Wednesdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Caspian Gull, Smew at Minsmere
GLOSSY IBIS X 2 still at Oulton Marshes
Yellow-legged Gull at Landguard

Other News!
**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

Tuesdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Bittern x 3 at Lackford Lakes
Smew at Minsmere
GLOSSY IBIS X 2 still at Oulton Marshes
Firecrest x 2 at Bawdsey still
Slavonian Grebe at Alton Water
Snow Bunting x 4, Little Gull, Bonxie x 2 at Landguard

Other News!
**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

Mondays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
PARROT CROSSBILL X 9 still in Waveney Forest
Glossy Ibis x 2 still at Oulton Marshes
Smew x 3 at Minsmere
Firecrest, Chiffchaff at Bawdsey still

Other News!
**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

Sundays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!

Glossy Ibis x 2 still at Oulton Marshes

Long-tailed Duck still at Covehithe Broad

Firecrest x 2 at Bawdsey still

Tree Sparrow x c.60, Mealy Redpoll at Ampton - BCM

PARROT CROSSBILL X 13 still in Waveney Forest
Purple Sandpiper x 14 at Ness Point
Smew x 3 at Minsmere
Caspian Gull x 5 at Ryhmer Point
Firecrest at Kessingland

Other News!

**MEGA** FORSTER'S TERN still at The Mullet, Co. Mayo

**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

3rd Time Lucky!!!

Dad asked me this morning if I wanted to try for the Tree Sparrows at Ampton again, as I had a rough idea of where I was going this time, I obviously said yes. We got there and found 2 Tree Sparrows on 1 feeder that we could see, but where were the other 60 odd? We drove up into a gap past the 1st feeder, and there were toones of Tree Sparrows on about 10 feeders in this garden. It was incredible. At least 60 birds present, the most I have ever seen at one time. I had a search through the flock, as a Mealy Redpoll was reported in the morning, and there it was, on the front feeder. It didn't stay for long enough though as we hadn't got the cameras ready yet, so it flew off with 1 Lesser Redpoll, so no photo. We then started taking pictures. We also got a Brambling amongst the flock....

Happy Birding!



Bird Quiz - Week 3

Last weeks mystery bird was indeed at female Scaup, which I saw 2 years ago on the River Stour while on an RSPB Boat trip.

Well done to Ellis Lucas, Rob Stokes and Jim Bradley for getting the correct answers. Again only 3 guesses though (come on peeps!). Here's this weeks mystery bird....

Just leave your answers in the comments, and I'll publish the winners next week. Good Luck!

Failed Again in the Brecks

Dad, Mum and I all went to the Brecks yesterday, to try and get Goshwak (again), Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Tree Sparrow. We failed on the 2 latter, but got better views of the former than on Tuesday. We went to the same place, and as it was a lot sunnier than Tuesday, we got about 5 Goshawks all up high in the air displaying, but they were a bit distant. But we did get a male fly low over our heads displaying...

We then went to lynford again, as a Hawfinch was reported there in the morning. No sign of him/her, and not really anything else apart from the usual Nuthatches and common passerines.

We then went to Ampton, to try and find the local flock of Tree Sparrow. We went here on Tuesday, but got no luck, and we didn't get them yesterday either. We didn't know where they are seen in the village, but after contacting a friend, I think I know where they are now for future visits. We did get at 1st Winter Yellow-legged Gull sitting in a field on its own, which was a good find.

Happy Birding!

Saturdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!

Great Northern Diver at Stutton Mill

Smew x 2 at Minsmere

Iceland Gull at Thorpeness

Greenland White-fronted Goose still at North Warren

Glossy Ibis x 2 still at Oulton Marshes

Long-tailed Duck at Covehithe Broad

Firecrest x 3 at Bawdsey

Crossbill x 2 at Ashby Dell

Snow Bunting x 4 at Landguard

Purple Sandpiper x 6 at Ness Point

Other News!

**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

Fridays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!

Glossy Ibis x 2 still at Oulton Marshes

Smew x 2 at Minsmere

Hen Harrier at Boyton Marshes

Hen Harrier at Carlton Marshes

Snow Bunting x 4 at Landguard

PARROT CROSSBILL X 4, Crossbill x 20 at Ashby Dell

Black Brant at Shotley

Other News!

**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

Thursdays Sightings!

Suffolk Bird Sightings!
Smew x 3 at Minsmere
Great Skua, Yellow-legged Gull at Landguard
Glossy Ibis x 2 still at Oulton Marshes
Greenland White-fronted Goose x 2 still at North Warren

Other News!
**MEGA** AMERICAN COOT still at Loch Flemington, Highland

Half Term

I have had 3 visits so far this half term, and they are the 3 posts before this one. Read them to find out where we went and what we found.

North West Norfolk

On Wednesday, Dad and I took the long drive up to Titchwell area. We arrived at Titchwell, and went straight out onto the beach. We soon found the masses of Common Scoters, about 5,500 birds in total with about 15 Velvet Scoters.

The long line of scoters

Female Velvet

Young Male Velvet

Near Adult Male Velvet

We then went to look on the Freshmarsh, Saltmarsh and Volunteer Marsh. Here's what we saw...

A very theatrical Dog on the beach - very funny to watch

Brent Geese

Both Godwits

Distant Goldeneye offshore

Distant Goldeneye offshore 

Grey Plover

Knot

Ruff

Saltmarsh

Shoveler

Teal

Titchwell Beach

Mixed Birds 

We then went to Choseley Barns, to see if we could get any Corn Buntings. No sign of any as their favourite hedge has been taken out. There were though however c. 30 Yellowhammers and a Buzzard...

Buzzard

Wren

Yellowhammer

Final stop of the day was at Burnham Overy Dunes. We got a Merlin from the layby...

Other stuff we got were...

Burnham Beach

Gulls on Burnham Beach

Dusk Curlew

Golden Plover

Mixed Geese

Distant Marsh Harrier

Brents and Pink foots with a Curlew

Pink Foots

Reed Bunting

We then got a very pale Buzzard. When it flew, it didn't show the white barring on the tail for it to be the resident Rough-legged Buzzard.

We then got a great Short-eared Owl and a Barn Owl, but too brief to photograph.

On the way back to the car, I tried to climb over a gate, which I was successful on the way to the marshes, but I fell over it on the way back and landed on my right side. Very painful. Not hurt much, and the optics weren't damaged! When we got back to the car, people were still in the layby and it was almost dusk, but they had the actual Rough-legged Buzzard sitting on top of Gun Hill. They saw it fly in with the white barring on the tail, but I wouldn't of told you it was a Rough-legged Buzzard if I'd of just seen it in the tree!

Happy Birding!

Brecks

On Tuesday, Dad and I visited the Brecks before my dentist appointment in Bury St. Edmunds. We started off at an undisclosed site where we got brief view of a Goshawk (what we came for), but it was distant and all of about 30 seconds. We also got Nuthatch here, but not much else. We then went to Lynford Arboretum. We didn't get any Hawfinches, but we got Crossbill, common passerines and more Nuthatches.

Happy Birding!