Lowestoft Bird News - December 2006

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2006
from The Lowestoft Lounge Lizards

RED-THROATED DIVER Gavia stellata
Kessingland - 1st (3 N, 52 S), 2nd (406 N, 111 S, 16 on sea), 3rd (2 N, 92 S), 4th (82 N, 3 S), 5th (3 N, 14 S), 6th (19 N, 15 S), 7th (1 N, 3 S), 8th (26 N, 35 S), 9th (36 N, 20 S), 10th (28 N, 13 S), 11th (32 N, 2 S), 12th (52 N, 14 S, 1 o/s), 13th (33 N, 214 S, 2 o/s), 14th (103 N, 15 S, 5 o/s), 15th (6 N, 29 S, 9 o/s), 16th (76 N, 14 S, 106 o/s), 17th (198 N, 76 S, 4 o/s), 18th (62 N, 63 S, 10 o/s), 19th (32 N, 71 S, 8 o/s), 21st (15 N, 6 o/s), 23rd (60 N, 9 S, 4 o/s), 24th (10 N, 11 S), 25th (16 N, 34 S, 8 o/s), 26th (14 N, 12 S, 14 o/s), 27th (39 N, 263 S, 28 o/s) 28th (39 N, 53 S, 11 o/s), 29th (22 N, 17 S, 9 o/s), 30th (16 N, 7 S, 2 o/s),
31st (169 N, 98 S, 13 o/s).
Lowestoft North Beach - 2nd (1 N, 1 on sea), 3rd (1 N, 10 S).
Pakefield - 10th (1 N, 2 S), 25th (20).
Ness Point - 30th (4 N, 41 S, 2 on sea)

BLACK-THROATED DIVER Gavia arctica
Kessingland - 5th (1 S), 9th (1 N), 12th (1 N), 19th (1 on sea), 27th (1 o/s), 28th (1 o/s).
Pakefield - 25th (1).

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER Gavia immer
Kessingland - 6th (1 S), 23rd ( 1 on the sea).

A first winter bird was at the western end of Oulton Broad on the 9th, moving more in to the north west corner as boating activity increased during the day. On the 10th it swam to the eastern end of the Broad and spent most of it's time around there. Still present on the 30th, but it can often be very elusive especially when there are lots of boats around. The last one on Oulton Broad itself seems to be the summer plumage bird seen there in October 1988.

Another first winter bird was found on Lake Lothing on the 10th and was still present on the 30th. A phone call to observers at Oulton Broad quickly confirmed the first bird was indeed still present at the same time. As is usual for divers on Lake Lothing it favours the deep water area to the east of the railway bridge centred around the large orange mooring bollard in mid channel, though it does wander both east at least as far as ASDA and west towards Oulton Broad along the length of Lake Lothing.

Great Northern Diver - Lake Lothing - December 2006 - ©Tim Brown

DIVER spp.
Kessingland - 6th (1 S), 26th (1 o/s).

GREAT CRESTED GREBE Podiceps cristatus
Kessingland - 2nd (4 S, 17 o/s), 3rd (18 S), 6th (1 o/s), 7th (1 S), (1 S, 1 o/s), 13th (4 S), 14th (1 S), 15th (2 S, 2 o/s), 16th (1 N, 2 S, 3 o/s), 17th (3 N, 2 S, 1 o/s), 18th (4 N, 2 o/s), 19th (3 N, 1 S, 8 o/s), 21st (1 N), 24th (1 N), 27th (3 o/s), 28th (1 o/s), 30th (1 S), 31st (2 S, 1 o/s).
Ness Point - 3rd (2 S), 23rd (3 S), 30th (1 S).
Oulton Broad - 9th (2), 10th (5), 12th (1).
Lake Lothing - 10th (1), 23rd (1), 24th (1), 27th (1), 29th (1).
Pakefield - 17th (5+ on the sea).
Lowestoft North Beach - 27th (1 on sea).

FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis
Kessingland - 27th (1 N), 28th (1 S).

BALEARIC SHEARWATER Puffinus mauretanicus
One flew north past Kessingland at 9:50 on the 17th. Maybe the same bird seen off Gorleston on October 25th. This species is increasingly being seen in winter off the south and west coasts of the UK. Presumably as a result of following their food supply as that in turn responds to sea temperatures changes.

GANNET Morus bassanus
Kessingland - 1st (1 S), 2nd (1 N), 3rd (5 N), 4th (8 N), 5th (12 N), 11th (1 N), 12th (1 N), 13th (1 N), 14th (1 N), 18th (1 N), 23rd (3 N), 24th (2 N), 29th (1 S), 31st (1 N).
Ness Point - 3rd (2 S).

CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
Kessingland - 1st (5 S), 3rd (1 N, 2 S), 4th (2 N, 2 S), 5th (1 S), 6th (1 N, 4 S), 7th (1 N, 1 S), 9th (1 S), 10th (1 o/s), 11th (2 N), 12th (4 N, 1 S), 13th (1 S), 14th (3 S, 1 o/s), 16th (3 o/s), 17th (2 N), 18th (4 N, 4 S, 1 o/s), 19th (1 N, 1 S), 21st (1 N, 1 S), 23rd (2 N, 1 o/s), 26th (2 S), 27th (2 S), 28th (1 N, 1 S, 1 o/s), 29th (2 S), 30th (4 N), 31st (2 N).
Lowestoft North Beach - 2nd (1 S, 1 on sea), 10th (2 S), 27th (1 N, 2 S, 1 on groynes, 1 on the sea).
Ness Point - 3rd (2 N, 25 S), 23rd (1 S), 30th (12 S).

SHAG Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Hamilton Dock - 19th (1).
Ness Point - 8th (1 on sea), 19th (1 N with a Cormorant).
Lake Lothing - 24th (4).

BEWICK'S SWAN Cygnus (columbianus) bewickii
Gunton Warren - 21st (13 S, 14 NE).

WHOOPER SWAN Cygnus cygnus
One flew east over Oxford Road, Lowestoft on the 2nd.

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE Anser brachyrhynchus
At 16:00 on the 11th about 150 Pink-feet came over north Lowestoft from the east. They circled around calling and split into two skeins. One following the line of Lake Lothing and one passing right over Oulton village.
One lone bird flew eastwards high along Lake Lothing on the 17th before turning and heading north along the coast.
Several could be heard, but not seen, calling overhead in the thick fog over Lowestoft and Flixton on the 20th.
c.60 flew north westwards at Gunton Warren on the 21st.
An unknown number were circling noisily, and invisibly in the fog, over Gunton on the 22nd.
21 were seen at Kessingland sewage works on the 21st.
18 were at Somerleyton Marshes on the 31st.
c.1000 were in flight over Blundeston and Somerleyton on the 31st. Some were settling in adjacent fields and marshes.(967 counted in a print of a photo taken of the flock, so allowing for overlapping birds in a dense flock there were probably over 1000).

[ BAR HEADED GOOSE Anser indicus
One was with Greylag Geese on Oulton Broad on the 9th and 10th. In flight it exhibited damaged wingtips.

Perhaps it had heard that Christmas was coming, and knowing what happens to geese that put on a bit of weight at this festive season decided to make a timely break for it? ]

GREYLAG GOOSE Anser anser
A lone individual was in Hamilton Dock on the 27th.

DARK-BELLIED BRENT GOOSE Branta (bernicla) bernicla
Kessingland - 1st (6 S), 2nd (34 S), 3rd (6 S), 4th (1 N, 8 S), 5th (6 S), 6th (8 S), 7th (3 S), 8th (1 N), 9th (11 S), 10th (4 N, 50 S), 11th (15 S), 12th (32 S), 13th (2 N), 14th (1 S), 16th (1 S), 17th (2 S), 18th (1 N, 55 S), 19th (1 N, 1 S), 23rd (5 S), 24th (1 S), 25th (1 N, 9 S), 26th (2 S), 27th (3 N, 3 S), 28th (2 S), 29th (1 N, 4 S), 30th (2 N).
Ness Point - 3rd (1 N, 7 S), 23rd (2 N).
Pakefield - 10th (7 S), 18th (7 S).
Gunton Warren - 18th (5 S).

EGYPTIAN GOOSE Alopochen aegyptiacus
Oulton Broad - 10th (4), 12th (3), 23rd (2), 24th (4).
Lake Lothing - 10th (2), 23rd (1), 27th (2), 29th (2).
Normanston Park - 10th (2).

SHELDUCK Tadorna tadorna
Kessingland - 1st (6 S), 10th (1 S), 11th (6 S), 12th (1 N, 1 S), 13th (2 S), 18th (3 S), 19th (16 S), 23rd (1 N), 26th (9 S), 27th (2 S), 28th (1 S), 29th (3 S), 30th (3 S), 31st (2 S).
Ness Point - 3rd (1 S).
Pakefield - 18th (9 on the sea).
Gorleston - 19th (8 on the sea).

