Back at the Red-foot

On Wednesday 2nd September, in the early afternoonn, I went back to see the fine juvenile Red- footed Falcon that was now being tempted down from the fence with birders buying crickets from Pets at Home, releasing them in the grass and the Falcon frequently flew down to feast on them. We were warned when it was about to fly down as this bird would bob its head up and down, then shuffle about ansd then launch itself into the grass to catch the crickets and then eat them before returning to the fence perch. It was flying to within 2 feet of us. Clearly there are ethical issues for supplementary feeding of birds, an argument may be made if the bird is exhausted and under weight but ultimately the welfare of the bird must always come first and being this tame can cause obvious issues.

Incredibly confiding Red- foot at Lowestoft

On Tuesday 1st September, incredibly on social media a bird resembling a RF Falcon had been photographed perched on the roof of Lake Lothing pub, we were alerted by Jake G. and Rob Wil went down and confirmed it was still there. I left work very promptly at 5pm, ran to get my gear which Jenny had kindly pout in the hall for me and running back to Fallowfields where I had parked the car I drove down to the area just north of the Gull- wing bridge and parked in Rotterdam Road. I then walked back to the pub and joined the throng of birders looking at the fine juvenile Red- footed Falcon perched on the right hand ledge of the Lake Lothing pub's roof. It then flew flew down to a fence just south of the pub, where it then promptly flew back to the roof. Later on, it flew back to the fence and from here it made several hunting sorties down to the ground to catch grasshoppers and devour them. Periodically it would fly back up to the roof. We were literally watching this incredible Falcon down to just a few feet away, it was incredibly confiding! (even more confiding than the ones at Carlton Marshes last year! Walking back past the garden of no. 81, Rotterdam road, where I had parked, I saw a Hummingbird Hawk Moth fly in and nectar from the Fuchsia flowers! I later heard that Rene's daugher had photographed the bird, a few days earlier over the BH, so it had been present here for at least a few days! People seen included Paul and Jane F, Jake G, Rob Hol, John W, Chris D & Chris A, Howard V, Phil D, Derek M & his wife etc. Parking up, at home incredibly I heard the call of a Tree Pipit flying over! (a new record for the garden)!

Wangford and Westleton

On Monday 31st August, a look around Wangford Quarry and I saw the Hornets again in the dead tree at the extreme NE corner of the quarry. At Westleton Heath, signs were up prohibiting acess to any paths south of the road, a firebreak of 15 metres seen the other side of the road and when i took some heathland shots, I walked past the closed car park and saw an immature Cuckoo flying east. Over the otherside a male Stonechat perched on top a bush.

Lowestoft Net posts

On the afternoon of Sunday 30th August, I drove to the Lowestoft netposts, I saw Richard W. Together, we observed 4 wheatears darting in and around the fenced off Netposts area, perching up for a time before flying down again. Plus when I walked up to the tamarisks, I saw a fine lemony- yellow Willow Warbler with noticable yellow supercilia fly across but sadly it disappeared straight into the Tamarisk. I walked back and just after Richard left, I was the west side of the Posts and whilst photographing the Wheatears, I saw the fine Whinchat distantly perched half way up a weed stem by the middle edge of the weedy area. I rushed back around but could not relocate it. At Corton OSW, 18 Swallows were flying low over the compound plus I heard a Yellow Wagtail call. Those were the highlights the lowlight was freshly dumped Fridge Freezer along the track.

Hen reedbeds trip

On Saturday 29th August, I drove to Hen reedbeds, nothing under the corregated iron but I then walked out and as I walked along I heard and the saw a Common Sandpiper which flew right over the far bank. I walked on and saw 3 Redshank on the small muddy pool by the hide, I then discovered 2 fine Little Stints and joined by Richard D. he found a third Little Stint, at one point they flew around and were briefly joined in flight by a Greenshank which then flew north- east. The birds were then joined by a Green Sandpiper which fed in the middle of the pool. Richard had the Osprey, it was by a telegpah pool, I then looked west and by the edge of the estuary, the fine Osprey was perched on a post. Meanwhile looking east, 11 Spoonbills were seen. I then explored the north- east corner of the Wangford Quarry and by the dead tree , 20 foot up, I saw around 12 Hornets flying by the hole.

Friday Night birds

On Friday 28th August, directly after work, I looked in Corton Churchyard and the Pied Flycatcher was still about it flew into the tree by the eastern hedge. Meanwhile at the back of the churchyard, the Redstart briefly perched on the gravestone at the back before flying to the tree by the northern hedge. As I walked around it flew out again. By the west side of the churchyard, I saw a second Redstart which flew out of one tree into another and then back again.

Muggy migrants

On Thursday 27th September, on a very muggy and humid day, an early morning dash to see a Wryneck on Gunton Warren was unsuccessful, a Wheatear flew onto a path directly in front of me, though. After work, I drove staright to Stirrups Lane and joined Jeremy and Jon B. in the south- west corner of the field to view a second fine Wryneck initially feeding on the edge of the field between the stubble and the fence. The Wryneck would occasionally fly up and seen perching on the fence and a bramble bush as well as a dead tree. Also in the field, initially by the edge, a fine Tree Pipit walked out, its larger size, strong bill proved it to be an immature Tree Pipiit. Just right of there, a fine Pied Flycatcher perched on the fence for quite a while. It was later seen perched here again. At Corton Churchyard, the Pied Flycatcher was seen briefly in the birch tree and the Redstart appeared on the back gravestone and as I walked around south-west corner, I could hear another redstart calling and it flew into a bush, a definite second Redstart. I then joined Rob Wil, Erin, Andrew and Rob H. We sytematically walked the denes first southj, where I disturbed another Tree Pipit that flew out and we all saw a second Tree Pipit which flew up and setlled by a path near the Oval. (Pics to be added).