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!



Great Livermere Lifer

Now you might think it's odd that I do 2 posts in 2 days, but this is because Dad and I went for a quick 2 hours birding on Sunday, the day after the Thetford visit. We visited Great Livermere, to see the Brambling flock which I haven't got on the year list yet. It took us a little while to find the place, but as it was our first time of being there, it would. We started off straight away with a mixed finch flock, including a Lesser Redpoll, Brambling, Siskin, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and a Goldfinch.

We then caught onto this little beauty......

We then moved on to the lake, and it was full of Mallards. We spotted a couple of Shelduck on it though...

There were also an Egyptian Goose, 3 Barnacle Goose amongst several Greylags, plus plenty of Lapwing. I then picked up a Gull on the water, with a flatter head shape, and a longer neck. Dad and I were a bit stumped because we don't know much about gulls, so we thought we'd take a picture of it, and then id it when we got home (with my new 2nd edition Collin's Bird Guide!)

We have concluded that it was a juvenile Caspian Gull. With the flat head, and longer neck when stretching in the water does fit the id in the book. This is a lifer for both me and dad. We then moved back towards the bushes, were we picked up a very tame Goldcrest. But do you think it would stop for a picture? No. We then walked down to were you could get a view round down the path where the feeders were. We got a cracking Mealy Redpoll in one of the trees, with some Lesser's, and also a Marsh Tit on the feeders...

Mealy Redpoll

Lesser Redpoll

We then saw all the Brambling's coming down onto the path....

Phil the pheasant though kept spooking them off.

I then spotted a pair of Tufted Ducks amongst the Mallards...

We then moved onto the Pig fields, just to see if any rare gulls were about. In the end we didn't concentrate on the gulls, so here's what we did concentrate on...

Plenty of Shelduck

Also plenty of Stock Dove

5 Roe Deer were keeping a close eye on us

And a Muntjac kept camouflage with some Chickens? 

And some great Red-legged Partridges.

Happy Birding!