Norfolk birding (3 Viewers)

[PYRTLE]

Good to be back in North Norfolk (Slough doesn't do it for me anymore, no parakeets, no kites) and catch up with some folk 'n birds this morning off Cley beach, long distance sooty shearwaters, skuas, gannets and plenty of fairly close in red throated divers, a razorbill. Also the lairy grey phalarope, it lunged at a couple of teal with real menace, on Pat's Pool was a bonus.
Not much in the way of passerine action, except for a juv. willow warbler back home. Am going now to read some seabird identification books, migration information, birding magazines and old Norfolk Bird reports. Happy Birding everyone.

 

[Locostella]

Good to be back in North Norfolk (Slough doesn't do it for me anymore, no parakeets, no kites)

I was in Slough last month and I couldn't move for Red Kite, watching them from my girlfriends sisters flat window all day. No Parakeets though.

Regards Kieran

 

[john miller]

Just saying that there is clearly some activity off and around our coastline!
If there had been no more reports of Cory's in the southern North sea for another week then surely would be far more unlikely?
Whatever the case its good that people are picking up this species off our coast!

A theory that I once heard, that seems logical, is that the birds come from the Atlantic over the top of Scotland and then work their way down the Nth Sea. They feed down the Dogger bank and some continue St., As the Nth Sea narrows most then turn back Nth following the East coast. The birds that head Nth after the end of the Dogger bank also try to come East. Therefore the majority of the passage is Nth along the East coast. Suffolk, Yorkshire etc. The Nth Norfolk coast gets a few wandering birds in these conditions but the majority miss us. Therefore Cory`s heading Nth in Suffolk does not mean there will be birds along the Norfolk coast.
For the best movement we need a strong wind in the Nth, plus birds in the Nth Sea.

John

 

[jalethbridge]

Great ! So I missed a Storm Petrel, too.

Observers included Kevin Shepherd ('spotter'), James MacCallum & Giles Dunmore.

Went slowly west, quite far out, 'footling about'.

Good grief, how many Fea's has JMacC seen now?!! Follow that man!

 

[sacha]

A theory that I once heard, that seems logical, is that the birds come from the Atlantic over the top of Scotland and then work their way down the Nth Sea. They feed down the Dogger bank and some continue St., As the Nth Sea narrows most then turn back Nth following the East coast. The birds that head Nth after the end of the Dogger bank also try to come East. Therefore the majority of the passage is Nth along the East coast. Suffolk, Yorkshire etc. The Nth Norfolk coast gets a few wandering birds in these conditions but the majority miss us. Therefore Cory`s heading Nth in Suffolk does not mean there will be birds along the Norfolk coast.
For the best movement we need a strong wind in the Nth, plus birds in the Nth Sea.

John

Well said John. Sounds spot on to me. Weather conditions make a big difference especially at Cley. Todays Fea was a great find for those at Sheringham.. Not so great for those like me who chose Cley!

 

[Stratton Birder]

With all the good birds passing along the coast, I am seriously hacked off with having to go to work in the last couple of days but following on from yesterdays post of mixed emotions it was by contrast a wholly more rewarding experience of birds seen on my post round today.
By a somewhat bizarre coincidence, I was almost in exactly the same area as yesterday when low atmospheric conditions produced a sudden thunderstorm which brewed up very low overhead. The sky positively crackled as the lightning flashed and the thunder roared.
This was followed by a sharp shower of hailstones and as this passed and the sky calmed to a peaceful stillness I heard a familiar thin piping wader call and looked up to see no less than five Common Sandpipers flying low north-east in their distinctive fluttering way and accompanying them was a slightly larger, long billed bird which turned out to be a Common Snipe.
Clearly forced down from up high by the storm, they seemed quite disorientated and would have had to get their bearings again before continuing on migration. They continued in a north-easterly direction until I lost them from view.
Common Sandpiper is a new species for the post round list and the Snipe was only the second, so a superb and unique moment whilst working.

 

[Stratton Birder]

[QUOTE=Johny121;2240029
Off to Malta soon to help against the illegal hunting over there, hoping for some nice birds.

Sorry for the late response to this but good on you for going out there to help protect our feathered friends. :t:

 

[stuart white]

Fantastic news .
Reports of more Cory's off our Southern neighbours coastline!
Maybe reports of Cory's the other day weren't so unbelievable!

No big shears off sheringham or cormer today, so bang goes that theory.
We did however have a short-eared owl come in off between kelling and salthouse which was very nice.

 

[ben_lewis]

Do any of the Sheringham regulars think that tomorrow shows any promise for seawatching? In theory it should not be as good as today but that place doesn't always conform to my predictions.
Slightly confused as to what to do and where to go tomorrow, the strong SW'ly suggests it shouldnt be good for passerines or non passerines but it still seems birdy due to the displacement of birds by the storm. Any suggestions/predictions?

 

[mr.sim]

Had a Black-Throated Diver go west off Burnham Overy Dunes this morning. Is it a bit early?

 

[O.Reville1989]

No big shears off sheringham or cormer today, so bang goes that theory.
We did however have a short-eared owl come in off between kelling and salthouse which was very nice.

Is this the all too common theory that if the majority don't see it then it can't have existed? Seems the in thing round here for the most part!


Dismissing a sighting simply because someone you don't know saw it can be rather foolish. I do believe that the first person to spot the Little Bittern at Titchwell was a birding novice who thought it a Juvenile Greater Bittern. I wonder how many people would have missed it had the first birder to twig that it may be a Little Bittern had just assumed that they were talking rubbish? Simply because they weren't known amongst the "faces" of Norfolk birding?

 

[O.Reville1989]

Had a Black-Throated Diver go west off Burnham Overy Dunes this morning. Is it a bit early?

