Bird Sightings 200821 to 27 December A freshly-harvested sugar beet field by the Cherry Lane garden centre at Belton attracted large numbers of Pink-footed Geese during the week, with a maximum count of 4000, 25 December. A single White-fronted Goose joined them on 23 and 24 December, the wandering Ross’ Goose was present on 23 December and a Barnacle Goose on 25 December. The large arable field by Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville, attracted 20 Turnstones, two Ruff and a flock of 350 Lapwings, 25 December, while a Jack Snipe was seen at Barsham Drain on the same day. Two Green Sandpipers were at Herringfleet Marshes, 22 December, while two Water Rails were recorded at St Olaves, 22 December. A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen at Oulton Marshes, 21 December, while Barn Owls were reported from Mendham Marshes, 21 December, Weybread GP, 24 December and St Olaves, 25 December. An adult Mediterranean Gull was present by Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville, 26 December. Two Bearded Tits were seen at St Olaves, 25 December and two Kingfishers at Weybread GP, 27 December. 14 to 20 December The first-winter Great Northern Diver at the Ocean Pit, Weybread was last seen on 18 December. A redhead Goosander was present there, 17 December, with the two redhead Goosander at Broome Heath still present on 16 December. A first-winter Iceland Gull and a first-winter Caspian Gull were at Aldeby landfill site, 16 December, with a first-winter Glaucous Gull at the same site, 18 December and an adult Mediterranean Gull was seen at Carlton Colville, 14 December. A Marsh Harrier was seen at Flixton Marshes (near Lowestoft), 14 December and Barn Owls were recorded at Weybread and Redenhall. Waders included a flock of 650 Lapwings at Carlton Colville, 14 December and a Green Sandpiper at Earsham, 16 December. A Little Egret was at Belton Marshes, 14 December. A group of 18 Waxwings was feeding beside the A1145 at Carlton Colville, 14 December and two Water Pipits were seen at Belton Marshes on the same day. Two Kingfishers were seen at Weybread GP, 19 December and one at Broome Heath, 14 December. 7 to 13 December A very obliging first-winter Great Northern Diver was present at the Ocean Pit, Weybread from 8 December onwards. Also recorded at the Ocean Pit during the course of the week were up to three redhead Goosanders, two Kingfishers, and a male Sparrowhawk. A first-winter Iceland Gull, two first-winter Caspian Gulls and four Yellow-legged Gulls were at Aldeby landfill site, 10 December, with one first-winter Caspian Gull and three first-winter Yellow-legged Gulls, 11 December and a first-winter Glaucous Gull, 12 December. A mobile flock of 15 Lesser Redpolls was feeding in alders at Earsham GP, 12 December, before being disturbed by a female Sparrowhawk, with a drake Goldeneye and a Little Egret also present at the site. Two redhead Goosanders were fishing in a gravel pit at Broome Heath on the same day. Waders recorded included two Green Sandpipers at Earsham, 10 December, seven Redshanks and a flock of 300 Golden Plovers at Outney Common, Bungay, 10 December, a single Redshank at Flixton GP, also 10 December and 45 Snipe, 100 Golden Plovers and 300 Lapwings at Peto’s Marsh, Carlton Colville, 7 December. A Buzzard was seen at Flixton, 12 December and Barn Owls were recorded during the week at Weybread, Harleston, Earsham and Carlton Colville. Geese of questionable origin included a Ross’ Goose at Thorpe Marshes, 12 and 13 December, a Red-breasted Goose at Castle Marsh, North Cove, 11 December and three Lesser White-fronted Geese and three Barnacle Geese at Outney Common, Bungay, 10 December. 30 November to 6 December A ringtail Hen Harrier was recorded at Barsham Marshes, 6 December, together with male and female Marsh Harrier, and at least 12 Water Rails were heard squealing from the dykes. In addition a Marsh Harrier and a Little Egret were seen at Herringfleet Marshes on the same day. Wintering flocks of Pink-footed Geese in the lower Waveney valley included 300 at Blundeston Marshes and 120 at Oulton Marshes, 30 November. A male Brambling was seen at North Cove, 1 to 4 December, being joined by a female, 2 December. A Barn Owl was watched hunting beside the B1062 at Homersfield early morning on 6 December. 23 to 29 November A large flock of 476 Black-tailed Godwits was seen at Beccles Marshes, 23 November, while 30 Snipe were at Ellough Road, Worlingham, 24 November. A Barn Owl and two Marsh Harriers were present at Carlton Marshes, 25 November, with a single Marsh Harrier also seen there on 29 November. A drake Goosander was at Earsham GP, 26 November. Also seen at Earsham on the same day were one Little Egret, one Kingfisher and two Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and a third-winter). A Blackcap was recorded in a garden at Carlton Colville, 28 November. A mobile flock of 40 Siskins was feeding in alders north-east of Lucksmill, Weybread, 29 November, while nearby on the same day two Grey Wagtails were north of Instead Hall Farm. Other notable passerines this week included a male Brambling at North Cove, 29 November, three Cetti’s Warblers, one Stonechat and three Bullfinches at Carlton Marshes, 29 November and one Bullfinch at Broome Heath, 23 November. Feral wildfowl reported included two Black Swans at Gillingham Marshes and two Barnacle Geese at Broome Heath, 23 November and five Ruddy Shelduck at Earsham, 26 November. 