Wet weekend, sunny day Monday!

Having to take Jenny to the Garage at Gorleston for 8am today, I confined myself to checking Gorleston Cliffs and the golfcourse, 1 Wheatear seen at the latter plus 3 flying up over the cliff edge, an overflying Swallow plus 3 Whitethroats singing out of view in the scrub at the base. Finally walking back, a male Wheatear flew south over the beach my fifth of the morning. Popping into Yarmouth cemetary after work I headed for the SW corner of the south section, Phil H told me to head for the Hawthorne tree in the SW corner as I was walking there a super immature male Pied Flycatcher (black upperparts with brown in the wing) flew to a bare tree, flicking about it flew to the Hawthorne wheere it was joined by the female Pied Flycatcher. After 10 minutes the sun dipped and I drove to Gorleston cliff trying to see the 7 Poms, no luck. Too windy also at Baker's score (no poms here either) so I joined Andrew E, Paul & Jane and we saw 2 Sandwich Tern flying north 34 Common Scoter (half males) flying north, 2 adult Gannet also north plus a singleton Arctic Skua flying south. Meanwhile on the rock in front of the compass, 3 summer plumaged Purple Sandpipers fed and posed well for the camera. Finally at Gunton I looked in the Church field, no sign of any Thrushes again.

Storks and Chat

B

y 7am I was Lowestoft Asda, there was no sign of the Alpine Swift.(It was seen later briefly over Asda by another birder at 6.10pm today) A Peregrine Falcon was perched by the side of one of the grills. By 8.30am I was driving down a very wet and muddy Damgale Lane near Acle, having located it by driving through Acle and taking the mini roundabout above the A47 and driving west. Reaching the end of the Lane I drove back and parkeed up and returnrd to the cross path area where I had seen a very helpful chap beckoning me over. Sure enough we looked out over to the far fields right at the back 2 excellent White Storks, both adults and unringed were feeding in the meadow by a gate and a hut not far from the railway line. One briefly flew up and then down again it showed in the wing that one primary was missing, were these wanderers from Thrigby Wildlife park, quite likely? John H and Jack W arrived and we enjoyed view for a few minutes before they walked left and out of sight. Meanwhile back at Lowestoft a look on the North Denes caravan park in driving rain revealed just 1 male Wheatear on the car park just a metre from Rob's car! We took shelter in the Wing Ting Dene reception and thanks to Rob's generosity we all had a nice Coffee each to warm us up. The Wing Ting Dene staff were also very helpful and even brought us a chocolate biscuit each, what service! We saw 2 excellent Wheatears fly in off the sea and west where they dropped behind the fir trees near the car park area. I had to go home as I was dripping wet! half an hour later I was back in the field, on the North Denes in the blue fenced Caravan park enclosure, a male Wheatear was quite confiding, I was edging ever closer around 30 feet away, he was resting and I was about to secure some great shots when a dog ran into shot and flushed it, I was very annoyed and put out. Another birder was gesturing to me to come over to the North Denes area just south of the enclosure and in a small bowl of flat grass bordered by longer grass a Whinchat could be seen stood on the ground, it was very confiding and I was able to edge closer to within 30 feet take some shots and slowly edge away without flushing it. Indeed Don & Gwen had some nice views of it in this area and also seeing it perched more typically on the top of a weedy stem. The rest of the afternoon was to be honest a disappointment, I didn't see the Garden warbler in front of Bird's Eye all I saw was a Chiff- Chaff and despite 2 hours at Maltsters Score, the male Redstart frustratingly gave me the slip at every turn, disappearing just before I arrived or on view the other side of the Score and out of my view. I saw a bird dart up to the top of the score and then dart down again in a very Redstart like way but nothing seen on it to confirm ID. Again, frustrating. A text for Paul W was a great help when we turned seawards and saw a Fulmar gliding north past the big wind turbine, thanks Paul. 2 calling Siskin flew in and settled at the top a of a tree in Maltsers Score, one was a smart male. A marathon trek around Gunton was also disappointing as no Ouzel of F'fare at Gunton School field and just a Jay in Gunton wood, Swallow over Gunton ORT and a small stunted Early Purple Orchid nearby to show for a trek around the Gunton ORT, Dip Farm, Pleasurewood Hills edge and Gunton Woods.

