Finches everywhere in the Brecks, 19 January 2017

A sunny afternoon in the Brecks was a very pleasant distraction today.

I called in for a quick 30 minutes at Thetford on the way through to have another look at the gulls - in the short time I had available I managed the 1w Iceland Gull and a 4w Yellow-legged Gull but not much else of note except a Lesser Black-backed Gull with a deformed bill and a Common Buzzard over. The light was better for photos today though.

Iceland Gull, Thetford

Yellow-legged Gull, Thetford

Lesser Black-backed Gull with bill deformity

Common Buzzard, Thetford

On to Santon Downham next where there were hundreds of Bramblings which I managed to photograph using my van as a hide. Also there were loads of Chaffinches, Nuthatch and Coal Tit but shamefully I left without even getting out of my van!

Bramblings, Santon Downham

My main aim of the day was to spend time at Lynford so I headed there for the rest of the afternoon. A qucik look at the gravel pits produced nothing more exciting than a female Goldeneye, 1 Pochard and a Little Egret amongst the numerous Tufted Ducks and Gadwall. I then walked down past the arboretum to the paddocks getting c80 Siskins and 2 Crossbills en-route. Once in position I spent the time until dusk watching the amazing spectacle of 35-40 Hawfinches come in to roost in tall pines. By far my biggest numbers ever in the UK. Also there another Crossbill flew over and a few more Bramblings were kicking about with Goldfinches, Greenfinch and 2 Bullfinches continuing the finch theme! A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming, a Marsh Tit singing and Nuthatches calling hinting of spring.

Hawfinches, Lynford     

Looking forward to Cuba!

A very cold, grey and dreary Sunday in South Norfolk so my thoughts have turned to our upcoming trip to Cuba in early March. Now just 6 weeks away it'll be nice to escape the winter here and to fill my boots with a few endemics and other goodies out there.
We fly into Havana to spend a couple of days exploring the city before the birding begins at La Guira NP, Vinales and then onto the Zapata area (La Turba, Soplillar, Bermejas etc) for a few days followed by Najasa and then finally the northern cays of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Caya Paredon Grande.
That lot should get me within reach of most of the gettable endemics and other specialities plus some North American migrants.
Quite tempting as I stare out over the wet garden this afternoon!

Cuban Tody - one of the nicest and easy to see endemics  

Thetford Gull-fest! 13 January 2017

Once the snow had stopped and the roads cleared I ventured out to Thetford this afternoon. Around a waste disposal site on the Burrell Way industrial estate an impressive array of gulls was discovered yesterday so it was an opportunity not to be missed.

Within about 20 minutes I'd seen pretty much everything I wanted to see which was superb. The gulls were spending periods on the roof of the waste disposal site venturing inside to feed on skips of rubbish every once in a while.

The final counts were 1 Glaucous Gull (1w), 1 Iceland Gull (1w), 2 Caspian Gull (1w and 3w), 3 Yellow-legged Gulls (1w, 4w and ad), a curious Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull hybrid (ad) identified by Lee Gregory plus plenty of Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Greater black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls plus a single Common Gull making it a 9 gull sp haul!

Thetford is the new Killybegs!

Glaucous Gull 

Iceland Gull

Yellow-legged Gulls

 

Caspian Gull

    hybrid Herring x Lesser Black-backed Gull   

Little Bunting, Knettishall, 11 January 2017

I'd not seen a Little Bunting for ages so with one being found in a winter finch flock on Knettishall airfield not too far from home it was the ideal opportunity. With the weather due to close in tomorrow today was maybe the last chance for a while so I popped along this morning.

Quite surpisingly (especially as it didn't show until 13.00 yesterday) I'd got 3 views of it by 10.00! Twice briefly in a low flat topped hedge and then a more lengthy view in the top of a small tree along the same field edge. The flock also held c10 Tree Sparrows, c20 Reed Buntings, c40 Yellowhammers, Goldfinch and loads of Chaffinches. A Common Buzzard was hanging over a distant woodland and both Redwing and Song Thrush also popped up along the hedge. A covey of 8 Grey Partridges was also very welcome.

Advice for anyone going - take a scope!    

Pallas's Warbler, Hooded Crow and more, 8 January 2017

My first venture out of 2017 because up until today work has been a bit mad! The forecast was thick fog today but in the end it turned out to be rather nicer than expected.

My first and main aim of the day was to see the rather unseasonal Pallas's Warbler at Kessingland Sewage Works and with a bit of patience some great views were eventually had (after several less than great ones!). The bird ranged quite widely in the area centered on the wooden gate. Also around the area were at least 6 Chiffchaffs, 2 Goldcrests, a fly-over Grey Wagtail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard and a 'peeping' Kingfisher.

Next on my agenda was the Hooded Crow at Mautby and I was very lucky to find it straight away after fighting my way through the usual Oulton Broad and Yarmouth traffic. It favours the pig fields just south of Mautby Lodge. Also there was a much darker Hooded Crow hybrid.

Hooded Crow, Mautby

Halvergate isn't very far away from Mautby so I headed there next finding just 1 Cattle Egret with the cattle but it seemed to like spending most of its time in a ditch. Also there was another Kingfisher which landed on a rail really close to me but not for long enough for a photo! Amongst the c200 Pink-footed Geese there were 5 White-fronted Geese plus 2 Little Egrets.

