Lowestoft Bird News - February 2005

RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata
Kessingland - 1st (23 N, 11 S, 4 o/s), 2nd (45 N, 1 S), 3rd (43 N, 1 S, 1 o/s), 4th (4 N, 2 o/s), 5th (3 N, 2 S), 6th (6 N, 2 S, 1 o/s), 7th (7 N, 3 S), 8th (4 N, 4 o/s), 9th (9 N, 9 S, 2 o/s), 10th (11 N, 28 S, 1 o/s), 11th (66 N, 12 S, 1 o/s), 12th (3 N, 4 S), 13th (14 N, 1 S), 14th (20 N, 1 S), 15th (35 N, 1 o/s), 16th (36 N, 1 S), 17th (21 N, 3 S, 1 o/s), 18th (7 N, 46 S), 19th (9 N), 20th (22 N, 7 S, 6 o/s), 21st (46 N, 1 S), 22nd (53 N, 4 S, 1 o/s), 23rd (103 N, 6 o/s), 24th (45 N, 4 S, 2 o/s), 25th (67 N), 26th (120 N, 13 S, 5 o/s), 27th (91 N, 5 S), 28th (19 N).
Ness Point - 11th (145 N), 13th (2 N).

BLACK-THROATED DIVER Gavia arctica
At 9:25 on the 24th a Black-throated Diver flew north past Kessingland accompanied by a Red-throated Diver. The pair were approximately one kilometre from the beach.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer
At 9:32 on the 2nd one flew north past Kessingland about 400 metres from the beach.

DIVER sp. Gaviidae
An oiled individual, thought most likely to be a Black-throated, was seen on Lake Lothing on the 15th.
Kessingland - 21st (1 N), 23rd (1 N).

LITTLE GREBE Tachybaptus ruficollis
Hamilton Dock - 20th (1), 26th (1).
Lake Lothing - 20th (1), 26th (2).

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus
Kessingland - 1st (1 N, 1 S, 3 o/s), 2nd (2 o/s), 3rd (4 o/s), 4th (1 N, 3 S, 2 o/s), 5th (1 o/s), 6th (1 S, 10 o/s), 7th (4 S, 75 o/s), 9th (4 S, 1 o/s), 13th (1 o/s), 14th (2 S), 15th (1 N), 16th (1 o/s), 17th (3 S, 5 o/s), 18th (1 o/s), 20th (1 o/s), 21st (1 o/s), 24th (2 N), 26th (1 N), 27th (2 N), 28th (1 S).

FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis
Kessingland - 4th (1 N), 10th (1 S), 11th (1 N), 16th (1 N), 18th (1 S), 22nd (9 N), 26th (1 N), 27th (3 N).

GANNET Morus bassanus
Kessingland - 2nd (1 N), 3rd (2 N), 5th (4 N), 10th (12 N, 6 S), 12th (4 N), 13th (1 N), 14th (1 N), 15th (2 N), 20th (3 N), 22nd (29 N), 23rd (8 N), 24th (5 N), 25th (50 N), 26th (10 N), 27th (255 N).

Cormorant & Shag - Lake Lothing - February 2005 - ©Andrew Easton

CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
Kessingland - 1st (6 N), 7th (1 S), 10th (1 S), 14th (1 N), 16th (1 S), 20th (1 S), 24th (1 N).
North Beach, Lowestoft - 3rd (3 S), 5th (1 S), 6th (11 N).
Lake Lothing - 15th (15).

One green ringed individual in Lowestoft Harbour on the 4th was probably a returning Danish ringed individual.

SHAG Phalacrocorax aristotelis
One was swam into the harbour on the 2nd, and headed towards Hamilton Dock.
One was swimming south close inshore off Lowestoft North Beach on the 3rd.
Lowestoft Harbour - 3rd (2 adults).
Leathes Ham - 6th (3 roosting), 13th (3 roosting), 20th (3 roosting).
Kittiwake Wall, Lowestoft Harbour - 6th (2 roosting), 13th (1 roosting), 20th (6 roosting).
Lake Lothing - 15th (5), 17th (3), 20th (3), 26th (3).

GLOSSY IBIS Plegadis falcinellus
Back yet again! Seen briefly at Burgh Castle on the 21st.

BEWICK'S SWAN Cygnus (columbianus) bewickii
Nine flew north past Kessingland on the 2nd about 200 metres out.
At 7:55 on the 8th 11 flew over Kessingland beach and continued east north east out to sea.

WHOOPER SWAN Cygnus cygnus
Eight flew north at Kessingland on the 19th.

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE Anser brachyrhynchus
One was with Greylag and Barnacle Geese at Lound waterworks on the 15th.

