Poor patching

Well missed all of last weekend and last week due to family commitments, so my first days birding was Friday and it was actually quite good with a Wheatear (Greenland) on the cliffs then finally my first Spotted Flycatcher of the year, not an easy bird to find in the spring and typically id come out without scope and camera. Then a Siskin in the same bush.  After this bit of excitement it allll went downhill from there, Saturday I had a Fulmar, 2 Little Tern, Dunlin, Sanderling and 7 Turnstones and today in the rain just a singing Reed Warbler from the NSW Ponds.
Yesterday I did take some pictures of some insects I found on the disused Railway.

Mason Wasp Symmorphus sp

Scorpion Fly

Unkown Spider

Cardinal Beetle

Dark Bush Cricket

Hornet

I did take a couple of pictures of birds.

 

Kestrel Vid, View in HD

 

 

Blackcap Vid, View in HD.

Finally a nice Painted Lady Butterfly in the Garden.

 

So im in for the rest of the day now.

Broad Billed Sandpiper

So during the week a Bonapart's gull was spotted at Breydon water so Danny, his girls and I went to see if we could refind it unfortunately no sign but nice views of 2 1st summer Little Gulls a Bittern booming and 4 Whimbrel. On the way back we spotted a nice Little Owl and a Red Fox

A Muntjack wandered along the road in front of the house yesterday morning.
Last night I was sat in the garden Tawny Owl calling and a late Green Sandpiper flew over calling.
Very early this morning an Egyptian Goose flew over the house calling and later on I headed upto Tinkers marsh near Southwold to have a look at a cracking Broad Billed Sandpiper that had been found the day before, a stunning bird, shame about the pics.



 

 

After this I nipped into Minsmere for a couple of hours, Red Necked Phalarope, Hobby, Nightingale, a distant Stone Curlew and Little Gull.

Not a bad day at all.

Patching

Still running a few times a week and as im running around I still manage to see some birds. The first Swifts on the patch for the year, a Common Buzzard and a nice Painted Lady Butterfly.
A 1st Summer Med Gull off COSW along with a House Martin, A Reed Warbler singing from Corton Dis Railtrack. The Terns and Kittiwakes have started with many going south but at distance.
4 Little Tern showed closely.
Now to this weekend, checking the moth trap and this very nice moth was in the trap. Sulphur Tubic.

Whilst in the garden a Spoonbill flew north past Lowestoft and probably flew past Corton but I missed it as I raced to the coast. An Osprey followed shortly after but im pretty sure that didn't come through. I ended up spending the rest of the day on patch to very little reward. There was a steady passage of swallows all morning, including at sea. 6 house Martin and 2 sand martin. 1 full sum plum grey plover 2 Tufties, and a Wigeon. A Diver Sp landed on the water.
Swift numbers built up today with a flock of 16 moving north then 8 lingering in the area for the rest of the day. Last bird of the day was a nice Hobby.
Today was another very frustrating day bird wise. At COSW I looked out to see and spotted a bright white bird it was always distant and the sun was very bright but it was clearly a large white winged gull. My conclusion was a 3rd summer or Adult Glaucous Gull it looked large, larger than nearby herring gulls although honestly at that distance and light there no way I could rule out something like a Viking gull or something...So this put me in a bad mood, a good bird on patch and I couldn't id it sufficiently and had to give it up.
There was still a smaller movement of Swallows and Swifts.

I reached the Dis Railtrack and started looking through the butterflies and insects, finding my very first patch Green Hairstreak.

Other bits were Green longhorn Moth.

A couple of Damselfies Azure and Large Red.

Then I decided to id all the Blue Butterflies id seen today and all week and found they were actually Holly Blue, a lifer for me.

I then took some pics of the young Moorhens just cos there was nowt else to see.

 

 

So what can I say no rare birds but good vis mig all weekend.

Whinchat and Bee eater

Its been tough work again on the patch through the week mainly due to finding what I thought was a Wood Warbler in the pouring rain, putting news out as such and the it being a bloody Northern Willow Warbler. These birds from the north are extremely pale with a very good super and first one id found.
So Next day I tentatively went out and did a short sea watch and pretty much the first 2 birds I saw were a Common Tern and a stunning adult Black Tern, not that anyone would believe me now without pictures lol. A Few Kittiwakes too.
Really quiet the rest of the time. Yesterday though Rach heard a Cuckoo from the garden so rushed out to listern to that for the next half hour. Garden tick.
Today I REALLY didn't have any motivation so birded from the garden for the morning Adding Mallard and black cap to the days little list. Typically a Male Whinchat was then found on my patch arghhhhh. So after lunch I went to look for the Whinchat, luckily it was still present along with 2 Wheatears and a Yellow Wagtail

Bird of the year though was now a BEE EATER that flew past me whilst watching the Whinchat, it then landed on wires for 30 seconds before continuing south calling as it went. I had camera in hand but couldn't digiscope it through the vegetation when it landed and camera point and shoot as it flew past so im afraid the pics are the best ever of bee eater but you can just about see the blurred colours if you click on the pics below. So this bird has saved my year.

I was going to go see the Citril Finch at Burnham Overy too but decided I couldn't be bothered, really glad I stayed on patch now. :-) see if finch hangs about till next weekend.

Norfolk

Rach n I headed once again for North Norfolk, packing the tent just incase there was room at Kelling Heath.
Firstly we spent the morning at Hickling broad and we covered part of the Weavers way. A nice selection of birds including the Cranes, 9 Whimbrel, Ringed Plover 22 Dunlin, Reed warbler, Sedge Warbler and my first Gropper of the year. Lesser Whitethroat and another year tick Garden Warbler. Bittern was heard booming and a Hobby showed very nicely. Lastly a few Avocets and 2 Common Tern.
We then proceeded to Salthouse and Cley but it was rather quiet so finished off at Kelling Heath where luckily there were a few free pitches.

 

It was then a case of nip of for something to eat then back to relax.
Next morning it was out very early but the weather was really poor with rain constantly so it wasn't looking good for spotting anything really, but a short break in the weather had me spotting Woodlark, Dartford Warbler and 3 Turtle Dove. I did get the camera out for the dove briefly but gave up as everything was getting wet.

The heavens really had opened now so got back changed into some dry clothes and headed for Chosley Barns where a few Dotterel had been seen, Id hoped the weather would have got better by now but how wrong was I it had only got worse so I sat in the van for 10 min being lazy whilst I let some other birders try to find the Dotterel. They didn't find them so I had to get full waterproofs on and  go sort em out and managed to find 6 of them distantly but goodish scope views.
Back at the van I scoped a single Corn Bunting, another year tick.
As birding was slow we did some touristy stuff for the remainder of the day until the sun came out late afternoon and made everything warm up but still very few birds at any of the sites we visited. Best was a Little Tern at Burnham Overy, 1st Summer Shag at Wells, 5 Yellow Wagtails and a Swift with Swallows at Salthouse.
This morning I awoke to the sound of the Woodlark displaying and the weather was much more appealing and birds easier to see including the Dartfords again. The heath was looking stunning.

 

However birding was slow still so took some pics of Thomas and chums at Weybourn station :-).

We sat outside for lunch at Kelling heath and had flight views of Common Crossbill, Siskin and Redpolls all nice additions to the list before dipping on Wood Sandpipers Nightingale and Wood Warbler at Salthouse, did see a Green Hairstreak however.
All in all a very nice bank holiday weekend away.