Tales from the far East

Since the beginning of the week there is clearly a shift into Autumn migration season. The village swifts are gone and there are a lot of interesting sightings round the coast in the usual hot spots. Blakeney Point which proved quiet on Monday was much busier yesterday, check out Kayne Forbes excellent report here. Some of the avian travellers are turning up locally with oystercatcher reported at Wymondham and green sandpiper over the UEA

 Flyover Oystercatcher Credit: nickpix2012 via Compfight cc

I had the opportunity to take an early peek at the Suffolk Wildlife’s excellent reserve at Carlton Marshes this morning which had been hosting a young purple heron which would have made a nice sighting and change from the usual grey herons however a misty morning over the marshes reveled on the local Grey herons. There was plenty of love in the air at the marshes as can be seen in the following photo:

Having failed with the heron I moved on to the UK’s most Easterly point at Lowestoft.. Ness point is a great birding spot with a range of seabirds passing as well as some other specialties. including the regular rock pipit and  turnstone. The following photo from the morning .nicely sums up my image of the town but is probably not one for the local tourist information office.

 Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Birds eye Factory

The North sea was crashing against the coast and was quiet bird wise with the usual gulls a cormorant and plenty of sea to keep shore birds off the rocks.

Plenty of power in the waves on a grey Lowestoft morning.

However despite the weather there was a lone highlight on the rocky point and a bird I have been asked to identify recently and favourite with most people visiting the coast due to their confiding nature a turnstone.

This particular bird with his striking Life buoy orange legs clearly is no lover of rules and authority and was blatantly ignoring the local warning signs.