Alpine Swift Asda bonus!

A quick look this morning at Leathes Ham, revealed the female Goosander sat on her usual log, little else. Following a trip to Southwold, we had to do some food shopping and I persuaded Jenny that we should shop at Asda rather than Morrisons (her preferred choice) and at 3.20pm we arrived at the Asda car park in front of the Grain silo, what a good choice that proved to be! I first saw a Swift flypast. The weather was overcast, NE wind of BS 4/5 scale and there was initially a fine "mizzle" of rain. I then quickly retrieved my binoculars from the car and wanted to check another very interesting larger looking "Swift" at around 3.25pm (perhaps 1/3 size bigger and a larger more "swollen/bulging body like a very well fed bird!" than an ordinary Swift) that looked big and very interesting! It flew past and right at half way height in front of the Grain silo, it had a white chest and a brown body, the bird was an incredible and fantastic Alpine Swift and I had just found it!!! It flew rather energetically in circles around the grain silo, obviously hawking for insects and it continued circling around several times and then it flew towards me and right over my head at close quarters and I was able to make out the white throat and brown upper breast band, contrasting dramatically with the rest of the white underparts, upper and mid breast and body. The white throat was difficult to make out from any distance. The rear body and undertail coverts. appeared dark but when it flew overhead I could see it was dark brown. It had an obvious deep notched tail and "musclely wings" because of the slow wing action and deep beats (making it appear almost Falcon- like, particularly Hobby-like in flight!) which contrasted with the quicker wing action of the Common Swift seen earlier. I quickly "tweeted" the news out at 3.30pm and sent a message to Suffolk BINS, I also immediately rang Andrew E. On the upperparts of the Alpine Swift, the body was a medium plain sand grey- brown colouration appearing slightly darker grey- brown on/nearer the wing tips. It then appeared to fly strongly east and out of sight. Derek B arrived and I thought the Alpine had gone but Chris M also appeared form the western end of Asda and said the bird had flown up onto the shuttered "window" of the grain silo. We walked to the western end of Asda to try and relocate it, Richard S then appeared and I spotted the Alpine Swift again flying right half way up and in front of the grain silo and a beaming James B and Andrew E appeared. Jane & Paul soon appeared and Jane was particularly anxious to see it, fortunately the bird was still flying around the grain silo and they saw it too. panic over! Ali R and Roy arrived. But the Alpine Swift was obviously getting tired of the increasingly inclement weather, had flown back up onto and under one of the air/ vents/ window as if it was going to roost at 4.06pm. taking Jenny home, I drove back to Asda, the weather had worsened, it was now raining steadily and Phil H was sheltering under one of the Pines, whilst the others were in the dry and warm at the Asda cafe (great choice!), newly joined by Steve J who'd received his tweet rather fortuitously as he disembarked a train at Lowestoft rail station so he'd seen it was also good to see Rob Win too. We also saw an excellent Peregrine which flew around and flew to the top of the building. What a real Asda bonus, on the rare bird front, Asda is now miles ahead of Tesco's it's a longtime since the Black- bellied Dipper at Gunton.

Flock of hirundines

On Thursday 26th April walking around a sodden Fisher Row, male Blackcap seen near the stables, A Grasshopper warbler heard on the marsh beyond the railway line and 19 Tufted Ducks on the lagoon. On friday 27th April at Filby Broad at lunchtime, a Blackcap was heard singing in the car park and over the Broad a mass of hirundines around 60 Swallows, 15 House Martins, 10 Sand Martins and high up in the air and screaming 15 Swift. In the evening at Leathes Ham, the female Goosander now in moult was sleeping on the path beside a male Mallard, she swam back and later joining Robert Wil we saw the Goosander again, 12 Tufted Ducks and a Swift flying overhead.

