Bird sightings in our area June 2001

Please feel free to e-mail any sightings from the Lowestoft area to us at loungedweller@hotmail.com

A review of January to MAY 2001 can be viewed by clicking here.

WEEK ENDED JULY 01, 2001

Hobby Falco subbuteo
Single birds were seen at Carlton Marshes, and North Cove Marshes on the 25th. One at St Olaves on the 30th was terrorising the local House Martins Delichon urbica. Whilst one at Carlton Marshes the same day was doing its best to thin out the Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isoceles population.

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Despite ample room on numerous flat roofs in Lowestoft at least three pairs are now nesting on top of residential chimneys.

Common Swift Apus apus
500 south past Corton on the evening of the 27th were part of a feeding flock navigating around thunderstorms. Such groups will travel large distances to avoid adverse weather systems.

Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
Seven were reported near the Hopton Timber Mills at Lound on the 30th. Probably immigrants from the continent as there have been none reported in the area early in the year.

Other Wildlife
A Hummingbird Hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum was seen at Haddiscoe on June 27th.

WEEK ENDED JUNE 24, 2001

Rüppell's Griffon Vulture Gyps rueppellii

In an extremely quiet week the appearance of a vulture named Foster in the Southwold area on the 21st to 23rd was a bit of a novelty. He quickly became a media star, with press and TV cameras following his every move. He was finally recaptured on the 24th.

Having escaped from Banham Zoo, near Diss, on Monday during a falconry display, he headed for the Norfolk coast at Happisburgh where he spent a couple of days before heading south along the coast to the Reydon area, near Southwold.

An escaped Canary, Serinus canaria, in Bevan Street, Lowestoft, on the 24th failed to attract similar interest.

With the spring migration well and truly over it is now time to count some of the breeding birds. With nice weather on the 23rd a start was made on the population of large gulls in Lowestoft, namely Herring Gull Larus argentatus and Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus. The great majority of both species nest on roofs around here, and the largest concentrations are along Lake Lothing at the Brooke Business Park and the nearby timber yard, formerly Boulton & Paul. Small numbers now nest along London Road North, the main shopping precinct, and between the Birds Eye Walls factory and the harbour.
The provisional totals so far are Herring Gull: 250 pairs and Lesser Black-backed Gull: 735 pairs.
Not bad considering that the first breeding record for Herring Gull was of a single pair in Lowestoft Harbour in 1992, and that for Lesser Black-backed Gulls was, again of a single pair, in 1994. One or two smaller sites remain to be counted.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo
The small roof nesting colony along Lake Lothing has not been fully counted yet, but there seem to be at least five pairs present, and at least two broods, totalling five chicks, had hatched by the 23rd.

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
A pair were noted on rocks in Lowestoft Harbour on the 21st.

WEEK ENDED JUNE 17, 2001

Hobby Falco subbuteo
One was seen at Carlton Marshes on the 16th.

Caspian Tern Sterna caspia

An extremely quiet week was finally enlivened on the evening of the 16th by the arrival of a short stones throw north of the County border, at Breydon Water, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Earlier in the day it had been wandering along the Yare Valley, being seen at Strumpshaw, Buckenham and Cantley. The following day, the 17th, the bird was seen at Burgh Castle Flats, Lizard Land roosting with a variety of gulls before flying off towards Cantley around 11:30. It was back on Breydon mid-afternoon before flying off very high to the east at 16:45.

Tawny Owl Strix aluco
One was calling near Oulton Broad on the evening of the 16th.

Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia
Three were heard at Carlton Marshes late in the evening at Carlton Marshes on the 16th.

Escapes
A Barbary Dove, Streptopelia risoria, was seen along London Road South, Lowestoft on the 16th. 'Barbaries' are a domesticated form of African Collared Dove, Streptopelia roseogrisea, and to all intents and purposes look like washed out Collared Doves, Streptopelia decaocta.

Other Wildlife
On the dragonfly front Hairy Dragonflies, Brachytron pratense, and Variable Damselflies, C. pulchellum, were noted at Carlton Marshes on the 16th. Norfolk Hawkers, Aeshna isoceles, have been around in reasonable numbers at Fisher Row, Castle and Carlton Marshes, mainly during the early part of the week when it wasn't raining!!!

Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis
Birds were seen at Corton (3) on the 5th and Ness Point on the 8th. Good numbers of Gannets, Morus bassanus, were fishing offshore at Ness Point on the 8th and 7 passed Corton on the 5th.

