Elusive Dunwich crossbills

At 7.30am, I was at Dunwich, nice and early I parked up by Westleton Heath car park, a puddle was at car park entrance plus a couple of photographers were lying down concealed within the verge opposite. I decided to first walk to the Archers car park and I immediately had a male Crossbill chipping at it flew east alas it flew into the Archers archery range wood. So I couldn't access. As I walked back along the path 4 very low Crossbills flew right over my head again chipping showing dumpy bodies and neatly forked tails but alas they kept flying east. These are my first Crossbill sightings of this year. Having heard them on two occasions recently flying overhead but not locating them as they flew over. A Tit flock by the road included Blue and Great Tit, 4 LT Tits, plus a Treecreeper. I also heard a Wood Lark. A 3 hour vigil with the Toggers revealed a further Wood Lark singing overhead and a Dartford Warbler seen flying into a nearby bush, a necessary comfort break and visit back at the Archers car revealed a further 4 Crossbills flying overhead again, plus 1 Crossbill, a male flying west. I joined the Toggers 10 m inutes later to hear the male Crossbill had sat in the trees opposite for 5 minutes and it had only just flown. We did see 2 male Crossbills fly over the road and west. News of a Sibe Chiff- Chaff at the Buddlea bushes back at Dunelm & Asda I travelled back and despite walking round 3X all I saw were 2 Robins and a Blue Tit. I bumped into Derek M and his wife and it was now 1.15pm they said was an Issy Shrike down at North Warren, surely too late to travel down as it now takes 90 minutes to get down there and parking is always extremely difficult at North Warren as there would have been just 30 minutes of daylight left, and it was very distant I didn't go, which was a great shame, will try Wednesday if it is still about. Again no pics. I later heard the Sibe Chiff- Chaff was seen again at 2.45pm, so a very frustrating day all round.

November goodies

On Saturday 8th November, I was planning to look for the Crossbills at Dunwich but news of a Palls' found by Andrew E at the back of the Crop Shop had me driving down and parking just off Hamilton Road, access to the trees behind Crop Shop is now severly limited and a fence bars access, nothing here but we moved to a former walkway just north of here and Rob Wil spotted the excellent Pallas's Warbler which was flitting around the tree and its base before it flew underneath the ivy at its base and it disappeared meanwhile a fine Acredula Willow Warbler seen around this tree and then it flew to a bush right in front of us before it flew off. Then we had news of the Pallas' being seen by Norton Peskett Soloicitors so I drove the car to Police Station rd and walked around and joined a small throng of birders looking in a large Sycamore where the Pallas's Warbler was showing quite well with the riot of 7 stripes lemon yellow rump and often hovering. It showed well until I got my camera out and then it flew off! I then drove to kessingland and joined Paul and Jane F for a Marathon walk walking around Heathlands where we saw 2 Chiff- Chaffs, Goldcrests and LT Tits. Walking to kessingland village and then the steps, we walked back along the beack where little was seen save we reached to large amount of pools, when we met Gavin , who had seen the 5 Shore Larks, we walked further north and Jane spotted first one the 3 then 4 Shore Larks with another one just left of this group which were busy feeding. As we watched the group of 5 Jane and I exclaimed in unison there was a sixth bird as another bird walked in from the left to join the quintet, my first ever Shore Lark find! So 6 Shore Larks in total. As i was resting at home, I checked the messages to say there was a LEO on the N Denes by the first shelter belt south of Link's Road car park where I joined a small throng of people (Abndrew E. Rob Wil, Paul & Jane F and Howard V et al) and we viewed the fine Long- eared Owl perched deep in and partially obscured it was set between 2 parallel trunks of a Holly tree. It opened its orange eyes and looked around. As Howard took the path towards the sea, he shouted Dartford and below a perched male Stonechat was the fine Dartford Warbler it flew left. Sadly no pics again.

Redwings over!

On Wednesday 5 November at 9pm there were several Redwings flying over the garden calling.

