Alpine Accentor: After a few days battling a cold that I was glad got get out and blow the cobwebs away and get the adrenaline pumping again with the excitement of a brand new bird.
We arrived to a large crowed standing on the horizon, all stood like Antony Gormley statues, all stationary whole holding their binoculars up to their eyes. This is what you want to see, it looks like everyone is on the bird.
As we approached he statutes came to life and collectiveley turned around and looked in the opposite the direction. The bird had flown.
Lucklily it dropped in next to use on the marsh and perched up for us all.
Alpine accentor are very similar to dunnock, although slightly larger than its relative, they have a streaked brown back, somewhat resembling a house sparrow, but adults have a grey head and red-brown spotting on the underparts. It has an insectivore's fine pointed bill. Sexes are similar, although the male may be contrasted in appearance. Young birds have browner heads and underparts.
These small dunnock-like birds are found throughout the mountains of southern temperate Europe, Lebanon and Asia at heights above 2000m.
It is mainly resident, wintering more widely at lower latitudes, but some birds wander as rare vagrants.
It is a bird of bare mountain areas with some low vegetation so, the long single spit that lies south of the Aldeburgh Martello Tower and Orford Ness with its space vegetated areas rock and sea defences isn't that far away from the rocky mountainous plateaus these birds are more topically used to.
The bird was feeding on the seed heads of yellow-horned poppy and foraging between the large boulders which make ups the sea defences.
it was even seen feeding on the wall, between the mortar and on the roof of the impressive Martello Tower.
The bird was remarkable confiding not passed by the gathering roads of birders or toggers who came to see it.
There were some reports of unfortunate behaviour but this was more or less instigated by the ani-twitcher rumourmill.
With a bit of time and patience the bird would freely approach the birders, affording some unbelievable views.
We were all blown away by just show showy the bird was, perching juts a few feet away from us and foraging while its freely creeped closer and closer. No need to case it or anything, it was happy and content to exhibit normal behaviour while being watched.
Jus the tonic to make me feel better after a few days of being run down, this is such a good bird.
A particularly tricky bird to identify, due to its similarities with Northern wheatear. The major identification features of Isabelline wheatear include the white of rump starting lower down the back with a broader terminal black tail band and shorter stem of ‘T' and whiteish underwings. 
Issy also have a place washed out plumage with a lack of contrast between the upperparts and wings.
