Norfolk

A quiet week on patch Kestrel Showed well for a picture.

12 Siskin over the garden whilst checking the moth trap. So i nipped onto the patch hoping for something special. There were more Siskin, 4 Common Buzzard together, plenty of Redwing and Fieldfare feeding in the fields and bush's around the Dis railtrack and a Woodcock dropped out the sky into an open field which was strange.

Sunday headed once again for North Norfolk and thought id give the 1st winter Caspian Gull again, i wasn't going to as it hadn't been reported but i arrived and picked the bird up straight away on one of the marker groins and then on the water managing to find a Frog or toad to eat.

I did take a quick picture of a Collared Dove whilst hoping the Gull would take flight for some flight shots. It didn't.

Lastly 4 Purple Sandpipers were roosting on rocks with plenty of Turnstones.

A lovely walk around Kelling Heath in the sunshine after lunch.

Gulls

Wednesday  found a couple of Firecrest on the patch in Furze wood.
Friday at work i had Chiffchaff singing Halesworth, Blackcap singing at Leiston and a Red Kite over the A12 at Kessingland. During the day a fall of Black Redstart had been noted so after work i made the effort to add to the daily Suffolk total of 17, Amazingly i Added 2 to the list Male and Female on Corton Prom, I was on a run so didn't have my camera gear.
Saturday i thought id see if the Black Redstarts were still present but the mini beast from the east had hit and i physically couldn't get onto the prom. Im sure they would have moved off in those conditions anyway it was far too wild.

So i carried on around the rest of the patch and it was a nightmare in the wind but i did manage a White Wagtail and Rock Pipit by the OSW, Lapwing in fields by the Church and then another Woodcock in the dis railtrack, this one actually stayed for a picture.

 2 Chiffchaff were feeding in the Snipe ditch beside Furze wood, these were my first on patch this year. A Firecrest was still in the NW corner of Furze wood.

Called it a day and headed home to warm up.

Today headed out on the patch again but it was much quieter bird wise, nothing on the sea although the wind like yesterday made it impossible to keep the scope still. It wasn't until i got to the NSW when i had another Woodcock, a flyover Grey Wagtail also a Mistle thrush calling and 5 Redwing.
No sign of the Firecrest but i didn't hang around very long.
Home to get warm again

After lunch i was bored so headed for Sheringham hoping to see the 1st winter Caspian gull, i love gulls but i couldn't find the bloody thing. I did find the Snow Bunting that had been about.

The first gull i spotted was this unusual Herring gull with deformed bill, stood out a mile.

Secondly a nice argentatus herring gull although there were a few contenders.

Then 2 nice Adult Yellow Legged gulls.

Loads of Greater Black-backed gulls and finally here a Purple Sandpiper on the Rocks.

Moved onto Cley and spotted the Glaucous gull flying onto Billys wash and out of sight. Finishing at Cromer hoping to find the 3rd Winter Caspian Gull but i couldn't find that either. There was this 1st Winter Iceland Gull roosting with them which made up for the dip of the Caspian a little. Same as the bird on Cromer Golf coarse i had earlier in the year i recon.

On the way home 5 Cranes in flight at Clippesby and a Barn Owl along the Acle Straight.

Oh lastly i nearly forgot a male Blackcap visited the garden feeders at lunchtime today :-)

Local stuff and a Twitch.

March 4th
After my good day on the patch the day before today was quite good too, couple of year ticks with Sanderling and Dunlin.

10 Lapwing 2 Golden Plover and 3 Little Gulls again 2 Adults and a 1st Winter.

2 Woodcock were in the Old Rail-track undergrowth.

Finally after a trip out late on i drove past a nice Tawny Owl sat in a tree on Stirrups lane. A bird i regularly see along there.

10th March
Yesterday had a day out with a couple of good friends at Minsmere. Started in the carpark with a Singing Woodlark then a nice Jack Snipe with 3 Common Snipe from North Hide. A cracking Adder was not far from the same hide.

Further around to east hide a nice selection of other birds including around 12 Adult Med Gulls.
On the brackish pool a few waders such as Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Redshank and Ringed Plover.
From the sea bank just a few Barnacle geese of note. Further round to behind the Wildlife lookout a first for the year 5 Whooper Swans

Other than Marsh Tit a few Red and Muntjack Deer that was probably it for the highlights. Oh did hear a Bittern Booming from the Bittern Hide.

11th March
So onto today and a very tense day, a Snowy owl had been found a couple of days ago. As i couldn't go yesterday i was just hoping it was going to be found today, i had to wait for news as i wasn't confident it would be seen again. It did however give me the chance to check the patch.
Rubbish really with just Bar-tailed Godwit 2 Oyks and a Mistle Thrush to show for it.
Rach n I then decided just to have a drive out and ended up near Repps where there was an amazing 33 Cranes in a field. they were some way off unfortunately. still Ive never seen so many in the UK.

Soon after the news came out of The Snowy Owl, it had been found again, this time at Snettisham RSPB so it was twitch on. Arrived in the car park and made the 2 mile trek out to the furthest point of the reserve to an incredible lifer. Bird of the decade for me. Female SNOWY OWL... incredible.

These were the only pics i managed as it wasn't very active, It did have a small meal under its feet which it nibbled on occasionally.
After my fill of this wonderful Owl is was home time. Barn Owl was best on the trip back.
Incredible...

Snow Day and a week on patch

17th Feb 6 Greylag Geese over the garden and circled Corton. First bit of frogspawn on patch.

28th Feb Wednesday the Beast from the East arrived bringing 2 Snipe and 3 Skylark over the garden. It also meant a snow day from work. Now i do feel sorry for the birds and wildlife and have plenty of food in the garden but it does make it much easier to see the birds and it has brought in birds we wouldn't see very easily.
In Corton woods plenty of birds about but the highlights were a pair of Stock Doves and then a flock of 14 Brent Geese going south.
The amount of snow in Corton looked awesome. Not seen Snow like this for years.

After a quick breakfast i nipped out again to cover the rest of the patch, 5 Lapwing over Furze Wood to start and on checking the ditch around CNSW and found a cracking Jack Snipe.

3 Common Snipe were in the ditch along with a Lapwing, Teal, Mallard, Robin, Wrens and Pied Wagtail. A very well used ditch.

Lastly at least 2 Woodcock.

Thursday 1st March
Common and Jack Snipe still.
Corton OSW and Dis Railtrack in the Snow.

Friday 2nd March
Fieldfare in the garden.

Today was and awesome day in the snow again, Fieldfare and Redwing in the garden and 2 Long-tailed tit on the feeders. Out to CNSW where my first bird were a Chiffchaff then 2 very nice Golden Plover.

Then i turned around to look at the sea and an Adult Little Gull flew south, i followed it until out of sight then spotted a 1st winter Little gull sat in the sea. The Adult Little gull flew back north past me and joined a flock of Black headed gulls feeding offshore. The 1st winter joined it too. James had 2 Adults together a little later on making at the very least 3 birds.

On the beach 5 Redshanks, 2 Grey Plovers a Golden Plover and a Turnstone.

Continued onto the rest of the patch, Brambling flew over calling, Bullfinch, Fieldfares up to 6 Woodcock with some great views at times and lastly the Jack Snipe was still about.

Went out for lunch to the Wherry in Oulton Broad and was sat in the warmth watching Red Brested Merganser and 2 Smew. I did have to venture out into the cold to get a few pics. Light was dire though.

Whilst watching these birds an Adult Yellow Legged Gull flew over and a drake Goosander appeared at the end of the broad.

Finally the Peregrine was again on the Grain Solo opposite Asda.
Time to go warm up again. Great day.