October 2nd 2010

The wind dropped in the night, becoming variable before turning to a light south westerly breeze and clearing sky’s by the time I arrived at the pond at dawn. The gull roost was just leaving and making hell of a racket with at least 7 Yellow-legged Gulls loafing out in the centre (5 first winter & 2 adults) before they slowly drifted off. The Wheatear and Rock Pipit were still on toft bank at 6:45am among 30+ Meadow Pipits and 5 Yellow Wagtail before the joggers arrived and flushed everything in to nearby fields. Yesterdays foul weather must have accounted for the increase in Ringed Plover numbers with 2 in toft bay, 5 on outflow and 7 on inlet along with 3 Dunlin and a brief Grey Plover but I failed to locate lassie but a call later in the morning from Dave Hutton reported the bird back in its usual spot off the outflow among the tufties. Ruff in biggen bay.
A small early morning movement of mipits and larks soon dwindled to a trickle and in two hours from the country park all I managed were 54 Skylark and 33 Meadow Pipits south plus a Hobby hunting House Martins which was a welcome October sighting. Other sightings included 2 Gadwall, 5 Wigeon, Blackcap, 7 Buzzard and 2 Sparrowhawk.

Took the opportunity at mid-day to see the first winter Wilson's Phalarope at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve, Welney, Norfolk which also had 2 Little Stint, Short-eared Owl, Ruff, Kingfisher, Whooper Swan and Marsh Harrier before moving on to Hunstanton for a bag of seaside Fish & Chips while watching a Wryneck on the cliff tops.

Richard