CANADA GOOSE Branta canadensis
Blundeston Marshes - 19th (61).

BARNACLE GOOSE Branta leucopsis
c.150 were at Lound waterworks on the 9th. They were accompanied by a hybrid which appears to be a Barnacle x Ross's Goose, pictured below.

Barnacle x Ross's Goose - Lound waterworks - February 2005 - ©James Brown

DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE Branta bernicla bernicla
Kessingland - 2nd (2 N), 14th (2 N), 18th (4 N).

EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiacus
Lake Lothing - 17th (5).
Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville - 17th (25).
Blundeston - 18th (pair with one recently hatched gosling).
Oulton Broad - 20th (2).

SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna
Kessingland - 6th (7 S), 9th (2 S), 10th (3 S), 13th (1 S), 23rd (1 N), 26th (1 N), 27th (6 N).

WIGEON Anas penelope
Kessingland - 3rd (3 N), 4th (12 S), 9th (9 S), 10th (30 S, 40 o/s), 16th (4 S).

GADWALL Anas strepera
One was at Leathes Ham on the 13th.

TEAL Anas crecca
Kessingland - 9th (5 S), 17th (5 S), 18th (1 S), 26th (4 N, 20 S).

SHOVELER Anas clypeata
Leathes Ham - 6th (5), 17th (15).

POCHARD Aythya ferina
Leathes Ham - 17th (5).

TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula
Leathes Ham - 5th (12), 17th (12).
Oulton Broad - 5th (4).

COMMON EIDER Somateria mollissima
Kessingland - 14th (1 N), 15th (2 N).

LONG-TAILED DUCK Clangula hyemalis
At 10:15 on the 24th a female and two males flew north past Kessingland. A very infrequent sight along our stretch of coast, and so all the more welcome.

COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra
Kessingland - 1st (2 N), 6th (116 S), 7th (50 N), 14th (2 N, 2 S), 16th (13 N), 17th (3 N), 18th (1 N), 24th (1 N), 27th (1 N).

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator
Kessingland - 2nd (1 N), 20th (4 N).
A drake was swimming close inshore between the groynes along Lowestoft south beach on the 28th.

HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus
One first winter ringtail was at Carlton Marshes on the 20th.

SPARROWHAWK Accipiter nisus
Kessingland - 4th (1), 12th (1).

Sparrowhawk - Kessingland - February 2005 - ©Derek Beamish

WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus
On the 4th one was along the stream beside the Linear Park/Cycle Track behind Marham Road.
Two were heard calling at dusk at Burgh Castle on the 9th.
One was in Kirkley Fen Park on the 27th.

OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus
Lake Lothing - 6th (2), 26th (2).
Kessingland - 18th (1 N).

RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula
Hamilton Dock - 5th (1).
Kessingland - 8th (4 on beach), 25th (6 o/b).
Ness Point - 13th (1 N).
South Beach, Lowestoft - 13th (1).

LAPWING Vanellus vanellus
Kessingland - 12th (7 S).
Blundeston Marshes - 19th (31).

KNOT Calidris canutus
One was feeding at Ness Point on the 28th.

PURPLE SANDPIPER Calidris maritima
North Beach/Ness Point - 2nd (7), 5th (7), 8th (3), 9th (8), 13th (11), 20th (5), 28th (7).

WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola
One was seen at Blundeston Marshes on the 19th.

CURLEW Numenius arquata
Bradwell - 18th (32).

REDSHANK Tringa totanus
Lake Lothing - 5th (7), 15th (23), 20th (7), 26th (18).

TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
Pakefield - 4th (12).
North Beach, Lowestoft - 5th (5), 28th (5).
Hamilton Dock - 5th (23), 20th (12).
Kessingland - 7th (22), 18th (4 S), 25th (2 N, 9 o/b).
South Beach, Lowestoft - 13th (20), 20th (44 roosting).
Oulton Broad - 20th (10).

Mediterranean Gull - Pakefield - February 2005 - ©Andrew Easton

MEDITERRANEAN GULL Larus melanocephalus
An adult flew south over the South Pier on the 2nd.
Pakefield - 4th (3, 2 adults + 1st winter), 13th (9, 7 adults + 1st. & 2nd. winter), 20th (4, 3 adults + 1st. Winter), 26th (1 adult).
Ness Point - 8th (1).
Kessingland - 5th (1 adult S), 9th (3 adults S), 16th (1 adult N).
Lowestoft - Normanston Park, 15th (1 Belgian green ringed adult).
Hamilton Dock - 26th (1 Belgian green ringed adult).

CASPIAN GULL Larus (cachinnans) cachinnans
One first winter bird was in the gull roost field at Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville on the 10th and 17th.

