common Sand &/or Goosanders. Nil return until I was at the furthest point at Fisher Row, Rob Will kindly rang to inform me Andrew had found a Glaucous at OB (I'd just been there! It wasn't there then). It took around 30 minutes to drive back to OB and Join Ali, Maurice, Rob Will and James B, watching the excellent biscuit coloured, bi- coloured pink and black bill , first winter Glaucous Gull on the ice. It was there 20 minutes before it flew away on languid flight getting ever higher and circling.

Frozen Oulton Broad

On Friday 20th January, a totally frozen Oulton Broad revealed no Goosanders on a quick look before work this morning, dipped for the second time as I had originally tried for these at Minsmere. I looked at Haddiscoe Church after work this afternoon but no sign of any Gulls.

Pair of Bullfinches

A pair of fine calling Bullfinches were heard at 11.30am and on looking out, I saw a male perched in the tree, just beyond the garden with the female perched just right of him, on Fallowfields. They were there for a couple of minutes before flying right.

Beccles Waxwings & Corton Woods Nuthatch at last!

On Saturday 14th I had limited time to go birding as I had an important trip to see relatives in the afternoon. As I arrived at Beccles along Ellough road and by the junction of Coney Hill, the usual favoured spot with a berry bush on the corner. I noticed one photographer with a 300mm lens stalking really close to the bush and the feeding Waxwing was flushed and flew up to the trees opposite where I parked the car along an adjacent side road. I spied 2 Waxwings perched at the top of the tree. They soon flew back to the bush and I got set up, it started raining and this quickly turned to snow, as I was walking across the birds flew back into the trees and were joined by 2 further Waxwings, that flew in from the south-west. All four birds then occasionally flew down to the bush, fed for a few minutes on the berries before flying back. A shaft of sunlight finally gave a brief window of excellent light to obtain some distant pictures. 4 Fieldfare flew over and perched in the back garden tree of a house over the road and then first one Mistle Thrush then another rattling Mistle Thrush flew overhead and perched in trees lining the other side of the road. Then a male and female Blackbird perched on the berry bush to consume some berries. @ waxwings then flew off and the original 2 Waxwings came down on several occasions. A look at Lake Lothing failed to reveal anything save a lone Redshank. As I entered the north section of Corton woods, several Goldcrests were heard calling, more significantly deeper into the wood, I could finally hear the countering of a Nuthatch, and by the bendy path, by the lone Pine tree, I spotted, at last, the excellent Nuthatch on a vertical branch overhead, it ran along here before flying off after 2 minutes. A Redwing was also heard.