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Norfolk birding (13 Viewers)

Holme - Evening

I ensured I left work exactly on time this evening!:t:

Flew home and then had a serious panic attack when I could not find my iphone anywhere in the car and I know I put it in there, as I had been checking the RBA website on it (given up pager:eek!:) as I was walking out of work - after rummaging under car seats and every possible nook and cranny, I then seriously started to worry, must have dropped it before I got in the car, flew back to work and searched along the grassy areas etc etc - no sign anywhere, exasperated now as was desperate to get out in the field:C:eek!: Flew into the hospital, phoned my mother and asked her to ring my mobile, just to see if it was in the car, flew back to car and to my huge relief I could hear it ringing.... it had somehow mysteriously jumped into the middle of my road atlas!!!!! Back home for second time, changed, grabbed bins, camera etc and as I walked outside a neighbour had blocked me in!!!:C for GOODNESS SAKE!!!!! Ran to their door and knocked loudly and quickly! Seriously irritates me when someone blocks me in!

Eventually I arrived at Holme around 6.20pm. Another birder said he had brief views of the Arctic warbler approx half an hour before both Connor and I got there. Connor and I searched hard for that bird and saw what could have been it, dive into a bush and you know when you get all excited, and then it all goes to pot when the bird magically disappears!:-C Saw a pied fly briefly in the large pine along the main bank. Connor managed to see a male redstart (I only glimpsed tail end of it!) and we heard another one round the back of the observatory. A Tawny owl flew into the pines. Strong winds and on route home the rain came down and now at 10.45 is lashing down in King's Lynn:t:


OMG - just noticed my interview has been added to Day 2 Round up on the birdfair.tv website!!!!!!
See my blog. Rather annoying though, I DEFINATELY plugged birdforum twice in that interview and they have edited it all out! They have edited most of it out, probably cos I sounded rubbish! They say you look 10 lbs heavier on film and my god they are so right!!! Must lose weight for next year!
 
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Josh. You shold be walking the point. I expect there will be some goodies (not Tim Brook Taylor!!) to be found.

Regards

Mark :cat::cat:

Mark you should be walking around Bedfordshire plenty of RB Shrikes to be found there, anyway you don't even live in Norfolk ;)

a good morning but no noticeable arrival - all along Blakeney Bank - Redstart in Suaeda, 2 Whinchat, Wheatear, 2+ Willow Warbler, 12 Bearded Tits drinking from first pool

Best of all was a raptor spectacle just out in the Harbour, 1 Hobby was having a go at a Snipe, was then joined by another, i then heard a woosh as something flew past to my right next thing i know two Hobbies had scattered and a big female Peregrine was hovering over where the Snipe had gone down.
 
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Hi Andrew

See www.bubo.org for all your county listing needs. Actually, this is by no means complete for Norfolk or Yorkshire, but more people are joining all the time and we'd love to have more folk on board, especially any organised groups.

Currently, the top BOU county life lists on BUBO for these two counties are 385 in Norfolk, and 367 in Yorkshire. Any challengers?

Andy

Thanks for the pointer, the Yorkshire list is currently 392 whith myself and Dave Hirstouse sharing that tally.
 
In the area and went for a wander along the coast at Holme. Started at the car park near the golf course? and headed along the path that runs along the line of scrub eastwards that looks down on the marsh (does that make an sense?). Saw the most amount of Lesser Whitethroats I have ever seen in a day. Must have seen over a hundred in a mile-ish stretch. Slightly less numbers of Whitethroat but just the most incredible sight as there was a migrant in every bush. Blackcap and Chiffchaff numbers picked up later in the morning and at least a dozen Willow Warblers were also seen. The wander also produced 4 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Pied Flycatcher, 2 Redstarts, 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (or 1 that followed me) and a Garden Warbler. At least 4 parties of 15+ Snipe were passed overhead. Amazing couple of hours.
 
Watched the Red necked Phalarope until 6.30pm from Redwell Hide. There is now a terrific thunderstorm!!!! Sitting waiting for birds to drop in!!!

It rained so hard, I didn't venture out of the car, sat waiting for it to stop and when it finally did it was almost dark!

Arrived home 8.45pm.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
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With the promise of good fall conditions I had a wander around the 'good Thornham garden' this morning but was quiet. 2 spotted flys, 5 blackcap and 10 chiffs were the highlights. Pied fly in the Titchwell carpark at lunchtime.
The winds turned northerly this afternoon and surprise of the day was a fieldfare over my garden near Fakenham this evening. It looked like it dropped into one of the local gardens to roost!
 
Best of all was a raptor spectacle just out in the Harbour, 1 Hobby was having a go at a Snipe, was then joined by another, i then heard a woosh as something flew past to my right next thing i know two Hobbies had scattered and a big female Peregrine was hovering over where the Snipe had gone down.