GLAUCOUS GULL Larus hyperboreus
One first winter bird was found in Lowestoft Harbour on the 21st. Thanks to Sean Nixon for permission to reproduce his photo of it below.

KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla
Kessingland - 1st (3 S), 2nd (11 N, 2 S), 5th (1 N), 7th (1 S), 9th (6 N), 10th (4 S), 11th (1 N), 12th (33 N, 32 S), 13th (9 N, 2 S), 14th (4 N, 3 S), 15th (222 N), 16th (44 N, 1 S), 17th (1 N), 20th (2 S), 21st (6 N), 22nd (48 N, 1 S), 23rd (137 N), 24th (38 N), 25th (80 N).
Hamilton Dock - (2 N), 26th (1), 26th (12 N, 18 S), 27th (220 N), 28th (270 N).
Ness Point - 5th (1 N).

GUILLEMOT Uria aalge
A freshly dead, un-oiled, bird was found on Gunton Beach on the 7th, there had been an earlier one there on January 30th. Another UN-oiled bird was washed up dead at Ness Point on the 12th. There have also been reports from Europe that small numbers are washing up dead.

AUK sp. Alcidae
Kessingland - 1st (23 N, 3 S), 2nd (1 N, 4 S), 3rd (1 N), 4th (2 N, 3 S, 1 o/s), 5th (1 N, 3 S, 2 o/s), 9th (1 N, 1 S), 10th (5 N, 14 S), 13th (15 N, 2 S), 14th (14 N, 2 S), 15th (17 N), 16th (17 N, 1 S), 17th (65 N, 3 S), 18th (8 N, 1 S), 19th (6 N, 5 S), 20th (13 N), 21st (8 N, 1 S), 22nd (5 N, 1 S), 23rd (8 N, 1 S), 24th (15 N, 1 S), 25th (32 S, 1 S), 26th (22 N, 2 S), 27th (45 N, 1 S, 2 o/s), 28th (4 N).
Ness Point - 20th (2 o/s).

BARN OWL Tyto alba
Somerleyton - 4th (1).
Flixton Marshes - 4th (2).

LITTLE OWL Athene noctua
One was seen at Gisleham on the 6th.

TAWNY OWL Strix aluco
Two were in an Oulton Broad garden on the 6th.
One was calling in Belle Vue Park, Lowestoft on the 15th.

KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis
Lake Lothing - 6th (2), 17th (1), 20th (1), 26th (1).
Share Marsh, Carlton Marshes - 20th (1 flying towards the river).
Oulton Broad - 20th (2).

GREEN WOODPECKER Picus viridis
One was probing for food on the roundabout on the A12 at the south end of the Kessingland bypass on the 19th. Two were feeding in horse paddocks in Christmas Lane, Oulton Broad on the 20th.

GREAT-SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major
Marsh Lane, Carlton Colville - 17th (2).
Kirkley Fen - 27th (1).

MEADOW PIPIT Anthus pratensis
15 were at Share Marsh, Carlton Marshes on the 6th and 17th.

ROCK PIPIT Anthus petrosus
North Beach, Lowestoft - 3rd (2), 8th (3), 9th (3).
Hamilton Dock - 5th (1), 20th (1), 26th (3).
Ness Point - 13th (1).

GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea
Kessingland sewage works - 11th (1).

STONECHAT Saxicola torquata
Carlton Marsh - 6th (2), 17th (2).

CETTI'S WARBLER Cettia cetti
Two were heard calling at Carlton Marshes on the 6th.

CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita
South Beach, Lowestoft - One was singing in the ornamental garden just south of the East Point Pavilion on the 2nd.
Kessingland - 4th (1 with the Dusky Warbler).
Kessingland sewage works - 9th (2, with one in song), 11th (1 in song).
Stevens Street, Lowestoft - 5th (1).
Oxford Road, Lowestoft - 22nd (1).
Cadiz Way, Hopton - 22nd (1 rather greyish individual).

DUSKY WARBLER Phylloscopus fuscatus
The Kessingland Dusky Warbler has now been present for two months, having been discovered on December 2nd 2004.

The best time to see this bird is early morning when the sun is on the slope. In the afternoon it seems to slink off into inland gardens when it becomes impossible to locate. Still being seen daily up to the 26th at least along the cliff. Walk north along seawall from the beach bus shelter for approx. 200 yards. Recently it has favoured the area between the two sets of steps with metal railings, in the area depicted in the photo below.

The bird shows very well at times but as with all Duskies patience is required. When not on show it's usually creeping around in the weeds feeding, please give the bird some space and do not flush it!!!

This is the second December record for Kessingland after one at the sewage works from 30/12/02 - 06/01/03.


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