Corton look around

On Thursday 24th October, a look around Corton, the Churchyard, the old sewage works and the old rail track, all I saw was a female Chaffinch along the rail track bushes (west side near the road/ bridge).

Benacre Trip 2

On Sunday 20th October, at first light I walked down to Benacre Broad from Covehithe and as I approached the wood from a Broome bush to the right, I heard "chacking" and saw a fine female Ring Ouzel look out and then she flew west, this was just some 30 metres prior ie. south of the woods by benacre Broad hide. I walked down to the Broad and the adult Whooper Swan was initially in the north-east corner but swam to the middle section of the beach side of the Broad, it was with Mute Swans and Canada Geese so no chance of getting any closer so I stayed in the south east corner. At 9.10am, the family party of 6 Whooper Swans (2 adults and 4 immatures) flew in from the south and headed for the north-east part of the Broad and landed near the beach, by some Canada Geese. Rob M. walked along the beach. from the north and the lone adult Whooper Swan swam a little nearer to me and the sun briefly came out. Walking to the hide, I joined Rob M and he said he had 3 Red- crested Pochards amongst the duck, I scoped them and I was very pleased to find an additional male in full plumage, so 4 Red- crested Pochards (2 males & 2 females) in all. A great tally of this southern Mediterranean species (& hopefully not fence hoppers from a nearby wildfowl collection?) Amongst the ducks there were around 300 Coot, c400 Wigeon and 3 male Pintails, with at least 2 Great crested Grebes and a single Little Grebe. Whilst by the close reeds just to the right of the hide, a female Stonechat and then a male Stonechat perched high up on a reeds and flew up and hovered in the air briefly. Also seen were up to 4 'tpinging' Bearded Tits flying across right and into the same patch of reeds. When Female Marsh harriers flew over, the Wigeon would take to flight whilst the Coot flock huddled together, safety in numbers?

Benacre trip 1

On Saturday 19th October, late afternoon I travelled down to Benacre, parking at Covehithe and walking out down the cliff where a family party of 6 Whooper Swans flew south and almost directly over my head, calling "whoop" as they went, a wonderful experience! Looking from the hide, there were lots of ducks and I could see the lone adult Whooper Swan in the south- east corner of the Broad, the light was going by now. As I walked back I realised my trusty favourite M&S blue jumper was missing, I retraced my steps to the hide and side of the beach but no luck but as I was walking past the Church, some kind soul had hung said jumper over the iron gate post so I gratefully retrieved it and reunited with it, fortunately.

Western Conifer Seed Bug in front garden

In the afternoon of Saturday October 19th, at about 4pm in the front garden I saw a large brown bug on the wall of the house just left of the front door. I moved it to a bush and took a few pics. I could not find it in my insect book (published in 1996!), I wondered if it was some kind of Longhorn beetle? Jane F kindly ID'd for me as a Western Conifer Seed Bug, no woder I couldn't find it as it was an American species that was introduced to the UK in 2007.

Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS spotted from the garden

On Wednesday 16th October, I went out as it was getting dark to set the Comet from Millenium Way but couldn't see it. Thanks to our Whats App group I checked again from the garden at 7.15pm and standing on a chair I could clearly see it, Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS with an obvious flared tail stretching up above it, low down in the west. I had especially good views using my binoculars. First time sighted from earth in 80,000 years!! I couldn't get a pic of, (never very good at night time photography) so instead here's a picture of our much loved boy, Comet, our former lovely black and white cat, who we sadly lost all too early on 14th August 2023 last year, we miss him and of course we miss our also much loved, beloved and equally lovely Tabby cat Cosmo too, who we lost suddenly and unexpectedly on 1st February this year, we still miss both of them dreadfully.

Ospreys and Shore Larks!

After a series of dips it was good to see some birds today starting off at Thorpeness Meare where typically as I arrived the Osprey I had come to see had been flushed off its tree by boaters on Meare and it had flown off! But it came around again and I joined Paul & Jane F and others here and hunted over the Meare really low right in front of us, frequently flapping and 'hovering' performing beautifully, the only problem was the light was really hideous and it was near silhouette shots only. I dialled in a plus 1 and a quarter exposure setting rating but could have pushed it to over +2 really. The bird then settled on. large bare branched tree on the island at the back. It was disturbed once again when rowers approached it and it flew out the back. It flew back from hunting/ fishing at the back and perched up again feeding on fish. As we watched I haerd the wonderful distintive call of an Osprey close by (the first time I have heard this call in England!) and looked up and saw a wonderful second Osprey flying in from the right (north) I called it immediately and everyone was pleased to see the 2 Ospreys. They both then flew up and flew round island and the back and were both seen gaining hide and going south? Were they leaving, but it was our queue to leave and I followed Paul & Jane F to Kessingland where we parked up and after a short walk we were on the Kessingland Dunes/ beach opposite the southern most carvan by the caravan park. We could see at least 3 birders/ photographers (including Gavin) and we slowly crawled up and joined them to view the fine quartet of 4 Shore Larks busy feeding. They were reasonably confiding but they became even more so when a local lady made a bee-line for them and fortuitously for me pushed them in my direction where I managed a few shots. Otherwise, they held a respectful distance until again a dog walker heading for the beach pushed one even closer to us where I got a shot of the bird stretching its neck up. Otherwise the protective cordon of birders/ photographers kept the dog walkers away and most had their dogs on leads, great to see such responsible behaviour from both the dog walkers and birders/ photographers waiting for the birds to come to them whichj they did with a little patience. Around 8 Linnet also seen that flew north. Good to see Steve A. too and I even managed a brief chat with him as I drove through the beach village.

Desert Warbler at Winterton

On Sunday 6th October, a WhatsAp message stating there was a Desert Warbler at Winteron had me driving over and parking just north of the village. I walked out seeing Johnny and then a returning Rob H. I walked for around 3/4 mile north and saw a group of people by 2 bushes. The bird, a fine Asian Desert Warbler was initially incredibly elusive and I didn't even see it for the first 30 minutes. It did appear a lovely sandy colour being warmer brown on the tail and yellow eye and straw coloured legs. Glimpses of the bird was seen and then it flew to some bushes just east of there, 2 of the bushes it showed slightly better anbd I managed to get a few shots when it appeared in the gaps. Later on it even flew out flew within a foot of me and David B and perched by the side of the bush just 3 foot away. Meanwhile a juvenile Cuckoo flew right at the back of the dunes. A wonderful bird to see the last one I saw was on Blakeney Point, May 1993, over 31 years ago!