Weekend birds & social media problems

On Saturday 1st September hearing rather late of a Barred Warbler at Kessingland, (BINS news is now very erratic for me on the new Whats App format, sometimes it's great and I can send out messages too, other times I can't access it at all? I will try and find out how I can improve my access to this? Is it my phone, I still can't tweet out in the field?) I headed there. It took 40 minutes to get through Oulton Broad with both the rail crossing and the Mutford Lock bridge slowing my progress. I joined a small throng of birders overlooking the scrub on the south side of the river hundred. Almost immediately I saw the bird but it instantly flew behind a bush. Ninety minutes later, the fine Barred Warbler was seen on bushes by the distant ridge it was seen in elderflower bushes etc. Also a fine adult male Migrant Hawker and a Southern Hawker seen too. Dipped the Wryneck in field just west of the Hollies caravan park. In the garden Garden, 5 Migrant Hawkers seen too. Sunday garden Speckled Wood, Painted Lady, 5 Migrant Hawkers, In the afternoon- a Cattle Egret was seen over the far side of a field just west of the Scrape, remaining to 1 white faced black cattle. A Hare was running around the path at the western head of Carlton Marshes. Walking back I took the footpath through the field just west of the Scrape and the Cattle were directly had of me as was the excellent summer plumaged Cattle Egret and I got some nice views, took several pics at 100 yards range before double back to avoid disturbing the Egret or the cattle. Along the North Denes at 7pm I arrived just too late as the sun was setting over the North denies, in the large bush a female Whitethroat seen. Around 3 birds may have been Whinchats but they'd gone into roost and I didn't want to disturb them. In the garden, Speckled Wood butterfly, Painted Lady and again 5 Migrant Hawkers seen.

Insects, Black Terns & Cattle Egret

On Monday 27th August, a Painted Lady was seen early morning on the garden boodle, a Bush cricket seen on a bush too plus a Shield Bug. Mid afternoon I travelled over to Rollesby broad and saw Dave H and his wife looking over Ormsby Little Broad, 3 winter- plumaged Black Terns were flying over the channel over the far side of the broad flying over a sky blue masted yacht and showing black spot behind the eye and smoky grey mantle. They had the characteristic "dipping" buoyant marsh tern flight action too. Always a delight to see but sobering to recollect the last time I saw this species was with Ricky last Spring. an immature Mediterranean Gull also seen flying over in the distance too. Parking at Burgh castle Church, walking to the first kissing gate, at first I could not pick up the Cattle Egret, but I eventually located it, the fine Cattle Egret walking around Cattle, of course. I had to stand on the kissing gate to see anything of it as it was often obscured. Seeing Dave H in the distance half way along the walk, I retraced my steps and had clear interrupted views of this bird as it was seen walking around the Cattle, often crouching down low with its head barely above the ground and held parallel before it snapped up a tasty morsel or two. Again a fine plumaged bird with cinnamon buff heah and back.

Semi- P then No Migrants 22nd & 23rd Aug

On Sunday 19th August, hearing early afternoon of a Semi- P at Minsmere, having not seen one since August 1996 I was keen to see another. An hour and a half later I joined the throng in the south hide and seeing Paul, Jane, carl B et al. I was treated to views through Paul's cope of only my second ever Semi- palmated Sandpiper. Typically small stint- sized wader with short bill appearing slightly thicker at the base and tip. It showed a super cilia and speckled back. It spent the time running down the muddy strip directly in front of us running a third down the spit, it was to be the closest we saw it before it flew over to the spit further back. I watched it amongst 15 Little Gulls (all appeared to be adult in winter plumage, sat on the spit, plus a Spotted Redshank seen too. laterWednesday 22nd failed to reveal any migrants, 5 adult winter adult Mediterranean Gulls on the roof of Corton NSW and a Buzzard in a bush by a field just west of NSW. On Thursday 23rd August a look around Gunton failed to reveal Whinchats at Gunton or The North Denes, a Great- spotted Woodpecker seen in a tree and that was it.

Cattle Egret at Leathes Ham

On August 16th having missed the roosting Cattle Egret at Leathes Ham the previous evening I decided to arrive pre dawn and sure enough walking around just left of the board walk I could see the excellent summer plumaged Cattle Egret perched in a bush on the small island. pre first light on the island at Leathes Ham, Normanston Park, Lowestoft at around 5.30am this morning before it flew south-west at 5.37am. Apologies for poor pic (it was before dawn!) It was seen again that evening. I saw it again on the evening of the 17th when arriving slightly late at 7.30pm it flew in. It appears to have been hassled by 3 Magpies also using the bush to roost and it forced the poor bird to fly out twice before returning. It later flew and appeared to settle in trees further south along the mere.

Curlew Sandpiper at Carlton Marshes

On Sunday 22nd July, a tweet from Andrew E had me driving down to Carlton Marshes and walking up to the scrape, Andrew, James B, Chris M were in attendance and a fine adult Curlew Sandpiper (just starting to moult out of full summer plumage) was reasonably close feeding away but often obscured. A Moorhen chased it off. A ruff was seen further away and later on a further 2 were seen. A cow wandering over caused the bird to fly together with a Dunlin and Redshank. They flew round in a circle and settled again on the scrape. However an unseen Sparrowhawk later flushed them off completely. At the back a Green Sandpiper sat down and then stood up. Lovely to see 2 adult and 2 almost full grown immature Avocets too. On th walk back with Rob W we saw a Stoat on the path just ahead of us and a Muntjac Deer crossed the path further along too.

Dragonflies & butterflies in the garden on World Cup final day

During half time during the 2018 Football World Cup final, one Brown Hawker was flying around the conservatory and I was able to gently guide it to the open door and it flew out totally unharmed. Up to 2 Brown Hawkers dragonflies were flying around and 2 seen briefly perched on the wooden pagoda. One quickly flew off but the other settled on the wall then an overhanging honeysuckle. At 7am, a Small Copper butterfly was seen above the wooden Pagoda in resting in the sunshine on vegetation, only the second record for the garden but at the first sign of my camera it flew off. At 7.05pm, a Hummingbird Hawk Moth was seen in flight around principally the Lavender bushes seen for around 3 minutes before it too disappeared my first for this year and personal first in the garden for 2 years although Jenny did see one last year in the garden.

No luck with the Lesser Emperor at Filby Broad X2

On Wednesday 4th July at Filby Broad a quick 30 minute visit failed to reveal the Elusive Lesser Emperor, Black- tailed Skimmer was all I saw. On Sunday 8th July, another visit to Filby Broad board walk revealed up to 6 Black- tailed Skimmers, a regular patrolling male Emperor Dragonfly, perhaps putting off a visit by the mega elusive Lesser Emperor which again failed to show in a 70 minute vigil between 12.30 and 1.40pm. A male Bullfinch calling showed briefly as he made his way through the hedge by the road.