Bit disheartened with the patch this week so ive not really been around the whole site just small parts, ive been running parts of it but most of the time ive been covering the village and Corton Promenade.
It was good a nice change and still part of the patch just not one id cover very oftern. Anyway a nice Juv/female Black Redstart was a really nice surprise and a flock of 7 Bewick Swans were a patch find.
Anyway onto today and it was a bit of a local twitching day. Firtstly I had to wait in for my van windscreen to be fixed but then Rach and I had a walk along Breydon north wall where 4-5 Rough Legged Buzzards had been showing. After a good 2 mile walk we finally found 1 of the RLegs, then a second and possibly a 3rd but very distant. Good scope views were had of the slightly closer birds.
A Merlin, Kestrel and a couple of Chinese Water Deer were nice too.
Then I got the tweet a Hoopoe had been found at Kessingland, Doh!. We did spend some time with the buzzards before heading back a bit faster than we arrived.
Got to Kessingland to find the Hoopoe showing really nice although through a fence, it did eventually come out of the fenced area so I rolled off some shots before the DSLR boys started pushing there luck with the bird, so it was time to go before I got a bill for smashing a few grand's worth of lens`s.
3 Swallow, a Northern Wheatear and a flock of Brents were birds added to the day.
The patch has been absolutely Crap! this last couple of weeks and I mean CRAP! Redwings and Red Throated Divers were the only things of note.
Best bird of the week was actually on a roof at Work in the Centre of Norwich a cracking Black Redstart.
Friday night hosted 1500 Pinkfeet over the garden.
On to yesterday I didn't get out at all, sick as a parrot I was but today I made much more of an effort. I went for a run first thing try to clear my head and see what was happening in this rain.
Amazingly as I got round to the main road a Woodlark flew over calling bingo!.
Got back home had a shower and decided to nip straight back out things were moving. Stood at the front door and could see and hear Brambling x5 and Redwing. Further down walking towards the coast 31 Pinkfeet and then my second patch tick of the day a Tree Sparrow calling south.
Onto the coast patch I could see loads of Gannets going south, Cormorants going north and good numbers of Mipits, Skylarks, Starlings, Redwings, Pied Wagtails and a single Swallow.
I worked the rest of the patch lots of Robins and Thrushs, and something which was probably a Wheatear without a tail, brown thing with a white rump but it looked very odd and couldn't find it after it flew towards trees.
Onto the NSW and my 3rd tick of the day, not had any ticks for ages either, 8 Egyptian Geese, not very exciting but a nice tick all the same. That was it bird wise Dragons on the pond, Migrant Hawker, Common Darter and a Willow Emerald still.
This Is why I moved to Suffolk and the sea. Its not always about the rares but about Visible Migration and today a mixture of East winds and rain made it perfect.
Whilst seawatching birds in off were ....
Brambling 40+
Meadow Pipit 60+
Redwing Song Thrush 50+
1 Skylark
2 Reed Bunting
1 Yellow Wagtail
Passing
1 Short Eared Owl which was fighting to fly south but I watched it for ages and it never really moved just very slowly heading inland.
570+ Dark Bellied Brent.
1 Little Gull
1 Kittiwake
8 Pintial
1 Wigeon
1 Bonxie
16 Gannet including a flock of 8
Corton Disused Railway and Church
1 Ring ouzel Yay!
5 Blackcap
8+Goldcrest
17 Brambling
70+ Song Thrush and Redwing.
3 Chiffchaff
20+ Robin
So ill start off with the patch. Went out early this morning and it started off quiet, Reed Bunting flew over, and after that small numbers of Linnet, Chaffinch and Greenfinch. Other things moving were Skylark, Meadow Pipit and 2 Swallow and plenty of Song Thrush.
Made my way to the Disused rail track and bingo Yellow Browed Warbler calling, YES!! called a dozen times before going quiet never to be heard again Arghhhh!. Whilst hoping for views and it to call again I had views of Bullfinch 2 Chiffchaff and a Treecreeper. Carried on around to the ponds another Chiffchaff and first returning Snipe of the season.
Onto the week just gone Thursday onwards 4 Swallow 3 Bonxies, Shoveler Wigeon, Song Thrush, Goldcrest and Chiffchaffs was all.
Now to the really good stuff, A Southern/Steppe Grey Shrike had been found in Norfolk, Burnham Norton last week and it had been showing well so I decided id go look, it wasn't a lifer as id seen the Lincs bird.
Rach n I arrived just after 10 to 6 Bearded tits showing really nicely but as I wanted to see the Shrike I left em and moved onto great views of the Shrike, like down to about 25 feet. Very pleased with my pics. Sorry couldn't pick a fav so chose em all ;-) Video too watch in HD.
I really do love this time of year in Norfolk, the Geese are going mad the sounds awesome, 500 Pinks around as well as smaller numbers of Brents.
After my fill of this wonderful bird I moved onto Tichwell and headed straight for the sea. On the way along the path a Bittern was showing its socks off in flight for a good 5 min.
Arrived at the beach but the tide was now out, it was tricky but managed to spot 2 Slavonion Grebes and a Red Necked Grebe before they drifted far away! Other birds were many Red Throated Divers couldn't pick out the BT Diver that was about, 8 Eider and 6 Red Breasted Mergansers.
I then noticed on birdguides that there was a YB Warbler by the Island mere hide so rushed to go see it... dipped no sign. Took some shots of Ruff and a Juv Little Stint whilst I waited.
Wandered around the fen area for a little while before landing back at the visitor centre and was just about to leve when I stopped to talk to fellow digiscoper Gary. Whilst talking a Yellow Browed Warbler called briefly and showed in the top of the trees but all too quick. Whilst waiting for it to show up again someone found a Firecrest In the same trees this showed much better. Left them all too it as it was getting late and time to move on. Luckily the YB Warbler was seen again after id left.
Finished the day doing Rachels stuff and then wandering Kelling Heath and watching the distant lightening storm until dark finishing with a great meal in the club.
Fabulous Day in North Norfolk once again.
Not a lot to talk about over last couple of days, yesterday 4 Brent Geese flew south otherwise not much.
Today a latish Common Tern saved the day, 2 Brent Geese and 6 Wader Species flew south. Gave a distant Juvenile Gannet a good grilling, its had me going for a split second... Again that was it.
Someone flying a Buzzard around the church field wont have helped my hope of finding something good.
The patch has been very quiet all week, a young fox gave nice views as it came down to drink from the NSW ponds. . in an hour. Other stuff including Med Gulls most days 5 Teal and a Common Sandpiper. 2 Mistle Thrush were new in.
Garden Stuff were Grey Heron over and a Hornet.
Come Friday I did a short sea watch from Corton OSW. An hour produced 3 Bonxies 109 Dark Bellied Brent Geese and 24 Wigeon.
The weekend only produced a Kingfisher sat on groins by COSW.
Now to this Little Crake, last Tuesday someone found a Little Crake at Minsmere but it wasn't confirmed and nailed down until Saturday. As it was showing from the Bittern hide at Minsmere I wasn't even gonna bother as the hide would be full of bloody twitchers, and full it was, its a tower hide and there was some worry about the weight.
Anyway I left going to look at it till today (Monday) but come ten past six and no sign since 9am this morning it was getting dark and we were all just about to give up. Then It was spotted out in the open and showing really nicely although in near darkness. What a great tiny little bird, stunning and my first lifer for a while.
Sorry about vid and Pics but it was almost dark.
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