April 7th

Up at dawn at Corton in hope of migrants. A woodcock flew out of the roadside sallows at Corton as I drove past. At Corton railtrack a Chiffchaff and 10+ Redwing were noted. Then went to Kessingland where a Grey Wagtail was in full song at the filter beds and 3 Chiffchaff were noted along with 3 Barn Owls on the levels. Then went to Carlton Marshes scrape where the habitat looks very good now but little was on it bar Teal and a Curlew. A Red Kite flew west and a few Buzzards were noted. I then decided to scan the grain silo viewed from the coastguards to try to snare Peregrine on the patch. There was no sign from this viewpoint but the next few minutes were rather extraordinary. While scanning the sky for Peregrine 3 Raptors filled my view out over the town. They were clearly Buzzards but when one turned it showed a very distinct clear white large uppertail area even from a good distance. There was a thick black tail band. The bird appeared larger than the other 2 Buzzards and its back was a tone paler than the other two. As it flew south I like 99% of other birders would, called it as a Rough-leg and tweeted it out. Then a Red Kite soared into the same view and was put out. Then 2 more Red Kites came along and joined it. This was turning into quite a passge through central Lowestoft of all places. (we had assumed most raptors actually skirt the town)More Buzzards followed, 8 south in all. Many groups of Siskins passed overhead south calling. Had I found a new undiscovered viz mig hotspot?! 45 minutes later i received a text from Rob that they had just seen a Rough-leg lookalike Common Buzzard over the west of the town viewed from near Carlton marshes. I later quizzed him on it and he said they had had good views and it showed a white uppertail but in their opinion was structurally a Common Buzzard. In most likelyhood it was my bird and I dutifully withdrew my claim. Later I searched the net for images and could see no bird marked as Common resembling my bird, it was plumage wise spot on for RLB. But ill bow to the better views and judgement of my peers. They may not have seen the same bird but ill just have to let that one go. To console myself I then headed to Lound and indeed my mood was brightened by 3 patch ticks within an hours watch, Peregrine, Golden Plover and Yellowhammer. In the evening after a tip off I visited a flooded field at the other end of Carlton Marshes and saw a much prized Little-ringed Plover and 2 Ruff, neither of which I saw in the Lowestoft area last year.