SPURN - 24th - 28th November

 A few days at Spurn, during which I enjoyed every single, possible kind of weather ranging from flat calm and sunny to the blazing force 8-9 northerly wind of Storm Arwen on the 27th.   

Birding highlights included a fine adult male Hen Harrier at Skeffling on the 24th (I also saw it at Welwick on the 25th) along with a Merlin, 7 Buzzards, 6 Kestrels, 440+ Golden Plover and 345 Brent Geese including the distinctive, pale brown leucistic bird which has been returning the last couple of winters, 11 Whooper Swans south and 2 Snow Buntings on a walk down to the point on the 25th, a smart juvenile Glaucous Gull on Kilnsea Wetlands at lunchtime on the 26th along with a Mediterranean Gull and a few birds on Beacon Ponds / Kilnsea Wetlands on the 28th comprising 2 Short-eared Owls, 2 Goldeneye, 26 Little Grebes, a Merlin, 270+ Wigeon, 110+ Teal and 10+ Pintail.

Hen Harrier at Welwick

Grey Plover

Dunlin

Grey Plover and Knot

Sparrowhawk

Common Gull

Wigeon

23rd November

 Had a couple of sessions wandering around Fliey Country Park and out on the Brigg; a few hours in the morning produced 3 Snow Buntings on the top of Carr Naze (including a smart adult male) whist offshore and on the rocks birds included a single Long-tailed Duck (a year tick!), a single Puffin on the sea just off the sheltered south side along with plenty of Guillemots and Razorbills, a Great-northern Diver south with a few Red-throated Divers dotted about, 4+ Purple Sandpipers and a few Kittiwakes, Shags and Fulmars whilst a pair of Peregrines unsuccessfully chased a Feral Pigeon over the sea.   

Another look at lunchtime produced the unexpected highlight of a Storm Petrel which lingered off the Brigg between 13:10 and 13:25; also seen in the afternoon were another 2 Great-northern Divers (one north and one in the bay) and a few more Purple Sandpipers.

Snow Buntings

Great-northern Diver

Stonechat in the bright dawn sunshine

Locally colour-ringed Turnstone

20th November

 A nice walk in the morning down my stretch of the River Teme at Leintwardine for the first time in ages produced all the usual suspects although the highlight was a Great White Egret which flew high upstream along with 3 Kingfishers, 2 Dippers, a Green Sandpiper, 4 Little Egrets, 3 Grey Wagtails and 30+ Siskins.   

The rest of the day was quiet with good views of the long-staying Red-throated Diver at Brockhall Gravel Pit (always scarce inland) with two drake Pintail and 193 Wigeon the only other birds of note here and 10 Mandarin at Bodenham.

Green Sandpiper

Heron

Dippers

Red Kite

Buzzard

19th November

 After a couple of false starts I made it up to Whixall Moss by mid-morning where the Grey Phalarope which had been on the floods since last weekend showed well on the new pool which has recently been created – a Shropshire tick!   

Other birds on the floods included 5 Shelduck, c20 Shoveler, 12 Pintail, c56 Teal, a Water Rail and a Kingfisher before the actual Moss was quiet as usual but the highlights were a big 2cy female Peregrine and a 1cy female Merlin – both of which showed well perched.

Grey Phalarope

Peregrine

Merlin

Reed Bunting

18th November

 A busy couple of hours at Venus Pool from first light produced the highlight of a big female Goshawk which flew east at 08:00; there were some good totals which illustrated how different things use the site with 272 Greylag Geese, 364 Canada Geese and 11 Mute Swans all leaving before first light after roosting, 2 Herons and 4 Little Egrets (my highest count here) also roosting, although they stayed and 53 Cormorants (also my highest count here) and 60 Black-headed Gulls which flew in from the west to bathe an hour after dawn.   

Other bits included 9 Shoveler, 11 Gadwall, 8 Wigeon, 3 Water Rails squealing, a Sparrowhawk, a Red Kite, a big flock of 26 Magpies and a Grey Wagtail while the arable fields held 120+ Chaffinches, c10 Bramblings, 8 Greenfinches and only small numbers of Yellowhammers, Reed Buntings, Linnets and Redpolls.   

