Siberian Accentor

Siberian Accentor at Easington, Spurn. Found yesterday, second for Britain, with the first only a few days before on Shetland. Could go first thing as needed to work but left at midday and was watching the bird shortly after 3pm. Was apparently chaos at dawn with big queues, but when I arrived there were only about thirty people present and I watched it in peace for about an hour and a half when it was pretty much continuously on show.

When I eventually walked away from it I just had time to see a Shorelark near the Bluebell Café and then a Pallas’s Warbler at the Crown and Anchor.

Spurn
14 October 2016 15:28 - 17:53
Overcast 11C 4NE
Bean Goose, Cormorant, Little Grebe, Golden Plover, Great Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Kestrel, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Shore Lark, Pallas's Warbler, Chiffchaff, Starling, Blackbird, Redwing, Robin, Dunnock, Siberian Accentor, Siskin, Roe Deer

Sunsets. Number 328 in a series.

Nice sunset at Shepreth L-moor during an after work walk around. No birds.

Cambridge Botanic Gardens
11 October 2016 14:10 - 14:39
Patchy cloud 13C 12NE
Mallard, Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit (heard), Coal Tit (heard), Long-tailed Tit (heard), Wren (heard), Blackbird, Robin (heard), Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch, Grey Squirrel

Shepreth L-Moor
11 October 2016 17:51 - 18:31
Sunny 11C 9NE
Greylag Goose, Pheasant, Kestrel (heard), Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit (heard), Wren (heard), Blackbird, Redwing, Robin (heard), Chaffinch (heard), Yellowhammer, Rabbit

Jack Snipe

A Jack Snipe on an otherwise quiet walk around last thing.

Fowlmere
10 October 2016 16:42 - 18:12
Sunny spells ending with heavy rain 13C 5NNE
Greylag Goose, Teal, Shoveler, Kestrel, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Jack Snipe, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Wren, Blackbird, Redwing (heard), Robin, Dunnock (heard), Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Brown Hare

Holme

With yesterday’s Albatross seemingly hanging around the Wash, and with Holme being the nearest decent spot to bird on the Norfolk coast, I headed there for the day.

Fairly quiet, as was most of the coast. Highlight was thousands of Starlings (no idea how many thousand? five?) and a male Ring Ouzel that I managed to find. Unfortunately it was on the public footpath so didn’t linger for long before being flushed. Managed to get a quick shot of it before it flew, never to be seen again. The only other bird of note was, like yesterday, a Rock Pipit.

Holme
09 October 2016 11:01 - 14:45
Showers and sunny periods 13C 12NE
Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Mallard, Shoveler, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Gannet, Cormorant, Little Egret, Little Grebe, Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Redshank, Guillemot, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Skylark, Chiffchaff, Wren, Starling, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing, Robin, Stonechat, Wheatear, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Rabbit, Migrant Hawker, Ruddy Darter

Easterlies

It looked promising all week, but was stuck at work, and so was keen to get out first thing on Saturday morning. Couldn't decide where to go but eventually settled on Languard. Mainly because a) it’s the quickest coastal spot to get to and b) there had been a Stenjeger’s Stonechat there for the last few days.

Arrived shortly after dawn, and pretty much the first bird I got was an in-off Short-eared Owl. Fifteen minutes later I had found a smart male Ring Ouzel. Wow, this was going to be some day!

Over nine hours later, and rather tired, and with the Stonechat not present, I’d only added Redstart, a couple of Wheatears, and a Rock Pipit. Still great to be out birding all day and a huge fall of Robins and Blackcaps was interesting though at times, slightly irritating.

Norfolk only produced a Radde’s and a Dusky (ignoring the Black-browed Albatross which obviously wasn’t from the east!), whilst my other potential destination, Minsmere, didn’t register anything. Odd considering the charts looked so promising.

Landguard
08 October 2016 07:50 - 15:49
Overcast with rain showers 15C 7ENE
Mute Swan, Cormorant, Kestrel, Peregrine, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Short-eared Owl, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Starling, Ring Ouzel, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing, Robin, Redstart, Wheatear, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Reed Bunting, Rabbit

Fowlmere

Two trips today at the beginning and the end of the day. The first was very birdy with lots of movement including a flock of 50 Redwings over followed by individuals later. I’d have stayed longer but had to work. The second was much quieter but did have an unseen Bearded Tit calling constantly for 10-15 minutes last thing.

Fowlmere
07 October 2016 08:01 - 09:15
Drizzle 11C 5E
Greylag Goose, Teal, Mallard, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Green Woodpecker (heard), Magpie, Jay (heard), Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Song Thrush, Redwing, Robin, Dunnock, Grey Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch (heard)

Fowlmere
07 October 2016 17:15 - 18:51
Overcast 14C 11NE
Teal, Mallard, Grey Partridge (heard), Buzzard, Water Rail (heard), Moorhen, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Barn Owl, Kingfisher, Green Woodpecker (heard), Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Bearded Tit (heard), Cetti's Warbler (heard), Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Wren, Blackbird (heard), Song Thrush, Robin, Dunnock, Chaffinch, Linnet, Grey Squirrel, Fallow Deer

Foxton

Not a lot to see when I walked the fields. A Red Kite was having a tough time being mobbed by a large group of Lapwings (150?). A glorious sunset; looked like the sky was on fire. Managed to capture the church with Graylag Geese flying over.

Foxton
03 October 2016 17:20 - 18:22
Sunny 16C 5NE
Greylag Goose, Pheasant (heard), Red Kite, Buzzard, Lapwing, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Woodpigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard), Magpie, Jay, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Goldcrest (heard), Blue Tit, Great Tit, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff (heard), Wren, Starling (heard), Blackbird, Robin (heard), Dunnock, House Sparrow (heard), Meadow Pipit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer (heard), Red Admiral, Common Darter