April 14th evening update

This evening we witnessed the most amazing migration spectacle I have ever seen. I joined Robert Wilton and Robert Wincup at Corton church where they had just seen 3 Waxwings. In the surrounding poplars thousands of Redwing were amassing ready to make the journey back to the breeding grounds on the ssw breeze. They had been held up by weeks on steady north easterlies and had now concentrated and were ready to leave on the favourable conditions. The day had seen many huge flocks of Redwing in Lowestoft area many well inland eg 3000 in a field at Mutford. At Corton we stood in the field by the church and many thrushes were passing overhead from inland and heading high out to sea. At first mainly Blackbirds then followed massive numbers of Redwing. The ones in the church poplars took off climbed high and headed off out to sea. More flocks flew in from the west, often settling in the tall poplars before flying out to sea. Everywhere you looked in the sky distant high flying thrush flocks were heading out to sea. A close flock amazingly held a conservative estimate of 3000 birds (counted by 100s along the huge flock). Similar flocks were moving higher. Many locals arrived for the spectacle including Peter Ransome, Andrew Easton and Alison Allen. We picked up 2 Long eared Owls flying around us then out to sea on return migration. By the time we called it a day Redwings could still be hard calling above us in the near darkness. We concluded that a conservative estimate of 30 000 Redwings passed out to sea over Corton that evening..an unmissable experience. I believe these birds were concentrated experienced individuals taking their quickest route out to sea that they were familiar with. This may explain why the vast majority of the Blackbirds were adult males. Other local sites were also witnessing the movement eg many over Gorleston, Yarmouth, Hemsby and Reydon but not in the huge numbers concentrated at Corton.