Cattle Egret, Halvergate

As I was leaving Halvergate I got news of a reported Todd's Canada Goose with Pink-feet between Billockby and Clippesby so I hot-footed it there. Sadly a large proportion of the huge flock of geese had moved over the brow of a hill but I did pick out c8 Tundra Bean Geese and 2 White-fronted Geese and an Svalbard neck-ringed Pink-foot (no.S53, black on white)  before I moved on.

My last port of call was Ludham Airfield where after a bit of driving about I found the flock of wild swans in fields to the north of the airfield. The flock was 156 birds strong with c125 Bewick's Swans and c30 Whooper Swans. By driving along a concrete farm track I was able to get close enough for a few pics but the light was beggining to fade. 44 Egyptian Geese there were also notable.

Bewick's and Whooper Swans, Ludham         

A Cornish clean-up! West Cornwall, 26 - 31 December 2016

Belinda and I decided to escape the usual Christmas/New Year week this year with a few days down in west Cornwall. Leaving at 05.00 on Boxing Day we stayed in the village of Nether Stowey near Bridgewater on the edge of the Quantock Hills in Somerset on the first night. The rest of the trip we stayed in the village of Paul which is right next to Mousehole near Penzance in Cornwall.  

Along the M5 in Somerset on 26th a Peregrine flew over near Sedgemoor Services then a Great White Egret and a Little Egret both got up together from beside the M5 near junction 22. Not bad from a moving car! Our walk that day up on the Quantocks was quiet for birds with 3 Ravens, Fieldfares, 3 Mistle Thrushes and a Grey Wagtail being about it.

We left Somerset after breakfast on 27th and drove the 3 hours down to Cornwall. First port of call once we'd reached the Penzance area was the village of Perranuthnoe where a white-headed Blackbird popped up on a wall by the turn off into the village. My target here was the long-staying Hudsonian Whimbrel and a 500 yard walk west along the coast path to Boat Cove saw it on the rocks on cue! I watched it for some time feeding and preening and eventually flying around the corner to the west. This bird had been bugging me for a while as it went missing for a while when we were down this way in May so it was a good moment! On the beach and our subsequent walk east to Cudden Point we had 4 Grey Plovers, Redshanks, Turnstones, Oystercatchers, 2 Little Egrets, 3 Shag, 2 Ravens, 2 Rock Pipits and 5 Stonechats. Sunset from the beach at Perranuthnoe with coffee and cake from the cafe there was beautiful. 

Hudsonian Whimbrel, Perranuthnoe

Perranuthnoe sunset

The next morning (28th) we ventured the half mile down into Mousehole where after a little bit of a false start the wintering male Eastern Black Redstart showed very nicely on rocks (and even better later in the day when I had it to myself) after a short wait. A female Black Redstart was there too but rather less obliging only putting in one appearance and a Small Tortoiseshell out in the sun in the village near the harbour! We spent the bulk of the day walking along the coast to Lamorna Cove with 3 Common Buzzards along the clifftop plus plenty of Gannets feeding offshore. A Chiffchaff was a nice find at the little reserve at Keymel Crease along the cliff path and Rock Pipits we all over the place. We finished the day with sunset at the Merry Maidens stone circle to Redwings flying over to roost.

Eastern Black Redstart, Mousehole

Black Redstart, Mousehole

Rock Pipit, Mousehole

After breakfast on 29th we ventured out to St Michael's Mount but not before a look on Longrock Pool at Marazion where a nice 1w Caspian Gull was swimming about and a Grey Wagtail flew over. After our walk out to St Michael's Mount and back we drove back to the Marazion carpark. It was one of those calm days when the sea in Mounts Bay was mirror calm and a couple of other birders were scoping the bay where I was able to pick up the wintering Pacific Diver quite easily with a group of 4 Great Northern Divers. This was a real bonus, I'd not really considered seeing this bird because of it's usually erratic and distant appearances. After a coffee at the beach cafe a 3rd look at Longrock Pool and I finally found the 1w Ring-billed Gull plus an adult Mediterranean Gull. It was starting to look like a total clean-up! An impressive 80+ Sanderling were also on Marazion Beach plus a curious very dark hooded Herring Gull type.

Caspian Gull, Longrock Pool, Marazion

Ring-billed Gull, Longrock Pool, Marazion

weird 3w Herring Gull type, Marazion Beach

An afternoon walk at Gurnards Head on the north coast yielded 2 Ravens, 1 Shag and c12 Gannets.

 Gurnard's Head

Friday 30th was a day we'd pencilled in a walk on The Lizard and once again good weather greeted us so the trip was on. A lovely walk from Lizard village to Lizard Point and then to Kynance Cove gave me my hoped for Chough as 2 flew over Kynance Cove plus Raven, c90 Linnets, Bullfinch, Rock Pipits and Gannets.

Kynance Cove

On Saturday 31st the weather was much more cloudy but undetered we went for a walk around Cape Cornwall, Kenidjack and Botallack Copper Mines. This is a spectacular stretch of coast (with memories of Yellow-throated Vireo in 1990!) and I again had 2 Chough, c6 Ravens, Common Buzzard, Gannets and Grey Wagtail.

Cape Cornwall

We celebrated the new year in the Admiral Benbow pub in Penzance where we'd also spent the previous evening. We've made some lovely new friends there in what has to be the most warm, friendly and eclectic pub I've ever been in!