Bitterns and Ring- necked Parakeet

On Saturday November 10th, after initially seeing a Bittern fly off at 9.30am from the Island Mere hide, viewed from underneath the hide. Eventually had great views of another Bittern at Island Mere, Minsmere. After one was spotted at 9.50am hiding in the reeds to the right, unfortunately noise from the hide and people looking and talking from the ramp, it was only when the noise subsided and the walkway loiterers eventually left that the Bittern eventually walked along the edge of the reeds and then finally walked over to the dyke near the hide giving superlative views at eye level down to 20 feet away! The reeds by the dye did obscure the bird for 50% of the time. It eventually walked back into the reeds. Driving over to Nicholas Everett Park at Oulton Broad, the RNP had gone missing watching with Derek M his wife and son, we heard the bird and I saw it, the excellent female Ring- necked Parakeet in the Oak by the toilet block and it was seen well in the setting sun and showed really well just before dusk.

Grey Phalarope at Winterton

On Sunday 4th November, the fine Grey Phalarope seen back at Winterton it was seen by the sea by the yellow sign. In an area of water between a sandbank just out to sea. The Phalarope was seen feeding and then regularly flying short distances and feeding then it flew south before reappearing again where it would repeat the process.

King Eider, Eastern Stonechat & Winterton goodies

On November 3rd, a great day in Norfolk with John H & Bob B, at Sheringham, parking by the seawatching shelters, we saw the immature male King Eider from the cliffs by the golf course- Sheringham. Moving onto Salthouse, taking the track back we saw the probable Eastern/ Stejneger's Stonechat. The back at Winteron walking up to past the toad pools we saw a Peregrine fly in off the sea and over the dunes. Whilst looking over the woods & scrub, a Rough- legged Buzzard flew back and south over. Whilst out to sea Seals, on the beach up to 4 separate Sanderling seen. Back at the Yellow sign, a fine Red- necked Grebe and a Great Northern Diver seen together join the sea, a Pink-footed Goose seen sitting on the sea & Snow Buntings heard (but not seen)- all at Winterton, great to see Tim, Mick & Dick F too.

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.