WHITE STORK Ciconia ciconia
One was seen flying east over Haddiscoe/St. Olaves Bridge at 9:00am on the 9th. The origin of this bird is dubious to say the least. The nearby wildlife collection at Thrigby Hall, Norfolk is a known site where this species has escaped from in the past. Most years one or two are recorded 'stretching their wings' over the Waveney Valley.

Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
A pair at Kessingland Wildlife Park on the 9th had 9 goslings and a pair of Canada Geese, Branta canadensis, also had young.

Hobby Falco subbuteo
One was watched catching dragonflies at Carlton Marshes on the 10th.

Sanderling Calidris alba

Knot (left) and Sanderling

Four in summer plumage, accompanied by a summer plumaged Knot, C. canutus, were feeding on the concrete jetty at Ness Point, on the 10th. They departed to the north when pushed off by the rising tide.

The photo to the left shows one of the Sanderling (on the right) standing next to the Knot.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
A pair were seen at Kessingland Wildlife Park on the 9th and a first summer bird was feeding with other gulls in fields at Gisleham on the evening of the 10th.

Common Tern Sterna hirundo
A few were at Ness Point on the 5th.

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
Three were singing in the scrub at Hall Road, Oulton Broad, on the 5th. Two Great-spotted Woodpeckers, Dendrocopos major, were also seen there.

Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
A migrant was present on the slope at Lowestoft North Denes on the 10th.

Blackbird Turdus merula
On the 5th a male foolishly tried to catch a Common Newt from a south Lowestoft garden pond. The raid was thwarted by a bird club regular and the newt was returned to the pond safely but was too shocked to comment.

Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
A male was seen in a garden at Prior's Close north Lowestoft on the 9th. This stunning species is becoming a rarity locally.

Here are a couple of videograbs of the singing male Marmora's Warbler, Sylvia sarda, seen at Sizewell beach, Suffolk, on May 29th. This one day wonder was long way from its normal home of Corsica and Sardinia.

Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis
Good numbers were present off Corton and Lowestoft on the 2nd, with 20 or so lingering at the sewage outfall at Ness Point.

Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Coinciding with a good passage of Fulmar, five flew south past Corton/Lowestoft on the 2nd. The first sighting consisted of a group of three at 1:05pm followed by two singletons off Corton between 2:00pm and 3:00pm. On the 3rd a single bird passed south at Ness Point and further down the coast 40 or so flew past Southwold. Of interest, in HOLLAND 130+ passed Camperduin on the 3rd with 33 the following day at Scheveningen.

Gannet Morus bassanus
Well over a hundred passed Lowestoft on the 2nd with several loitering offshore.

Hobby Falco subbuteo
Birds were seen at Kessingland Levels on the 1st and Carlton Marshes (2) in the evening of the 3rd.

Terns, Sterna sp.
Good numbers are once again feeding close inshore between Lowestoft and Corton up until the 3rd. The vast majority are Common, S. hirundo, with several Little, S. albifrons, and Sandwich, S. sandvicensis, also present.

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
A male was perched on gravestones in Kessingland Cemetery on the 1st.

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
In Hall Road, Oulton Broad, at least two singing birds seem to be trying to out compete the Marsh Warbler at the moment.

Marsh Warbler A. palustris
One first heard and seen along Hall Road, Oulton Broad, opposite the Spar shop, on the 30th May, was still singing well and showing again on the morning of the June 1st . Like most individuals in previous years this bird seems to be very much a morning bird. Most have generally fallen silent after about 11am.
This individual as well as mimicking the usual Swallow, Hirundo rustica, and Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, calls has also incorporated the calls of Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus, and Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, amongst others into its song. One phrase was uncannily like the loud 'toyt' call of a Nuthatch, Sitta europaea.

Other Wildlife
On the dragonfly front this week newly emerging Scarce Chasers, Libellula fulva, were noted at North Cove. A Norfolk Hawker, Aeshna isoceles, was noted at Mutford, and Hairy Dragonflies, Brachytron pratense, were noted at Fisher Row, Oulton and at Castle Marshes, Barnby.

Castle Marshes also held good numbers of Azure, Coenagrion puella, Large Red, Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Blue tailed, Ischnura elegans, and Variable Damselflies, C. pulchellum.

Several Wall, Lasiommata megera, butterflies were in evidence at Fisher Row during the week.

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