Wiveton Barred & Salthouse Iceland

After a long week waiting for the weekend (& go for the photogenic Barred warbler) to come, it finally arrived and soon as I heard the Barred was still there I drove up to Cley, on the journey between Weybourne and Salthouse, I saw a big flock of c120 Brent Geese in a seaward field. and parked just west of Cley and walked down Leatherpool Lane on Saturday 11th December on the way to Wiveton. I saw Richard (with a very impressive white beard) and a lady and they gave me great directions and where to look for the Barred. By bushes with red/ orange berries opposite a stone pebble wall opposite Barn Cottages and also 30 metres further down the road by a single large spindle tree with orange berries, opposite Barn Cottages. As I arrived with another/ birder photographer a large grey warbler flew out undoubtedly the Warbler. We waited and waited and 40 minutes had elapsed, where we had seen a female Blackcap, 2 Bullfinches (an elusive male and a more obliging female), 2 Fieldfares flew over out heads chackling and into the wood behind us. Plus a skein of 200+ Pink- footed Geese flew west over our heads. Then suddenly the excellent Barred Warbler flew into the bushes spending most of the time at the very top of an ivy clad tree, it showed well. A group of younger birders arrived and 2 further birders one spotted the fine Barred Warbler gobbling down berries by the spindle bush. It then flew into the trees at the back of us, spending a little time in an Oak tree just behind us, sometimes at the very top of the tree and also the Blue Cedar behind. The bird then flew into the original bushes again. before being seen in bushes by the road, it then flew into a berry bush just within the grounds of Wiveton House, where I got my best shots and views of it gobbling down several berries and it posed well here, albeit in poor light. It then disappeared again. Before being sighted again eating berries in the spindle tree opposite. By this time the light detioriorated further at 2pm and I decided to leave despite the arrival of Jim L. At Salthouse, I parked just before the beach and walked onto the beach and it was immediately apparent they were very sadly, tragically 4 dead Seal pups along the beach. Looking furthest west, I could see the distant 1st winter Iceland Gull about to gorge on the pup seal carcus, before a couple walking up to it, disturbed it and the bird subsequently flew west towards Cley Coastguards.

A delightful Dovekie on Oulton Broad

On Monday 6th December, at first light I was walking down to Broadlands Marina but very fortuitously I met some birders who said that they'd seen Phil D. and he had said the Little Auk or Dovekie, was making its way over to the Boulevard. That was very good news a) because the bird was still about and b) it would be much easier to get pictures of the bird in this area. As I walked around it was obvious the bird was still about as they was a small gathering of birders including Rob H, Robin C, Phil D. and the bird was seen, a fantastic Little Auk or Dovekie, between the birds here and it was actively hunting as it was 'motoring' around diving frequently. The bird was very mobile seen bu the Boulevard close in and then by the private jetty running parallel with the Boulevard walkway and then swimming over to the public jetty where we could walk out and see it. It would then swim back to the Boulevard fishing between the boats often at very close quarters barely 3 feet away! It was often between the boats and diving frequently. Only when it started preening on the water was it more settled and providing opportunities to get some pictures, albeit in poor light. At one point it swam over to the Wherry and it was often seen at close quarters, albeit only for a second or too, as it was constantly diving. It was here I saw it dive and scyth under water using its wings effortlessly to motor through the water, where it caught a fish. An incredible sight to witness and a wonderful observation, I've not witnessed before and a real privilege to see. I managed to phone work and get my half day transferred from Wednesday afternoon to this morning, Monday morning, I took full advantage by spending around 2 hours with the bird it was a really good workout as I was running or walking quickly with the optical and camera geat and tripod.

Dips by the bucket load but Iceland was a welcome surprise

On Sunday 5th December, I was bitterly disappointed to miss out on the Barred Warbler at Wiveton, North Norfolk today and a late afternoon twitch failed to in pursuit of a Little Auk on Oulton Broad. James W walked around to the Marina and the Marina office and couldn't see it but James spotted a white- winged Gull, a 1st winter Iceland Gull flying away west which was a great spot and a personal first on Oulton Broad for me, having missed all the others. no sign of the Goosander either at Dead end on anywhere on Oulton Broad and to make matters worse the Auk was found again at the Marina just as I arrived home at 3.20pm, just as the light was starting to go, both birds (Barred & Little Auk) I am still get some get good pics of. Good riddance to 2021, I look forward to a better 2022.

Blinded by the light

Oulton Broad Dead end Goosander

Shock horror! A successful seabird twitch from Ness Point

On Sunday 28th November, after a terrible Saturday, amazingly I successfully twitched a fine Little Auk , which Andrew E had found & when I arrived by the funnel, the bird was drifting north out to sea from the Point (thanks to Rob H for relocating a tricky bird to pick up and letting me see it through his 'scope) it was about half way out, but difficult to see with the costant swell of the sea. Several Eiders flew north, including 4 Eiders (1 imm male and 3 females) and then 3 Eiders(3 females) and a single female Eider flew north. A flock 8 Knot flew north. Later 2 Velvet Scoters flew North. Plus many Red- throated Divers going north c30 and same number of Gannets too. You won't be surprised to learn this was my best seawatch of the year. I also spotted a close Grey Seal swimming southwards. I looked to the north of the Point, along the beach and part of Gunton Warren beach but little else was seen.

Nothing doing part 2

On Saturday 27th November, a terrible day missed the Puffin by 5 minutes at Ness Point, not much else seen and no sign of the Hume's Warbler for me late morning.

Shore Lark at Kessingland North Pool

On Sunday 21st November, a sunny but occasionally showery morning had me driving back to Kessingland and getting out of the car, I experienced from light rain walked past heathlands and down the steps to the beach this time wrapped up for winter birding with gloves, woolly hat and Wellington boots. I traveresed the inland pool and just reached the south- east edge of the big shore pool and almost immediately spotted the excellent Shore Lark, but on no! My canine nemesis were yet again upon we 2 small yappy dogs barking and running towards me yet the owner was walking south so I decided to run at the dogs to draw them away from the bird. Anybody observing this might of thought this was crazy behaviour but anything to keep the dogs from disturbing the bird. My unusual tactics worked well and after the dogs had ran back to the owner I was able to turn my attention back to the bird and it showed reasonably well feeding by the flotsam around 4 metres from the pool edge, I was joined by another birder and we both watched and photo'd the bird until 2 horse riders took the horses into the pool from the landward side and then cantered north (the horses, not me!) The Shore Lark flew onto the muddy spit and fed here for a while before it ran north and using the marram grass as cover we were able to get within 15 metres of the bird at one point and it was perched on a ridge I got my best pics before it fed again on the jersam just metres from the pool edge now half way along. We were joined by Neville & Tony B and I left the bird to look out to sea, where 30 Common Scoters were seen around half way out in a tightly packed formation. Back at Ness Point seeing, Andrew E. a very high tide had a single Purple Sandpiper fly up the compass, but inevitable people coming along soon pushed it to fly off north. Later on in the afternoon, after hearing of a Little Auk flying North from Southwold, I looked from Ness Point for 75 minutes, the first 20 not a single bird was seen out to sea, but eventually 4 Shelduck seen flying south, the highlight. Inevitably no sign of the Little Auk continuing my long standing run of never getting onto a bird seen flying in the direction of Lowestoft.