Mega dip day but Crimson Speckled was nice

On Saturday 29th October, I drove down to Aldeburgh and walking down to the Martello Tower, just 20 minutes after first light I was extremely disappointed (to say the least) to hear the Alpine Accentor not only wasn't showing (I'd missed it in the gloom by 20 minutes) but it had flown off high to the west, it never came back. Black-tailed Godwit was seen and a Purple Sandpiper flew onto a wooden groyne, around 300 metres south of the Tower. I then cut my losses and went to Hazlewood Marshes which had some nice birds, including a Greenshank flying west and then it flew back onto the estuary. 4 Bar- tailed Godwits seen plus up to 3 Water Pipits and a fine Osprey seen perched on the first of 3 short posts sticking out of the water just south of the hide. I raced back to Ness Point after Rob Wil had found a Crimson Speckled and he had very considerately arranged some sticks in the form of an arrow pointing out exactly where this moth was, clinging to a Buddlea, but I was fortunate that James C, Rob H, Chris & Alison A were there to point it out to me. The following Friday, I missed the chance to go for the AA at BP, Norfolk too.

Carder Bee at Corton ORT

On Wednesday 26th October, in the early afternoon I took a look at Corton OSW and Corton Churchyard, a cacophany of Goldfinches heard in the corner of the Churchyard around the OSW nothing seen but walking to the cliffs, 1 Carder Bee clinging to a dandelion flower.

Ness Point Pallid Swift, a first for Lowestoft!

At teatime, a tweet from Rob Wil stating Julie had found a probable Pallid Swift had me leaping in the car at just after 5pm and within 10 minutes I was pulling into the northern end of Birds Eye car park. I saw Julie walking along the seawall and she said she had just lost it flying south just over the Bird's Eye factory. James W turned up on his bike and after 15 minutes at around 5.27pm as I was driving away, I saw Julie raise her glasses and looking over IO could see the excellent Swift flying just over Bird's Eye. Stopping the car I leapt out and we saw the bird if flew first left and then right over Bird's Eye showing a noticably small fluttering almost bat like flight, it showed more blunt tipped wings and appeared smaller than Common Swift and less scyth like wings. People started arriving Rob Wil, Andrew E, James B, Rob H, Richard S, Chris & Alison A etc. The bird then flew towards the wind turbine and then it flew towards us and directly over our heads, at one point I noticed the paler browner plumage, whitish throat area and darker 'black eye surround' it had a widish rump leading to narrow slightly notched tail, indicating to me that this was clearly a Pallid Swift and a first for Lowestoft for me. Andrew E and Rob H's photos confirmed this. Very well done to Julie, who had earlier noted scallops on the bird too. The bird then flew around the back of Bird's Eye over to the wind turbine and then again following the seawall area and again directly over our heads before it started to concentrate flying around the wind turbine where after sometime, it disappeated presumably roosting on the wind turbine at 6.14pm.

Dip Farm and Gunton ORT meander

On Monday 24th October, this afternoon parking at the pitch and putt car park by Corton woods, I walked over to the ORT and reaching the Radde's copse I heard the rasping of a Brambling heard and at the Gunton ORT a Redwing was seen in a bush.

Wheatear at Ness Point

On Monday 24th October, I parked just south of the Orbis building and breaking news of a Wheatear around the Orbis building meant I was in the right spot at the right time. I soon spotted it within the Wind Turbine compound and it flew out to the sea wall and perched along the sea wall. It then flew back to the compound and I photographed it just outside the fence. Roger C and Rob Win seen again.

Southwold Dusky but noffin of the Puffin

On Saturday 21st October, I parked along North Road at Southwold and opp 71 (the reedy area where the Blyth's Reed had been seen 2 years eatlier) by 2 bushes in the reeds the "takk" of the Dusky Warbler was frequently heard but we were limited to glimpses of the bird, often obscured but once the whole bird was seen and the strking supercilia seen once too. It flew between the bushes before flying west to the Sallows. Paul & Sara appeared and later Brian S, the finder. News was then messaged out from the local What's App that John B had sighted a reasonably close Puffin just off Ness Point, I ran back to the car. Drove to Ness Point around half an hour later got to Ness Point, parked up but no one was there. Scanning the sea, I couldn't see any bird on the sea let alone a Puffin. Roger C then turned up and we then saw John B who was walking back he had left the bird sitting on the sea but there was no sign of it now. Instead a fine winter- plumaged Knot was on the area just off the compass at Ness Point but people by the compass flushed it and it flew onto the finger promtorary before people walking out over the finger flushed it and it flew north and appeared to land on the small ledge just east of the seawall. I went to investigate and the bird was still there, very carefullyclimbing over I managed to get a few pics of the bird but it was often staying within the shadier half of the ledge. Nice to catch up with RobWin later on as I made my way back to Ness Point. A look around Corton churchyard revealed very little but I saw a Coal Tit, a Song Thrush and Goldcrest plus the Corton New Sewage works, a Grey Wagtail flew up from the entrance to the complex and flew south.

No sign for me of the BRT

On Friday 20th October incredible news of a Blue Rock Thrush within the grounds of the Hermaness Holday Park at Winteron had me in the afternoon parking just south of there but very unfortunately there was no sign of the BRT for me, a caravan park to the south hosted a female type Black Redstart and a lateish Wheatear in the valley. I left at 3.30pm but annoyingly for me, the bird reappeared at 5pm along Back Lane.