Great patching

James had been out early on the patch and it seemed there were finally birds moving, best being a Yellow hammer and 3 Sand Martins. So after a disappointing weekend on patch i was frustrated that birds were moving now i was back at work.
After work i headed straight out starting at COSW where birds obviously had been moving. My first male Wheatear of the year.

Over the next half hour no sign of the Yellow hammer but my first 2 Sand Martins of the year.

Moved further into the patch and arrived at the Dis Railtrack. I could hear a familiar call, sounds like Hawfinch i thought to myself, there was only 3 birds sat in the top of the sycamores, awesome looking birds and only the second time id seen them on the patch. Managed to get Rob on them before they headed off South.

Whilst happily watching the Hawfinch 3 Firecrest moved through the trees behind me and a Chiffchaff and Blackcap singing away in the background.

What a great couple of hours.

Re edited a few a Penduline Tits from yesterday little visit to Leaths Ham.

Bank Holiday Penduline tit.

So its been a very poor weeks birding, weathers been crap and a couple of busy days in the garden.
The patch is once again flooded but this has meant a patch lifer, Mute Swan...

Thats been it really. I did have a morning at Potter heigham but again a little disappointing.
18 Common Crane 20 Pochard and a 1st Winter Med Gull was about it.

Back on patch today birding was awful the same as the weather. Mute Swan was still there though. This Wood Pigeon feeling sorry for itself.

The Garden and the surrounding gardens held loads of Siskin and Goldfinch. It was great to watch the mating rituals of the Siskin, males feeding the females.

 
Andrew saved the day and probably the whole weekend by finding a stunning male Penduline Tit only just down the road at Leaths ham. Weather was still awful but did manage some record shots..Bank Holidays flown by again. grrrr

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 :-)