Shore Larks at Covehithe Broad Suffolk

Xmas eve & after receiving some great news from Brian we plan to celebrate by doing what comes naturally & head off for a day birding in Suffolk.
We head to Covehithe Broad to try to pick up a year tick with some Shore larks.
Parking in a lay- by near the old ruins we take a not to unpleasant walk down to the beach & spot 3 Shore lark within a few minutes.
We spend a good few hours just watching these busy little birds going about their life & not taking to much notice of us, they just carry on  feeding, the camera was working over time.
When we had had our fill of the Larks we set of to Thorpeness so Jimmy & myself  could pick up another year tick in the Tundra Bean Goose reported there yesterday.
After parking we scan the fields but can only spot Barnacle Geese & many Greylag, we think maybe they have flown but a fellow comes over to tell us that he had just seen them in a field over the back, so off we hike over some very prickly rough ground but we get our reward when we spot 15 of them quite a long way off but with great scope views well worth  the hike.

the 3 Shore Larks

Nice trip to Norfolk

With Brian available for a day's birding we head off to Norfolk in the hope off picking up a year tick or two.
First stop we try Wolferton for a try for Golden Pheasant, a few trips around the triangle & a small amount off time parked up produces no sign of the target, so we head to titchwell in the hope that Jimmy & myself can get a tick by seeing a Water Pipit, we know we can pick one up somewhere else later but while here lets look, the only problem was that the management had flooded the scrape, so not to much about today.On the way to the hide all we see are many Chaffinches & the odd Robin but not much else.
A bit of a disappointment tick wise but always nice to visit here. A visit to Salthouse means a long walk down the shingle to see a flock of Snow Bunting 60 or more are seen along with 10 or more Twite, they don't want to hang about to long, so only a quick snap of a few of them.
So we head off to Lady-Anne's drive to scan the many Pink footed Geese in the hope that the Snow Goose was with them, once again no luck only Brent are picked out with the pack.
But we do see 3 Grey Partridge feeding near the fence & later on we see some more as we head off to Cantley Marshes to try for the Bean geese reported, the light has started to beat us now & although we pick out a group that probably were Bean Geese they were just to far away for us to be certain in such bad light,so once again we miss out on the target but we did get to hear & watch  the hundreds of Corvids going to roost, as always a really great thing to wittiness.
Tick wise not a good trip but any day out birding with the boys is a pleasure.

Pink footed Goose

Grey Partridge

Some of the flock of Snow Bunting

Birds on a hill.

Just a nice scene, Turnstone plus.

Out Birding at last with a visit to Chilham for the G G Shrike

It seems such a long time since we all got to do some birding together, it's about 3 weeks but feels such a lot longer.
So we set of early on a really cold but clear morning, first stop is a ride down the track at Elmley, as we enter the field to the left of us is awash with over 300 Curlew in with them are many Ruff.
On the drive down the track we get to see a couple of common Buzzard,a very friendly Kestrel, as always here we see Marsh Harriers putting hundreds of Lapwings & Starlings into flight.
Plenty of Meadow Pipits & a nice Stonechat showed well for us.
Always nice to visit here, no year ticks but a very pleasant few hours spent just watching the birds mainly from the car.
Off now to find the target bird of the trip at Chilham, it's only around 20 miles from Elmley & as we pull into the lay- by in Branch Rd, we can see the Shrike sitting on the top of a bush.
We head over the road & follow the bird down to the sports centre stopping along the way to get some cracking views of the Great grey Shrike & this gives us another year tick at long last.

Stonechat

Lapwing

Great grey Shrike

Firecrest at Tower Hamlets.

Bob Watts posted that 3 Firecrest had been seen at the cemetery, so Jimmy & myself take a quick trip to look for them.
We head down the main path to a fenced off wood I believe it's called sanctuary wood, it takes a good hour before we see the first Firecrest, it's a very short view as it flies away from us & out of sight.
As we search for another one we see many Goldcrest & it's not long before we see another 2 Firecrest this time we get a much better look at them. Jimmy can hear them in the bushes before they show but I  just can't hear them myself, it's a bit to high pitched for my ears
So well worth the short trip for a year tick for us both.

Surf & Velvet Scoter plus 2 Desert Wheatear.

