Firecrest at Corton Churchyard

After 2 days of looking around Corton ORT, Churchyard and Old SW before and after work & seeing nothing. It sounded as if this would quickly change this morning Wednesday 30th September, when I drew up to the approach rd to Corton old SW when I heard a lot of bird song including a calling Yellow- browed, but it was not to be as the ringers were in Town. I decided to try Broadland sands and heard a Yellow- browed seeing Derek I asked him was it another tape? Yes! Going back to the Churchyard, I heard the more rasping call of a genuine Firecrest moving through the hedge on the eastern side but it remained mostly well hidden. a look after work typically revealed nothing again.

Big Moon, rubbish pictures!

This morning, Monday 28th September I got up at 2.45pm and witnessed the not so Big Moon (I've seen bigger Harvest moons) slowly be eclipsed by the earth's shadow with a bigger bite taken out of the moon by the earth's shadow. At totality, it took on this dark salmon pink colour from around 3.10- 4am. We had occasional cloud which came along and covered it from time to time. When we first looked out, we had a magnificent shooting star streaking past it at about 2.50am. At totality at 3.10am, as it got darker, the local pair of Tawny Owls suddenly became active hooting and "kewicking." However, I failed miserably to get any pictures of the salmon pink moon at totality I even tried whacking up the ISO to no avail. Moon photography isn't really my field of expertise! Any hints or tips for future occurrences gratefully received. Here's a picture at around 2.50am when there was enough light to get a pic!

Showy Snow Bunting on the North Denes

On Sunday 27th September at around 4.30pm I walked around the North Denes, I was keen to see the elusive Snow Bunting. I heard and saw 2 Rock Pipits one showed well on groynes and the rocks of the old sea wall. An initial sweep of the sea wall and the Ting Dene caravan site on the North Denes revealed no Snow Bunting although 10 Pied Wagtails seen. But walking back I saw the excellent Snow Bunting feeding between the caravans, walking down it fed right up to the base of the sea wall before it flew up unprompted onto th seawall. Where it perched before a cyclist pushed and it flew calling its excellent "jingling" call over the seawall the beach and then back over the seawall and it flew towards the south- east end of the Ting Dene mobile caravan site. It later flew back along the seawall south from here perched on the western wall before a walker pushed it north and it perched on the western wall just north from here. The same walker flushed it and it flew south back to the seawall where it fed along the western edge by the wall. A cyclist pushed it over into the caravan site again. I walked down very care fully and it was feeding in the far SE corner along the concrete path and past the railings before yet more walkers pushed it over to the sloping area where it started to feed from some vegetation and I was able to approach with 20 feet and I took a series of pictures as it fed for some 10 minutes before it hopped down to the railing barely 5 feet from me (the bird had shown really well- this is normally the refrain of the Fergusons but I was getting in on the act too, and about time!) and as the sun was covered by cloud, I left it in the extreme south-east corner of the site by the yellow-black buoy.

Yellow- brows seen and heard!

On Sunday 27th September a tweet from Jake G had me driving over to Great Yarmouth cemetery I walked across to the southern section and just a few metres down the main path a crowd of birders including Jake & Justin L really was "x" marks the spot! They were looking up into the very canopy of a large sycamore and an Oak tree and I quickly latched onto the excellent Yellow- browed Warbler, a fast moving small warbler with silky white underparts an then the head showed with the cream white obvious supercilium and then later the 2 cram olive wing bars on green wings. It flitted about giving tantalising glimpses. We were later joined by Paul W, John H and an Ali R lookalike who picked the bird up again in the Oak and gave excellent directions 7 o'clock from the sky opening and I again glimpsed the bird. I also heard a Coal Tit calling but sadly not seen on what is an unusual visitor to Great Yarmouth cemetery, rarer than Yellow- brows! A walk around revealed little save for a male Migrant Hawker. I next called in at Corton old rail track and met the Fergusons, who for once, hadn't seen a bird well; the Ybw had been really elusive. I met Rob Wil who had found them. At the copse around the Sallows area, I heard the "tsuipp" call of a Yellow- browed Warbler right above my head but didn't see it. Chiff- Chaff also heard. I was joined by Paul W. Next stop look in Gunton Woods around the Sallows to look for my own YBWs. All I heard was a very vocal Chiff- Chaff by the hedge before the wood and then calling in the Sallows, but nothing else. Of course later on James W found one here and I drove down met James W and we went back to the Sallows and the main wood path by the sign and we both clearly heard the Yellow- browed Warbler call twice unfortunately we didn't see it.

Corton, Gunton Warren & North Denes today

On Saturday 26th September I walked over to the Corton New Sewage works sewage outflow pool, in the hope of seeing Willow Emeralds, seeing Rob M and his wife there we couldn't see any but a fine male Southern Hawker patrolling the pond and several Common Darters both male and female. Whilst we were there 2 fine Grey wagtails flew in and settled on the hand rail just a few metres away. Whilst overhead in the brilliant sunshine up to 4+ Mediterranean Gulls (3 adults and 1 2nd year bird flew over) their wings a translucent white in the fine sunshine. As soon as Rob M and his wife had left. I immediately saw a Willow Emerald flying around the bushes bordering the boardwalk. I then saw up 8+ Willow Emeralds, a mating psi showed well the male lower down was frequently implanting the female on top. Another Willow Emerald briefly settled on the handrail. A walk along Gunton Waarren revealed no Small Coppers as hoped but a vocal and briefly showing Chiff- Chaff seen by some bramble and the Stonechat seen on tall vegetation in the middle of the North Denes and another second Stonechat briefly popped up into view too but I could not see the Snow B on either the sea wall or the net posts.

Welsh trip

Welsh trip: On Friday 18th September, I saw a Nuthatch which came to food put out in the morning, it perched in the bush just west of the conservatory. A walk that afternoon revealed a Dipper on the Cymisfael stream and 2 further along, so 3 Dippers in total. A showy Speckeld Wood showed well in on the bramble bushes by the new Whitehall bridge. On Saturday 19th September , the Nuthatch was again seen in the garden feeding on scraps put out. At Mum's new potential property Pied Wagtail and Robin seen plus a croaking Raven flew north directly overhead. On Sunday 20th September 3 Ravens flew over calling croaking, 2 seen in tall Pines and 1 flew over towards them. 3 Buzzard flew out of the copse north of Mum's house. on a non birding trip. Finally On Sunday, first thing the Nuthatch was seen feeding on scraps but only after I had vacated the car overlooking the area! after lunch, I drove back and a magnificent Red Kite flew low over the M4 from left to right right in front of the car just before the Swansea City sign.

Local Patch catch up: Little to report

Wednesday 16th Sept still 4 House Martins over Bosquet Close, Thursday 17th Sept 2 House Martins Bosquet Close. Nothing at Corton save for calling Bullfinch & Chiff- Chaff by the Oak Lane calling Siskins heard, Corton old Sw calling Siskin heard plus a female Green Woodpecker on fence & Swallow post flew to telegraph pole! Male Migrant Hawker flew past car park hedge Corton Churchyard. Gunton Warren calling Siskin,, 3 Chiff- Chaffs calling and 1 singing by Holm Oak parch just north of Warren House Wood. female Migrant Hawker and 2 smart Small Coppers at the eastern end of the Japanese Knotweed remains. 6 Swallows by North Denes. Arnolds Walk calling Coat Tit seen in fir tree plus alarm calls from Goldcrests as a Cat moved through. Netposts- 1 Kestrel on post, Meadow Pipits 4 & 4 Pied Wagtails. Nothing in the Parks.