Lowestoft is shit.

Sorry I havent posted in a couple of weeks but an unexpected 8 days stranded in Lowestoft kinda breaks your flow. A lack of pictures is dominated by the lack of camera as the work one went back to its owner. What I have managed have been a couple of wader counts around the Humber with limited highlights including 1 Curlew Sandpiper, a few Greenshanks and a few Little Egrets. Not a lot really.

The survey was good beer despite the weather preventing us getting out there. Highlights were a few Sooty Shearwater, Manx Shearwater & best of all Balearic Shearwater. 3 sum plum Black-throated Diver were scarce skor on the east coast and a number of migrating passerines including an 'interesting' unstreaked acro. A good number of Bonxies and Arctic Skuas were recorded. A Peregrine kept us company in the docks most of the week scaring the bejesus out of the local scab doves. A walk up to Oulton Broad produced a few ducks but  not the hoped for Garganeys. Bit windy mind (gusts to 40mph!). Now back home I have seen no birds in the last few days. Cool. BTW its the daughters birthday next thursday. I expect cards.

James

More Migrants

No new additions to any lists this week as I dipped the Booted Warbler last Saturday horribly. Didnt bother with the Brown Flycatcher as I saw the 2007 bird and thought id save my desperate begging for one that I really have to see.

Dunlin - North Killingholme

Fortunately on Monday I got to do some proper survey work and managed some good views of Dunlin and er... single Ruff, a handful of Turnstones. 12 Teal were good as were a mixed flock of 15 flava/alba wags. It was tres quiet.

Pied Flycatcher - Sammy's Point

Wednesday I was running out of things to do at work and all the scarce was giving me itchy feet so I went and bashed about Sammy's Point for a few hours. Seems like it was more productive for me than some others as I managed to refind the 'mass hallucinted' Red-breasted Flycatcher. Refind seems a bit of a strange way of putting it as a greyish flycatcher (arent they all?) took flight and apparently had mated with a  Blackwit. before diving into cover. Not sure what there is to doubt? I will admit i didnt get onto the T-piece in the tail but the flight only views weren't particularly extensive. 3 seconds of it moving across 10 metres and then a briefer view of it diving through a bush. Other bits and pieces were a heard only Firecrest, 20+ Redstarts & Pied Flycatchers, several Wheatear and Whinchat, a few Spotted Flycatchers and an eruption of flava.

Spotted Flycatcher - Sammy's Point

Unfortunatly I have had to jack in the Skua cruise this coming sunday in order to go on survey into the southern north sea, halfway to Holland-ish. Hopefully we score a few decent migrants and seabirds.

Everyone loves a lifer. I prefer 2

Yesterday against my better judgement I headed up to flamborough a'twitching at 6.30pm. Its September and thus it isnt light for very long. There were very many people there and the eastern waif I had come to see had pretty much gone to bed. not seen since 4pm I was told. Was talking to John and Lawts when a Wren started tekking. A softer tek back was heard and then a small grey bird dropped through the willows. Cue mayhem as everybody tried to climb in with it. Fortunatly sanity eventually rained and people moved back allowing the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler to find itself in my bins view. Mega score. It was tail dipping away and I got lovely views of its backside although only fleeting glimpses of the whole bird which struck me as a grey and long tailed warbler. Happy days. Some others weren't so lucky.

Common Rosefinch juv (note buffy wing bars)

Today an early finish allowed me to catch up on a bit of a tart in Common Rosefinch. Only a grotty juv but it showed well on elders. Also FINALLY caught up with the Hornsea Crane.

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hmmm...elder berries