A rare Saturday off for Brian gets us a trip to Norfork for a belated look for the Surf Scoter, we arrive round about 8 o'clock after taking a detour around some country lanes in the hope of seeing some Barn Owls.
Parking at the bottom of Lady Ann's drive we head down the boardwalk towards  Holkham Bay, 2 fellows from Hertfordshire join us in the search for the Scoter, after a fair while we all spread out along the beach & this is rewarded when we get a phone call from Brian telling us he may have it, but he needs the telescope, Jimmy is the only one to take his this time.
It's a long walk before we get to Brian with our feet sinking deep in the wet sand it seems a lot further.But Brian was right & we get onto the target bird to give us all another lifer.We wave our arms about to tell the other fellows that we had found it & get some nice words from them for taking the trouble to get them on the bird.
The Bird stands out from the rest with a bright white patch on the nape & a yellow orange bill.
In with the common Scoters are 3 Velvet Scoters to give us another year tick, also seen Red-necked Grebe, Arctic Skua,Razor bill, & few Gannets.
On the way back to the car we have a quick look for the reported Palla's but not to be today, so after a nice cuppa from the van in the car park we scan the sky for any sign of Rough-legged Buzzard but all we see is a nice Red kite.
So off to Burnham Overy for another look for one, after only a short time we pick out a couple of Rough-legged Buzzard to give a good display for us a distance view but good views in the scope as it turns to show it's markings to help us identify it, another year tick for us.
Next port of call is a place that none of us had been to before called Gorleston on sea near Yarmouth.
A short walk along the beach to join a few people already with cameras out looking at a Desert wheatear  that had taken shelter in a hole in the sea wall,
 After a while the bird keeps popping out onto the beach for some good camera shots.
On the way home now with the light getting short we decide to give Yarmouth a visit to try for another Desert Wheatear, this is a very short walk before we looking at a very accommodating bird
with the bird sitting on a wall only feet away from us.
So with a lifer plus 3 year ticks in the bag it was a really nice long day birding.

The Suffolk bird

Again

And again on the other side of the path.

The Norfolk bird

A nice few hours spent at Wallasea Island.

Being only 40 minutes from home we head to Wallasea Island & arrive at first light, a Rough-legged Buzzard has been reported & we hope to find it. On getting out of the car we find that it is a bit colder than we thought & the top coats soon go on.
A number of Kestrels are seen hovering & it's not long before we see a nice male marsh Harrier that had a really nice white tail a stunning bird to see, it is later joined by two more one female & a juvenile to give us a good flight show.
As it gets lighter two Female Hen Harriers appear for our entertainment. we always get a buzz out of of watching  Hen Harriers.Two Peregrines are seen hunting over the the bank & head towards us then head over the estuary.
A local birder turns up & tells us he thinks that the reported Rough legged Buzzard is a bit of a red herring in he's opinion & we never get to see it while here.
A load of Brent Geese fly over & there are Corn Bunting & Skylark all over the place, we also pick out a few Stonechat.
We are told that Short-eared Owls went to roost the night before, so we wait in the hope that they might show, but after four hours we have to give up to head home as we only have a little time today.
Brian got a couple of photos of the Harriers but I never took my camera out of the bag.
Not to much about & we don't get any year ticks but a really nice few hours spent here  with the added bonus of not moving more than a few feet from the car.

Two more year ticks, Leo + Cattle Egret, Elmley & Dungeness.

We set off a bit later as we head to Dungeness arriving around 7.30 & set our scopes up by the fishing boats.
We give it 2 hours in the hope that something good will pass by that we needed for a tick,  as it turns out all we pick out are a few Kittiwakes, some Sandwich Terns, a single Bonxie ,some Scoter plus a nice close in Arctic Skua, a flock of Swallows pass by, many Gannets on show as well but with the weather not to good we head off to the trapping area, on the fence we see at least 3 Stonechat & as we walk about 4 Ring Ouzels are spotted. But we have to wait till we head off to the cattle fields before we pick up the first year tick of the day when the Cattle Egret is found.
At first it is hard to spot but it then gives a good display as it finds a nice Cows back to sit on & fights for the right to stay there with a few Magpies.
The weather is a lot better now so a quick look in at Elmley on the way home for a bit of Owl spotting.
We locate the Long-eared Owl as soon as we arrive as a small group of people were already on the bird, so nice & easy this one for year tick number 2.

Cattle Egret

A bit of fun.

It's head never got clear of the leaves.

Half hidden Long-eared Owl.

A meeting with the new Warden at Elmley.

A Skylark on the way out.

Little Crake + Steppe grey & Red-backed Shrikes.

Up early to head up to North Norfolk, the aim is to get another lifer in the Steppe-grey Shrike that has been seen at Burnham Norton over the last few days.
It is just getting light when we arrive, it's not to long a walk up the track & we can see a group of birders already here & when we reach them they have the bird in view.
The bird flies from the bushes & feeds from some meal worms that had been placed there by a local birder, this gives us some great close views of this cracking little bird, the light is rubbish with what little sun being right behind the bird. We spend a few hours just watching the bird go back & forth.
So another lifer in the bag for all three of us, we now head off to Ness point Lowestoft to look for the Red-backed Shrike reported as being seen in the Birdseye car park,this is 70 miles away so it was good of Brian to get us there as he had already had one for his year tick, Jimmy & myself both needed it for our year tick.
We find the place without any trouble & pick out the bird within minutes of arrival, at first we are the only ones here so we have the bird all to our self. We get some good close photos of another very accommodating Shrike.
On the way home we decide to have a quick look in at Minsmere to see if the Little Crake is still about. We park in a very full car park & head down to the Bittern Hide.
The hide is packed but we can still get good views of the area where the Crake had been seen, we stand next to a fellow that had been in the hide for a few  hours looking for it, but as luck has it he had just got it in his scope, he kindly lets us get a look at it so we don't suffer the same fate as him & as it turns out the Crake shows on & off over the next 1/2 hour or so, we get some really good scope views to round off another great day birding, we end up with 2 lifers for all three off us & a year tick for Jimmy & myself.

