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Norfolk birding (11 Viewers)

He shoots
He scores

with a cracking Greenish between Sea Palling and Eccles.

that and the Barred - fair return for a hard day's birding

Calls for a B :) or two tonight...

Tim
 
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Snettisham Coastal Park 6.30pm

I forgot about all the holiday makers and dogs in caravan site next to coastal park!!!! Anything that was there would have been flushed. Anyway, few bits and pieces, a couple of golfinches. A nice crisp lesser whitethroat in bramble, a possible icterine warbler in sallow bush by path which was then flushed by a dog walker who said 'they've all gone' (they bl**dy well have now I was thinking!). When I say possible, I am pretty sure it was but could not be 100%, was still making my mind up when man and dog went past. It definately wasn't a willow, far too big, big bill, lighter area on wings, was just studying leg colour when it was flushed!!!!! (it was also eating juicy green caterpillars) So anyone going to Snettisham early morning, please re-find it for me and confirm. It was not far from the clumps of pines (east side) along the main path. Further along had a lovely barn owl sitting on post in the marsh, a couple of young herons and 1 adult, 3 snipe got up off marsh, few swallows. 3 birds dived in a bush, shore side and magically disappeared even with pssshing!!! 1 curlew flew over.

A friend told me a Camberwell Beauty was seen at Titchwell this afternoon on plum tree at end of carpark and also briefly at Holme NWT!!!!

Good birding tomorrow everyone.

Can't make my mind up where to start in morning, either Blakeney Point, Holkham Pines/dunes, Titchwell/Thornham Point etc etc, any suggestions?

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
You're doing well Tim... No such luck here but there's probably a formula somewhere relating to effort expended in relation to an increase/decrease in results!

I did manage an hour along Doggetts Lane this morning after work/before bed and saw jack. And I don't mean snipe. Single Whitethroat and a Wheatear looking resplendent after his post juvvy moult into 1st winter plumage. Doesn't make up for a rare though by any stretch...

Clear skies tonight everyone! Can't imagine everything will ship out though, I'm sure there'll be plenty left for the weekend and no doubt something new. Good birding for those who can get out there...

James
 
Morning all.
At whitlingham quarry at work just a quick look round.

8 long tailed tits, chiffchaf, willow warbler, black cap, green wodpecker. That is around the washing plant area.

About 50 swifts moving easterly. Have not got time to go down to the dig to have a browse for waders.

Barry.
 
Unfortunatly working again today as there is now a wryneck as well as the greenish at Thornham Point!!
The Camberwell Beauty was looked for straight away but unfortunatly I coundn't re-locate it although there were loads of red admirals feeding in the plum trees so could be still around.
Interestingly a visitor brought in a locust sp they found on the beach which we have identified as a migratory locust from the internet.

Lets hope there is still something to find tomorrow!!

Paul
 
How many thousands of miles would that have flown then, Paul?;)
The information I looked at said that there are 4 main races and it is now quite rare in Europe. I would assume that given the weather recently it is probably the 1st one but I don't know how to ID the races.

Locusta m. migratoria (West and Central Asia, eastern Europe)
Locusta m. migratorioides (mainland Africa and Atlantic islands)
Locusta m. capito (Madagascar)
Locusta m. manilensis (eastern Asia)
 
a lot quieter today in terms of numbers

Wryneck in the village this morning

Barred and Wryneck at Waxham earlier on but not for a fair while now...

couple more Greenish though on the east coast...

popped out after lunch - 1 minute down the road RBShrike in the paddocks - maybe the bird from the dunes of the last two days...
 
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Strolled out Tim's way at about 2pm this afternoon, too apathetic to get up early. Promptly found a Barred Warbler and a Greenish Warbler near the pipe dump at Waxham, reminding me that birding can be great and that there's hope for those of us foolish enough to only go to bed at 4am on Friday nights. Too many holiday makers though!
 
Shame about the late start Ilya but good to see you anyway. You didn't miss much early doors! Wonderful late summer birding. It's been a great 2-3 days. Ferocious winds bringing in the seabirds and then a fall of migrants with Wryneck, Barred, RBS and Greenish all on the patch in walking distance. And virtually no birders. Cool. But yes too many fat chavy tourists. They **** off on Tuesday tohugh.

Red hot today, wonder how much will hang around...

Tim
 
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Norfolk in December

Bit early I know but the research HAS to start somewhere.

