Connor Rand
Norwich resident, Holme devotee
Also forget to mention 2 Roseate Terns seen off Holme yesterday. Needless too say after I had finished sea-watching...
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Norfolk birding (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Edward woodwood
- Start date
NoSpringChicken
Well-known member
If anyone finds themselves unavoidably having to pay a visit to a garden for the sake of domestic harmony (if you see what I mean) I would like to recommend Hoveton Hall Gardens near Wroxham Barns.
We went there on Sunday and, in addition to the stunning water gardens, there are some excellent woodland walks with a good selection of trees. One part of the woods has a willow screen and a seat so that you can watch the feeders which have been hung from the trees. We saw a Nuthatch in addition to some Marsh Tits and the usual Great and Blue Tits.
There were lots of Long-tailed Tits, Goldfinches and other birds moving through the trees in other parts of the gardens and in the bushes at the side of the lake there were plenty of Warblers. The best bit was seeing three Kingfishers flying over the lake and a pair of Moorhens with three tiny chicks which could only have been a day old.
There is an excellent Tea Shop too and, all in all, it's a great way to combine a garden visit with a bit of bird watching.
Ron
We went there on Sunday and, in addition to the stunning water gardens, there are some excellent woodland walks with a good selection of trees. One part of the woods has a willow screen and a seat so that you can watch the feeders which have been hung from the trees. We saw a Nuthatch in addition to some Marsh Tits and the usual Great and Blue Tits.
There were lots of Long-tailed Tits, Goldfinches and other birds moving through the trees in other parts of the gardens and in the bushes at the side of the lake there were plenty of Warblers. The best bit was seeing three Kingfishers flying over the lake and a pair of Moorhens with three tiny chicks which could only have been a day old.
There is an excellent Tea Shop too and, all in all, it's a great way to combine a garden visit with a bit of bird watching.
Ron
matt green
Norfolkman gone walkabout
Sounds great!
Not been myself yet but Sheringham park also looks good for birding ...
errr I meant taking wife/mother inlaw for weekend walkies.
Fortunately I possess neither so would spend all my time birding, Cley is just down the road too
Matt
Happisbirder
Always looking, seldom finding...
Never been but it sounds good. Got to keep earning those brownie points!
I believe the gardener (or at least one of them) there is a keen birder too. Don't know his name but I seem to recall some Bee-eaters being seen by him there sometime last year. The 2006 NBR should be out shortly...
James
Balearic shearwater lingering off Titchwell this afternoon also a few arctic and great skuas through and little stint, 27 spotshanks and juv garganey on the fresh marsh.
Large falcon sp ( espcaped falconers bird) at Snettisham over the high tide this morning along with 20,000+ knot. Worth a look if you are not doing anything over the weekend.
Paul
Large falcon sp ( espcaped falconers bird) at Snettisham over the high tide this morning along with 20,000+ knot. Worth a look if you are not doing anything over the weekend.
Paul
Connor Rand
Norwich resident, Holme devotee
Darn have yet to see one in Norfolk. New I should have been sea-watching off Holme today... :C
Karl J
Well-known member
currently under an enforced lay-off but managed to sneak out this morning and have a look down Breydon
counted ...
9 Little Egrets
c200 Avocet
big mixed flock of waders (? in the 100's) - looked like mostly Black-tailed Godwit and Curlew, with a good few plovers, Lapwings & wotnot (no scope, so not entirely sure what was there)
1 Swallow
5 Little Grebe
1 Peregrine (took and made off with a Starling from the muddy shoreline adj. Asda entrance road)
3 Swifts over Caister beach, going south about dinnertime-ish
would be interested if anyones done a 'proper' count-up on Breydon recently (no need to mention whatever something special i might have missed in amongst the flocks...)
:t:
counted ...
9 Little Egrets
c200 Avocet
big mixed flock of waders (? in the 100's) - looked like mostly Black-tailed Godwit and Curlew, with a good few plovers, Lapwings & wotnot (no scope, so not entirely sure what was there)
1 Swallow
5 Little Grebe
1 Peregrine (took and made off with a Starling from the muddy shoreline adj. Asda entrance road)
3 Swifts over Caister beach, going south about dinnertime-ish
would be interested if anyones done a 'proper' count-up on Breydon recently (no need to mention whatever something special i might have missed in amongst the flocks...)
:t:
matt green
Norfolkman gone walkabout
David Norgate
Well-known member
Karl - worth looking at the Great Yarmouth Bird Site, which often has counts (if a few days out of date) see link:
http://www.gybc.org.uk/year/recent.html
Paul - how long did the Balearic 'linger'?
http://www.gybc.org.uk/year/recent.html
Paul - how long did the Balearic 'linger'?
