Norfolk Info.

[StevieEvans]

We are visiting this Saturday for the first time in years & would be grateful of any up to date info on which sites to visit, unusual species etc.

If the weather is okay we shall stay for the weekend.

We are keen to try to see Gold Pheasant, Rough leg Buzz & Crane.

Thanks in anticipation.....(hope to get as much info as we had for SW Scotland last week...!)

StevieEvans.

[Tim Allwood]

Watcha Stevie

you'll love it here.....

Golden Pheasants are currently being seen at wolferton triangle near Sandringham...try the area where the roads cross. Wayland Wood is another good spot. Park up and look around the right hand side of the carparl and into the wood a little way. Failing that walk the rides a little. They can be off the deck at times.

Still a Yankee Wigeon at Holkham Freshmarsh,
Pale-bellied Brents east of Morston quay,
2 Black Brants at Titchwell,
Glaucous Gull still around beach at salthouse area, Rough-legged Buzzards at Grimston Heath....2 miles east of village, park at first left turn off and check general area.
Cranes - try Horsey Mill or Stubb Mill towards end of the day. They can get into fields around Hoesey and particularly Waxham (Brograve or Walnut Farms)
Hawfinch are regular in paddocks at Lynford
Still a few Bean Geese on Cantley Marshes,
Shore Lark n Twite, Snow Bunts at Holkham Saltmarsh

Ross's Goose at Holkham freshmarsh on and off
Lesser Peckers around monument in Holkham Park
plus SEOs if you're lucky - try Burnham Norton, harrier roost at Stubb Mill/Horsey Mill

[Ragna]

Steve. The golden Pheasants are showing well at Wolferton triangle, early morning is best but up to four have been seen feeding at midday along the grass verges.Its dead opposite the Sandringham turning on the A149.Rough leg buzzard.up to three have been seen between Gt massingham and Grimstone heath,they have also been seen very regularly at Abbey Farm at Flitcham on theB1153 off the A148 from Kings Lynn.This is an excellent little reserve with a small hide(Little Owl always on the old oak tree).Always Tree Sparrows at the enterance to the car park.R.L.Buzzard can be seen hunting to the field at the back.Sorry cant help with the Cranes.

[Padraig]

Steve,

Don't want to sound a pessimistic note but Bluetail and myself dipped out on quite a few of these birds on a rec ent trip.
We spent alot of time trying for Golden Pheasant at both Wolferton and Waylands Wood but they didn't show.
we also missed Rough Leged buzzards at Flitcham and Cranes at horsey Mill.

I'm not saying that your luck will be like ours-just be prepared for some disppointment.

But Tim is right. I loved the place and was very happy with the 6 new ticks I got.
I plan to go back and try to get some of the birds we missed.

happy Birding.

Padraig.

[StevieEvans]

Tim / Graham

Many thanks for info.
Theres certainly plenty to choose from there....!!!

We're putting the info we've got so far onto the Road Atlas, so we can roughly plan a route.

Please feel free to add anything else that may be of interest to 'us' eg Egytian Goose, Woodlark, Little Egret etc. stuff we dont reg. see up here.

What about Cetti's Warbler ? (havnt seen one in UK yet!)

Grt.Grey Shrike is a bird i hav'nt seen for a while now too....

(Of course we'll be looking out for any owls, if we stay the weekend i'd be looking to get 4 species....)

StevieEvans

[Rob Smallwood]

I can't recommend Stub Mill roost highly enough for Crane, Hen & Marsh Harrier, Barn owl and other raptors.

We went in October/November one evening and saw all, in good numbers and well. There is another thread which goes in to details of access and timings.

Don't try to cram too much in - this is an outstanding area with good birds all along the coast , make sure you take time to appreciate the simpler things such as the numbers of geese and wildfowl!

I myself am going for a few nights in May, when we shall be concentrating on the likes of Nightingale, Nightjar, Stone Curlew, Woodlark, Golden Oriole, Honey Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier (you can always dream) - what an amazing diversity in such a small area of a small island in the North Atlantic!!

[Ruby]

...pack your thermals - sounds a bit parky this weekend!!

[Tim Allwood]

Egyptain geese and Little Egrets are all over the north norfolk coast - you can't miss these!

