Ness Point & Southwold

I started at Oulton Broad hoping to get some pics in the sun of the Slav Grebe, sadly I didn't see it. Looking in at Hamilton Dock, 1 Guillemot was seen. Joining Tony B at Ness Point, we saw 3 Redshank fly south and a Little Auk flew north at 9.15am and pitched onto the sea briefly before flying north again. A Red- throated Diver was seen fairly close in on the sea. 2 Purple Sandpiper popped up on the defence rocks amongst the Turnstone. Blackbirds were arriving in off the sea during the morning in ones and twos and around 30 were seen coming in off. 4 Fieldfare flew in off and over Hamilton Dock.Whilst checking the Tamarisk bushes, we saw a male Blackcap briefly and a Chiff- Chaff. This afternoon I driving to Southwold, I had a brief diversion at Oulton Broad Mutford Lock bridge Pontoon, where 1 immature Shag was seen. Finally reaching Ferry road In Southwold driving down to the harbour on the east end, I reached the rectangular pool, by the side of the road, parked at the nearby car park and saw the excellent female Common Scoter asleep over the far side. She woke up, preened and swam tentatively around the reed stems in the corner initially, but then she became bolder and swam around right in the middle on the water, occasionally accompanied by a Little Grebe, which she chased off on one occasion when the Dabchick got too close! She dived frequently, sometimes rearing up in the water and showed very well in the middle of the pool even swimming right towards me on occasions and showing down to 3 feet at times, finally she swam back to the corner got onto the bank and went to sleep again!

Scilly blog updated!

I have now finished the text Scilly blog. I have finished the blog for days 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7 & 8. Pictures to be added soon!

Long- tailed Duck & Little Auks off Ness Point

With a strong north- easterly blowing and frequent squally showers and hail storms the only place to be was Ness Point! Arriving at Ness Point this morning, by the former Coastguard lookout, I could see James B looking from within his car sheltered from the elements and the more intrepid Paul & Jane were presumably the other side of the Lookout as I could see their car parked there too. As it was raining/ hailing steadily, I elected, like James, to stay in the car and had 2 single Knot fly by plus a female Common Scoter and a single male Eider, all flying north. A flock of 15 Wigeon flew past north over the horizon, With the sun coming out, I joined Paul & Jane & Andrew E to the east of the lookout first we had a pair of Scaup flying north. We also saw impressive single sex flocks of 10 and then 12 male Eiders flying north, later a flock of 16 birds included 4 females. Another flock of 16 Wigeon and some Teal flying past north incredibly included a superb Long- tailed Duck (my first for many years), certainly the first one I have seen this century. We also had 2 small groups of Knot, 8 & 12 also flying north. Andrew E, did really well to spot it trying to hide within the middle of the flock of Wigeon. These days this bird is rarer in Lowestoft than RF Bluetails or OBP's! A Harbour Porpoise was seen briefly too. We were still celebrating when shortly afterwards, Andrew shouted "Little Auk!" and sure enough, an excellent Little Auk was flying north a third of the way out. We were all there, fervently hoping we would get some Little Auks, with the first strong northerly blow of the late autumn. Ten minutes later, Paul got our total of Little Auks into the plural, when got onto another Little Auk which was about half way out also flying north. We also saw a Snow Bunting flying north low over the sea about half way out. Plus 21 Starlings flew south and west over the sea. With the sun out, I raced to Oulton Broad and sure enough the Slavonian Grebe was still near the Wherry end, but the light was still not right, sadly.

Quiet afternoon

Friday 26th I had the afternoon off as I was giving a Library talk in the afternoon. At Corton, I flushed a silent Pipit up to the OBP hedge, where it perched, but sadly this bird was a Meadow Pipit and not the OBP, 3 Meadow Pipits seen in total, little else. The Slavonian Grebe was seen on Oulton Broad near the Wherry this time in strong sunlight only problem was, I was looking straight into it.

