Divers at the Bridge

After a lot of continuous rain, the previous weend and Wednsday afternoon, it was good to get out on Saturday 16th December, parking along Commodore Road, I walked up to the Mutford Lock bridge and nice to see and catch up with Maurice B. Initially the Great Northern Diver was in the Lock just this side of the railway bridge, but much closer was the fine Black- throated Diver which fished in the water right in front of us before swimming towards the wooden jetty then away again. Later on, walking along Nicholas Everitt Park, I saw the Red- throated Diver along the far south- west of Oulton Broad fairly close to the reeds and swimming by the pink buoys, diving frequently it then swam towards the wooden posts. Back at Mutford Lock, the Black- throated Diver had swum east of the railway brdige and was more distant, whilst a Kingfisher flew in and settled for a second on a wooden post before flying off. 4 Little Grebes also seen. Walking along Lake Lothing, I saw diver south of the Cruising club for a split second, presumably the Black- throat again. Very nice to see all 3 species of Divers again, it would just be the icing on the cake to see them and photograph them in good light.

Not happy

After a reasonably successful trip to Thorpeness I drove down to Minsmere RSPB solely to pick up the Suffolk Bird Report for 2022, initially I couldn't find it in the shop but staff were able to show me the one place where I had not looked, I thought I had scoured the shop thoroughly...but apparently not! Having successfully purchased that plus some cards and the "Friends & Neighbours' calendar. The rain sodden environment meant I beat a hasty retreat to the car, to check the report, initially all was well with my first check for the Black Guillemot and was pleased to see I had been credited for my efforts in initially looking for this bird at Lowestoft and writing the description, although Jane had famously found it, when I had to answer an urgent call of nature behind a nearby bush at Ness Point. Also, very pleased to see my picture of the bird reproduced as well. In all, I had 10 pictures published in the report including in old Voous order (none of this new evolution sequence for me!) Red- throated Diver, Shag, Knot, Bar- tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden Plover, the aforementioned Tystie, Caspian Gull, Red- rumped Swallow (although not the wing stretching picture I expected which I thought was a better and more dramatic photo), Lesser Spotted woodpecker and juvenile Green woodpecker, which was pleasing. More than I was expecting as I am limited with the time I can be out due to work and often bad weather when off (re: past 2 weekends constantly raining being a case in point. But the final and damning travesty of justice that despite my initially finding the Westhall Road/ later Wissett Way Waxwings, just off Hollingsworth Road at Gunton on 17-23 December 2022, no mention of my name afterwards but that of a different observer, who I know had twitched the birds after I had first put the news out! Actually, to have complete justice my name and James W's names should have been included, as I was the first to find the 13+ birds and then James joined me and we jointly found a further 10 birds totalling 23 in all. After my find of the inital 13+ Waxwings, I had immediately spread the news via Whats App groups, including the Lowestoft Lounge Lizards, Suffolk BINS (Bird Information Network services) and the Thursday Clubbers Group. I had also tweeted the information out too. I even kept all these groups regularly updated on subsequent days (visiting early mornings before work) as to their movements too. Don't forget, I had been previously checking this area over the previous fortnight on an almost daily basis to see if any Waxwings would turn up here. The non inclusion of my name is perplexing because I specifically submitted these records to the local recorder and 2 local members of the SORC (Suffolk Ornithological Records Committee) Committee, even also submitting a description accompanying and photos of the birds, too. One always hopes one can find good birds and goodness knows it is hard enough to do that, but at when you do find a rarity/ies, I at least expect to properly and fairly credited with the find. It won't undo the damage done, but I will be asking for the error to be corrected in the following year's report with a statement correcting the error & the record credited fairly to the original finder/s. I'll be making sure my Red- backed Shrike, self found, at Corton Old Sewage Works this year is submitted and I got pictures of that one, too.

