Happy New year

Well can we start today again please, got absolutely drenched walking from Hollesley to Boyton, Abandoning my bird walk at Boyton. Still managed 71 species surprisingly with a few Caspian Gulls, 1st Winter Yellow legged gulls 35 Snow Bunting and 3 Cattle Egret, In the Geese 2 Pink footed a Barnacle, 2 Egyptian and 40 Whitefronts. Waders were Avocets, Black tailed Godwits, Dunlins, Ringed plover, Grey and Golden Plovers. 

Caspian Gulls 1st and 3rd Winter 

1st winter Yellow legged Gull

A 1st winter Lesser black backed gull with deformed bill.

Finally the Cattle egret at Boyton

Happy New year to all who read this.

Christmas period ont patch Hollelsey

December 24th Hollesley

Broken up from work now except for a couple hours on Christmas day and then back 30th and 31st giving me a bit of time for some local birding. 

A good start today with 4 Cattle Egret, before leaving the carpark area. These birds were just in front of Warren hill prison, at point blank range from the bridleway, i nipped over there to get these pics after a few hours looking over the reserve. 

From the Screen a Wigeon x Mallard or Wigeon x Pintail.

Just 1 1st Winter Caspian Gull and 2nd winter Yellow Legged Gull on Scrape. I moved to the river wall where the 40 Snow Bunting were still present. 

Yellow Legged Gull

I did have a quick trip over to Minsmere, male and Female Bullfinch, 1st Winter Caspian gull and 2 Whooper swans were the highlights.

25th December 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Started the day working, so after i got home opened my gifts and sorted the food i nipped out to the patch. Looked through the gulls, 4 Caspian gull, adult, 2cy, 2 1cy,.2 Yellow legged Gulls 2cy, 3cy. Lots of herring gulls in summer plum now making it more tricky to pick out the Caspians. 2 Northern herrings adults. Back on the river wall 40 Snow Buntings still and in the distance the Cattle egret still in front of the Prison.

Northern Herring gull.

Caspian Gulls

Yellow Legged Gull

A pale looking Lapwing.

December 26th
Hollesley this morning. Cattle egret still, c 40 snow buntings still. Merlin over the ness, 2 white-fronted geese, 2 2cy Caspian and a 2cy Yellow legged gull.

December 28th
Hollesley c 30 snow Buntings still on the ness from the river wall. 1 3rd winter Caspian gull, 2 adult Yellow legged gulls, 1 adult Med Gull was nice and a big cormorant roost of C1000.

December 31st

So rushed home from work for a reported lesser white fronted goose which turned into a Greater whitefront, robbing me of that one last tick for the year. New in tonight however were 9 tufted duck, 2 Caspian gulls adult and 1st winter and up to 4 Northern herring gulls. 

Finished on a respectable 181 for the patch year list.