Lowestoft
Cor a right old southerly wind today you know. Birding in these conditions along the east coast is tantamount to torture but the 4.5mile trip around my local patch has to be worked regardless of the weather. My first stop as always is Bell vue Park, along with the usual 20 or so Woodpigeons I did locate a small tit flock. A single Coal tit was the best of this bunch as I ambled on toward Sparrows Nest Park.
Just as I walked through the top gate I spied a cracking male Grey wagtail feeding silently along the edge of the small pond. Yo! what a great bird to start the day. I steeled myself to leave the shelter of this park to venture onto the North denes & that horrible wind. A flock of 81 adult winter Black headed gulls were loafing on the turf here & after careful scanning I could not locate any Med Gulls. After an uneventful walk to Hamilton dock I stopped to look over the roof tops of the fish market for any Med Gulls here. A biscuit coloured gull needed the scope set up & I was rewarded with a nice 1st winter Iceland Gull! We have had one hooly of a good year for gulls what with the Glaucous then the Sabine’s & now the Iceland Gull. Brilliant!
Turning back now with the wind on my back It was a lot more comfortable I was in a better frame of mind now & was soon busy looking at the sea for any bird movement. Soon I was rewarded by 18 Turnstones flying south & later a single Brent Goose. The rocks produced two Rock pipits, twelve Purple Sandpipers & a Dunlin.
The walk along North Beach was productive to as I followed a feeding flock of 16 Snow Buntings. As I walked back towards the parks I saw a heavily berried Cotoneaster I scanned more out of desperation than of hope but I was glad I did because there were three Waxwings feeding away.
So it was windy but what a great morning out. Some very good birds were seen & it certainly lifted the spirits.
CJ
Cor a right old southerly wind today you know. Birding in these conditions along the east coast is tantamount to torture but the 4.5mile trip around my local patch has to be worked regardless of the weather. My first stop as always is Bell vue Park, along with the usual 20 or so Woodpigeons I did locate a small tit flock. A single Coal tit was the best of this bunch as I ambled on toward Sparrows Nest Park.
Just as I walked through the top gate I spied a cracking male Grey wagtail feeding silently along the edge of the small pond. Yo! what a great bird to start the day. I steeled myself to leave the shelter of this park to venture onto the North denes & that horrible wind. A flock of 81 adult winter Black headed gulls were loafing on the turf here & after careful scanning I could not locate any Med Gulls. After an uneventful walk to Hamilton dock I stopped to look over the roof tops of the fish market for any Med Gulls here. A biscuit coloured gull needed the scope set up & I was rewarded with a nice 1st winter Iceland Gull! We have had one hooly of a good year for gulls what with the Glaucous then the Sabine’s & now the Iceland Gull. Brilliant!
Turning back now with the wind on my back It was a lot more comfortable I was in a better frame of mind now & was soon busy looking at the sea for any bird movement. Soon I was rewarded by 18 Turnstones flying south & later a single Brent Goose. The rocks produced two Rock pipits, twelve Purple Sandpipers & a Dunlin.
The walk along North Beach was productive to as I followed a feeding flock of 16 Snow Buntings. As I walked back towards the parks I saw a heavily berried Cotoneaster I scanned more out of desperation than of hope but I was glad I did because there were three Waxwings feeding away.
So it was windy but what a great morning out. Some very good birds were seen & it certainly lifted the spirits.
CJ
