Red and Black Kites, Dartfords and a cheeky Muntjac

Brian, Norman and I decided we'd have a bash at the recently-present Penduline Tit at Leathes' Ham, Lowestoft and were on site by 8.15. Needless to say, it was a no-show (although local blogger Peter Ransome who writes the excellent 'Lowestoft Birding' blog felt he'd heard it earlier and I'm 90% that I saw it very briefly with a Chiffchaff)

We carried on south, stopping at Wrentham Church to look unsuccessfully for Hawfinches. I noticed a pair of distant raptors, which proved to be the excellent 'left and right' of Black and Red Kite! Of course, the Black Kite is the suspected falconer's escape that's been in the area some years now - still: great to see the two together.

No sign of the Glossy Ibis at Westleton, so we carried on to Minsmere for coffee. The first Sand Martins of the year were wheeling over the pond and we had to fend off a Muntjac that was determined to join us for cheese scones! A walk around was pretty unproductive (just a few gorgeous SP Mediterranean Gulls) so we headed up to the Heath. Best birds here were, predictably, a few windswept Dartfords, Woodlarks and Stonechats, but it was entertaining to watch a pair of Peregrines displaying to each other.