Second helpings of the Brown Shrike at Upper Hollesley Common

On Saturday 1st November hearing the bridges were open again for the Hollesley/ Sutton/ Bawdsey peninsula, and it was Wednesday before last on the day it was first found (my only previous visit), I was keen to go again to see the Brown Shrike and try and get some better pics of the bird. I took a drive early afternoon to Upper Hollesley Common (when I knew the sun would be perfectly situated for pics along the fence line), parking off the road on the left at the start of the Heath. My heart sank a little when I saw a Camo-jacketed Togger and he went through a path through bushes which followed the fence line. I could see the 1st winter Brown Shrike straight away perched on the outer fence, but would it stay there. I joined the crowd of people standing commendably 60 metres from the fence line, some taking cover under some Silver Birch trees and as suspected the Camouflaged Togger was walking along the fence and not joining the group of people. At one stage the bird flew to the inner fence line and even flew towards the Togger before it realised he was there and then it flew deep into the compound. This was what I was afraid of, I walked further along spotting a male Stonechat perched on the fence further down. Joy of joys I could see the Brown Shrike perched on the fence lower down so I carefully made my way down and I must have been around 80- 100 metres from the bird, and I managed to get a few distant shots albeit in very good light. The excellent light and cropping and sharpening tool were necessary to imrove these rather distantly taken pics. At one time the Shrike flew down caught a wasp and started devouring it. It then flew to the inner fence line and almost everybody went to the fence to get shots. I then drove to Minsmere but was too late for the RNG reported at Island Mere (it later turned out to be an erroneius report) as the sun was setting, I then went to Westleton Heath car park, there were plenty of puddles especially around the entrance to the car park but no Crossbills came down or flew in during the 20 minutes I was there. A much earlier start, at first light and a longer wait would no doubt reap dividends. But I did see some Starling murmurations with big flocks of Starlings flying east in pre-roost groups of 1500, 1000, 150, 350, and 100 strong as I drove along the road from Dunwich (around the pig fields and water tower) area.

Firecrest & Coal Tits along the Hospital perimeter bushes

On Friday 31st October, after receiving a text the previous day from Rob H to say that he had seen a Firecrest along the perimeter fence, I couldn't go at the time as I was doing some Literature search training for a GP trainee. But on Friday, in the morning as I walked around the southern side of the James Paget Hospital, just east of the Portacabin, I heard a scratchy 'crest call which alerted me to a fine Firecrest flitting about in the tree beside me. It then flew to the southern perimeter fence. At lunchtime, I investigated further and although I heard it again I could't locate it. 2 Goldcrests were in the bushes and showed well and the mournful 'peuu' of a Coal Tit revealed 2 delightful Coal Tits at the top of a Pine along the southern side of the path just outside the southern perimeter fence.

More Firecrests and YBW

On Sunday 26th October, at Ness Point the sea was exceptionally high with regular waves lashing over the defence rocks and covering the whole of the compass and the lower walk way, unusual to see this away from Spring Neap tides and powerful E or NE gales. Just north of there 2 Redwings flew in/ off. A lone Turnstone braved the edge of the shelf just south of the compass. A walk around the Orbis revealed zilch, the netposts bushes I heard Brambling and Siskin but not seen a walk down Corton ORT revealed 3+ Firecrests, a Yellow-browed Warbler (a bright bird so definity different from the pale bird seen up at the bridge previously) just south of the copse, I viewed these with Alison and Chris A. Also seen was a Treecreeper scaling up the central branch of a small tree. Walking back to the car parked at Corton Churchyard I saw a Firecrest in the northern fence bushes.

Firecrests, YBW & SEO

On Saturday 25th October, at Lowestoft Asda amongst the short Pine trees, I saw 2 fine Firecrests they were calling and constantly feeding usually near the well concealed and main trunk and branches of the tree. At Ness Point, 2 Redwings flew in in' off and flew inland. The sea had swept over the compass and the whole of the lower sea wall. By the Netposts, A Siskin and Brambling heard. Next stop was Corton ORT, 5+ Firecrests seen, plus 3 Goldcrests, 2 Chiff-Chaffs and 40 metres down the track, I heard a YBW. Around 20 LT Tits seen. At Corton OSW, I heard and saw Firecrest around the north-west corner of the compound. By the Tamarisks around 5 Goldfinches, 2 Blackbirds and as I walked back a fine Short- eared Owl flew up from the weedy patch and flew over the road and hedge. Back at the road, 2+ Firecrests seen and 1 Firecrest calling from the B&B Church farm opposite.