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February 2003

Sanderling  - ©Andrew Easton
Sanderling - Lowestoft - ©Andrew Easton
         


RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata
Ness Point - 16th (15 N, 5 S).
Kessingland - 1st (19 N, 2 S), 2nd (25 N, 2 S, 1 o/s), 3rd (28 N, 7 S), 4th (8 N, 4 S, 1 o/s), 5th (24 N, 1 S), 6th (110 N, 6 S, 2 o/s), 7th (17 N, 8 S, 3 o/s), 8th (3 N, 3 S, 2 o/s), 9th (3 N, 2 S), 10th (11 N, 6 N), 11th (4 S, 1 o/s), 12th (24 N, 8 S, 5 o/s), 13th (29 N, 19 S, 3 o/s), 14th (16 N, 13 S, 3 o/s), 15th (88 N, 6 S, 3 o/s), 16th (2 S), 17th (102 N, 62 S, 14 o/s), 18th (87 N, 28 S, 1 o/s), 19th (29 N), 20th (37 N, 2 S, 1 o/s), 21st (5 N, 3 S), 22nd (4 N, 1 S), 23rd (3 N, 2 S), 24th (3 N, 1 S), 25th (4 N, 3 S), 26th (15 N, 2 S, 8 o/s), 27th (38 N, 10 S, 3 o/s), 28th (2 N, 3 S).
Highest Day Count = 178 (102 N, 62 S, 14 o/s) on the 17th.
Monthly total = 983 (722 N, 210 S, 51 o/s).



GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer
One paid a brief visit to Lake Lothing on the 5th. Soon after it was discovered it flew off the east at 13-40. Given the extreme rarity of this species on Lake Lothing it seems highly likely that this sighting involved the same individual as the previous two winters. In the two previous visits it has fed almost exclusively on Shore Crabs. Maybe they are getting wise and staying under the rocks nowadays!!!

Great Northern Diver - ©Andrew Easton

Great Northern Diver - Lake Lothing 2002 - ©Andrew Easton

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus
Kessingland - 2nd (1 N, 1 S), 4th (1 o/s), 5th (1 N), 6th (3 N), 8th (1 o/s), 9th (1 S), 10th (3 S, 2 o/s), 11th (12 o/s), 12th (3 S, 29 o/s), 13th (12 o/s), 14th (1 N, 2 o/s), 15th (1 S), 16th (1 S), 17th (3 S), 18th (1 S), 22nd (1 S, 2 o/s), 23rd (1 N, 1 S), 24th (1 S), 25th (1 S), 27th (1 S, 7 o/s).
Highest Day Count = 32 (3 S, 29 o/s) on the 12th.
Monthly total = 94 (10 N, 16 S, 68 o/s).



FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis
Ness Point - 6th (1 N).
Kessingland - 3rd (2 N), 7th (1 N, 1 S), 8th (1 S), 14th (2 N), 15th (2 N), 17th (1 N), 18th (1 N), 19th (2 N), 20th (3 N), 21st (2 N), 24th (2 N), 25th (3 N), 26th (4 N), 28th (1 N).
Highest Day Count = 3 (3 N) on the 20th.
Monthly total = 29 (27 N, 2 S).



GANNET Morus bassanus
Ness Point
- 1st (1 S), 16th (2 N).
Kessingland - 1st (27 N, 3 S), 2nd (97 N), 3rd (36 N), 5th (3 N), 6th (4 N), 7th (4 N), 8th (7 N), 9th (2 S), 12th (4 N, 1 S), 13th (6 N), 14th (25 N), 15th (59 N), 17th (3 N), 18th (12 N), 19th (35 N, 1 S), 20th (1 N), 24th (1 N).
Highest Day Count = 97 (97 N) on the 2nd.
Monthly total = 331 (324 N, 7 S).



CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo

Kessingland - 1st (1 S), 2nd (1 N, 1 S), 4th (1 N), 12th (1 S), 18th (1 S), 21st (1 N), 25th (1 S), 26th (2 S).



