Minsmere again

The day didn't start very well with my poor apple tree coming down in the strong winds smashing the fence. So I had that to chop up before going birding.

 

The weather put me off doing the patch so Rach n I headed to North Hide at Minsmere where we spent a good few hours just watching things moving around.
It was nice to see Caspian gulls again, 5 seen on the scrapes roosting, also an adult Yellow legged Gull.

The Thayers Gull was still in the area and was visiting the South levels, unfortunately it never visited the scrape.
The Jack Snipe put in a quick show as well as a Common Snipe.

The target for the day was the Garganey which I had missed yesterday and it took a few hours before it eventually showed itself.

Redshanks were chasing each other for an age.

We made our way back to the Visitor centre where 5 Sand Martin were visiting the sand bank area.
Then I practiced a few minute's on the feeders.

So all target species nailed today. 4 Day weekend its the way forward.

The Patch

Things are starting to warm us as Spring progresses. started with a couple of Harris Hawk Sightings from the A47 on the way and way back from work, 2 Egyptian geese landed in the centre of Norwich.  The patch/garden hosted a movement of Chaffinchs and Meadow pipits. 
3 Grey Herons in off the sea with 3 Med Gulls roosting. Back in the garden in the evening, Tawny Owl Calling and Redwings migrating. On the way to Southwold a Woodcock over the A12 then back on patch CNSW at least 3 Woodcock and possibly 4. Curlew flew over calling and a smart Bullfinch showed well.
Movements of Blackbirds with 15 at COSW with 4 Redwing.
Spent a good couple of days in the garden building a pond so it was nice to see and hear Blackbird s moving west, maybe 70-100 birds in the little time I spent looking into the sky. A Siskin was a nice bird but all too brief.

before

 

After

Waiting for the liner and plants now.

Furse Wood held a Firecrest, 8 Goldcrest, 2 Treecreeper and a few Long tailed Tits. A Chiffchaff was calling at Corton Church.
Egyptian goose again

Carried on practicing with the new camera.

Finally today Double figure Red Throated Divers 6 Brent Geese and a few Gannets, A cracking Female Peregrine which came in off the sea and headed towards my house, would have been a garden tick had I been there instead :-) A Sand Martin was my first of the year.

Then Rach n I had lunch at horsey where there were 2 White wagtails with pieds in a freshly ploughed field.

Then it was off to Minsmere for the Adult Thayers. Check the next blog here.

Adult Thayers Gull Wow

A putative Thayers gull had been found at Minsmere, usually these turn into nothing but Danny rang me to say he was on his way there if I wanted to join him, what the hell. So we reached Minsmere and the South hide where the bird was immediately on show and to my surprise it was a stonking adult. Managed a few shots before it moved behind other birds. Looking at the bird it looked very very good.

During the time we watched the bird I searched for other gulls, a 1st winter Caspian Gull was a bonus.

Someone called out a White winger too which turned into a much wanted 1st/2nd winter Iceland Gull

A Glauc was seen earlier in the day and then we must have missed it returning as we moved hides, but no great loss. We did manage 2 Jack Snipe from the North Hide.

 

 Med Gulls and Little Egrets finished the afternoon of just nicely.

Didn't expect a Thayers gull when I broke up from work this Easter.  :-)

Minsmere

I was out for the day with Danny Digiscoper at Minsmere.
So we started at Island mere hide hoping to see Otters, but unfortunately it was disappointingly very quiet. This did mean however I could get some practice with the new camera I was trying for digiscoping, the Panasonic GX7. Light was rubbish but I was pleased with the Sharpness of some of the images.
(Click pics to enlarge)

 

 

After a great couple of hours we moved onto the Adder Trail where we were very pleased to see a Female Adder.

After our fill of the Adder well 2 actually we nipped into the Bittern hide where yes we saw not 1 but 2 Bitterns. 1 was a fly by but the other passed in front of us moving from one side of the Reed bed to the other.

Next stop was South hide and then East hide which again gave me some practice with the Camera. on the way to east hide a male and female Goosander flew North over the sea wall.
The light had now got worse so it was impossible to gain any proper colour out the birds.

It was nice to see quiet a few Adult Med Gulls on site.

A few Oysercatchers

Redshank and Teal

Lastly we were hoping for some good gulls as a few now started to drop in. A few folks were trying to claim some Yellow legged gulls but they were in fact Northern Herrings.

 

That was until this brute of a proper Yellow Legged Gull dropped in, Stunning.

 



The Day was almost over but on the way home I took a little detour and Danny spotted a flock of finch's and on closer inspection it was nice to see at least 2 Brambling and 9 Yellowhammer with 60+ Chaffinch. Now that was pretty much the end of our Day, great day great company. cheers Danny.