Compensation for painting exterior woodwork

Just before luch, on this sunny day Sunday 27th October, I saw House Sparrow fly over the roof and perched on next door's (no.7) aerial and start chirruping, a fine male House Sparrow which is rarely seen in the garden. Out at the front garden a low flying Buzzard circled low over the Close and house at 3pm. Later a Pied Wagtail flew west. Adequate compensation for very pessary outside painting of the garage woodwork.

A look around Ness Point & Fallowfields

At Ness Point, on Saturday 26th October, the usual flock of 17 Turnstone flew in, no sign of the Purple Sand although it was very high tide. In the SLP yard just south of the Orbis Energy building, a female Black Redstart fed in the yard just beyond the railings. At the southern end of the Point a calling Rock Pipit flew onto the defence rocks. Also 1 Rock Pipit heard in Hamilton Dock too. Saw Maurice and we saw 4 Teal fly south. Back home, a calling Chiff- Chaff just beyond the garden had me peering over the fence without optical aids (except my spectacles) and the Chiff- Chaff showed well just 2 metres away in new Sallow bushes which have grown up since the Badger Building clearance of the land last March. Finally a Stock Dove flew east over the garden.

Surfin' USA, (Lowestoft) North Beach style!!

On Wednesday 23rd October, I left work just after 1pm and headed to Ness Point, 21 Turnstones were by the rock ledge just east of the compass point. A young Herring Gull was seen standing on a wooden pallet surfing on the sea, which brought to mind the Beach Boys song "Surfin' USA" anything to keep me amused in this most dire of autumn's!) was of interest too and a Red- throated Diver flying south was all I saw.

Twilight birding

On Tuesday 22nd October, after work with the light fading I visited Corton ORT and was immediately apparent there were a lot of Goldcrests present and I must have seen 50+ Also seen were 5 Robins and 5 Song Thrushes and in one small group of Crests and intriguing white bellied bird seen very briefly (Firecrest/ Ybw?) Also seen was a Chiff- Chaff. Nothing really seen at Corton Old Sewage works, but the light was fading rapidly with the sun setting at 5.50pm, maybe my last after work (5pm) birding for the year. Pity because the prospects of saving what has been a dire autumn seem slim.

Benacre Bound

On Saturday 19th October, I drove to Benacre, ostensively to get some landscape pictures on the initially sunny morning for an upcoming talk for the Lowestoft RSPB. Pics of Church taken. A walk down the track to the end of Covehithe cliff, I heard a Brambling and then pics of the crumbling cliff taken. At the hide pics of the beach, Broad and trees on the beach and view north taken. A close Stonechat showed well by the tree just east of the hide before being quickly scared by dog walkers, nothing of note on the Broad at all. A walk back and a Chiff- Chaff seen and heard by the cottage. At Ness Point, in the SLP yard just south of Orbis Energy centre, first a female Black Redstart seen by the fence then the smart male Black Redstart seen and flew up to the horizontal beam. Really good to see Robert Win and catch up.

Sparrowhawk & Pied Wag

On Thursday 17th October, a particularly fine and very black- backed male Pied Wagtail seen as I walked outside the James Paget Hospital towards the Dermatology department, later on (just after lunch) a female Sparrowhawk flew over the main building of the Hospital.

Redwings arrive!

On Monday 14th October as I was leaving for work at 8.10am, 5 low flying Redwings called and flew low and west over the house viewed from the front. On Tuesday 15th October at 1.30pm a flock of around 105 Redwings calling flew over the James Paget Hospital as I walked from the Burrage Centre to the main Hospital building. At 5.20pm around 43 strong calling Redwings were again seen flying west and inland over the Burrage Centre as I left work for home.