Trickle of Migrants

I got very frustrated during the week, being stuck at work and missing a few good bits, 1 was a White Stork, although without seeing rings they will never be accepted as wild whilst we have the Thrigby free flying birds about. On the same day I also missed a Glaucous Gull, Ive had a white winged gull on the patch in the past but it was out at sea and too far to tell for sure, although it was probably a Glauc.
So after work I did manage to find a couple of Firecrests, one in Furse wood again and another that was fly catching by the bridge at Corton Dis railtrack. Then I spotted a very pale headed bird on the ground, I could see it was a Buzzard and for a while I was hoping for a Rough legged Buzzard, unfortunately when it did fly it turned into a normal Buzzard.....ohh bugger ...
I did have a very good Saturday mind, I left the house and walked up the road to hear a Ring Ouzel on the local green the bird flew into the trees and over the houses, unfortunately it was into the sun so I couldn't gleam any other details but I'm  happy from the call it was an Ouzel. Moving onto
the Corton cliffs and upto Radar lodge I managed 15 Sand Martins and my first Wheatear of the year.

 

The White Wagtails are finally moving now with half a dozen seen.

 

 

A Stock Dove was on the Church roof and I found a Black Redstart back on the rocks on the cliffs. 11 more Sand Martins, 2 Brent Geese and a Fulmar on the Corton Prom.

I moved onto the Dis Railtrack where it was alive with bird song, Firecrest, Chiffchaffs loads, Tree Creeper a nice Blackcap and a male Bullfinch.
Over at the NSW more Chiffchaffs and the pair of Egyptian Goose and Red Legged Partridge were still in the fields.

 

 

This took the morning and my afternoon was going to be spent finishing the pond. The liner had arrived so it was time to put that in and finish the wildlife areas. I'm really looking forward to seeing it by the summer.

I then chopped up all the wood from the fallen tree.

Sunday I over slept a little but still nipped out at 8, but it was very quiet, just a White Wag.
So Rach n I had a visit to Strumpshaw and had a really nice morning.

We had our first Willow Warbler of the year and also our first Sedge Warbler. We also got to SEE a couple of showy Cettis Warblers. A nice Peacock Butterfly was sunning itself on the path. We could hear Cranes but distantly.

We did have a quick look for the Penduline Tits but we were never in the right place at the right time.
The Great Crested Grebes were displaying nicely.

 

 

Around at the fen hide a Kingfisher put in a brief appearance and the Marsh Harriers were displaying fantastically.

 

 

 

Practiced Digiscoping on a Greylag outside the hide.

 

 

We finished back at the visitor centre when a Blackcap was singing in the same bush as a very showy Firecrest.

After tea it was back out on the patch for the last daylight hours but all the birds were very quiet until the a gulls got up and mobbed a pair of very close Buzzards that seem to go to roost in Furse Wood.

That was it really.



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.  :-)