SHAG Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Maximum of two were seen in the Lake Lothing/Lowestoft Harbour area on the 2nd, 8th and 15th at least. They were roosted in Leathes Ham where two were seen on the 2nd.



BRENT GOOSE Branta bernicla bernicla
Kessingland
- 10th (2 S), 11th (2 S), 13th (7 N, 9 S), 27th (2 N), 28th (3 N, 1 S).



EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiacus

A pair in Lowestoft Harbour managed to hatch six young early in the month. However the Harbour isn't renowned for its grassey feeding areas which meant the adults led the young away almost instantly. They were seen heading out towards Lake Lothing where they were lost to view. A couple of days latter the pair returned alone. It is likely that they were predated by large gulls. Also noted along Lake Lothing on the 2nd (different Harbour) and Leathes Ham (an injured bird with deformed wing). On the 4th one flew south past Ness Point.
Carlton Colville
- Burnt Hill Lane 2nd (34).



SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna
Kessingland
- 2nd (1 S), 11th (3 S), 13th (9 S), 18th (1 S), 26th (7 S), 28th (1 S).



WIGEON Anas penelope

Kessingland - 3rd (7 N), 7th (9 S), 10th (4 S), 12th (3 S), 13th (79 S).
Carlton Marshes - Three flocks totalling at least 150 birds flew north at height over the marshes on the 8th.



GADWALL Anas strepera
Lound Waterworks
- 7th (9), 15th (2).
Kessingland - 8th (2 S), 10th (4 S).



TEAL Anas crecca

Kessingland - 1st (8 S), 9th (2 S), 10th (10 S), 12th (6 S), 13th (2 S), 18th (3 S), 21st (3 S), 22nd (4 S), 23rd (2 S), 24th (3 S).



PINTAIL
Anas acuta
Kessingland - 3rd (1 N), 10th (2 S).



SHOVELER Anas clypeata
Kessingland
- 23rd (1 S).



POCHARD Aythya ferina
Kessingland
- 22nd (1 S).



SCAUP Aythya marila

One female was on the River Hundred at Kessingland on the 9th, with two females and a male on Benacre Pits just to the south.



COMMON EIDER Somateria mollissima

Kessingland - 14th (6 N), 27th (3 N).



COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra

Kessingland - 2nd (1 N), 3rd (10 N), 6th (40 N), 8th (57 N, 20 S), 10th (39 S), 13th (1 o/s), 15th (1 N), 17th (2 S), 18th (25 N).
Ness Point - 4th (1 N).



GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula
Two flew south past Kessingland on the 10th. One drake was on the River Hundred at Kessingland on the 8th and 9th.



RED BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator
One was on Lake Lothing on the 6th, with three there (2 ad. + 1st-winter male) from the 7th-9th.
One flew north past Kessingland on the 28th.



MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus
One female was seen at Carlton Marshes on the 8th.



HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus
One ringtail was at Carlton Marshes on the afternoon on the 1st, 2nd, 8th and 16th, with two there on the 7th.



OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus
Kessingland
- 21st (1 S), 22nd (2 S), 24th (10 N), 25th (5 N).



RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula
Lowestoft
- Lake Lothing on the 1st (5).
Kessingland Beach - 9th (7) , 14th (3), 16th (3), 21st (2), 22nd (2), 23rd (2), 24th (2), 26th (2).



LAPWING Vanellus vanellus
Lowestoft - 21 flew in from the sea on the 1st.
Kessingland
- 2nd (1 S), 3rd (50 on Kessingland Levels), 12th (200+ on Kessingland Levels), 28th (2 S).



SANDERLING Calidris alba
Lowestoft
- Hamilton Dock 1st (1), 16th (6).
Kessingland
- noted on the beach on the 1st (2), 4th (1), 5th (1), 6th (2), 9th (4), 15th (10), 19th (1), 20th (1), 25th (1).