The only other notable thing was an excellent flock of 120 Linnets in the set-aside crop just down the lane on the south side of Wyke – by far the biggest flock I’ve seen round Wyke / Benthall.

LANDGUARD - 15th November

 A promising looking morning, heavily overcast with a feather-light NE breeze but despite a handful of Thrushes at dawn and a new Black Redstart in the nets there was little fresh in to get excited about; on the land birds comprised a Blackcap, the aforementioned Black Redstart, 9 Snow Buntings still, 40+ Blackbirds, a Brambling, 2 Fieldfares, 2 Purple Sandpipers and 2 Turnstone on the jetty, 2 Redpolls, 3 Rock Pipits and 2 Woodcock.   

A few bits offshore included a Goosander south, a Great-northern Diver on the sea, 91 Brent Geese, 21 Common Scoter, 6 Dunlin, 8 Eider, 10 Gannets, a Guillemot, 11 Lapwings, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 9 Red-throated Divers, 50 Shelduck south, 6 Teal and 44 Wigeon.

Black Redstart

Woodcock

LANDGUARD - 13th November

 A pleasant enough day, staying more or less dry with a moderate NW breeze; offshore this morning birds of note comprised a Pale-bellied Brent Goose with 17 Dark-bellies, 25 Dunlin, 4 Gadwall, 2 Goldeneye, a Heron, a Kittiwake, 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, 16 Red-throated Divers, 3 Teal and 117 Wigeon.   

More land based sightings included a Blackcap, a Brambling, 8 Chaffinches, a Fieldfare, 20 Goldfinches, a Peregrine, 2 Purple Sandpipers, 4 Redpoll, 21 Redwings, 15 Siskins, 2 Skylarks, the 10 Snow Buntings still, 2 Stock Doves, a Woodcock and a Swallow south.

Grey Plover (at Melton)

LANDGUARD - 12th November

 A stiff SW breeze gave a very different feel to the day than of late with most of the interest coming from the little selection of birds offshore which comprised 4 Brent Geese, 29 Common Scoter, 9 Gannets, a Golden Plover, 7 Guillemots, 2 Razorbills, a Kittiwake, 9 Knot, 3 Red-breasted Mergansers, 8 Red-throated Divers, 3 Turnstone, 4 Wigeon and 790 Starlings in off.   

On the land birds of note included 9 Snow Buntings still, 2 Bramblings, 12 Goldfinches, 20+ Redwing, a Rock Pipit and a Woodcock.

All the colours of a Woodpigeon

LANDGUARD - 9th November

 Calm again first thing but a bit mizzly, it soon brightened up though to produce another pleasant day; birds on the land comprised a few Thrushes first thing, a Blackcap (a smart Danish control, ringed two weeks earlier), 5 Brambling, 7 Chaffinches, 39 Goldfinches, 19 Linnets, 14 Meadow Pipits, 2 Redpolls, 3 Rock Pipits, 54 Siskins, 6 Skylark, 6 Snow Buntings, another late Swallow south and a Short-eared Owl which came in off the sea mid-morning.   

The sea produced a Bar-tailed Godwit, 9 Brent Geese, 97 Common Scoter, 4 Gannets, a Great-crested Grebe, a Red-breasted Merganser, 13 Red-throated Divers, a Razorbill and 21 Shelduck.

The Danish ringed Blackcap

LANDGUARD - 8th November

 Lovely, calm and bright; a trickle of birds over the land this morning comprised a Brambling, 12 Chaffinches, 2 Fieldfare, 57 Goldfinches, 12 Linnets, 12 Meadow Pipits, 10 Redpolls, 2 Redwing, 2 Rock Pipits, a Rook, 45 Siskins, 7 Skylarks, 7 Snow Buntings, 292 Starlings, a Jay, 13 Stock Doves, a late Swallow, and a Woodcock.   

