It has been a week of catching up with the garden and house
(admittedly with some help and some sitting around watching others work…) and
yesterday was as foul as predicted with driving rain and thrashing wind. The garden survived with only a little extra
staking and I was glad to have got so much done on Wednesday when it was quite
pleasant and I could actually hear Siskins going over.
24th:
A brief trip to the Northside gave me an hour around Ness
Point net posts and the trees.It was
clear and bright but the sea only held a few Gulls and Cormorants so I headed
into the trees in the hope of something spriteish.As usual there were a host of Squirrels, Wood
Pigeons and Robins and just a few calling Goldcrests to spice things up.A lovely warm sunny bank by a bench was
actually a giant Brown Rat warren with dozens of holes and I think I may have
been the first person along there as there were several out sunbathing until
they saw me.
One inquisitive individual poked his whiffly nose out of his
burrow and watched me with blackberry eyes and twitching whiskers.I actually missy my Ratty encounters from the
old days at Rainham when they would work out how to get to the feeders or just
sit outside the shop on a bird table doing their best to become invisible.
Brown Rat
This warm spot also held loads of Flies!Calliphora (Bluebottles of two sorts) were
dotting the fresh Alexander leaves and Sycamore trunks with Phaonia for several
Syrphus Hoverflies for company.An immaculate
looking female Volucella zonaria muscled he way in amongst them.There were both Seven Spot and Harlequin Ladybirds
dotted around.
Calliphora
Calliphora & Phaonia
Phaonia
Syrphus
Volucella zonaria
Harlequin Ladybird
Seven Spot Ladybird
Back home and then off out on a shopping venture that
actually became a twitch for the Brown Shrike down at Upper Hollesley Common.The sun was still out and although it was a
bit breezy I hoped that the bird would be sitting up.There is something about Shrikes that still
tugs at the supressed twitching bug and my seventh species in Europe since the
start of September.
This one was very well behaved and was perched up almost on
arrival and gave excellent views at reasonable range.There were enough friends there that scope
views were freely available. The shorter wings always make the tail feel longer
that it is and it even obligingly spread it whilst balancing and you could see
the shorter outer tail feathers too.
Brown Shrike
Brown Shrike - John Richardson
Brown Shrike - John Richardson - look at that tail!
I watched it in good company as it actively fed from the
Bracken and Elders before it moved away.I did not follow and bid my farewells.
The road through the back took me to Swann’s Nursery which
was very nice but also had a huge tower of still flowering Ivy which was
plastered with yet more Flies including all those seen on my first walk along
with several Eristalis tenax.I failed
miserably with my phone camera but I could even see the ginger beards on the
Calliphora vomitoria with just my eyes as they were so close and dopy.A tatty Red Admiral and several Buff-tailed
Bumblebees joined the late feast.
Red Admiral
Calliphora vomitoria - just seen the ginger beard
On again for battered sausage and chips in Aldeburgh.£3.20 for a teeny weeny portion of
chips!I am not squeaky but,
really?They were very good though.From here it was only natural to stop at North Warren
for a scan round.There were Barnacle
Geese dotted all around and a few Lapwing with the shiny Rooks and a Cetti’s
Warbler half heartedly shouted from the ditch.Three Deer could be seen with single Chinese Water and Muntjac and two
Red Deer, one of which was a fine stag.
Barnacle Goose
Red Deer
On the south side the light was in my eyes but I got lucky
and a Glossy Ibis dropped on the closest pool and immediately out of view while
nine Geese coming in fast and high from the south peaked my interest but I had
to wait till they came over to see the belly bars of nine Russian White-fronts
which then whiffled into the far pool.They are the first I have heard of around here this autumn.
Russian White-fronts
Russian White-fronts
The cloud was bubbling up and temperature dropping so we
wended our way home back through the lanes.
25th
I was glad that I popped down to the Shrike yesterday as it
dawned wet and very windy once again and Andrea had her regular Hopton church
fair to do so after a damp drop off I caught up with some more jobs until the
weather cleared just before lunchtime and then headed back out with the
salubrious location of ASDA car park being my first stop.