Cettis Warbler occur at Titchwell and Cley but Strumpshaw and Buckenham are better if you really want to see one (never easy to get a good view)

there's a great grey shrike by the monument at elveden on the A11 just west of Thetford and Woodlarks should be around in any suitable habitat in the brecks...try Mayday Farm (look in open areas where tree have been cleared) Goshawk is a distinct possibility too there at this time of year

[StevieEvans]

Cheers Tim et al

We've got our route planned out for the 2 days, but the weather isn't too good here at the moment..........We hope to set off about 19:00 this evening, providing the snow eases off.
Whats it doing in North Norfolk?

Stevie.

[Tim Allwood]

Was snowy this moring Stevie but it's all more or less gone now and no snow today has settled at all......

bloody chilly though

[Ruby]

Good luck with the w/e Stevie....

Let us know how you get on....

[SimonC]

............there's a great grey shrike by the monument at elveden on the A11 just west of Thetford ......

WELL!! I know where me & rogerk are going on Sunday then!!!!!!!!!

[Rob Smallwood]

If anyone knows how to contact Stevie you might want to tell him that there is a male Pine Bunting at Choseley Barns !!!

[Ruby]

WELL!! I know where me & rogerk are going on Sunday then!!!!!!!!!

That's the one!!! Just crank the car up to 70mph - can't miss it!! ;)

[SimonC]

That's the one!!! Just crank the car up to 70mph - can't miss it!! ;)

Well, the snow on sunday limited the speed to 40mph or under for most of the journey but we got there and actually saw it!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!
Many, many, thanks to Tim for his timely post!!!!

[Ruby]

Well done Simon..... Did you go anywhere else while you were up there??

[SimonC]

Well done Simon..... Did you go anywhere else while you were up there??
Yeah, we called into Mayday farm. No Goshawks unfortunately but plenty of Woodlarks (my 2nd lifer of the day!) - how nice is their song?!?

[Ruby]

Errr dunno (never seen or heard one, you see) but I'm guessing 'very nice'

Sounds like a great day out.... Whereabouts is Mayday Farm BTW?? not sure I've heard of that...

[SimonC]

........ Whereabouts is Mayday Farm BTW?? not sure I've heard of that...
You turn left at the traffic lights in Elveden (off the A11 - going towards Thetford), past "Centre Parcs" (hideous eyesore that it is!) then its along a track on your left, I think it's numbered 6? but it's sign posted anyway. You can also reach it from Brandon, but I've not been from that end

And yes, A Woodlark's song is pretty good (especially when you've never heard it before - & you know you've never heard it before - decide that because you've never heard it before it must be something you've never seen before, then deduce it must be a Woodlark - & find out you were right after about 20 minutes stalking ;) but that might be just me!!!)

[Ruby]

And yes, A Woodlark's song is pretty good (especially when you've never heard it before - & you know you've never heard it before - decide that because you've never heard it before it must be something you've never seen before, then deduce it must be a Woodlark - & find out you were right after about 20 minutes stalking ;) but that might be just me!!!)

Fantastic Simon - yes, it's great when a plan comes together....

I spotted my first ever Dartford Warbler in a vaguely similar fashion..... Boned up on what it might sound like, heard one, looked for it (quite a lot) - FOUND IT!!

Thanks for the location info - I don't get up that neck of the woods very often, but will file it all away for future reference.......

[StevieEvans]

Norfolk gets 10/10 from us.

Havnt got time to type up a full report now, but want to thank everyone (again) who provided us with info.

Summary of Birds seen.

3 Wpkr species
2M & 1F Golden Pheas
5 Woodcock (3 on the ground)
2 Buzzard ssp
2 Snipe ssp
2 Harrier ssp
14 Cranes low overhead calling
Sammy
Avocets
total of 20 wader ssp
3 Falcon ssp
Egypt Goose
and 5 Buntings ssp.
and 3 Owl ssp including prolonged views of at least 9 different Barnies!

Total of 129 full species seen (100 on Saturday) 9 Year ticks.

Fantastic weekend/locations/reserves/people/birds etc.
:clap:

StevieEvans.

[Padraig]

Congrats Stevie

souinds like a hugely successful trip.

I envious of the Golden Pheasant and Cranes which we missed ( I laboured the point above you maty recall).

Also, from your 5 Bunting ssp I take it that you got the vital Pine Bunting.

That was a fortunate sighting.

I can see why you say 10/10.

I'll certainly be back to pick up the 'ones that got away'.

Well done again.

Padraig.