         

Red-backed Shrike

The Shrike when we arrived

Steppe Grey Shrike

Nightjar at Middlesex filter beds, plus Dunge visit.

Chiffchaff

Not to sure if we wanted to go birding at Dungeness or stop in to cheer on the boys at the Ryder cup.
We think we can do both, so off we head to Dunge.
First up we head up to the beach for some sea watching, the sea is calm & no wind  blowing, so with nothing passing through & only a single Kittiwake plus some Gulls on the beach we head over to the trapping area.

The bushes are alive with Chiffchaff,& a few Black Redstart are seen sitting on the fence posts but we see no Firecrest that we need to see for a year tick . When we set off this morning we thought a firecrest was the only tick that we might pick up for the trip.
Meadow Pipit & Robin were trapped & taken to have rings put on, nothing to exciting so we take a trip down to the visitor centre, on the road down we see many Stonechat & a few Whinchat showing really well, a Marsh Harrier flies really low near to the car for Brian to get a nice photo of it.
We head off for home now, we get near the Blackwall tunnel when the pager tells us a Nightjar has been spotted & showing well at Middlesex filter beds.
Not to far from where we are so off we go to get a nice daytime view of this bird.
We have only ever seen a quick view in the dark forest of these birds, so the Ryder cup has to wait for another hour as this is to good to miss.

Whinchat

Stonechat

The resting Nightjar

Second time lucky Barred Warbler.

It took a bit of time to make up our minds to head to Shoeburyness this morning, but it got to 10 o'clock & I talk Jimmy into going, it is to near to home not to try for the Barred Warbler that has been reported at Gunners Park.
So an hour later we find the car park and a fellow tells us which way to head.
A couple of people are present & the lady has a photo of the target that she had just taken, it took us about an hour to get any views of the bird.
Over the next hour we get some short but good views of the bird, so it was well worth the trip to give both of us another lifer.

Pec Sand but dipped on Barred Warbler.

Not sure where we wanted to head off to for a mornings birding, we come down on the side of Thropeness & Minsmere.
First port of call was Thropeness common for a belated look for the Barred Warbler, on arrival we find only one fellow looking & he tells us he had been here since first light & not had any luck.
Over the next 3 hours we see Whitethroat, Dunnock, Bluetit & the odd Robin but the target bird is not showing, about 20 or so birders are now looking for the bird.
We are all feeling a bit fed up now so it's give up time & head to Minsmere for a look for the Pectoral Sandpiper.
The walk was about 2 miles & felt a lot longer, when we get there we meet a nice couple that we see at many locations & they put us onto the Pec so the walk was soon forgotten as we get another year tick & some good views of a nice looking juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper.
The large group that we left behind at the Barred Warbler arrive & tell us there has been no sign while they where there.
Off home now when the pager goes off to say the Barred had been seen, so we give it one more go.This time we park the car a lot nearer to the spot.
We ask a fellow if the bird is about & he says he had just seen it, after a while still no sign of the bird & I must say we don't have a lot of faith in the fellow.
Just before we leave John & his wife arrive & he tells us that the Barred Warbler is he's Bogey bird & he has dipped many times looking for one, so what chance have we got now.
We give it a little time just so we don't seem rude in walking off after John's arrival, but after  not getting back last week as promised ,we feel we must head home.

This little fellow came to see us while looking at the Pec

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper

In the Garden today.

Just a few photos of some of the Ring-necked Parakeets in my garden today.

I know it's not a Ring-neck.

Landguard 3 Wryneck + Purple Sandpiper+ Lesser grey Shrike Shingle Street.

Off to Landguard today in the hope that we get a couple of ticks, we arrive at 6. 30 & walk about looking at the bushes for anything that moves.
Plenty of small birds about the best being Common Redstart, a good few Lesser Whitethroat that looked really smart, also Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Wheatear ,Linnets & Goldfinch in big flocks plus loads of birds to keep us interested all morning.
Then I pick out the first Wryneck of the day up on the fort hill, I get to see two more over the course of the morning 2 had been rung.
A walk up to the sea gives me a single Purple Sandpiper for the first tick of the day, we spend a lot of time just waiting for the sea to wash up around the bird to get it to move so we can get some photos of it with it's head up.
A very nice warm day makes it a great morning to be doing nothing but walking about soaking up all the birds that are here today.
Off now to Thorpeness to look for the Barred Warbler on the common that we had just been told about. On arrival we meet a fellow birder & he tells us that there is no sign & that there is nobody looking for it, so as we don't have any idea where to look we decide to head off to look for the Lesser grey Shrike. It's about 20 miles or so to Shingle Street & we have to be home soon, so it's a bonus when we find the place first time & are told it's not a long walk & the bird is showing well.
Ten minutes later & we are ticking another year tick, last years bird was a lifer for me I wonder if this is the same bird. A few familiar faces here to have a talk to but we can't stay long as we have to get home now.

Purple Sandpiper

Wryneck

Lesser grey Shrike

Again

Purple Sandpiper