No Eagle

A disappointing trip over to Woolpit/ Rattisdon which was fraught with difficulty as 3 routes I tried to get there had been closed and diversions were in place but no indication where the diversion was going, so what should have been a 75 minute journey was doubled to 150 minutes. I arrived but the Sat Nav had directed me to Dead man's Lane, Stowmarket, it didn't find Dead man's Lane Woolpit/ Rattisdon for some reason. Fortunately on the Bird Sightings What's App group site had a Google Maps link and within 15 minutes, I was driving up the correct Dead Man's Lane, near Woolpit, where I disturbed a Red Kite on the road feeding on a rabbit corpse. I then drew onto the concrete square where a few birders cars were parked and I saw Brian from Essex, no luck with the Eagle it had flown off earlier and didn't return whilst I was there but there were 2 excellent Grey Partridges hunkered down in the field to the right, my first since the Mutford birds Jane & Paul F had told me about a few years ago, sadly too far away to photograph. Meanwhile in the distance the Red Kite was mobbing a Buzzard over the distant woodland.

Wet Saturday

On Saturday 4th November, it was very windy and raining I checked Hamilton Dock but no sign of the VS, a tweet saying a Leach's had been sighted flying north, so I looked sheltering against the Harbour Wall and the remains of the Coastguard look out where I spotted Andrew E, only birds seen was a close juvenile Gannet flying south and 3 close Brent Geese also flying south. I checked the Hollingsworth estate for the possibility of Waxwings, no luck I was about 14 hours too early!

Finally, the Velvet Scoter!

On Wednesday 1st November, another very early morning before work trip to Mutford Lock, I instantly saw the fine Velvet Scoter and also 2 1st winter Shags and a Little Egret fishing very close to the path but the light was awful. Looking into the sun reflecting off the water made photography extremely difficult. A return visit in the afternoon and the light was better with the sun behind me but rather annoyingly, I just missed the chink of sunlight that illuminated the scene which was promptly covered by cloud the very second I got there! The fine Velvet Scoter was fishing very close to the bridge path again and I was joined by Peter No and later by Dick W and we enjoyed good views. The bird would swim right and then it turned left, it would then promptly dive every time, often surfacing minutes later with a mussel between its mandibles, which it would promptly devour! Once or twice it rose up on its haunches and flapped its wings showing the white on the wings. It then swam back almost to the area underneath the railway line before it once again returned to the south side of Mutford Lock. Where I managed a few shots and pleased with the results.

No sign of the Scoter for me

On Tuesday 31st October, on a misty foggy morning before work I drove to near Mutford Lock and looked in the basin there was a lot of fog but no sign of the VS, I was particularly keen to see and photograph this bird as I hadn't got a decent picture of this species before save for a mid distance shot of one on the North sea off Gunton beach, years ago when there was a Dusky warbler in Warren House Wood. I hadn't close views of this species for many year probably 35- 40 years ago when their used to be 4 Benacre Pits and the largest seawrd pit would often host winter wildfowl goodies such as Scoters, Divers and Grebes. I also checked Lake Lothing and a fishing 1st winter Shag was seen as well as the immature Brent Goose still on the shore line until a dog flushed it onto the water. I had a quick scan over Oulton Broad and couldn't see anything there either. Time to go back to work and the sun finally up and illuminating the Paget car park at 8.20am. It was rather disconcerting to hear the bird was promptly picked up on Oulton Broad sighted from both the Wherry and the Boulevard, (both perfect places for morning photography) barely 30 minutes later!

Poor return on local patch

On Sunday 29th October, a look around Hamilton Dock, Ness Point and Hamilton Dock, the Netposts revealed nothing. At Link's rd car park, I parked up and walked up the Gunton slope, a calling Redpoll flew over just north of Warren House Wood, we heard the Yellow- browed Warbler call 4X but we didn't see it. I missed it by 5 minutes when it had been showing. An adult winter Mediterranean Gull flew north over the sea. Rain was setting in, so I walked back to the car, checking various tit flocks and by the north-eastern most puddle a second winter Mediterranean Gull was bathing and 2 adult winter Mediterranean Gulls seen.

Brent Goose at Lake Lothing

On Saturday 28th October, a look around Corton OSW and the Church failed to reveal the Swift for me, but a male Stonechat in the compound was an unusual sighting. Out to sea, a single Brent Goose sat half way out. Meanwhile flying north were 3 then 5 adult Gannets plus 8 & 12 Brent Geese also flying north. In the afternoon, a tip off from Jane F & a look around Lath Lothing from the railway bridge, just before the concrete jetty, an immature Brent Goose was on the shore line it later walked up and fed before being spooked by a dog walker and swimming just south of the concrete jetty where again it walked the shoreline and gave confiding views.

Train birding

Travelling by train on Thursday 27th October, as I passed Mutford Lock I saw a dark bird on the water just beyond, either a diver or a goose. Approaching Manningtree rail station, the Stour estuary was passed and the train disturbed a fine immature Merlin that flew away, just after the station, again it disturbed a ringtail Hen Harrier that flew away. Whilst walking to the accommodation at Gants Hill, west along eastern Avenue (exit is 5 Eastern Avenue West from the Tube station underpass) I heard to familiar screeching "Kee- kee- kee" and 2 very green Ring necked Parakeets flew east over the busy road. Great train/ journey birding!