16 to 22 November A Red Kite which flew south over Barsham Marshes, 16 November was the highlight of the week. Nearby a Green Sandpiper was at Grange Farm, Barsham, 17 November. A wedge of 24 Bewick’s Swans flew west over Outney Common, Bungay, 17 November, while feral wildfowl feeding on the Common included three Lesser White-fronted Geese and three Barnacle Geese. The first-winter Shag at Weybread GP was last seen on 18 November. The first Goosanders of the autumn arrived this week, with three redheads on the Ocean Pit at Weybread, 16 to 18 November, with two present, 19 November and two flew west over Outney Common, Bungay, 17 November. Also present along the banks of the Ocean Pit were 18 Siskins and two Kingfishers, 21 November and two Sparrowhawks and a Treecreeper, 16 November. Two Bramblings were amongst a flock of 70 Chaffinches at Blocka Hall Farm, Herringfleet, 17 November, a Lesser Redpoll was present at Outney Common, Bungay on the same day and two Cetti's Warblers were noted at Barsham Marshes, 16 November. Lapwing numbers have so far been low this autumn, so a flock of 300 beside the A143 at Earsham, 21 November was noteworthy. 9 to 15 November 2008 A flock of 18 Waxwings was present at Beccles at the junction of Ellough Road and Coney Hill, 9 November. Two were present in the same area 10 and 11 November with one remaining to 13 November. Two Short-eared Owls were hunting over Barnby Marshes, 9 November and one on Haddiscoe Island, 12 November. A Red-breasted Merganser was fishing along the New Cut at Haddiscoe, 12 November. The first-winter Shag remained all week at Weybread GP on the Ocean Pit, often to be found resting on the plastic buoy at the western end. A Kingfisher was frequently seen in this area. A flock of 12 Bewick’s Swans flew south over Beccles, 13 November and three White-fronted Geese remained at Herringfleet Marshes, 9 November. A flock of 12 Black-tailed Godwits was at Beccles Marshes, 13 November, two Redshank and a Green Sandpiper were present at Earsham, 11 November and a Woodcock was flushed at Herringfleet Hills, 9 November. A late Swallow and two House Martins were at Ashby, 9 November. Six Lesser Redpolls and ten Siskins were at Carlton Marshes, 9 November and six Lesser Redpolls and two Siskins were feeding in alders along the southern edge of Earsham GP, 11 November. A Stonechat was seen along Haddiscoe New Cut, 12 November and a Cetti’s Warbler and eight Bullfinches at Carlton Marshes, 9 November. A flock of 12 Mistle Thrushes at Blundeston, 12 November was also noteworthy. 2 to 8 November 2008 The highlight of the week was undoubtedly a first-winter Spotted Crake at Earsham, 7 November. A first-winter Shag was present on the Ocean Pit at Weybread, 6 to 8 November. A very late Osprey was seen at the fishing lakes along the Beccles Marsh Trail, 2 November. A Marsh Harrier flew over Herringfleet Marshes, 8 November, Common Buzzards were seen flying over Blundeston, 4 November and Herringfleet, 8 November and a Barn Owl was hunting at Weybread GP, 6 November. An adult Caspian Gull was at Earsham gravel workings, 3 November and a first-winter Iceland Gull was seen briefly at Aldeby landfill site, 5 November. Also of note at Aldeby on the same day were two colour-ringed argentatus Herring Gulls, one originating from the White Sea coast of north-west Russia and the other from south-east Norway. Two Yellow-legged Gulls (an adult and first-winter) were at Weybread GP, 6 November. Waders recorded during the week included a Jack Snipe at Earsham, 8 November, a Dunlin at Earsham, 7 and 8 November, three Green Sandpipers at Flixton GP, 2 November, with three at Earsham, 4 November, together with 27 Snipe. A group of six White-fronted Geese were feeding on Herringfleet Marshes, 8 November (together with a Little Egret) and 2000 Pink-footed Geese were present in the Herringfleet / Ashby / Somerleyton area on the same day. A flock of 250 Canada Geese were at Outney Common, Bungay, 4 November. Passerine highlights included five Waxwings at Thorpe-next-Haddiscoe, 6 November, 20 Waxwings along Ellough Road, Beccles, 8 November, a late Swallow at Earsham on the same day, a Firecrest at Burgh Castle, 2 November, two Lesser Redpolls at Beccles Marshes, 4 November and 20 Siskins at Weybread GP, 6 November. Grey Wagtails were recorded at Blundeston (two) and Earsham, 4 November, Cetti’s Warbler and Stonechat at Carlton Marshes, 7 November and Bullfinch at Carlton Marshes, 8 November. A female Mallard was observed escorting a very late brood of 12 recently-hatched ducklings around Cherrywood, Harleston, 3 November. |
Goosanders, Broome Heath, December 2008 © Mike Parker
Great Northern Diver, Weybread GP, December 2008 © Dick Walden |
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