We are coming to Norfolk in early December, hopefully to see Pink-footed geese in numbers. Would anyone know of the best/good spot to view them from?
Many thanks.
 
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Had plenty of stuff today round the coast with dad and two friends. Started at Thornham Pont, arrived there at 7:00 am to find we were the first people there! After five minutes a Greenish was located in dead trees and bushes in front of the tower. Although it was quite elusive at first it showed well up until about 7:50am when the hordes began to arrive. Although there were possibly two present this was never confirmed while we were there. The bird continued to show but became harder and harder as the morning went along.

At 7:55am one of the people with me said they were sure they had seen a Wryneck in flight and five minutes later it was sat up in the tops of the dead trees in the middle of the plantation, it gave superb views as there were only six of us present before becoming a lot more elusive as other people arrived, although it gave good views again just before we left at 10:00am.

Also at Thornham Point was 3 Chiffchaffs, 2 Blackcaps, 1 Garden Warbler, 2 Song Thrushes (kicked up from dunes) and 2 Yellow Wags flew west.

After this we moved on to Holme where we had the Greenish Warbler in the forestry singing although it was elusive. The juv. Red-backed Shrike showed well and a Whinchat was near the main track.

The next stop was Cley NWT where the juv. Red-backed Shrike showed very well next to beach road, before the day finished with very brief views of the Greenish Warbler at Walsey Hills NOA.

cheers,

Connor
 
Bit early I know but the research HAS to start somewhere.

We are coming to Norfolk in early December, hopefully to see Pink-footed geese in numbers. Would anyone know of the best/good spot to view them from?
Many thanks.

Either Holkham fresh marsh or Snettisham should do the trick, the former more reliably.
 
What a FANTASTIC day's birding.:t:

Was just going out of the door at 7am when Connor rang - I thought its got to be good to be ringing me at 7am! 'Greenish at Thornham Point Penny' said an excited, enthusiastic jolly voice!!!! 'I'll be there soon Connor, I am now leaving' I said. Anyway left home picked up father's papers, dropped them in and he had caught a Bedstraw Hawkmoth in trap last night!!!!! - beautiful specimen. Carried on and mobile rang again, stopped car, it was Connor again, 'there's a wryneck now as well Penny' - at this point I was mega excited as I have dipped on wrynecks so many times over the years, the last time I saw one, I was probably Connor's age!!!! (thats a very long time ago!!!). So my new sports car went a little faster than normal. Got a nice shady spot in Titchwell carpark and walked up that bank as fast as my little legs could carry me!!! Getting quite hot already, wished I had bought sunhat with me, but never mind, wryneck, wryneck, wryneck!!! I think it was about 8.30 by the time I got up to Thornham Point, there was about 40-50 people by the time I left. Had fairly good views of Greenish Warbler, but the Wryneck do not appear for quite a while, I decided I was going nowhere until I had seen it! Anyway, I think it was about 9.30ish when it finally showed its self on bush and then a bit later, brilliant views sitting on dead tree stump, it looked stunning in my scope all orangey and beautifully marked in the sunshine, saw the greenish again at this point at the same time! Saw a yellow wagtail here too. 196 now for my Norfolk year list. I have been smiling all day:gh: Anyway, ambled happily back along beach, lots of waders including sanderling, turnstones, oystercatchers, gulls etc and lots of birders coming up the beach in the glorious sunshine!!! It was very hot now, bumped into several people along the bank. Caught up with Connor and gang along the bank where I saw 2 bearded tits, 1 barnacle goose:-O , 1 marsh harrier, heard water rail and then I went alone round Fen Trail which was alive with birds including wren, robin, chaffinches, turtle dove purring, party of 11 long tailed tits flitting about, 2 willow warblers, 1 blue tit, 1 great tit, 1 coal tit and then back by feeders a nice great spotted woodpecker on nuts. Quick chinwag in centre and then got lazy!!! Sat outside eating a vege pasty and a magnum (even though I had loads of food in boot of car!) Chatting to different people etc etc. A barred warbler and wryneck came up on someone's pager at Burnham Overy Dunes, so I thought, I'll head that way next. Went back to car and then stood in carpark furthest away to view plum tree for Camberwell Beauty that was seen on it yesterday! but no luck, couple of red admirals and a painted lady though. Connor rang me to say he had seen the Greenish W and red backed shrike at Holme!! and that the Camberwell Beauty had been seen at Thornham Point going west 'hopefully he said I will see it at Holme'!!!! (he didn't by the way!) You can't see everything Connor;) ;)