WIGEON Anas penelope
Kessingland - 1st (7 S), 2nd (3 N, 2 S), 5th (2 S), 8th (19 o/s), 10th (46 N, 13 S), 18th (24 S), 19th (3 N, 3 S), 21st (12 N), 23rd (1 N, 4 S), 24th (2 N, 3 S), 25th (17 S), 28th (2 N, 13 S), 27th (2 S), 29th (36 S), 30th (3 S), 31st (1 S).
Pakefield - 18th (10 S, 18 on the sea).
Gorleston - 19th (14 on the sea).
Lowestoft North Beach - 27th (1 on the sea, then flew south).

GADWALL Anas strepera
Kessingland - 2nd (4 on sea), 23rd (3 N), 24th (1 N), 29th (18 S), 30th(1S) 31st(11S).

TEAL Anas crecca
Kessingland - 1st (4 S), 2nd (4 N, 2 S), 10th (34 S), 23rd (1 N), 25th (31 S), 26th (20 S), 27th (3 S), 29th (4 o/s), 30th (9 S).
Oulton Broad - 24th (1).
Carlton Marshes - 27th (3).

PINTAIL Anas acuta ,
Kessingland - 1st (2 S), 2nd (1 S), 5th (3 S), 7th (11 S), 10th (8 S), 29th (2 S).
Pakefield - 18th (1 drake on the sea with Wigeon flock).

SHOVELER Anas clypeata
Kessingland - 1st (2 S), 2nd (7 S), 11th (2 S), 13th (3 S).
Leathes Ham - 2nd (1), 10th (10).

TUFTED DUCK Aythya fuligula
Kessingland - 1st (1 S), 11th (1 S), 29th (5 S).

COMMON EIDER Somateria mollissima
Kessingland - 18th (2 N, 10 S), 19th (3 S), 23rd (23 N, 2 S), 27th (6 N).

COMMON SCOTER Melanitta nigra
Kessingland - 1st (3 S), 2nd (8 N), 3rd (10 S), 4th (20 N), 7th (1 S), 8th (8 N, 1 S), 9th (1 N, 14 S), 10th (7 N, 2 S), 11th (14 N, 4 S), 13th (18 N, 45 S), 14th (6 S), 16th (3 N, 6 S), 17th (3 S), 18th (13 N, 25 S), 19th (10 N), 21st (2 N), ) 24th (4 S), 27th (2 S).

GOLDENEYE Bucephala clangula
Kessingland - 5th (1 S), 7th (2 S), 10th (4 S), 17th (1 S), 27th (2 S), 29th (1 S), 30th (1 S), 31st (1 S).
Hamilton Dock - 26th (1).

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator
Kessingland - 1st (6 S), 11th (2 S), 23rd (2 N), 26th (1 S), 29th (3 S).

GOOSANDER Mergus merganser ****
A female flew in from the east at Oulton Broad on the 9th and settled in the north west corner.
Three very colourful pink drakes and one duck were on Oulton Broad on the 27th.
Beccles Marsh Trail lakes - 28th (2 drakes).

MARSH HARRIER Circus aeruginosus
A female was at Carlton Marshes on the 9th.
One was seen at Kessingland sewage works on the 21st.

HEN HARRIER Circus cyaneus
One flew south past Kessingland on the 3rd.

OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus ostralegus
Kessingland - 3rd (1 S).
Lake Lothing - 10th (1), 12th (1), 17th (2), 23rd (2), 25th (2).

RINGED PLOVER Charadrius hiaticula
Five were at Lowestoft North Beach on the 9th.
Two were at Hamilton Dock on the 10th.

GOLDEN PLOVER Pluvialis apricaria
100+ were seen at Kessingland sewage works on the 21st.
50 flew over Kessingland sewage works on the 29th.
6 flew over Oulton Broad on the 29th.

LAPWING Vanellus vanellus
Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville - 2nd (25).
Oulton Broad - 27th (50 S).

KNOT Calidris canutus
Kessingland - 1st (2 S), 3rd (1 S), 10th (14 S).
Links Road car park - 25th (1 feeding in the puddles).
Lake Lothing - 26th (1).

SANDERLING Calidris alba
Kessingland - 2nd (1 S), 18th (5 on beach), 25th (1 S).
Pakefield - 17th (1 N).
Lowestoft South Beach - 18th (1).

PURPLE SANDPIPER Calidris maritima
Ness Point - 3rd (3), 8th (5), 10th (4), 23rd (5), 26th (2), 28th (3), 29th (3).
Lowestoft North Beach - 19th (2).

There seems to be a pair and a group of three around this year that rarely mix!

DUNLIN Calidris alpina
Kessingland - 1st (1 S), 3rd (3 S), 4th (2 S), 5th (10 S), 7th (1 S), 10th (17 S), 11th (3 N, 14 S).
Ness Point - 3rd (8 S).