On over the sea a few bits included a Great-northern Diver sat on the sea, a Razorbill, 7 Brent Geese, 32 Common Scoter, 7 Gannets, 3 Goldeneye, a Great-crested Grebe, 5 Red-breasted Mergansers, 4 Red-throated Divers and 8 Shelduck.   

Some good totals at Melton, bang on high tide (although its always difficult to see everything roosting in the long grass in the corner) included 11 Little Grebes, 38 Avocets, 8 Grey Plover, 8 Turnstone, 14 Knot and 220 Dunlin – all my highest counts here.

Reflections

(not) LANDGUARD - 6th November

 A nice little walk around the fields and lanes to the east of Farnsfield (Rik’s house) first thing produced the highlight of a Merlin which flew west across the fields along with 2 Red Kites, a Raven, a few Redwing flocks whizzing around, 3 Redpolls, 2 Siskins and 5+ Yellowhammers.

LANDGUARD - 5th November

 Despite constant Redwing calls before first light, there were far fewer grounded birds than yesterday due to the clear skies and light winds; totals on / over the land included 71 Woodpigeons, a Stock Dove, 20 Redwings, 50 Blackbirds, 18 Bramblings, 3 Fieldfares, 250 Starlings, 3+ Woodcock, 13 Skylarks, 7 Chaffinches, 8 Lapwing, 5 Song Thrush, 48 Siskins and the 4 Snow Buntings.   

Over the sea birds of note comprised 39 Brent Geese, 5 Greylag Geese, 5 Eiders, 4 Red-throated Divers, 4 Shelduck, a Heron, 35 Common Scoter, 6 Gannets, 17 Teal and a Wigeon.

OGC's

LANDGUARD - 4th November

 Despite the brisk, cold NW wind and largely clear conditions there was a lot more life through the morning than of late with a variety of Thrushes whizzing round at first light; totals comprised 110+ Blackbirds, 40 Redwings, 7 Song Thrushes, a Mistle Thrush, 78 Fieldfare, 360 Starlings in, 7 Bramblings, 6 Chaffinches, a Siskin, 11 Skylarks, a Snipe, 4 Snow Buntings (a Landguard tick!) and 2 Woodcock.   

It was quiet offshore with 23 Brent Geese, 4 Common Scoter, 5 Dunlin, 9 Gannets, a Guillemot, a Red-throated Diver, a Shelduck, a Teal and 10 Wigeon.

Brambling

Blackbird

(not) LANDGUARD - 3rd November

 A fine morning at Minsmere produced my first Snow Bunting of the year on the beach opposite East Scrape, nice views of a Dartford Warbler along the front and at least 30 Bearded Tits being very active, all flying up high, calling and showing off.

 Other totals here included 226 Shoveler, 273 Gadwall, 89 Black-tailed Godwits, 3 Avocets, an adult Yellow-legged Gull which left just after first light, 5 Marsh Harriers, a Kingfisher and a Brambling.   

Birds at Melton as the high tide was dropping then included 19 Avocets, 7 Grey Plovers, 5 Turnstone, 52 Dunlin, a Kingfisher, a Rock Pipit, a Brambling and 122 Redwing moving west in small flocks.

Bearded Tit

Still plenty of Common Darters on the wing

LANDGUARD - 2nd November

 Beautifully calm and lovely and sunny; a little selection of birds passed overhead through the morning including a Brambling, 57 Chaffinches, 82 Goldfinches, 7 Greenfinches, 16 Linnets, 7 Meadow Pipits, 3 Redpoll, a Rock Pipit, 49 Siskin, a Swallow, 10 Skylark, 6 Stock Doves, 702 Woodpigeons, a Woodlark and 2 Yellowhammers.   

On the land the few birds comprised 2 Chiffchaffs, a Jay and the Ring Ouzel still.   

Totals at Melton (low tide) in the afternoon included 120 Wigeon, 135 Teal, 5 Avocets, 6 Grey Plover, a Bar-tailed Godwit and 2 Greenshank but the highlight were 2 Ravens which flew high downstream at 14:10 – my first in Suffolk!

Jay

Starling

Curlew