local stuff

Spent a good amount of time on the patch this weekend and during the week, although there were a few year ticks they werent very good year ticks. The main birds came from the sea but birds such as Lapwing, Woodcock, Common Buzzard, Bullfinch, Little Owl Tawny Owl (and Hooded X Carrion Crow) were on land. Birds on the seawatch were an Adult Med Gull, Drake Goosander, 2 Great Crested Grebes, 3 Guillemots small groups of ducks such as Teal and Wigeon and lots of Gannets and Red Throated Divers.
Popped into the shops in Lowestoft and had 3 Shags on Lake Loathing.

Today the patch was pants, hardly a bird seen and the sea was quiet so got bored easily. In the afternoon i headed for Burgh castle to look over the marsh. it was nice to get a Juv Rough Legged Buzzard. Male Merlin, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, 5 Short Eared Owls, Barn Owl, flocks of Pinkfeet and a few Brent Geese. Everything was distant but nice all the same. 

A Day out of County may be in order next weekend.

A mixed weekend

In reality it was a very good weekend although i had lots of dips. Luckily the selection of good birds made up for it.
Saturday Rach n I headed for Sherringham hoping to catch up with the Adult Glaucous Gull but this was our first dip. Luckily a Juvenile Glaucous had been present too and this was still here, for a short time anyway.

This monster Great Black Backed Gull was photogenic too.

The Fulmars were back on the cliff and a Shag swam past

After lunch and a walk through town we headed for Cromer for a showy Black Redstart and true to its word it showed really nicely.

 

So we may have missed the Adult Glauc but the showy birds made up for it.

Sunday we headed for Thetford and started at Knettishall and an elusive Little Bunting No surprise really but after and hour and a half we dipped. We did get Corn Bunting which is the first time in a couple of years Ive seen em in the UK. A really good site for Grey Partridge, Yellow hammer and Reed Bunting too.

We then headed to Thetford looking for Gulls at the recycling centre but as it was closed (Sunday) there were very few gulls, i did pick out a 1st Winter Caspian and a very nice Adult Yellow Legged Gull. Dipped on the Glauc and Iceland that had been about. Next onto Lynford for the Hawfinchs and we weren't to be disappointed, i counted at least 14 into roost with a couple that were distant but did sit out nicely giving us all good scope views.

A male and female Crossbill showed much better.

 It was now getting late but tried locally for Golden Pheasant but again i was to be disappointed with a dip. Dip to start the day and dip to end, it was a very good weekend all being said.

Waxwings and stuff

So i had to nip into work first thing so had to nip out late morning where Rach n i headed for Beccles for some Reported Waxwings. We found them straight away and after a short while showed well low down for some time, we even went for lunch and came back for seconds.

This Blackbird posed much better than the waxwings.

Checked some Gulls at Beccles as we went past but nothing out the ordinary. Moved onto Ness point when 3 Purple Sandpipers showed nicely.

Whilst watching the waders a Gull caught my eye distantly. it had grey primaries, so i moved towards North Denes to investigate and just as i was going to scope the bird it flew off the groins. Luckily it moved further down where i was able to photograph it. My initial impression was a Viking Gull or Pale Herring gull as id never seen a Viking Gull with such a long PP. turns out Viking gulls can have long PP so a Viking Gull it is and now i realise its probably one that had been about just before Christmas. 

Finally a couple of Med gulls on the sea.

Turned out to quite a nice day birding

New year new lists.

So it was the usual Geese and Swans just because it was the new year. Started at Halvergate where a single Cattle Egret was still present, not sure where the other 3 were this time.

We continued past Acle straight heading for Ludham but stumbled upon 10 Common Cranes, crackers...

We made it to Ludham and counted 28 Whooper Swans and 130 Bewicks with 2 ringed Bewicks. 032T Ringed Aug 2016 at Khabuika Lake on the Russkiy Zavorot Peninsula, Russia
and 030T Aug 2016 at Kutcherinov Sound,Korovinskaya Bay Russia.
Cool or what.

We headed back Goose hunting at Clippesby where we finally found a minimum of  1000 Pinkfooted Geese with 8 Tundra Beans 2 European Whitefronts and 5 more Common Cranes which were distantly on the marsh.

Finally we ended up at Cromer for the Postponed New year Fireworks Display, stunning they were.

Back at work today and working in Lowestoft it was nice to have 19 Waxwings fly over.