Suffolk Sibefest - 17.10.13

The sleeping Mediterranean Gull.

 

As it was my dads birthday I decided to head up to Norfolk to see him. Luckily for me there were a couple of interesting birds to see on the way up so I chose to go up via the A12 and eventually I reached Sizewell where I parked up just beyond Sizewell House and walked a few yards to join a small group of birders. They were busy staring up into the canopy where with patience I finally got onto my 4th UK Red-Flanked Bluetail. It's hard to believe that just over 20 years ago a bird in Dorset attracted thousands of birders as it was still an ultra rare bird. We have been spoilt lately as they have turned up regularly. Spookily this bird becomes my 3rd in Suffolk and all of them have been seen on 17th Oct. I guess my grandparents timed his birthday well!! A Great Grey Shrike was a short walk away but I had just missed it kill a Dunnock which it had disappeared into a bush to eat. I had a few more views of the bluetail before I headed off to Lowestoft. I parked up just a few hundred yards away from where I had seen my last bluetail and walked onto the north denes. I saw 3 birders staring at some bushes on the embankment so I went over and joined them to be told somewhere in a large bush were a Pallas's and Yellow-Browed Warbler but neither had been seen for an hour. I waited and waited but decided to walk along the bank a bit to try and find them. 3 Chiffchaff and a few Robin were seen until I reached the car park. I scanned a few gulls in the car park and found a nice adult winter Mediterranean Gull asleep. I was going to walk along the beach and back to the car but upon checking my pager I saw that the Pallas's had been seen again! I walked back over trying to avoid the dog mess and after another 10 minute wait a small green and yellow bird popped out the front of the bush. It was the Pallas's Warbler. It showed well briefly but remained elusive. Just as I was about to pack up and head to my dads a bird flicked up in the top right of the bush. It was the Yellow-Browed Warbler! So a hat-trick of sibes were seen and a nice pizza at my dads rounded off a good day.