JACK SNIPE Lymnocryptes minimus
Two were flushed together next to the path at Whitecast Marsh at Carlton Marshes on the 3rd.

COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago
Carlton Marshes - 3rd (2).
Lake Lothing - 12th (1).

WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola ****
One flew eastwards across Bridge Road,Oulton Broad on the 31st.
Five were flushed at Beccles Marshes during a shoot on the 27th.

BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica
Kessingland - 11th (1 S).

CURLEW Numenius arquata
Kessingland - 2nd (1 S), 10th (1 S), 31st (2 S).

REDSHANK Tringa totanus
Lake Lothing - 10th (7), 12th (2), 17th (15).
Kessingland - 11th (1 S), 27th (1 N).

TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
Hamilton Dock - 2nd (13), 23rd (12), 29th (5).
Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville - 2nd (28), 17th (14).
Kessingland - 7th (1 S), 9th (1 S), 23rd (1 N), 25th (1 S), 28th (2 N).
Oulton Broad - 9th (7), 10th (7), 24th (7).
Pakefield - 10th (7), 18th (15).
Lowestoft South Beach - 18th (19).
Ness Point - 23rd (5).
Lowestoft North Beach - 27th (12).

POMARINE SKUA Stercorarius pomarinus
A juvenile flew north past Kessingland on the 5th.

SKUA sp. Stercorarius sp.
Pakefield - 18th (1 N probably a Pom).

MEDITERRANEAN GULL Larus melanocephalus
Lowestoft North Beach - 2nd (adult formerly known as 21N, now half-leg + green ringed ad), 19th (1 green ringed adult).
Ness Point - 3rd (1 S).
Pakefield - 10th (3 adults), 18th (1 unringed adult).
Hopton - 19th (1 white ringed adult, 1 2nd. winter).

Mediterranean & Black-headed Gulls ©Andrew Easton

Mediterranean & Black-headed Gulls - Hopton - December 2006 - ©Andrew Easton

LITTLE GULL Larus minutus
Kessingland - 8th (95 S, many surface feeding with groups of Black-headed Gulls), 10th (5 N), 13th (1 S), 14th (1 S), 27th (1 N), 31st (1 N, 2 S).

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL Larus michahellis
A third winter bird was on Oulton Broad on the 30th.

KITTIWAKE Rissa tridactyla
Kessingland - 1st (4 S), 2nd (1 N, 3 S), 3rd (5 N, 72 S), 4th (5 N, 53 S), 5th (71 N, 55 S), 6th (1 N, 18 S), 7th (51 N, 107 S), 8th (1 N, 7 S), 9th (1 N, 3 S), 10th (43 N, 4 S), 11th (5 N, 2 S), 12th (19 N, 123 S), 13th (5 N, 9 S), 14th (8 N, 5 S), 15th (2 S), 16th (10 N, 4 S), 17th (2 N), 18th (4 N, 1 S), 19th (1 N), 21st (1 N), 23rd (2 N, 3 S), 24th (1 N), 25th (1 S), 28th (1 N, 1 S), 29th (5 S), 30th (1 N, 2 S).
Ness Point - 3rd (a constant passage throughout the morning, over 200 in a one hour period. Virtually all were adults), 29th (1 S), 30th (1 S).
Hamilton Dock - 29th (1).

GUILLEMOT Uria aalge
Ness Point - 3rd (3 N).

BLACK GUILLEMOT Cepphus grylle
One flew south just offshore at Kessingland at 9:20 on the 3rd. An extreme rarity in Suffolk, the only other ones recorded in the Lowestoft area were one off Ness Point in October 1991, a first winter caught in herring nets off Lowestoft on October 23rd 1912 and one found dead on the beach sometime in 1875.

AUK sp. Alcidae
Kessingland - 1st (3 N), 2nd (1 N), 3rd (1 N), 5th (3 N), 6th (5 N, 7 S), 7th (11 N), 8th (2 N, 2 S), 9th (4 N, 1 S), 10th (18 N), 11th (6 N), 12th (6 N), 13th (16 N, 20 S), 14th (7 N, 8 S), 15th (3 N, 3 S, 1 o/s), 16th (10 N, 2 S), 17th (21 N, 3 S), 18th (7 N), 19th (10 N), 21st (1 N), 23rd (5 N, 1 S), 24th (2 N), 25th (4 S), 26th (1 S), 27th (1 o/s), 28th (4 N), 29th (1 S), 30th (2 N).
Ness Point - 30th (2 N).

STOCK DOVE Columba oenas
Gunton Warren - 10th (1).