PURPLE SANDPIPER Calidris maritima

Ness Point - 2nd (6), 4th (2), 6th (8), 8th (5), 9th (7), 11th (11).
Hamilton Dock - 5th (1), 16th (1).
This species has been surprisingly tricky to find at times this winter, but the Ness Point area remained the best location.



DUNLIN Calidris alpina
Kessingland
- 15th (1 N).



COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago
One was in flooded fields south of the old sewage works at Corton on the 1st, with six there on the 4th.
Kessingland
- 1st (2 S), 28th (1 S).



WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola
One was seen at Carlton Marshes on the 7th.



BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica
Kessingland
- 5th (1 N).



CURLEW Numenius arquata
Kessingland -
13th (1 S), 22nd (2 S), 28th (2 S).




SPOTTED REDSHANK Tringa erythropus
One was with Redshanks at Burgh Castle on the 8th.



REDSHANK Tringa totanus
Burgh Castle - 8th (76).
Kessingland
-
13th (1 N), 24th (2 S).




COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos
One was seen along Lake Lothing on the 2nd, 8th and 15th.



TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
Kessingland Beach - 1st (3), 2nd (1), 4th (1), 5th (2), 6th (2), 8th (2), 9th (3), 10th (1), 11th (6), 12th (2), 24th (9), 25th (5), 26th (7), 27th (5).
Lowestoft Harbour - 16th (18).



MEDITERRANEAN GULL Larus melanocephalus
Lowestoft - 1st (1st winter + 21N), 7th (ad.), 11th (ad. N), 15th (ad. N).
Pakefield Beach - 9th (1st-winter).
Kessingland - 8th (ad. summer S), 10th (ad. winter S), 23rd (ad. winter S), 14th (ad.).



LITTLE GULL Larus minutus

Two adults flew north past Kessingland on the 18th.



GLAUCOUS GULL Larus hyberboreus

The first winter bird remained in Lowestoft Harbour throughout the month. On the 23rd it was seen flying south past Benacre Broad in the afternoon. Though it had returned to Lowestoft Harbour on the 24th.

It spent the majority of its time in the fish market waiting for Spratt's to be landed. It regularly perched on the machinery waiting for the silvery waterfall of Spratt's to cascade out of it and into the blue and white plastic bins beneath. Unlike the local resident gulls, it didn't realize that it requires a boat laden with fish at the other end for the Sprat's to flow!!! It is often the only bird there, peering into the machine in vainill. On the 15th it spent some time with other large gulls on the sandy beach in Hamilton Dock. Perhaps it had caught on?



KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla
One or two were in Lowestoft Harbour on the 2nd, with one roosting on the Kittiwake Wall that evening.
Kessingland - 1st (6 N, 6 S), 2nd (25 N, 6 S), 3rd (7 N, 9 S), 4th (1 N, 9 S), 5th (8 N), 6th (2 N, 4 S), 7th (1 N, 10 S), 8th (13 N, 5 S), 9th (3 N, 10 S), 10th (4 N, 15 S), 11th (1 S), 13th (65 N, 1 S), 14th (4 N), 15th (12 N), 16th (1 S), 17th (193 N, 1 S), 18th (28 N, 11 S), 19th (86 N, 26 S), 20th (12 N, 4 S), 22nd (6 N), 23rd (6 S), 24th (8 N, 2 S), 25th (8 N, 9 S), 26th (5 N), 27th (3 N), 28th (8 N, 4 S).
Highest Day Count = 194 (193 N, 1 S) on the 17th.
Monthly total = 643 (503 N, 140 S).



GUILLEMOT Uria aalge
Ness Point-
16th (1 N).



LITTLE AUK Alle alle
Gorleston
- 5th (9 S).
Ness Point
- 4th (1 N), 5th (2 N, 1S).
Kessingland -
5th (5 N, 2 S).
Two were on the sea to the south of the South Pier on the 6th, and it was probably one of these that came ashore onto the beach below the CEFAS buildings at Pakefield on the same day.