Pheasant in the Library car park

At about 10am today, I was called to the back of Gorleston Library, where a magnificent male Pheasant was on the car park, seemingly unable to fly, by the time I got there he miraculously discovered the power of flight and flown up to the wall, bordering the northern end of the car park, I took some pictures and after a few minutes of looking around, appearing somewhat perplexed by these new alien surroundings, he took off and flew in a north- westerly direction!

Fisher Row Vicar

After being told rather aggressively by the Vicar not to park at the car park at the top of Fisher Row, I always thought some spaces had been reserved unofficially by the entrance slope for visitors of the SWT reserve, I parked in a nearby road and wondered what else this weekend was going to throw at me? I have never had any trouble parking in 30 years of visits to this site, which used to my regular patch, but I shall now park in Noel road in future. On my return, I noted a newly stapled A4 sheet to the previous blank sign asking people not to park here at weekends. 3 Grasshopper Warblers were heard reeling during the walk one by the horse stable before the railway line, one on the marsh just over the railway line and one by the marsh by the river. walking around to the lagoon, joining an ever cheerful Don, Gwen and Morris. We saw a House Martin fly overhead and north. Several Chiff- Chaff and Willow Warblers were heard plus a Sedge Warbler singing just the over side of the dyke by the parallel path. A Cetti's Warbler was heard singing its explosive song and seen flying away. Morris spotted a Green- veined White that settled in green foliage by the horse stable. Finally, a Chiff- Chaff fed by the side of the path a few feet in front of us.As it turned out the Vicar did me a favour by asking me to move, as I walked back to Noel road, where I had subsequently parked a stunning lemon- yellow Brimstone flew by and towards Fisher Row. carlton marshes, walking towards Whitecast marsh, past the first long dyke by the bush, a male Whitethroat was seen singing initially deep in cover it did show itself briefly. Further along 2 Peacock butterflies were seen on the path. finally a rattling Mistle Thrush flew to the very top of a tree. by the start of the entrance hill/ car park. Willow Warbler heard singing from Fallowfields/ Parkhill Hotel grounds again.

Nightingale on Denes slope

On Saturday 21st April, walking behind the Oval, just emerging on the North Denes by the large bramble bush, a Whitethroat could be heard singing in subsong emerged from the bush and showed well briefly, my first of the year. Further along the North Denes slope, I heard another Whitethroat too. Also here on the Dunes was a pale Small Tortoiseshell. Just past the Pines, I briefly heard the song of an excellent Nightingale coming from a bush near the top of the slope. My first record of one in Lowestoft, I had heard 2 previously both at Fisher Row in the 1980's by the Tea garden and by the slope bordering the rear gardens of Prospect rd. I joined Steve J & 2 retriever dogs leapt up the slope and were interested in something and it wasn't until they disappeared some 15 minutes later that we heard the Nightingale sing again albeit briefly at 10.30 am. As we walked along the Denes first 3 then 4 Swallow flew South. I decided to look at the Ting Dene mobile caravan site which is now fenced off and I was delighted to see 2 resplendent male Wheatears in the what is fast becoming their favourite area the south west corner. By crawling along carefully I was eventually able to enjoy views down to 15 feet, when they ran towards me, oblivious to my presence. I naturally made the most of this opportunity, photographically. In the afternoon, following a tweet I joined Paul & Jane, James B & Paul W by Gunton Cliff looking down on the bush where the Nightingale was heard it actually sang in the same bushy scrubby area half way down the bank which so aroused the curiosity of the retrievers in the morning! 2 male Blackcaps flew out and into a bush near the top. way out to sea, paul spotted some Sand Martins and I saw 1 Sand Martin flying north. Heading towards Corton Old sewage works, I received the shock of this year so far, when I literally leapt out of my skin when 2 gunshot/ cannon shot blasted off in quick succession right beside me as I walked along the concrete track towards the old sewage works. My ears were ringing and walking along the cliff I failed to see any Sand Martins at all, but there were a pair of Wheatears (male and female) on the Broadlands Sands Green. My first Willow Warbler heard from the garden of the year coming from the direction of Fallowfields/ Parkhill Hotel grounds.