Maybe the same two hobbies I had over Warham greens yesterday and today (can see blakeney from there). Yesterday watched one chasing a common sandpiper right along the beach and then through the trees. Later I flushed, presumebly the same hobby from further along because as it flew off it dropped the remains of a common sand right infront of me. Today saw presumebly same two again, this time one dropped a reed warbler (minus flight feathers from both wings?).
 
Mark you should be walking around Bedfordshire plenty of RB Shrikes to be found there, anyway you don't even live in Norfolk ;)

a good morning but no noticeable arrival - all along Blakeney Bank - Redstart in Suaeda, 2 Whinchat, Wheatear, 2+ Willow Warbler, 12 Bearded Tits drinking from first pool

Best of all was a raptor spectacle just out in the Harbour, 1 Hobby was having a go at a Snipe, was then joined by another, i then heard a woosh as something flew past to my right next thing i know two Hobbies had scattered and a big female Peregrine was hovering over where the Snipe had gone down.
Josh. I suspect i have spent more time in the field in norfolk in recent weeks than yourself. Indeed after yjour recent 2am antics a little less drink would be advised. As for beds, more birders than birds! Currently at spurn in search of rares! Regards. Mark
 
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In the area and went for a wander along the coast at Holme. Started at the car park near the golf course? and headed along the path that runs along the line of scrub eastwards that looks down on the marsh (does that make an sense?).......
Hi there!

Yes that does make sense to us locals! Nice to meet your earlier - re: our conversation see http://www.noa.org.uk/ and http://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/Wildlife-in-Norfolk/Reserves/Holme-Dunes.aspx

Glad you enjoyed your time at Holme:t:

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Blakeney Point

Nice selection of migrants but not the hoped for mega (yet!):
Tree Pipit, Whinchat, Wheatear 6+, Swallow 60+, Sand Martin, Greenshank x5, Whimbrel 5+, Common Sand 2, Arctic tern and skua past, Lapland Bunt (1 over), Spot fly, Song Thrush, Garden Warbler, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff

Mainly one of each!

Raptors again putting on a good show at the moment. Watched a Merlin 'playing' with a mipit. It chased it into the air.. the pipit tried to climb higher and higher .. presumbly it knew it was err 'in trouble'... the Merlin just circled it until it chose to finish it off. It hit it leaving a cloud of feathers!

Also Peregrine, Hobby (near Cley) and male Marsh Harrier

4 Little Stint from N hide were the only birds of note there.

Surely something good will be found this week in Norfolk .. the winds look good
 
Wryneck still at Arnold's Marsh, Cley this evening. No sign of a Marsh Sandpiper reported to the visitor centre mid afternoon - is that correct B.R. so that we avoid "secondary stringing"?:t:
 
Talking of waders at Cley, does anybody know whether the Baird's Sand at Cley was genuine? It was reported initially, then reidentified as a Little Stint. Then, the following day it came on as Baird's plus 4 Little Stints. No mention on this thread...
 
We Are Open Again!!

After a long wait I am pleased to let everyone know that the West bank path will be open to Island Hide from midday tomorrow (September 11th). Access to the beach should be open again at the end of September.

Today's highlights

Little stint - 6 on fresh marsh
Curlew sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Dunlin - 15 on fresh marsh
Teal - 100 on fresh marsh
Wigeon - 10 on fresh marsh
Greenshank - 2 on fresh marsh
Peregrine - 1 over reserve

Thank you for your support and patience over the last few weeks.

See you all soon

Paul
 
After a long wait I am pleased to let everyone know that the West bank path will be open to Island Hide from midday tomorrow (September 11th). Access to the beach should be open again at the end of September.

Today's highlights

Little stint - 6 on fresh marsh
Curlew sandpiper - 1 on fresh marsh
Dunlin - 15 on fresh marsh
Teal - 100 on fresh marsh
Wigeon - 10 on fresh marsh
Greenshank - 2 on fresh marsh
Peregrine - 1 over reserve

Thank you for your support and patience over the last few weeks.

See you all soon

Paul

:t::t::t: Thanks Paul:t:
 
A Wry smile- at the end of the day

Having escaped my overnight incarceration in Norwich (no, hospital, silly!), I was out and birding before midday.

Gramboro’ held the grand total of 1 Willow Warbler. The Redstarts et al of the last two days had cleared off.

Hastening to the East Bank, where the Wryneck had been seen not long before, I was thwarted. Rain and other factors conspired to render it invisible. Trudging back and forward in the area it usually inhabited had no positive effect.

Repeated messages about the Arctic Warbler at Holme finally persuaded me to make the long drive west. Arriving at its spot, I was immediately in luck- but didn’t see it any better in the next hour than the poorish photo (best on half-screen) displays. It was devilish enough to even pin down in the bins.

My latish return to the more shingly parts of Cley was more fruitful, when distant (from halfway up the shingle bank) views erased the previous Jynx, as it were.
 

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