Had one go past Salthouse early afternoon so not in my eyes no.
But then, well you've read the last few pages!

 

[Cortonbirds]

Do any of the Sheringham regulars think that tomorrow shows any promise for seawatching? In theory it should not be as good as today but that place doesn't always conform to my predictions.
Slightly confused as to what to do and where to go tomorrow, the strong SW'ly suggests it shouldnt be good for passerines or non passerines but it still seems birdy due to the displacement of birds by the storm. Any suggestions/predictions?

North Norfolk needs the first day of a northerly wind (NW-NE) when it will receive birds forced down the north sea. On the days after this it will be relatively dead. Suffolk gets birds days AFTER such a blow as they reorientate back north but then veer out and mostly miss Norfolk (bar small numbers at some E Norfolk sites). Yorkshire will get the birds back north too. Eg the record 253 Sooty Shearwaters seen of Lowestoft on Sept 1st 2002 resulted in smaller numbers off East Norfolk but hardly any in North Norfolk.

As for the weekend possibilities...if clear and fairly light a south westerly wind is the one for visible migration in the first few hours of daylight (passages of Meadow and Tree Pipits, House Martins, Tree Sparrows, Finches etc) Some stuff should have arrived on the passerine front this afternoon (but few were looking id wager..more likely checking the sea)...so lingerers from this could well be around tommorow..maybe check Holkham Pines etc for a Yellow-browed Warbler. A decent wader or 2 should also be searched for with the influx..particualrly check bare earth fields and short turf for Buff-breasted Sands. Id also wager a Pallid Harrier will be found in Norfolk having arrived in the brief window of today.

 

[stuart white]

Is this the all too common theory that if the majority don't see it then it can't have existed? Seems the in thing round here for the most part!


Dismissing a sighting simply because someone you don't know saw it can be rather foolish. I do believe that the first person to spot the Little Bittern at Titchwell was a birding novice who thought it a Juvenile Greater Bittern. I wonder how many people would have missed it had the first birder to twig that it may be a Little Bittern had just assumed that they were talking rubbish? Simply because they weren't known amongst the "faces" of Norfolk birding?

Thank you for your advice Oliver, very helpful
foolish and narrow minded, nice touch
Your post on black throated diver sums you up in a nut shell
I would suggest you re-read Dave Appleton's post and take the advice
happy birding

 

[David Norgate]

Is this the all too common theory that if the majority don't see it then it can't have existed? Seems the in thing round here for the most part!


Dismissing a sighting simply because someone you don't know saw it can be rather foolish. I do believe that the first person to spot the Little Bittern at Titchwell was a birding novice who thought it a Juvenile Greater Bittern. I wonder how many people would have missed it had the first birder to twig that it may be a Little Bittern had just assumed that they were talking rubbish? Simply because they weren't known amongst the "faces" of Norfolk birding?

Okay, I give up! Oliver, this is not just about one sighting, but a string of scarce sightings (I notice two Honey Buzzards claimed on your blog) and inconsistencies and alterations to how events occured. Seriously I have had enough.

PS The prior Little Bittern sightings were confirmed by photographs, not by hearsay, otherwise it would have stayed as such until the photos emerged and 'no-one' would have 'missed it' because it was independently found later in the week by a known birder and photographer who immediately took pictures and got others onto the bird....... ahhhhhh!!!!

 

[Happisbirder]

Had a Black-Throated Diver go west off Burnham Overy Dunes this morning. Is it a bit early?

No, it's not too early, and there's also been 1 or 2 Great Northerns seen over the last few days. None by me unfortunately...

James

 

[Paul Woolnough]

Second owl

No big shears off sheringham or cormer today, so bang goes that theory.
We did however have a short-eared owl come in off between kelling and salthouse which was very nice.

Saw the pager message

A short eared owl flew in off the sea straight towards the Cley shelter this evening. Flew around not far offshore before moving inland.

 

[ben_lewis]

As for the weekend possibilities...if clear and fairly light a south westerly wind is the one for visible migration in the first few hours of daylight (passages of Meadow and Tree Pipits, House Martins, Tree Sparrows, Finches etc) Some stuff should have arrived on the passerine front this afternoon (but few were looking id wager..more likely checking the sea)...so lingerers from this could well be around tommorow..maybe check Holkham Pines etc for a Yellow-browed Warbler. A decent wader or 2 should also be searched for with the influx..particualrly check bare earth fields and short turf for Buff-breasted Sands. Id also wager a Pallid Harrier will be found in Norfolk having arrived in the brief window of today.

Thanks for that, I think I needed someone to tell me not to bother with Sheringham. Off to East Norfolk to coast bush bash again then, plus maybe a seawatch just to get it out of my system.

Cheers

 

[O.Reville1989]

Okay, I give up! Oliver, this is not just about one sighting, but a string of scarce sightings (I notice two Honey Buzzards claimed on your blog) and inconsistencies and alterations to how events occured. Seriously I have had enough.

PS The prior Little Bittern sightings were confirmed by photographs, not by hearsay, otherwise it would have stayed as such until the photos emerged and 'no-one' would have 'missed it' because it was independently found later in the week by a known birder and photographer who immediately took pictures and got others onto the bird....... ahhhhhh!!!!

Well I do live within a few miles of a known site for Honey Buzzards....again isn't unfeasible!
and regarding the Little Bittern it is what I was told! Only repeating information given to me.

 

[O.Reville1989]

Your post on black throated diver sums you up in a nut shell

Care to explain that? I did 2 hours of sea watching at Salthouse this afternoon and saw a Black-Throated Diver, big deal? Having seen them a few times before I thought little of it other than it was a nice example.
Your attitude just confirms my point! You don't know me so how you can "sum me up in a nutshell" is beyond me.
As you say, happy birding, I enjoy it!