Links road, Lowestoft

With an Autumn of Westerlys what better place to go to try and get some eastern migrants than the most easterly place in the UK- Lowestoft. I thought I'd check out the Woodchat Shrike, look at the bushes and do a bit of seawatching. I managed to do all three, the Shrike showed exceptionally well, despite the deluge of rain that was falling all morning. This is only the second WcS I have seen in the UK, the other being a fine adult male at Holme a few years back. This bird didnt seem to mind people too much at all, but it had a particular dislike to horses and white dogs though!

Seawatching was fairly productive considering the westerly blow, totals for a on off watch for a cumulative total of 2 hrs below;
5 Arctic Skua
2 Pom Skua
3 Great Skua
constant stream of Gannets
6 RB Merganser
Lots of Brents
3 Commic Tern
1 Eider
30 Wigeon

In off totals were slightly more interesting;
4 Short Eared Owls
1 Merlin
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Woodpigeon
15 skylark
40+ Meadow pipit
1 Grey Heron
2 Brambling
18 Chaffinch
6 Starlings.

Not fantastic totals, but quite interesting all the same, an obvious movement across the North sea even with a westerly. The Yellow Browed Warbler did not show for me, I did check the bushes North and South of the car park to flycatcher alley, but little was doing. The Yellow Legged gull managed to sneak into the picture below, unfortunately I missed a photo of it posing nicely on the beach due to a loaf of bread further down the beach.

Left untreated a forest forms in a matter of years!!! Japanese Knotweed- nasty plant!

Jammy Git!

Having the day off today I was slightly torn between going birding on the North coast (wind looked good) or go to Boyton.

5.30am and Boyton was on the menu for the morning, I managed to get there for about 7.30, just in time to catch the first good rays of sun striking the bird.
Needless to say it was crane like and a new British  bird for me, I didnt go last Sunday because it was hot, the roads were busy and for some unknown reason Sandhill Crane didn't quite 'do it' for me. As I say quite odd but if it had been an equivalent  mega passerine I'd have been there in a shot, its possibly got something to do with the fact that I see cranes quite frequently and 'ours' are better looking, I dont know!
Still it seems as though I managed to jam into seeing it on its last morning at Boyton? The bird flew around at 10.30 and flew off South. How often do good birds turn up on a Sunday and leave the following Friday, must be very annoying for those who 'need' birds.

After having my fill of the crane, staying for about 2 hrs, I headed to Minsmere as I have not been since Feb. Turns out it was a bit of a waste of time, very little there on the scrapes apart from the usual common species and the woodland and lagoon loops were not passable as a circuit, I should have checked the website. The trails are closed due to urgent sea defence work, so all for a good cause . There was a small flock of Godwits, Dunlin, 6 Avocets and small duck numbers but apart from that the lagoons were pretty empty (save for dodgy geese). Most of the visitors were enjoying all the bird identification challenges, the Red breasted geese and Barnacles made most peoples day despite being as plastic as the Roller in Cambs! I do love overhearing identifications in the hides, always brings a smile to my face, we all start somewhere.
I walked from the sluice to the power station and managed to see 3 chiffchaffs, 2 goldcrests and one long tailed tit who had lost its friends, positive mental attitude was hard to keep up when looking at very little. There were a few Wheatears on the beach, all juvs, which livened up the walk a little and it reached a crescendo when I saw 2 Bonxies .

So as days go it was very good in as much as I got a mega Nearctic crane, possibly on its last day of showing, however the lack of drift migrants in East Anglia is begining to get annoying, surely I wont an autumn without seeing a Yellow Browed Warbler!

Some poor pics of the crane below, dont enlarge them, it was about 600m away, good through the scope not the lens....excuses..

Autumn moths

With the birds being quiet at the moment due to the pleasant(*?) hot weather and Westerly air flow at least the warm nights have brought a few moths into the trap. *The reason I question the word pleasant is because I have started the winter work programme at Strumpshaw Fen, meaning we have been in the fen burning and chainsawing in the heat = unpleasant and very hot!
Over the past 3 nights I have recorded a total of 36 species, this is particularly good for late Sept/early Oct, certainly compared to past years records. Although the temperatures have been far warmer than average, each morning this week there has been a heavy fog in the valley which has meant that the early am temps were as low as 7 degrees while Norwich was basking in 13 degrees at 7am, still a fair few moths have been flying about. This morning there were even a few migrants to liven up the list, they were the most common, expected species but migrants all the same. Six Merveille du jour added a splash of green to the traps, while the 8 Hornets and 14 wasps added a certain splash of yellow, luckily they were not hungry and left the majority of moths in tact. As always a few photos showing some of the catch.

Merv du jour

L-Brown Spot Pinion, R-Beaded Chestnut

Vapourer

Brick

Silver Y

Brindled Green

Dark Sward Grass

Weekend in Wales

Last weekend Ruth and I ventured up to Snowdonia to see Ruth's sister for her birthday. The majority of the weekend was pretty unremarkable as far as sightings go, with pretty standard fare being seen each day, including Redpolls, crossbills siskins, ravens etc. The place we stay in is high in the mountains overlooking Mt Snowdon, a nice change from the broads scenery. I took my moth trap (of course) and had a few new species, it was very chilly each night and quite windy so the overnight hauls were far from impressive but there was just about enough to warrent taking the trap. Next year my bro/sis-in-law move to the Isle of Skye so I look forward to another visit, hopefully around this time of the year.
The new moths for me included;
Autumnal Rustic, Neglected Rustic, Pine Carpet (oddly I have not got this in my records yet?)
The last 2 pictures show a species which should be very easy to id due to the colouration and pattern but I cant clinch it, it does resemble a Sallow of some kind but not in a form that is noted in my books. Help please!!?? EDIT: I have been informed that the moth is a Flounced Chestnut.