Corton Olive- backed Pipit

Having missed the OBP yesterday, (brilliantly found by James B), as I was working at Norwich, only driving past Corton at 6.10pm in the pitch darkness, I parked at the Corton church west car park at 7.35pm this morning. Conditions were misty and spitting with rain. I walked through to the field just north of the Church and this was bordered on the south and east by a large Sallow hedgerow. By the edge of the field was long grass and several tall weeds. Also here were about 10 birders including Ricky F, Phil H, Jeremy G, Rene B, and several others. Ricky had seen an interesting Pipit fly up from the long grass into the east hedge it remained silent in flight, intriguing! A co-ordinated walk through the long grass, first flushed a calling Meadow Pipit, and then the silent Pipit with an interesting looking dark back flew up to the east hedge. Rene did well to spot it perched just 2 feet off the ground, behind a large silvery leaved bush. I got my bins on it and instantly called it as "It's the Olive- backed!" It was of course the superb Olive- backed Pipit. I could see the striking cream supercilia, bordered above by the distinctive dark lateral crown stripe. The cream supercilia showed the characteristic supercilium drop at the rear of the ear coverts with the dark spot just underneath this. The back was a reassuring olive- green colouration. It then flew to the ground and walked on the ground before flying up and being seen breast on. It had a heavily streaked dark markings on the white and cream upper breast. I also noticed it pumping its tail another distinctive action of this species. It then flew down again and could not be seen. Regrettably, the time had now reached 8.35pm and I had to leave for work! Sadly no pictures of the bird due to the misty and wet conditions. After work, I drove to Warren Road, Gorleston in search of the RBF at the Anglian Water compound but I couldn't find the compound and the light was deteriorating fast. I tweeted for help and phoned James B and thanks to him and Andrew E for telling me that in my haste I had gone right past it. For the record, it is where the tarmacked road in the dip meets the sandy track in a dip where the houses end, the compound being on the west side of the road. The area had tall Sycamores meeting in the middle the crown of these touching in the middle. Problem was, I was over half way down the track towards Hopton Holiday Camp and had to rapidly retrace my steps. Unfortunately, the very poor light now hampered me & it failed to reveal either movement or the audible sound of the slight tacking call of this bird.

Fogbound Migrants

A slightly foggy day latterly became a very foggy day, whilst searching through Sparrow's Nest, I failed to see the YBW despite 2 hours of searching through several flocks of Long- tailed Tits c180 seen and Goldcrests c140 seen. There were also several roving flocks of Redwings in both Sparrows Nest (around 30) and especially Belle Vue Park (around 60). Several Song Thrushes seen, around 10 around the parks in total. I met up with Rob Win and Don & Gwen were seen in the distance too. Walking along the Denes, the fog was increasing and becoming more dense, more Redwings, c70 seen on the ground and flying overhead calling, too. The chacking of a Fieldfare saw 1 flying up to the top of a tree, whilst 7 Redwings were in the wind break bushes here, plus several 3 Robins too.At Warren House Wood, around 50 Redwings seen. At the small copse, just north of here, 4 Jays seen plus 6 more Redwing and 2 Fieldfare. By Gunton Beach Dunes another 12 Redwing seen plus 4 Fieldfare and a female Stonechat perched on the bushes here. Walking back along the beach around 30 Redwing and 3 Fieldfare flew overhead in off the sea, viz mig in action! By the sea wall, by Marram grass, a movement caught my eye and revealed a lone Chiff- Chaff which was feeding on insects by a plant, before a dog flushed it and the bird flew back along the beach. On the Oval, 4 Fieldfare were seen on the field close to the east wall, as I was watching them, 2 Redwing calls were heard directly overhead, they were perched in the pine tree that I was standing next to. I intended walking back to the car but seeing Neville S, he was watching the trees lining the east of the Sparrows Nest car park, I joined him and around 30 Redwing and 4 Fieldfare seen here, whilst on the Ting Dene static fenced caravan park, now a building site, we initially saw 6 Redwing, 4 Fieldfare, a Song Thrush, all feeding on the grassy area near the fence barely 40 feet away. Whilst we were looking at these we saw an excellent 1st winter female Ring Ouzel, we got on it at the same time, it was a dull bird with just a hint of silvery wings and a very pale breast band. I was looking at it, thinking it was a female Ring Ouzel when Neville said "it's a Ring Ouzel!" Walking south of here by the corner path, a Redwing, a Song Thrush and a female Blackbird seen by a puddle just 20 feet away. walking along the Netposts area, a further 6 Fieldfare seen on the ground and 3 Redwing all just 20 feet away! By the weedy area, another Robin seen here too. Rechecking Sparrows nest, 7 Redwings flew west over the Bowling Green. Whilst in Belle Vue Park by the memorial ground, I heard the rasping of a Brambling and saw a male Brambling in a beech tree together with 3 Chaffinches. An incredible day with 250 Redwings, 28 Fieldfares, 15 Song Thrushes, 5 Blackbirds, and 1 female Ring Ouzel seen. A great day for Thrushes, I subsequently heard they'd been bigger falls elsewhere including at Corton.

Schizophrenic Grebe!

Sunday 21st October didn't start to well, a bit like my car which had a flat battery. Early on I visited Oulton Broad, around the Wherry hotel where the Slavonian Grebe showed very well just down from the Wherry car park showing down to 2 feet on several occasions! Unfortunately the sky was dark and it was starting to rain steadily! It dived regularly frequently catching several small fish. Having a look at the bird, it seemed obvious to me, whichever side I looked at it that it was a Slavonian Grebe, although I have heard when it had been first found, it had been initially tricky to ID because initially it had been mistaken for a Black- necked Grebe. Later on during the day, I visited a rain soaked Corton and pounding the MOD stubble field, together with 3 other birders we eventually saw a calling single Lapland Bunting fly up in the company of several Sky Larks. A Snipe was also seen in flight. Around 60 Sky Larks seen in total, Brambling also heard here too. Travelling back along the A12 by Barn owl Lodge, a dead Fieldfare was seen at the side of the road, too.