The Benacre Wryneck & a nice sprinkling of Whinchat too, despite the dogs!

On Sunday 9th September, a walk to Kessingland/ Benacre sluice revealed 3 Whinchat and a pair of Stonechats being hassled by a group of people letting a group of Beagles run riot around the whole area even swimming in the river and hassling a poor fisherman. Over the Benacre side a group of people walking 20 labrador type dogs were running riot around there too. Disturbance on a hitherto industrial scale, this has surely got to stop on a nature reserve where dogs are supposed to be controlled on a lead. Hardly surprising the Wryneck couldn't be seen. Meeting the finders Paul & Jane, Jane informed me Mat D had refund seeking sanctuary along the western ridge of the one remaining pit and walking on the western ridge we saw the bird, the excellent Wryneck, on some thick branches and it hopped to the ground and then it disappeared. It was later seen perched on the branch and then hopped around it then fed on the ground. It then disappeared behind a bush before appeared again underneath it before it disappeared and seen feeding way off to the left.

Wildlife seen on Jersey trip (a non- birding trip)

From Tuesday 4th July to Saturday 8th July, Jenny & I had a mini break in Jersey. On Wednesday 4th July, a Buzzard flew over the entrance to the Jersey War Tunnels. By the west coast by the Nazi gun tower, an incredible tally of 18 Wheatears (a fall of birds?) were seen plus around 6 Linnets flew over. On Thursday 6th July, at Jersey zoo, a Red Squirrel was seen by some trees near the entrance Another 3 singletons Red Squirrels seen too. A Hummingbird Hawk Moth was also seen briefly too. On Thursday 7th July, at Qued dunes just before the nature reserve we stopped half way between car parks and in the dunes by some scrub, I spotted a Jersey Green Lizard, an excellent female Jersey Green Lizard, moved and then I spotted her. (Around Wall Lizard sized, green with bars down the back). For about 30 seconds, she stayed motionless before scuttling deeper into the scrub. On Friday 8th july, at Mont Orguel castle, 6 Wall Lizards seen and a Buzzard flew over distant hill top. On Saturday an interesting caterpillar seen on the Oued Dunes whilst searching for Lizard, plus a flying Wall Brown butterfly and several Sky Larks inadvertently disturbed whilst looking for Green Lizards, to no avail this time.

A half dozen Whinchat

On Monday 3rd September, directly after work, I headed down to the North denies, seeing Rob H, we walked 2/3 of the way south and first one Whinchat popped up and then by the weedy, Alexander planted area, 4 Whinchat perched up and a further 2 Whinchat perched up, proving there were 6 birds in total. They were very wary no doubt being constantly disturbed in this well walked spot. On the beach, 4 Turnstone seen including 1 very fine summer plumaged individual.

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.