Red- eyed Vireo at Sparrow's Nest, Lowestoft now the 30th anniversary!

I can't believe it is now (or it will be on the 6th October) 30 years since Rob Wilton & I found a Red- eyed Vireo in Sparrow's Nest, Lowestoft. Still my best ever find & with Vireos very much in the news currently with 3 on Shetland and 1 on Bardsey, it might be worth a look in the Sparrow's Nest tomorrow to see if history repeats itself (I wish). It doesn't seem like 5 minutes since I was writing about the 25th anniversary.

Benacre Merganser

On Sunday 3rd October, having stayed in over the last weekend due to the fuel crisis and I couldn't afford to waste any as I needed what I had in the tank for work. I was finally able to get out and decided to drive down to Covehithe. I walked down to the hide at Benacre Broad, the hide has had its shutters taken off (bit of a shame as the floor and seats were rather wet from yesterday's extreme rain storm and the wood will also rot much quicker too) and the introduction of a hand sanitiser! Looking out over the Broad, initially not a lot seen, save for 87 Greylag Geese resting on the broad edge by the beach and 4 Great Crested Grebe, 3 Little Grebes. But after several scans the female Red- breasted Merganser surfaced. At 10.56, a lone Barnacle Goose flew in and joined the Greylags on the beach. The bird was ringed with white lettering J19 on a blue ring (left leg) with double ring on the right leg silver below, yellow on top. At 11.21, a massive flock of 140+ Barnacle Geese flew in, about 70 continued west and around 70 settled on the beach. At least 6 of these were ringed and I was able to read the rings on a further 4; E or F44, H23, H27 & K07 white lettering on blue rings all on their left legs and all sported a double silver/ white on top on their right legs. I will get all of these sent off. Searching through these Geese, I saw 2 small Canada Geese types but on close inspection and a tip off from Rob H, they didn't look quite right and were in fact Canada X Barnacle Goose hybrids (probably 3X Canada & 1X Barnacle). Paul & Jane F arrived and the Merganser was showing a little better in the middle of the Broad, not quite Ferguson views, but better than before! A tweet of a Bonxie flying south and we quickly disembarked from the hide and an eventful seawatch revealed a fine Porpoise showing most of its body when it surfaced 3X rather than just the dorsal fin. I spotted a Red- throated Diver flying south on the horizon and another spotted flying south a little later. 2 Sandwich Terns flying south spotted by Paul and then another Sandwich Tern flying south. Finally, a Grey Seal spotted by Jane was swimming north. As I walked back up the cliff, I noticed a hairy caterpillar on a small oak leaf, thanks to Jane F for Id'ing it as a Vapourer Moth larvae from the phone pic (please note the pic is from the phone & not macro lens). Walking back along the entrance lane to Covehithe Church, I spotted 2 fine Ivy Bees taking nectar from Ivy flowers.

Golden Plover over garden

At 6.50pm on Tuesday 21st September, I was delighted to hear (but not see) a calling Golden Plover was heard calling several times over the back garden and from the calls it was heading NW.

Gunton goodies

On Monday 20th September my choice of after work birding from 5.25pm, (while I still can this autumn) shifted from Carlton Marshes to Gunton ORT, on a glorious golden sunny evening, light was perfect for photography and I walked up to the southern end of the Gunton ORT and immediately the excellent Spotted Flycatcher flew into the southern most Oak and showed well for half a minutes before flying off, later I went back and saw the bird sat in sunlit bush posing beautifully before I could focus on the bird, a dog ran up to me and started barking like it had rabies or something and the poor startled bird flew off, I was not happy. I walked down the edge of the Gunton burial ground and saw a glorious male Redstart in only slightly subdued plumage from his summer finery, it perched on top of a bush before flying down, walking down carefully I joined James W, we saw it briefly again before walking back south along the edge of the Gunton ORT & the burail ground and we had glimpses of the Spotted Flycatcher hunting within a large Oak. Finally a Green Woodpecker was heard. I rang the Building company responsible for trashing our back fences and I will be ringing them again tomorrow if I don't get an immediate response, this is very poor practice when you build a homes you don't expect to have your fences trashed and I want the hole in the fence made good immediately (ie. 4 new fence panels a like for like replacement) is the least I will accept or I will be taking this further!

Speckled Bush Cricket in garden & back fences trashed!

AS the light was starting to a go, in our garden I was clearing up cutting back the Buddlea and the 'Cricket" bush, I always shake the vegetation before putting it in the bin so any creatures fall off. Jenny noticed a cricket on the outside conservatory window ledge outside the back door and I let it walk onto a runner bean leaf before after taking a few pictures, I put it back on leaves by the 'Cricket bush.' First sighting this year so glad to still have some wildlife in the garden after the massive loss of habitat due toi the very unecessarily overcrowded 4 bedroom houses crammed in like sardines just over the back fence, which has also been damaged by workmen, I will be complaining to Badger on Monday!

Dipping triangle strikes again but Pec saves the day

On Sunday 19th September, I was back at Sandy Lane, Hulver, nothing seen but a tweet from Phil D at CM had me driving straight there and joining the crowd looking from the Octagon, ie looking over the Old Scrape, Chris D kindly directed me to a very secretive Pectoral Sandpiper, a long overdue first for Lowestoft & Carlton Marshes. It was on the grassy edge of the mud, later a flying Marsh harrier spooked and it flew over to the west side of the old Scrape where it was seen out on the mud and then it walked to the grassy edge and occasionally it could be seen stretching up and looking about, it slowly walked left and seen head on the sharp pectoral band could be seen. Walking back, first one Speckled Wood alighting on the path, a discarded tissue then nearby flowers proved an irresistable photographic subject, another 2nd Speckled Wood appeared and they wheeled up in flight together before eventiually disappearing. Later on checking at Corton woods no sign of hoped for Brown Argus, but a Green Woodpecker was heard.

Sotterley, Hulver & Stoven dipping triangle

On Saturday 18th September, at Sandy Lane, Hulver, the SatNav did its job and I was able to locate (I wouldn't have found it otherwise as vegetation was blocking a very coutry and gravelly road but a lovely place. Trouble was I didn't see any definite sign of Turtle Doves, one bird flying into the sun was a possible. I did see a Red Admiral butterfly and a Speckled Wood. The great Sotterley, Hulver & stoven dipping trianle strikes again whether it is Turtle Doves (missed at Green Farm, Sotterley earlier this year, Hawfinches missed at Sotterley and Stoven earlier this year too).