Glauc and a dozen Bewick's

On Saturday 11th November on the way to visiting family in Sheringham, I parked at Yarmouth Asda and despite the fact there was a light drizzle, I sheltered under the bridge and scanned for the Glauc at 2pm, Breydon was half way between the peak of high and low tides and there was a channel of water running through the middle but on the muddy bank the other side, I could clearly seen the large biscuit coloured pale winged 1st winter Glaucous Gull with long two tone bill pink with a black tip. In the poor light the lower breast appeared dark but crucially the back was light biscuit coloured and it had pale wing tips and tail. It was stood on the edge of the mud face on. at 3pm on a drive round the old Ludham airfield, a tight huddle of 12 Swans were initially spotted by Jenny and getting out and scoping them the delicate black and yellow bills identified them as 12 Bewick's Swans. Around 20 Fieldfare flew over the road near Gunton, North Norfolk.

Beardies & Short- ears at Oulton Marshes

I decided to look at Fisher Row, Oulton Marshes today, just after 10am I was walking down the entrance hill, a Jackdaw perched in a tree. walking around to the viewing platform, I counted 209 Wigeon and around 12 Teal seen, plus 5 distant Snipe. Dog walkers and a young family hanging around didn't bode well for the Beards but after half an hour I located them at the usual place just past the platform on the left and incredibly there were around 12 Bearded Tits on the ground running around like mice feeding on presumably fallen reedmace. Sadly they were always obscured by tufts of grass and I didn't want to get too close for fear of flushing them. Occasionally, they flew up into reeds and a bird straddling two reeds showed particularly well as did an adult male feeding near the top of a stem, another photographer approached from the other side and I indicated the birds were there and he carefully stalked them. All was going really well until the inevitable happened and a dog walker with a dog of the lead flushed all the birds and they flew across the path or way down the dyke and south and were not seen again, unsurprisingly. Finally a female Stonechat seen by the dyke on the east side of the path. I moved onto the field where the SEO's were seen I walked half way north down the path to the pump house and was rewarded with one Short- eared flying along the dyke by the railway lined over the field itself. I was later joined by Rob H and we saw up to 2 Short- eared Owls plus another seen at the same time, a third Short- eared Owl in the distance flying over the reeds south of the footpath being watched by the Owl paparazzi. Out hearts were in our mouths once when it flew low over the railway line and a train rushed through fortunately no collision. One Short- eared owl would suddenly fly over to our field and on 3 occasions when they dropped to the ground they had what appeared to be field voles, one clearly seen in the beak of the bird and then carried off it flew a short way north and dropped down into reeds to further gorge on its prey. Another time when it caught prey a Kestrel harried it. walking back, one of the photographers pointed out a fine Kingfisher perched on a reed by the side of a dyke nearby giving good scope views.