Dropped into 'In Focus' and had a chat with Vernon about my binocular situation (lack of!) using my old Carl Zeiss 8x30's at moment. I am trying to stop myself buying the Swaro's 8.5x42's and found a good pair I quite liked at In Focus: Optricon DBA Oasis 8x42, was very impressed with these and at a good price of £499 (went away and thought!!!). Carried on along road, as I got to Holkham it was chocka block with holiday makers etc etc and Lady Anne's Drive was FULL no more parking!!!!, never seen this before! So I carried on and went for social stop at Walsey, lots of people there including Mr Lee Evans looking for Greenish Warbler in scrub at bottom, which I had a very, very brief view of, along with Connor and gang again (they get everywhere!) and several other people. Adder on bank too. Little Grebe on Snipe's Marsh. Speckled wood. 3 black tailed godwit flew over Arnolds Marsh, 2 little egrets and a young heron eating what looked like a rat (very long tail)!!! I left here and went up to Coastguards, made a cup of tea and got some food out and sat on shingle with scope eating my tea, lovely. Loads of people on beach. Couple of sandwich terns went by, not alot else. Left here and drove back along coast road (did not see red backed shrike which was down coast guard road) to father's to take some photos of bedstraw hawkmoth and then carried on back to King's Lynn.

Out at dawn tomorrow, hopefully I will ring Connor with something!!!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Good Thread this, most enjoyable when one knows the locations from one's past.

And as Tim alluded to elsewhere, people actually get out into the 'field'.
 
Well we did Horsey gap to Winterton and back this afternoon. Nice Red backed shrike just before the start of the winterton sssi, loads of winchats and stonechats, and a lesser whitethroat. Totally dipped on greenish and barred, although I met folk who'd heard the greenish.

Good numbers of painted ladies (60+), and dark green fritillaries (10+) along with small torts (50+), red admirals, common blue, small heath, small copper, greyling, gatekeeper, and meadow brown. But again I met folk who'd met folk who'd seen a Camberwell beauty in Winterton Dunes. Anyone got any info on that?
 
Got up very early and got to Holme just before 7am. Parked car at toilet block (main beach) and walked all the way along golfcourse to beach huts at Old Hunstanton, saw nothing!! but on return saw a nice wheatear tucked in by dunes (shore side) at 7.30am and at 8.10am one yellow wagtail going west. Back at the toilet block while eating teacake and rasberry jam and cup of tea had a fantastic sighting of a female pied flycatcher and a spotted flycatcher together in sallow tree!!! I watched the spotted fly for a while in scope, lovely views, but didn't see it any more, but the pied flitted about for ages back and forth. 9.15am, also 2 chiffchaffs here. I rang Connor to tell him and he made his way up, also seeing another spotted fly at end of pines on route! Several birders stood here now and the pied did not show itself any more!!! Early bird catches the worm!!! But someone did see it again later early pm. I counted 46 redshanks on the shore along with loads of gulls and sandwich terns and one common sunning themselves in glorious sunshine. Took car up to Redwell hide where I saw 11 snipe, 1 little egret, 1 little grebe and 1 greenfinch. Parked by 5-bar gate and started to walk to forestry, 11 more snipe flew over, 1 little egret, 8 linnets, 1 curlew and when I got to forestry 1 chiffchaff and that was it, certainly no greenish in there that I could find! Walked back to car and Connor rang me to say the juv. red backed shrike was up the road again (on right, just before Firs house in hawthorn). Drove up the road and parked and had fantastic views of it eating a dragonfly!!! Walked up to the observatory after this, boiling hot now. 26 curlew going east. Lots of butterflies on buddleia, painted lady, red admiral, tortoiseshell, comma, peacock and lots of bees. Someone had reported a firecrest but no one else could find it. Went back to Firs and had a Ronaldos ice-cream and went back home as have to work this afternoon!!

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Greenish Warbler still at Walsey Hills NOA today.

2 black terns where also seen from NWT Holme today.

Wryneck and red backed shrike still at Winterton Dunes.

Red necked phalarope still at Cantley Beet Factory along with red crested pochard.
 
Just finished my break before the bank holiday lunchtime onslaught at the Red Lion in Stiffkey, and sat opposite the pub by the river. Kingfisher whistled past and then had fantastic views of our resident pair of Peregrines hunting together over the field. They zoomed round for about five minutes before heading their seperate ways.

Brilliant!!!

now, back to work
 

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