Not for the first time Crests had been found
in the small pine trees near the river and I literally pulled up, got out and
could hear two Firecrests in the tree next to my car.Exceptional views were had as they actively foraged on the lowest
boughs.I was expecting shopper comments
but got none.
Firecrest
Firecrest
News that the tide down at Ness Point was over the first
wall I made that my next stop and the waves were indeed crashing over the giant
directional compass map.I did not
venture down to the lower level.There
were no Purple Sandpipers and just five Turnstone trying too find scraps along
the upper wall.
Turnstone
Turnstone
I walked the other way towards the Orbis building where a
Black Redstart was heard almost immediately as he sang from the lower
balconies.He was stunning and something
of a chameleon with the light.
Black Redstart - much darker when at my feet
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
Black Redstart
A flash of a fiery tail drew me on and just beyond the
building there were Black Redstarts everywhere and I ended up with eight
additional ones including two more adult males, a young male and five browny
female types.The original male was
still singing well behind me.There were
a few Pied Wagtails and a single Meadow Pipit with the Redstarts.
Black Redstarts
I picked Andrea up at 2pm and dropped into Links Road on the
way back where two adult Med Gulls were loafing in the car park with the other
gulls but there were no Purple Sandpipers here either and just a single Brent
Goose bobbing offshore.
Med Gull
Med Gull
Herring Gull
26th
We had just got in the car to head out but I had to pop back indoors and on stepping back out I could hear the soft trumpeting of a wild swan. I looked around and picked three coming in quite low from the north. I grabbed the camera and took some shots and my initial thought was Bewicks's especially as the third looked small and short necked but I was wrong and all three were Whoopers as can be seen in the pic. I was very pleased with this new house addition. It turned out they had been seen by the Robs over Corton seven minutes before and one hour fifty later at 0951 they were seen still going south over The Naze. A Chiffchaff called just before I finally got back into the car.
Whooper Swans
Breakfast at The Lighthouse gave a grandstand view of the waves
that were breaking way above the height of the caravans at Ness Point before a
post fry up amble into the gardens where I walked on Friday. Today it was alive with birds including a big
mixed Tit flock with at least a dozen Goldcrest and three Firecrests and a
Yellow-browed Warbler that called once.
The Brown Rat was once again looking out of his hole.
Thanks to Rob Holmes for the wave pic!
Northwards and into the Broads and passing over Breydon
Water showed an exceptionally high tide with only water visible all the way up
to and under the tower hide. I wonder
where all the birds went?
The water level was also over the banks at Potter Heigham
and a change of plan took me down to St Benet’s Abbey. There were no photographers and as suspected
no Short-eared Owls yet but a short walk up to the ruins to overlook the
landscape did give me two Cattle Egrets and a singing Cetti’s Warbler before I
picked up a straggly flock of at least 33 Cranes dropping in back towards
Potter H.
Mesembrina meridiana
Caliiphora vicina
I chose one of the other Ludham lanes and from the end was
able to see the flock in the meadows with a flock of sheep. There were difficult to count as the
vegetation was still tall and they were not exactly close but they were still a
joy to see. I still find it wonderful
that Cranes are now truly a part of the local landscape and with a little luck
you can encounter them on any trip out.
Cranes in the landscape
And a little Roach that I rescued from the ford in Ludham having been whooshed out of the river by a lorry
It was still a blue sky day but the wind was getting up and
the 9c felt a lot lower so I did not linger and after a mooch around Wroxham
Barns headed for home passing at least three Cattle and four Little Egrets on
the Acle Straight in the process.
It was now grey and rain threatened but with a few but
passing locally on the sea I headed down to Pakefield Beach for 30 minutes of
standing with my back to the rain and my scope on the sea but all I got for my
troubles were 35 Gannets going north and two Shelduck going south. I decided that a hot coffee would be more
preferable and came home.
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