East Norfolk trip

Norfolk First stop was Mautby pig fields, where predictably enough , when I had just arrived by a side road overlooking pig fields to the right, west of the road, the Iceland had just flown. Driving down to the far end, you could look back up the fields and pig field area but again as I arrived the Gull flock took to flight again and I missed it again. Heading back to where I started up to 5 Mediterranean Gulls seen. The first bird seen was an adult winter- plumage bird wheeling around, another adult winter bird seen, plus 1 adult partial summer plumage, developing a black hood, 1 2nd winter bird and 1 1st year bird. Looking immediately right/ west a fine Hooded Crow was seen black head, grey mantle black wings & jaggy black breast, contrasting with the pale grey underparts including crucially the grey undertail coverts. It flew and perched near the top or crown of the field before disappearing. It was later seen perched in the crown of a tree before it flew down before finally flying west again. We decided to check the far end. When Justin's friend rolled up saying it just come in a bare field west of the pig fields. Looking we could see a few heads of gulls almost totally obscured by the brow of the field edge. Driving around, we saw a small group of birders and parking just past them I ran down and was directed to the bird which was the 7th bird in from the left. It was an adult Iceland Gull sitting facing us showing yellow bill and greyish nape. After a few minutes the flock flew and the bird flew back to the pig fields briefly settling before it flew left and around over a house and then disappeared with the flock in a north- westerly direction. Next stop was the Clippesby fields near the church and a car was parked by the side of the road and a birder was scoping them from his car. I parked just behind him and counted 205 Geese, there were Pink- footed Geese and at least 20+ Tundra Bean Geese with orange legs a darker brown plumage and dark bill with orange near the tip, but most of the flock were Pink- feet. Next stop Filby, we saw Jeremy G by the bridge (finder of a magnificent BN Grebe by the side of Gorleston Pier) and who better to point out the fine Black- necked Grebe behind the orange floaters, it swam first right past the tern platform and the left. It showed a slim upturned bill and typical winter plumage. Another birder said he had just seen a Red- necked Grebe and sure enough one was seen in the far south west corner of the broad this bird was also swimming left showed typical winter plumage with black/ yellow two- tone bill. Male Goldeneye also seen. On Ormesby Little Broad 2 male and 2 female Goldeneye plus several 8 Great crested Grebes seen.seen. driving back no Cranes in the usual place but driving back along the Acle strait, a large flock of Swans seen a mile west of the Man Dir Hindu Temple (formerly the Stacey Arms/ Cadillac Roadhouse) flock and 2 fine Bewick's Swans seen together at the western end of the flock. Driving back to Lowestoft, I checked the Blood moor road area and struck lucky again, driving up Lansdowne road, I turned right into Kilbourn road and by the junction opposite Honeysuckle Close, perched in a tree on the right were an incredible 27 Waxwing, I counted them 3X to check I had counted them correctly, it tallied each time. They suddenly started trilling in unison and the flew west.

Southwold and purple sheen at Ness Point

On Friday 3rd February, another A/L day to take and I headed to Southwold Town marshes and parked along the ferry part by the river and walked to the back of the huts, there was a large flock of both 63 European White- fronted Geese with a lone Pink- footed Goose amongst them plus 2 immature Greylag Geese, a large flock of 108 Barnacle Geese and behind another large flock of 112 Canada Geese, a quartet of Pink- footed Geese in a further field, but no sign of the Beans, sadly. A look at Ness Point, it was hide tide and initially 10 Purple Sandpipers were seen on the finger promontory, waves crashing over forced 3 a little closer until they flew by the closer ledge by the compass and they were joined by another making a grand total of 11 Purple Sandpipers, the mid afternoon spotlighted them well and showed the purple off well in their plumage. Nothing else seen at the Point or Hamilton Dock apart from 8 Turnstones.

Rough- leg on Berney marshes

On Monday 30th January with another A/L day to take, I visited Burgh Castle fort in the hope of seeing the Rough- leg. Some birders had just left, but I joined a lone birder to the western (left end) of the Fort who said it was still there. He pointed out 3 posts by a gate slightly aligned diagonally away from us to the left of the marshes and I saw the bird perched on a post. It soon moved closer flying towards a gate just the other side of the reeds. This fine Rough- legged Buzzard was a really striking bird with pale head and mantle, brownish back, a large gorget of black down its throat and 2 big side flank patches of black flaring out from the lower breast sides. It showed white at the base of the tail bordered first by a chestnut bar then a dark black bar. It was facing us then and turned around facing right. It later flew low over the ground and onto another gate straight out from the fort (the closest one you can see over the river) before flying and settling in a field edge to the side of a dyke by some Greylag Geese, but the local Egyptian Geese took exception, as did a Short- eared owl that repeatedly dive bombed it. Whilst the one Owl kept mobbing it, 2 further Short- eared Owls flew over and east, comprising a great trio of Short- eared Owls!I recorded a 4th Owl for the trip when I heard a Tawny Owl hooting from the copse just west of the Fort. Sadly, I couldn't see it. Finally, walking back, a Redwing was perched up in a berry bush by the car park.