Thorpeness Meare

On Sunday 10th December, always a nice place to visit, with the House in the Clouds dominating the western skyline and ornate brick architecture as you drive in from the north. I parked up and walked over to the Meare and scanning at the back, I instantly saw the fine male Ring- necked Duck. Way at the back in front of an island. I thought I would get a better view from the GC Car park, so I walked down the road to the Golf Club but couldn't see it from the car park. Walking back through one of the gaps in the houses, I could see a fine female Goosander resting on the island. I walked back to my original spot, momentarily pausing to see a fine yellow billed winter- plumaged Great White Egret feeding around the reed filled margins of an island again viewed in gap between the houses. Finally back at my original viewing spot I was perplexed as the area where I had seen the male Ring- necked Duck (obvious black back and head greyish flanks and whiter area buffer area between the flanks and the breast and the pale blue bill with obvious white black band near the tip and slightly knobbly topped head). I saw an obvious male Tufted Duck but the Ring- neck nowhere to be seen. I was beginning to doubt if I had seen a mirage earlier. But i was joyfully distracted from these doubts by a fine male Goosander swimming left followed by 4 redhead Goosanders, so 5 Goosanders in total, nice! I shouldn't have doubted myself as I saw Adam R and he said the RND had swam back into the reeds bordering the island and just part of its flanks were just about visible. It did indeed later swim out. I then spend time watching the bird that consorted with 3 Mallards (2 males & 1 female) swim over to the reed fringes on the south side of the Meare before swimming back to its original spot, some very long range shots taken, I was hoping for much closer shots but it was not to be. 3 redhead Goosanders surprised me by swimming past and right at mid distance at terrific speed so again I missed the shot. I had seen some Ipswich birder (I'd actually thought they were from Colchester Essex) who told me about Bewick's Swans just east of half way house, I parked near Sizewell Hall and walked west (the route to the resvoir where the RND had been seen a year or so ago), saw a flying Great- spotted Woodpecker, but little else as it started raining and I got slightly lost ending up on the road to Sizewell before Halfway House and I had to walk a full 1.5 miles back to the car in the pouring rain without a raincoat which wasn't my best choice of clothing apparel.

Divers in the mist!

On Saturday 2nd December, back at Lake Lothing in fairly foggy misty conditions, the visibilty waxed and wained sometimes you could view 150 metres away sometimes half that. Walking to Mutford Lock bridge, a fine Great Northern Diver was fishing and I made my way to the lower walkway, joining John B and family and was very fortunate to see the Great Northern Diver come even closer and I managed a couple of pics. Meanwhile looking beyond the railway bridge the fine Black- throated Diver could be seen but it soon swam east disappearing into the mist. Sadly, just too far away to photograph it. Jeremy G strolled up and saw both Diver species with me & we then saw Richard W who said the RTDiver was on Oulton Broad Dead End and could be viewed from either Caldicott Road or from the Commodore PH. We walked over to the picnic area of the Commodore, initially we couldn't see it but after 10 minutes I spotted swimming right in front of some boats. This fine Red- throated Diver then swam further west towards us before swimming back again and this completed seeing the set of all 3 relatively regular Diver species within 30 minutes, & the first time I have achieved this feat. I am pretty sure this is the first time all 3 Diver species have been seen in Lowestoft area at the same time! Walking back along Lake Lothing, I bumped into Kevin B and we saw a total of 6 Little Grebes on the water. A very enjoyable hour and a half spent in good company around this area!

Possible then definite Waxwings

On Saturday 25th November, I had driven around Crestview Drive and possibly seen a small flock of c13 Waxwings flying off but only seen whilst driving so I couldn't be sure. However, on Sunday, 26th November, whilst cleaning my car, I saw a fine group of 13 trilling Waxwings flying NNE directly over the house/ garden at 3.06pm.

Nothing doing

On Sunday 26th November,I looked around Lake Lothing, the railway bridge, Lake Lothing Riverside, Oulton Broad, the Wherry, the Boulevard, Asda, Hamilton Dock, Ness Point and saw absolutely nothing bar 2 Oystercatchers and 30 Turnstone at Ness Point. No sign of the hoped for GND & Goosander.

Birthday birds and Goosander on the 19th

On Wednesday 15th November, I travelled to Kessingland. A search along the North Beach was initially unsuccessful, even though I had seen birders watching the S Larks near the pool opp the Pill box, they diseappeared totally for me and I looked down by the lighthouse and no luck there either. I tweeted negative news and Chris D kindly gave precise directions where to, back where the others birders hasd been looking but walking south just a few metres, around 50 metres ahead of me I briefly saw the 5 excellent Shore Larks on the beach before they flew north appearing to settle on the beach neat the lighthouse lookout. I saw John R and we looked up there and saw 2 fine Sanderlings on the eastern edge of the northern shore pool, along with 5 Ringed Plovers but no sign of either the Larks or the Buntings. A Fieldfare seen flying in off and continued inland. sadly a dead Grey seal was seen on the beach too. I walked around the main reedy pool just south and was delighted to see a fine Jack Snipe fly up but it flew inland. I then drove to Lowestoft no sign of Waxwings at Melrose Close but driving along Crestview drive at 3pm, sadly with the light going, I saw an incredible flock of 52 Waxwings perched in 2 trees by the layby just before the junction with Spashett Road, I counted the flock 3X to make sure I had a correct count, some birds flew down to the berry bush and started feeding but after a short while the whole flock flew and then flew down and circled around Foxborough drive for 10 minutes before they flew back to Crestview Drive at 3.15pm. On Sunday 19th along lake Lothing, I bumped into Paul & jane F & from the Lowestoft Cruising Club, I breifly saw the redhead Goosander swimming towards Mutford Lock. We made our way over to Mutford Lock and we saw the fine female redhead Goosander actively fishing just beneath the waterline the far southern end of the lock, I made my way over the bridge in order to get some pics but she started swimming back north and the flew west over the bridge.