AUK sp. Alcidae
Ness Point - 16th (3 N).
Kessingland - 1st (8 N, 8 S), 2nd (72 N, 11 S), 3rd (28 N, 9 S, 2 o/s), 4th (9 N, 1 S), 5th (29 N, 2 S), 6th (318 N, 19 S), 7th (8 N, 5 S), 8th (29 N, 4 S, 4 o/s), 9th (4 N, 8 S, 1 o/s), 10th (5 N, 31 S), 11th (1 N, 4 S), 12th (10 N, 1 S), 13th (8 N, 1 S), 14th (4 N, 1 S), 15th (36 N, 1 o/s), 17th (123 N, 7 S, 1 o/s), 18th (82 N), 19th (88 N), 20th (6 N, 1 S), 22nd (25 N), 25th (2 N, 1 S), 26th (4 N), 27th (14 N), 28th (4 N).
Highest Day Count = 337 (318 N, 19 S) on the 6th.
Monthly total = 1038 (915 N, 114 S, 9 o/s).



BARN OWL Tyto alba
Carlton Marshes
- 1st (4), 2nd (3), 7th (4), 8th (2), 16th (2).
On the 2nd one was watched being "mugged" by a Kestrel. After mobbing, both vocal and physical, proved unsuccessful in persuading the owl to drop the Vole it was carrying the Kestrel tried brute force. It dropped below the owl and clutched the vole with its talons and by hanging on upside down snatched it away. It tried the same trick again later but failed in that attempt. The Barn Owl continued on as if nothing had happened. Such piracy is regularly observed here, but how many Kestrels use this behaviour is not known.

Barn Owl -  ©Robert Wincup

Barn Owl - Carlton Marshes - February 8, 2003 - ©Robert Wincup

SHORT-EARED OWL Asio flammeus
Noted at Carlton Marshes on the 1st (2), 7th (1) and 16th (2) involving three birds. A further four were at Haddiscoe Marshes on the 1st.



KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis
Singles noted at Carlton Marshes on the 1st and Lake Lothing on the 2nd and 7th.



LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos minor
One was recently heard calling in the grounds of Gunton Hall.



ROCK PIPIT Anthus petrosus
One was at Ness Point on the 1st, 6th and 22nd with two in Lowestoft Harbour on the 2nd.



GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea
One was at Kessingland sewage works on the 9th and 14th with one at Kessingland Sluice on the 24th.
One flew along Lake Lothing on the 2nd.




BOHEMIAN WAXWING Bombycilla garrulus

Fifteen were in Lorne Park Road at 13-30 on the 3rd was the highest count of February. Also noted in Breydon Way on the 5th-6th (2), Holly Road 22nd (1), Cadiz Way, Hopton on the 27th (1).



BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros
One was at Kessingland on the 14th and 27th.



STONECHAT Saxicola torquata
One was at Carlton Marshes on the 2nd and 16th, with two there on the 7th and 8th.



REDWING Turdus iliacus
One was in Gunton Woods on the 24th.



BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla
One male was seen, and heard in sub-song, at Gunton Woods on the 27th.

Blackcap -  ©Robert Wincup

Blackcap - Arnold's Walk, Lowestoft - March 2003 - ©Robert Wincup

CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita
One was at Kessingland sewage works on the 9th.



FIRECREST Regulus ignicapilla
One was seen in Corton Wood on the 24th, favouring the Hollies on the north western edge.



SISKIN Carduelis spinus
Corton - 4th (5), 8th (20 S).
Carlton Marshes - 8th (14 W).




BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Four were along Corton disused railway track on the 8th.



SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis

Kessingland Beach - 2nd (2), 5th (28), 8th (28), 9th (20), 14th (12), 18th (16), 20th (18), 22nd (18), 24th (16), 25th (16), 28th (11).
Pakefield Beach
- 9th (9).
Corton - One was in clifftop fields near the old sewage works on the 26th.


YELLOWHAMMER Emberiza citrinella
Eight were at Carlton Marshes on the 2nd. Twenty three were along Gunton disused railway line on the 14th, along with a lone Reed Bunting E. schoeniclus .

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