Around the Trinity Broads & Eagle Owl spectacular

On Saturday 30th November, I visited the trinity Broads which is always a very pleasant trip out. At Filby, I could see 15 Goldeneye with around 3 males seen. Also 20 Pochard seen too but scan as I might for around 30 minutes from the Boardwalk I could not see the BN Grebe. Around 20 Pochard seen from Ormesby Little Broad too. Walking back 2 charming Marsh Tits seen low down with a Coal Tit and female Siskin seen too. I drove over to Billockby barn and saw Justin L. and his family, no sign of the Cranes but Justin said they had flown to the far side of the field I drove back around 100 yards then took the road north and after 100 yards parked in a space just off the road to the left and spied a nice total of 20 Cranes feeding in the fields. A look at Ormesby broad was instantly successful with the Long- tailed Duck seen often diving. A quick pop home and then it was back out again to travel to Winterton, as I was travelling along Bulmers Lane, I could see some birders looking across, so I parked at the Church and walked back and saw Steve S, Tim H and other birders and they had their scopes trained on the magnificent Eagle Owl perched 2/3 of the way up a Pine tree, viewed from 10 Bulmers Lane and next door to birder's Patrick G's house. The bird was initially partially obscured so only half the face and body could be seen but it leapt onto another branch right out in the open, we marvelled at its piercing orange eye, magnificent talons as it preened and wing stretching. Justin spotted a Sparrowhawk male which swooped down Bulmer Lane, weaved around the bushes bordering garden on the east side of the road before it perched on Winterton church tower. We walked around to and from here a much bigger crowd of birders marvelled at this magnificent bird.At around 4pm it suddenly leapt of its per and flew around on a magnificently broad wings and then flew right over out heads and then perching on Church Tower roof. from here it perched for a while before it leapt down onto the roof and out of sight presumably after Pigeons which had been present here minutes previously. On Sunday 1st December, a look at Filby Broad, this time with the Boardwalk to myself and I instantly spied the fine Black Necked Grebe really distant but swimming just to the left of the wooden platform.

18 Waxwings at Clovelly Rise

After drawing a complete blank looking around Lowestoft on the 23rd, Sunday 24th, I received a tweet saying there were 18 in Clovelly Rise. I drove straight over saw 18 Waxwings in the tree at the top of the road and parked carefully as to not to disturb them, & then typically, 11 birds flew off, then another 4 then 2 then finally the last one and that was it! They all flew west in the direction of Crestview drive, I was told they feed on berries at Potomac, but no idea where that address is (other than Crestview Drive!).

NO Waxwings

On Saturday 23 November, I looked for Waxwings at various places around Lowestoft this afternoon after the rain had stopped, Gunton Estate, Gunton, Lowestoft Crown Meadow FC, Hoseasons and North Quay Retail Park, no sign, all I saw were Starlings. A Stock Dove flew east over the garden earlier, bird of the day for me.

Little at Corton but Waxwings save the day

In the morning, I had a look around Corton ORT, Churchyard nothing seen and at Corton Old Sewage works where a Jay flew up from the field and 11 Common Gulls seen in the field to the south. depressingly more of the field to the north and extending right back to the old sewage works has been taken presumably for an extension to the caravan park, less habitat, more people and dogs not a prospect I relish. I was just about to pop out to the supermarket before they closed at 4pm when James W tweeted that Waxwings were along the Gunton Estate and I drove down Weston road and down Westhall road and the Waxwings were in a Berry tree, I stopped and saw James W opposite. I joined him at 3.35p. Looking across the Open/ playground area, 6 Waxwings were perched in the top of a tree and occasionally they flew down and across onto the Beey tree to eat the berries for a few minutes before fling back. In very much the same area as the Westhall road birds of the previous winter and probably the same birds that had been over at the North Quay retail park over the last few days.

Waxwings, Snow Buntings & Med Gulls

On Saturday 16th November, in the morning a look at the North quay retail park revealed 6 Waxwings (where had the other one gone?) in the silver birch tree and they once came down to the feed from the Berry tree. It was getting a bit busy in the car park, with cars streaming in, my sign to leave so I did. During to Links road car park, I heard 3 Snow Bunting and saw them flying over north, Chris M was gesticulating at me and he pointed to a Snow Bunting perched on the seawall just 50 metres south of the car park, as I walked down the other 3 joined it and all 4 Snow Buntings perched on the wall and then flew down at regular intervals to feed between the cracks in the concrete, being flushed every minute or so b=y walkers, dogs and even cyclists, which combined with dogs on the beach had them all fly north along the beach. We had been joined by Rob H and at the car park, Rob said there was a Med Gull, whilst I watched one adult winter mediterreanean Gull fly south. There was indeed an adult winter Mediterranean Gull in the car park sporting a partial black hood, it was joined by 2 further adults, the regular one- legged bird and a ringed bird too, so 3 Adult Mediterranean Gulls in all.

Waxwings at the North Quay retail park & Ness Point

The ever prolific bird finder Andrew E had found some Waxwings at the North Quay retail park, at just after 9am I drove down there initially not seeing anything but as I was about to leave I saw Rob H who had them, they were perched near the top of a Silver Birch tree, cunningly hidden, if you didn't know they were there. The weather was overcast with dark cloud and became quite windy. There were 7 excellent Waxwings perched up in the silver birch tree and every 20 minutes or so, preceded by some trilling calls. they would fly down in one, twos or threes to quickly gulp down a few berries before flying back up to the silver birch. I had rung Jane F earlier to find out exactly where the birds had been seen and I rang her when Rob H had spotted the birds and Whats App messaged both the Thursday Club and BINS networks to enable others to twitch them. We attracted a lot of interest from passers by and pleased to note most of them knew about Waxwings. The birds flew down to the tree about 7 or 8 times whilst I was there and we were eventually joined by David B, Richard and Jane F who finally made it there. I had a couple of problems with the camera which stopped me getting some shots on two occasions. At 11.20am, they suddenly flew up and flew south. Time for us to leave too. A quick stop at home for a coffee (No Costa for me!) and I was out down at Ness Point seeing Rob H again. There was a strong north- east winds, very choppy and big waves, crashing over onto the area just north of the compass at Ness point and further north along the sea wall. Immediately we saw a group of 8 Wigeon flying north and then 2 Brent Geese flying south, another group of 18 Wigeon also seen flying south and I had an adult Gannet, 2 Gannets (adult and juv), another 2 Gannets all flying north. A Purple Sandpiper was seen briefly by the rocks. I saw something bravely swimming and battling the waves trying to swim north, its pointed nose identified as a Grey Seal. After Rob had left a fairly close Red- throated Diver flew south and then another one did so, too. then 3 Purple sandpipers was seen flying in from the extreme south section of the sea and they settled around the defence rocks just south of the compass, 2 disappeared bu one Purple Sandpiper was on the rocks here before flying to the very top of the rocks. Then a lovely adult Kittiwake flew right over my head, nicely silhouetted by the very dark clouds out to see. Hunger pangs saw me leave at 1.15pm and after lunch, I checked the Links road car park and north beach area, lots of Gulls seen around 40 including an unringed second winter Mediterranean Gull and an adult winter Kittiwake that I photographed but nothing seen out to sea whatsoever!

Incoming Redwings

On the evening of November 14th, when I filled up at the Gunton Tesco Petrol station this evening ay 8.15pm, I heard several c10 incoming Redwings calling and flying inland overhead.