BARN OWL Tyto alba
Two were hunting over Carlton Marshes on the 2nd.
One was watched hunting near Somerleyton Church on the 8th.

KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis
Oulton Broad - 12th (1), 24th (1).
Lake Lothing - 17th (2), 24th (3), 25th (1), 27th (2).
At least two were along Kirkley Brook beside the Lowestoft southern relief road on the 23rd.
One that caught a fish in Mutford Lock basin on the 24th was immediately pursued by six Black-headed Gulls. They eventually gave up after a couple of circuits of the basin when the Kingfisher eventually flew up into a tree along the embankment.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos major
Gunton - 7th (1 at a garden feeder).
Warrenhouse Wood - 10th (1 drumming).
Lake Lothing - 10th (1 flew south from Normanston Park across Lake Lothing).
Corton Wood - 28th (1).
Mutford Wood - 28th (1).

ROCK PIPIT Anthus petrosus
Ness Point - 9th (2), 23rd (1).
Lowestoft North Beach - 27th (1).

GREY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea
Lowestoft Town Centre - 1st, one flew east over the Library.
Kessingland sewage works - 21st (2).

PIED WAGTAIL Motacilla alba
Kessingland sewage works - 21st (40).

BLACK REDSTART Phoenicurus ochruros
A female or immature was on the seawall and around the sewage pumping works at Ness Point on the 3rd and 10th.
A female or immature was at Ellough Industrial Estate on the 22nd.
Two were at Hamilton Dock on the 24th, with one there on the 25th.
One was seen between Hamilton Dock and the wind turbine yard on the 28th and 30th.

STONECHAT Saxicola torquata
Carlton Marshes - 2nd (3).
Corton - 19th (1).

REDWING Turdus iliacus
Mutford Wood - 28th (5). A bit thin on the ground this winter. The clear skies this Autumn allowed them all to carry on across the country rather than be forced down by rain and cloud along our coast. One Song Thrush even made it to Canada this year!

CETTI'S WARBLER Cettia cetti
Carlton Marshes - 2nd (2), 3rd (2).
Oulton Broad - 9th (1).
Kessingland sewage works - 21st (1).

BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla
Oulton Broad - 5th (1 in gardens in Clarkson Road).

CHIFFCHAFF Phylloscopus collybita
Lowestoft North Denes - 2nd (at least six were along the slope above the old campsite, including four together), 4th (1), 7th (3), 17th (1), 25th (2).
Warrenhouse Wood - 10th (1).
Oulton Broad - 10th (1 in Nicholas Everitt Park).
Gunton Warren - 19th (1).
Caldecott Road, Oulton Broad - 27th (1).
Kessingland sewage works - 27th (2), 29th (1).

BEARDED TIT Panurus biarmicus
A pair were feeding in the small patch of reeds near the Yacht Club in Nicholas Everitt Park, Oulton Broad on the 10th, before flying off southwards.

COAL TIT Parus ater
Links Road - 21st (2).

JACKDAW Corvus monedula
Amongst the crows in the fields at Burnt Hill Lane, Carlton Colville on the 27th was a Jackdaw exhibiting the paler nape and partial white neck collar more typical of the nominate race from Scandinavia.

TREE SPARROW Passer montanus
Up to four are still around in the Wood Farm area at Mutford.
Just outside our area, up to 11 have been seen around the Beach Farm area at Benacre in early December, often around the maize strips.

BULLFINCH Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Mutford - 29th (2).

SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenax nivalis
Kessingland Beach - 2nd (22 o/b), 5th (20 o/b), 6th (18 o/b), 7th (17 o/b), 8th (17 o/b), 11th (14 o/b), 15th (15 o/b), 16th (16 o/b), 18th (15 o/b), 24th (18 o/b), 26th (18 o/b), 27th (18 o/b), 31st (17 o/b).

YELLOWHAMMER Emberiza citrinella
Carlton Marshes - 2nd (2).
Mutford - 29th (20).

REED BUNTING Emberiza schoeniclus
Carlton Marshes - 3rd (1).
Kessingland sewage works - 21st (1).

NON-BIRD NEWS

PORPOISE
Kessingland - 13th (1 S), 26th (1 N).

COMMON SEAL
Kessingland - 2nd (1), 5th (1), 7th (1), 26th (1), 28th (1), 29th (1).
Pakefield - 25th (2-3).

GREY SEAL
Kessingland - 12th (1), 17th (1), 25th (1).

A few Harlequin Ladybirds were still trundling around on the 2nd in Sparrows Nest Park.

A Red Admiral was on the wing in Arnold Street, Lowestoft on the 15th.