2013 Picture Update

Ive just updated my picture website with the best pictures I took in 2013 please take a quick look.
 I couldn't be bothered to add names of each species so you'll have to check your Collins guide, call it a quiz ;-)

Links here http://boat33.webs.com/latestbirdphotos.htm

On the Birding front Firecrest in Corton Wood although couldn't find the local mega Nuthatch...
At Corton Old Sewage works tonight (COSW) 21 Common Snipe and 3 Jack Snipe. Rain ruined the birding a bit today with all the birds keeping down.

Broken....

Well the pain is my Vans broken the Fuel Injection is Ker plunked!!! probable cost over 250 quid, so I dropped it off at the garage and went to Oulton Broad for a walk with the dogs. It was nice to see a few good birds, the Glossy Ibis showed eventually as it spent the first hour out of sight and eventually showed itself. There were 2 Siberian Chiffchaffs here too and again they took there time showing themselves but at least they did show eventually. I was going to spend a bit of time trying to photograph them but had a call from the garage admitting they couldn't do the job as they didn't have the equipment, Balls!!!! As they shut at half twelve it meant we had to cut the birding short. A Cettis Warbler and a Common Chiffchaff on the brisk walk back were bonus year ticks.
Dropped Van back home and went shopping then after lunch had a walk around Corton Wood looking for a mega for the area, Nuthatch! couldn't find it, there had been 3 Firecrest too but never saw any of them, not a great finish to the day. No pictures today either.. booo.

Jack n his Waxwings

Well after work my daily walk in the dark or semi light produced 3 Jack Snipes all flushed from under my feet.

Today was a very good day, at work I found 4 Waxwings and this time they stuck around long enough for everyone to connect with.

After work tonight the dog walk produced Lapwings calling in the dark, Snipe and 2 Tawny Owl. On the walk back I flushed a little brown job, seen in my head torch so no idea what that would have been, then I came face to face with a very vocal Fox, stood still in front of me until it noticed the dogs then it was off.
Lovely....

Quick Update

Not a lot to say today, the patch was quiet, and then an hours sea watching from home produced.....

38 Little Gull, couple of hundred a little further north but Gt Yarmouth pushes the birds beyond the sandbank making them too far to view from home

1 Bonxie

100s Common Gulls

3 Kittiwake

1 Red Throated Diver

Sea Watching

Well i bugged my ankle yesterday, tried walking it off last night but today i was unable to walk very well on it, so i took the opportunity to just do some sea watching. Headed to North Denes and parked on the cliff so sent Rach out with the dogs and I watched from the van. Not bad either.

2 Bonxie

2 Little Gull

3 Gannet

49 Red Throated divers

100+ Kittiwake

8 Cormorant

2 Dark Bellied Brent Geese

11 Med Gulls

43 Wood pigeon seemed to come from the direction of the sea?

9 Meadow Pipit

Few Greenfinch

lots of Gulls.

2 Great Crested Grebe.

A Red necked Grebe was seen of Hemsby coming my way but i missed the bugger going past me!!!

Nearly Forgot Jack Snipe with 8 Common Snipe whilst out for a walk with the dogs on my patch at Corton Last night.

Awesomeeeee

The plan today was to nip to North Norfolk and Holt for various birds including Parrot Crossbills.
However things didn't quiet go to plan. On passing Great Yarmouth I decided to have a very quick look for the 2 Shorelark reported, now id seen these last year but thought cos its a new year id have a look again. Trouble was they took an hour to find.....They are cracking wee birds. A few Mediterranean Gulls were on the beach as usual.

So now onto North Norfolk, no wait lets have a quick look through the big number of Gulls at Bure Park.... Holy Crap! Glossy Ibis, now this bird had been seen for last couple of days but it wasn't reported after yesterday afternoon so never thought it would be still around. It showed really well too. pity the sun was so strong right in front of me, never happy ;-). The obligatory Med Gull pic too.

So onto North Norfolk, owww Parrot Crossbills showing at Waveney Forest,  must go see them instead. On arriving the birds were showing immediately 25 Common Crossbill and 2 Parrots (male and a female) although I could only pick up the female, couldn't find the male which was a shame.

Female Parrot Crossbill

 

Below Common Crossbills.

Right Definatly onto north Norfolk now but no more birding just having a walk around Sheringham and Cromer, although I did spot a Purple Sandpiper at Sheringham, oh and the half hour sea watching whilst eating lunch. 8 Red-throated Diver, 2 Common Scoter and 4 Guillemot.
Loved it what a day.

 

Little Owl

Not a day of birding, it was a day of walking, doing a circular walk the Beccles Marsh Trail although I was hoping to see some birds on the way around. Unfortunately I didn't bugger all really.

We did the shopping then moved onto North Cove for a cracking Little Owl. Im always pleased to be given sites for regular roosting birds.

