WINTERTON BEACH WALK

   Last week on a calm day I decided to drive to Winterton and walk along the beach looking for the small flock of Snow Buntings that had recently arrived for the winter. Setting off northwards from the car park I immediately spotted a couple of pipits near the sea wall but as there were several people and dog walkers around I carried on up the beach and after 20 minutes or so came across a large group of Sanderlings resting at the tide line.I stopped to take a few pictures but the light was very subdued so I didn't linger and carried on passing only a few gulls and Cormarants resting on the groynes.

   As I neared the Horsey end of the beach a group of gulls and crows were feasting on the corpse of a seal pup and were reluctant to move far from their meal as I passed. Shortly afterwards I reached signs informing me that the beach ahead was closed to allow the seals to pup in peace so I moved up into the dunes and continued up to the seal watch points where I joined several other people looking at the first of the seasons pups on the beach along with a few females but all in all the area was still relatively quiet. Another couple of weeks should see the the pupping season really start in earnest by which time the beach will probably be covered in pups and their mums with the bull seals getting aggressive with each other as they wait for the chance to mate. I kept looking out to sea in the hope of seeing the Humpback Whale that had been offshore here the day before but there was no sign and on returning home reports said that it had been seen further north at Happisborough, never mind maybe next time.

   Leaving the seals I made my way back towards Winterton eventually locating the flock of Snow Buntings which numbered around 15 individuals but unfortunately for me they were very flighty and did not allow close approach. The reason for this was soon obvious as I watched several dogs repeatedly chase the birds around the beach with the owners seemingly oblivious to the antics of their pets! A little further south and the Sanderlings came back into view again along the tide line but this time they were more dispersed all along the beach. The light was much better so I spent some time with them taking pictures as they ran in and out with the waves allowing me to approach fairly closely. Occasionally dogs would disturb them and they would rise up, form in to a flock, fly along the beach a little way and then resume feeding on the shore. Very confiding little birds with great characters, constantly on the go and a joy to observe and photograph. No Snow Bunting pictures but a great day for a walk without too many people around once you get away from Winterton.

DESERT WHEATEAR MAKES UNUSUAL VISITOR TO LOWESTOFT

   On Thursday 6th November a Desert Wheatear was found by the sea wall near the Links road car park at Lowestoft North beach and it proved to be a most confiding visitor. The Desert Wheatear looks quite similar to the normal Wheatears we get coming through every spring and autumn but has a predominately black tail to go with its sandy plumage. As their name suggests this bird originates from the deserts of North Africa where it spends its winters before migrating to the Arab peninsular, Asia, Mongolia and eastward to China. Every year one or two of these birds lose their way on the journey back to Africa and end up being blown to our shores but it is amazing that this bird turned up at Lowestoft at the same time as another one appeared just a few miles up the coast at Gorleston.

   The bird at Lowestoft was a first winter male and as I said earlier was very approachable and when I arrived on Saturday morning already several photographers had surrounded it snapping away. It was amazing that it did not seem to mind us being around it and carried on feeding oblivious to the sound of shutters being fired. Apparently the bird at Gorleston which is a female is also nearly as confiding which I put down to the fact that they don't come into contact with humans much so have little reason to fear us. As for the chances of either bird making their way back down to Africa, it will depend largely on the wind changing direction to aid them and also their ability to feed up before crossing back across the channel and heading down through Europe. As I said it is a most unusual visitor here but in its own area is not a threatened species at all being common across Africa.