Vagrant Emperor at the Paget

At about 12.30pm I had call from Rob H, saying he had just found a female Vagrant Emperor at the Paget, I met him a few minutes later and sure enough a stunning female Vagrant was perched on an outside wall. It was very overcast, cloudy with some light rain but I managed to get a few shots using flash. The female Vagrant Emperor was perched against the wall, around 4 feet above the ground. At one pint it shimmered its wings as if it was about to fly. But it remained perched and when I walked past later at 3.30pm it was still perched there.

RBF again

On Wednesday 31st October, I returned to Southwold campsite for a second look at the RBF and spent an hour at the site, although for most of the time it wasn't present showing on only 3 specific occasions, the last time the fine Red- breasted Flycatcher perched out in the open and I obtained a couple of shots. I decided to check Southwold Churchyard nothing seen, nothing seen at Easton Bavents either and very little at Kessingland Sewage works, 3 Pied Wagtails on the sewage beds and by the common area 3 Redwing seen to fly out. a Group of 4 Moorhen also seen 2 adults and 2 older youngsters.

Great photo day!

On Sunday 28th October, seawatching with James B on Gunton cliff, 2 distant Skua sp. seen flying north, plus 3 Red- breasted Mergansers flew north and 2 groups of 6 Eider flew north (3 males & 3 females) in each group. A tweet about a Mandarin at Kensington Gardens and I drove straight over there and the Mandarin was on the watery area by the bridge with Mallards, it was a fine drake Mandarin and spent some time hiding in the vegetation and occasionally swimming out. A lady came to throw out some bread and upon her first throw, the male Mandarin took off and flew north- east over towards the beach. Upon hearing from another birder that a Brent Goose had been seen near the Pier I walked down to the second beach just south of the Pier and an immature Brent Goose was there but quickly flew to the "Sanderling" beach just as I was walking along the Prom. It was feeding from the rocks and then swam south to the second beach again and walked along the beach had a snooze by the sea edge and then fed again on the seaweed by the rocks where I left it. A tweet about an RBF at Southwold campsite and I drove down there parking in the 30 minute bay and walked across and in the extreme north- west corner of the campsite, in area of 3 trees the excellent Red- breasted Flycatcher flew in. It was typically large eyed with the distinctive white basal outer- tail feather and occasional flicking its tail and drooping its wings. It flew to different perched often sitting still for a minute or more. It would often fly to the bushes at the back but within minutes would fly back. Often the views were slightly obscured but patience meant occasional unobscured views seen. It would often fly to the back foraging on the ground and a middle height area and higher up in the trees too. On to the Southward Churchyard, along the northside, I saw Paul & Jane F just inside the churchyard looking intently at a Mountain Ash/ Rowan tree. Of course they had the excellent Waxwing in their sights. It spent most of the time perched within the tree with only obscured views being seen but as the sun went in, it hopped out in full view and started feeding on the Rowan berries we walked out and watched it from the side and I merged to get a few record shots, one of which surprisingly got 168 likes on Twitter, at the time of writing!

Shore Larks & seabirds

On Saturday 27th October I drove over to Kessingland and immediately saw Paul & Jane F, walking up to the Shore Larks, I heard a calling Brambling and saw it perched on a curved bramble on the hill, would have made a nice photo but dog walkers put paid to that when it flew off. Rob Wils was there but soon left and I had the 2 Shore Larks to myself, being remarkably confiding, they expertly dodged the numerous dogs until one charged straight at them and they flew out to sea, 12 Lapwings flew in off the sea, but when visiting birders arrived and I told they had flown off they came back and settled in front of us. Around 3 Sky Larks and one was photographed feeding on the middle of the dunes. Looking at Ness Point in the afternoon, around 100 Gannets seen flying north, at 2.30pm a fine Little Auk flew north.

Rare Odonata; Vagrant Emperors & Red- veined Darters

On Wednesday October 24th, at Kessingland in the afternoon, I drove over to Kessingland, walking down Coastguards Lane there was a stretch of beach just north of the seawall. I was hoping to see the Vagrant Emperor Dragonflies spotted by Andrew E. I joined a group of people including Carl B, Dave H & others. One had been seen in flight 3o minutes earlier. After an hour no sign, a general exodus north before a weedy area, where a group of people were gathering raised hopes of a rare dragonfly sighted. It was fine female Red- veined Darter which posed well for the camera. Then a shout of an Odonata been seen flying over the end of the sea wall. It was a Migrant Hawker, but then a larger Dragonfly with straight abdomen and brownish body joined it and then flew north, it was the fine female Vagrant Emperor. Andrew E and Rob Will joined us and they immediately picked up the male Vagrant Emperor flying around the Dunes brown bodied but with a gleaming blue notch on the abdomen. Birds seen included Red Kite flying over the cliff & 2 single Fieldfares in off. Good to see old friends from both Norfolk & Suffolk too.

Shore Larks then pandemonium!

On Sunday October 21st, both Shore Larks were seen at Kessingland before 'headless chicken mode' for the 1st time this autumn. walking up to the Kessingland Sluice I met a birder saying they were still there and saw 2 birder watching them half way along the beach in the area bordering the grassy area and the sandy beach. I approached from the beach and kneeling made my way to within a respectable distance. Some dog walkers pushed the birds a little closer and both of the 2 wonderful Shore Larks fed on the seeds of a small weed, which made some nice pictures. Another dog forced them to run over to the beach. There were feeding along the margins of the beach and the grassy area. A BINS message, revealed a Vagrant Emperor had been sighed by the last 5 static caravans of the caravan park, a very vague message I walked around the scrubby area bordering the southern perimeter in th vain hope one might be spotted or fly up but it didn't, I looked & failed to see Vagrant Emperor. A call from OFB and an offer of a lift to Weybourne for the 2 Norfolk goodies was difficult to resit and after picking up James W from Gunton then mad dash up to Norfolk. Parking at the end of Beach road, meeting Rob Will & Andrew E at the pay and display machine, we walked west for around 500 yards to an round hollow area full of scrub but we had to negotiate the fence first and walk through the gate. The massed crowd encircling the hollow and the bird hadn't been seen for 30 minutes. Seeing Dave & Pauline next door they picked up the bird deep in a large bramble bush and brilliant direction from them, directed to a foot left of a large teasel I could see obscured views of the bird that appeared to be a Shrike, the the mask and bill and part of the back seen confirming it was a Shrike. It flew a couple of times into small Sallows but when it flew left it flew in what appeared to be a Buddlea bush and the bird hopped out in almost full view for 2 minutes. A branch obscured its mid section but the head mantle wings and tail could be clearly seen, it was indeed a superb Brown Shrike and a first for Norfolk and my 2nd UK bird. It showed a mask, hooked bill and browner back. We left to have a look for the probable Stejneger's Stonechat at Salthouse.

Grey Wagtail at the Paget

Leaving work on Monday October 15th just outside the Burrage centre, a Grey Wagtail flew low & north over the Burrage Centre, James Paget Hospital and my head at 5.05pm!