Dropped shopping of and had the evening at Waveney Forest, this is where the Rough Legged Buzzards are but I didn't look for them just had a wander with the dogs, oh listening out for any Crossbills and the 1 Parrot Crossbill that had been about but unfortunately no sign..
Video of Little Owl below

Narfolk

As always I started early on the patch but it was as quiet as id ever seen it, absolutely nothing even on the sea.
So moved onto Breydon Water, tide was on its way in and there was an amazing amount of birds on show, all distant but wow what sight. A Peregrine and a Sparrowhawk put the whole lot up a couple of times. Birds on show were Avocets, Grey Plover, Bar and Black-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Redshank and Golden Plover. Ducks were thousands of Wigeon, smaller numbers of Teal, Pintail and Mallard.

Next to Lodham Airfield for the cracking flock of Bewick Swans, today the number was up to an impressive 79 Bewicks , most ive ever seen in 1 flock, just love it...

There were also 31 Egyptian Geese and and 20 Whooper Swans.

 

Next onto one of our favourite places for lunch, Horsey Mill, I was hoping for Cranes.
We sat having lunch whilst I carefully checked the 500 Pink footed Geese that were in the area, unfortunately nothing of any interest.

 

After an hour or so I Finally spotted 5 Common Cranes in flight, BINGO woohoo and then immediately my other target species for the day ring tailed Hen Harrier, what 2 great birds.
The Cranes landed out of site distantly and I took my eyes of the Harrier so now I went back to checking the Geese and the big flock of Golden plover that were there. Other birds on site Common Buzzard and 3 Marsh Harriers. Eventually the Cranes walked out into the open ok very distant but really nice all the same.

 

Rach was getting cold so It was time for home but to me it was still early so managed to persuade Rach to go for a walk to Haddiscoe Marsh (she warmed up in the car) ;-) where the birds were great, again always distant here but the 2 Rough Legged Buzzard were still present as well as 2 Common Buzzard, 4 Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, 3 Barn Owl and 3 Little Egret. 3 Bearded Tits were a real bonus. Finally 4 Chinease Water Deer ended a great day.

Cleaning up

So Today I stayed put till about 9 am when the wind and rain finally stopped battering against the window. Rach didn't want to get her wellies dirty so It was just me n the dogs. Sea watching off Corton was poor, a good movement of Kittiwakes a few distant divers and a Juvenile Arctic Skua was the pick of the bunch, oh not forgetting the very distant Velvet Scoter in flight.
I moved onto Oulton Marsh to get the Glossy Ibis which was still present, took some finding first as it was hiding in the long grass. A Little Egret was a year tick.

On the way back a Barn Owl was hunting and showing nicely.

I moved onto Pakefield Beach where I struggled to locate the Snow Buntings but saw 4 Med Gulls instead. On the way back the Snow Buntings flew in from the North, originally 25 which built up to 55 by the time I left.

Lastly on the way home I quickly nipped into Ness point for Purple Sandpiper. Again weren't seen when I arrived but a walk north payed off and 12 showed well all but briefly as the sea was so rough.
It was getting dark, not that it had ever got light today so I headed home.

Year list upto 77.

Norfolk for a few bits hopefully tomorrow.

Waxwings

Woohoo at work today I arrived on site in the centre of Norwich got out the van and could hear Redwing and then I could have sworn I heard a Waxwing. So I had a quick walk up the road to look in any trees but nothing. So inside one of the properties I looked at some much taller trees out the back and spotted what looked like a Waxwing, without bins it was difficult to be sure but then it flew past the window close enough to see it was a Waxwing..Bingo!!! after I finished me job I wanded up to the trees it came out of and I then heard a few Waxwings and then counted 12 altogether mixed in with the redwings. They sat in sun preening  and calling to each other then flew off but came back fairly quickly. I then watched em fly off again and typically a few birders turned up and the buggers never came back. They were spotted a short distance away though luckily.
Waxwings have been thin on the ground this winter so I feel very lucky.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year all This morning I decided id get out early as the rain and wind was due by lunch. Grabbed the dogs and walked to the patch Corton Old Sewage works first bird of the new year was Starling. I then stood doing a sea watch for the next couple of hours and it was excellent picking up Black Throated, Red Throated and Great Northern Diver I picked up a distant grebe coming from the north it then headed out to sea and I could just make out the wing pattern of what im very sure was a Red Necked Grebe. Talking to some other people when 2 White Fronted Geese flew directly over head. Duck numbers were big mainly being Wigeon, smaller numbers of Teal a single Mallard and at least 8 Pintail. Good numbers of Common Scoter were just visible from here but too far to spot the  Velvets that were with them. An adult Med Gull flew south and there were plenty of Dark Bellied Brent Geese and Kittiwakes. the only wader though was a patch tick single Grey Plover.
A walk around Corton New Sewage works and the railway was very quiet but plenty of small jobbies and a couple of Green Woodpecker. A lone Brent goose was feeding in fields by the sewage works.

 

Finished at Corton Woods as I was hoping for Firecrest but the weather was now changing it was windy and wet and the Firecrests were nowhere to be seen, so packed it in and headed home on 50 Species, brilliant mornings birding and all within half a mile of home.
Till the weekend when ill be picking up some real rarities... Bewick Swan and Glossy Ibis hopefully.