Siberian Stonechat, Caister-on-Sea

A later than usual call from Brian, saw us starting the 120 mile trip to Caister-on-Sea around 8am rather than the usual start time of 5am!

After a couple of hours we pulled up in the car park by the lifeboat station and headed off into the dunes away from the fence line as directed by the news services. Although the bird wasn't showing when we arrived it was said to be feeding up and down the fence line among the brambles and gorse.

Soon after arriving Brian picked the bird up in flight heading our way, and it promptly landed on the wire fence bordering the golf course and dunes, allowing for a few record shots and some good scope views. For the next two hours it seemed to follow the same feeding pattern. It would fly along the gorse to a favoured patch of bramble and fly back and forth after insects. Only moving from the bramble when flushed by golfers walking along the fairway close by.

Siberian Stonechat

Holland Haven was a nice stop off on the return journey. As we approached the sea front a Short-eared Owl appeared along the hedge line hunting the surrounding fields. It quickly became apparent that there were several SEO's in the area!

Unfortunately the Rough-legged Buzzard had just been flushed by one of the SEO's and had flown to the nearby golf course, landing in a bramble bush between two fairways.
I grabbed a very poor and distant record shot of the view I had through the scope with a hand held phone.

Rough-legged Buzzard

If the bird over winters then I'm sure there will be a return trip.