White- billed Diver at Woodhall Spa

An early start of 7am on Sunday 29th January saw me driving Rob Wil and James W up to Martin Dales near Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire. Incredibly, a second White- billed Diver had been spotted on the River Witham for the second time in 21 years. I had tried unsuccessfully to twitch the first one in 1996, that had very unfortunately got a fisherman's hook tangled up into its bill. That poor bird was suffering badly and was quite rightly taken into care, but all this had taken place 20 minutes before si I failed to see the bird, it would have been no joy for me anyway to see such a magnificent bird in distress. So 21 years a later, we parked by the road leading to Kirkstead bridge and walked right along a concrete path for a mile and a half. The path skirted the river and for some time was surrounded by a buffer of hedges skirting the edges. After around 40 minutes walk, we could see a gathering of birders, or more specifically photographers by the riverside, and as I scrambled down the bird instantly popped up, looking in rude health and into view! I finally connected with this very special enigmatic Arctic visitor. It was an amazingly immature White- billed Diver! Sporting the characteristic large upturned "ivory" white banana bill and brown and white plumage that appeared darker in the harsh light. Access was only available down the southern side of the river which meant the river was spotlighted by a very strong sun, making photography difficult with the brown areas of the bird appearing much darker and really bleaching out the white areas. The bird was constantly diving and travelling under water for around 30 yards initially travelling north then south. The bird spent much of its time the far side of the river around 30- 40 feet away but on 3 occasions swam much closer at one stage being barely 15 feet away, it really was giving outstanding views and opportunities for some potential stunning photography! It was only when a birder brought his dogs to the river side that the bird appeared more vigilant and it subsequently spent the next 15 minutes up on the water. This elegant denizen of the Arctic then rose up and flapped its wings before travelling south and diving frequently again. On the fields opposite the track, at the back a gathering of Swans included both 5 Mute and from Scandinavia 2 Whooper Swans right in front of a distant house, Rob heard and called a a Green Sandpiper which I also heard and saw when it flew away right. Also stood out on the close ploughed field rather incongruously were 2 single Little Egrets. Moving onto at Kirkby on Bain looking over Riverslea Lake, a male Ring-necked Duck and immature female Scaup were seen. The Scaup was in the foreground in front of it swimming left . Both ducks were on the far side of the lake (with Wigeon, Tufted Ducks and Pochard around 10 of each) where we were viewing this fine gravel pit complex. The grey/ black and white at the front breast of this North American bird were very distinctive, seen as it spent most of its time asleep but as it swam strongly right, it briefly lifted its distinctive head up sporting its three tone bill (black, white and grey) plus a Great White Egret seen walking in the water of a pit 100 yards further down the road concluding a great day in Lincs. It also emulated my first holiday to Shetland when visiting with Mum, we visited Dennis Coutts photography shop and he told of us about 2 special birds a White- billed Diver at Quenelle and Ring- necked Duck on a loch, its been 40 years since I've been able to see these 2 birds in 1 day again!

3 Shags on Lake Lothing

It was a case of 13th time lucky as I finally on the Saturday 28th January saw my first Shags in Lowestoft for 2017. Looking from the fence just down from the rail bridge by Lake Lothing one immature Shag was fishing in the water to the east not far from a tightly packed group of 5 Little Grebe and appeared to be swimming closer but it then flew to under "John Lethbridge" wreck perching on the orange jetty underneath it, as I walked along saw the usual 2 Redshank were by the shoreline plus a calling Kingfisher flew past. At Mutford Lock basin nothing seen other than another 2 Redshank and 5 Turnstone. Walking back towards the railway bridge I looked under the John Lethbridge wreck and the original immature Shag had been joined by another immature Shag perched next to it! Looking from Riverside one, a third immature Shag, was on the river to the west and let out of the water when it was diving. From Asda round the I heard the familiar rasping of a Peregrine Falcon and I saw a male bird circling around 3 times before flying half way over the river towards me before it flew east and over the far side.