The Big Winter Birdwatch.
It was very mild weather on the 27th December 2002, when four intrepid birders Steve , Simon , Tony & Myself embarked on a winter birding day around the Lowestoft & Great Yarmouth area in the Counties of Suffolk & Norfolk before arriving at the Raptor Roost at Horsey on the Norfolk Broads at dusk.
After meeting at McDonald’s for breakfast we went to Pakefield beach for Snow Buntings. As we stepped out of the car the first bird I saw was a fine Female Red breasted Merganser flying south over the beach. Although we saw no Snow Buntings we amassed four Turnstones & a flock of over 30 Greenfinches.
Oulton Broad produced Stock Dove, two Egyptian Geese, and a pair of squabbling Greater spotted Woodpeckers & 46 Greylag. As we left here for Lake Lothing we saw 21 Canada Geese in flight over Victoria Road before losing sight of them as they flew low over the house roofs.
Along Lake Lothing we found the over-wintering Common Sandpiper along with five Little Grebes, a Great crested Grebe, Two Kingfishers & a couple of Shags. Scattered along the banks were up to 18 Redshank. A brief rest on top of the footbridge over the railway produced a single Bullfinch, a Pochard & 8 Shoveler on Leathe’s Ham. On return to Oulton Broad we saw the famous Canada x Greylag hybrid within the flotilla of Greylags. Unfortunately we were unable to count this one.
The Gull roost on the winter wheat field at Carlton Marshes produced well over a hundred Common Gulls, along with a few attendant Greater black backs & Black headed gulls.
An impressive count of 38 Egyptian Geese were seen on the winter wheat field along with four Turnstones, four Snipe, 48 Lapwings & an adult Yellow legged gull.
It was a textbook bird with all the identification features present.
Next we returned to the coast at Lowestoft where a brief seawatch off Ness Point produced a single adult winter Little Gull flying South. Also six Common Scoter & Two Little Auks. A Rock Pipit was heard too but we were unable to see it amongst all the rocks.
At Great Yarmouth Breydon Water was heaving with waders & wildfowl. Those present in large numbers were Golden Plover, Lapwing, Black tailed godwit, Avocet, Dunlin & Knot. A few Pintail were seen close by along with lots of Wigeon. Another Rock Pipit, easily viewable this time was observed feeding by the car park.
Into Great Yarmouth itself, we made our way by car to the north beach behind the Sealife centre where we were able to see ten adult winter Mediterranean Gulls one of which had a green ring with the inscription in white 25A. For more information on the ringing of Med gulls visit the site at http://www.cr-birding.be/ The bird ringed 25A is believed to have been ringed in France.
Finally in the late afternoon we visited the roost a Horsey. Here in the fields behind the roost site we all had gripping views of Two Common Cranes before some Dudes spooked them.
Once at the Roost we were treated to two female & one male Hen Harrier, up to five Marsh Harriers & a Merlin which zoomed into the reedbed very fast indeed just as darkness fell. Also whilst we were there bearded tits were heard calling and the distant call of Pink footed Geese closed the proceedings for the day.
Colin A Jacobs.
It was very mild weather on the 27th December 2002, when four intrepid birders Steve , Simon , Tony & Myself embarked on a winter birding day around the Lowestoft & Great Yarmouth area in the Counties of Suffolk & Norfolk before arriving at the Raptor Roost at Horsey on the Norfolk Broads at dusk.
After meeting at McDonald’s for breakfast we went to Pakefield beach for Snow Buntings. As we stepped out of the car the first bird I saw was a fine Female Red breasted Merganser flying south over the beach. Although we saw no Snow Buntings we amassed four Turnstones & a flock of over 30 Greenfinches.
Oulton Broad produced Stock Dove, two Egyptian Geese, and a pair of squabbling Greater spotted Woodpeckers & 46 Greylag. As we left here for Lake Lothing we saw 21 Canada Geese in flight over Victoria Road before losing sight of them as they flew low over the house roofs.
Along Lake Lothing we found the over-wintering Common Sandpiper along with five Little Grebes, a Great crested Grebe, Two Kingfishers & a couple of Shags. Scattered along the banks were up to 18 Redshank. A brief rest on top of the footbridge over the railway produced a single Bullfinch, a Pochard & 8 Shoveler on Leathe’s Ham. On return to Oulton Broad we saw the famous Canada x Greylag hybrid within the flotilla of Greylags. Unfortunately we were unable to count this one.
The Gull roost on the winter wheat field at Carlton Marshes produced well over a hundred Common Gulls, along with a few attendant Greater black backs & Black headed gulls.
An impressive count of 38 Egyptian Geese were seen on the winter wheat field along with four Turnstones, four Snipe, 48 Lapwings & an adult Yellow legged gull.
It was a textbook bird with all the identification features present.
Next we returned to the coast at Lowestoft where a brief seawatch off Ness Point produced a single adult winter Little Gull flying South. Also six Common Scoter & Two Little Auks. A Rock Pipit was heard too but we were unable to see it amongst all the rocks.
At Great Yarmouth Breydon Water was heaving with waders & wildfowl. Those present in large numbers were Golden Plover, Lapwing, Black tailed godwit, Avocet, Dunlin & Knot. A few Pintail were seen close by along with lots of Wigeon. Another Rock Pipit, easily viewable this time was observed feeding by the car park.
Into Great Yarmouth itself, we made our way by car to the north beach behind the Sealife centre where we were able to see ten adult winter Mediterranean Gulls one of which had a green ring with the inscription in white 25A. For more information on the ringing of Med gulls visit the site at http://www.cr-birding.be/ The bird ringed 25A is believed to have been ringed in France.
Finally in the late afternoon we visited the roost a Horsey. Here in the fields behind the roost site we all had gripping views of Two Common Cranes before some Dudes spooked them.
Once at the Roost we were treated to two female & one male Hen Harrier, up to five Marsh Harriers & a Merlin which zoomed into the reedbed very fast indeed just as darkness fell. Also whilst we were there bearded tits were heard calling and the distant call of Pink footed Geese closed the proceedings for the day.
Colin A Jacobs.