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Blakeney Point Thursday - 30th August
Arrived at Coastguards at 9.50am and started my expedition along the shingle (high tide). Did not see anything special today, but it was a stunning walk in the sunshine. I counted a massive flock of 42 ringed plover (inc. Juvs) amongst loads of dunlin sitting on the shingle ridge before Half Way House. Lots of terns fishing in the sunshine. Walked up to the end of 'Long Hills' and watched black tailed and bar tailed godwits, 2 little egrets, a juv. grey wagtail flicking about in the muddy creakes along with 2 grey plovers. 3 curlew. Counted a flock of 60+ lapwing over Blakeney harbour, 28 mute swans, 50+ oystercatchers, lesser blacked gulls, great blacked backed gulls, herring gulls, turnstones. 2 small coppers, still some yellow horned poppies out. Sat and had half lunch and cup of tea and then walked back and around to the plantation where I sat and had 2nd half of lunch and set up scope to watch a robin:-O , after lunch fell asleep for half an hour in the glorious sunshine with hat over face (boiling hot now) and when I woke up got excited because I caught a glimpse of a 2nd bird in plantation - looked through scope - robin!!!!!!!:-O and that was it, nothing else in there. Left here and walked along Yanky Ridge where I startled a red legged partridge and then walked back along sea's edge, watching terns fishing and seals inquisitively playing. Could see the seal colony in the far distance. I messed up here big time (I thought only townies did this!!!) - followed edge of sea for most of the way. Now there was another birder about 20 minutes in front of me - tide was coming in again and there was a wide fairly deep chanel to my right and up ahead the sea had now joined that chanel!!!! - well through my bins it didn't look very deep and the man ahead of me had made it! - its surprising how 20 minutes can make a difference:-O - well when I got there it was a choice of walked through a serious, swirling, strong current of waves or turning right and wading half way up to my knees through the chanel - I choose the chanel option, it looked safer, I was laughing my head off and squelching all the way back to coastguards!!!! It was a good job that I had a pair of sandals in the car! Have immersed boots again at home in bowl, plus washing up liquid to get all seasalt out and they are hanging on line, so you can bet your bottom dollar it will be freezing tomorrow and Saturday because I will have to wear my walking sandals for both days!! Went to Walsey Hills for bit to say hello to Pete (volunteer warden) and watched a marsh harrier, greenshank and golden plover went over. Coal tit on feeder. Seawatching tomorrow.
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Arrived at Coastguards at 9.50am and started my expedition
along the shingle (high tide). Did not see anything special today, but it was a stunning walk in the sunshine. I counted a massive flock of 42 ringed plover (inc. Juvs) amongst loads of dunlin sitting on the shingle ridge before Half Way House. Lots of terns fishing in the sunshine. Walked up to the end of 'Long Hills' and watched black tailed and bar tailed godwits, 2 little egrets, a juv. grey wagtail flicking about in the muddy creakes along with 2 grey plovers. 3 curlew. Counted a flock of 60+ lapwing over Blakeney harbour, 28 mute swans, 50+ oystercatchers, lesser blacked gulls, great blacked backed gulls, herring gulls, turnstones. 2 small coppers, still some yellow horned poppies out. Sat and had half lunch and cup of tea and then walked back and around to the plantation where I sat and had 2nd half of lunch and set up scope to watch a robin:-O , after lunch fell asleep for half an hour in the glorious sunshine with hat over face (boiling hot now) and when I woke up got excited because I caught a glimpse of a 2nd bird in plantation - looked through scope - robin!!!!!!!:-O and that was it, nothing else in there. Left here and walked along Yanky Ridge where I startled a red legged partridge and then walked back along sea's edge, watching terns fishing and seals inquisitively playing. Could see the seal colony in the far distance. I messed up here big time (I thought only townies did this!!!) - followed edge of sea for most of the way. Now there was another birder about 20 minutes in front of me - tide was coming in again and there was a wide fairly deep chanel to my right and up ahead the sea had now joined that chanel!!!! - well through my bins it didn't look very deep and the man ahead of me had made it! - its surprising how 20 minutes can make a difference:-O - well when I got there it was a choice of walked through a serious, swirling, strong current of waves or turning right and wading half way up to my knees through the chanel - I choose the chanel option, it looked safer, I was laughing my head off and squelching all the way back to coastguards!!!! It was a good job that I had a pair of sandals in the car! Have immersed boots again at home in bowl, plus washing up liquid to get all seasalt out and they are hanging on line, so you can bet your bottom dollar it will be freezing tomorrow and Saturday because I will have to wear my walking sandals for both days!! Went to Walsey Hills for bit to say hello to Pete (volunteer warden) and watched a marsh harrier, greenshank and golden plover went over. Coal tit on feeder. Seawatching tomorrow.Best Wishes Penny:girl:
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Ilya Maclean
charlatan
Hi Karl
Breydon Water is counted regularly as part of the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS): http://www.bto.org/webs/. As it happens, I'm actually responsible for the design and maintainance of the WeBS website (any comments welcome), although the time I spent on it is necessarily limited. One of the forthcoming developments on the website (as soon as I've got a bit of spare time) will be an info sheet for most of the important estuaries around the UK, which will detail numbers and trends of birds on each site. At the moment you can get information on actual numbers from the WeBS annual report, available here:
http://www.bto.org/webs/news/webs-downloads.htm
You can get a bit more information on the Breydon Water SPA, on which species are important and trends in these species from here:
http://www.bto.org/webs/alerts/alerts2006/Results/UK9009181/9009181.htm
The latter doesn't include actual numbers though.
Cheers
Ilya
Me to, I was manning the information desk and couldn't get out. Going to look this evening but I think I am too late
Paul
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Thinking about heading to the coast tomorrow. Had all of last week off but the weather was so bad I didn't end up going anywhere. Then OH drove our car into a bollard so its off the road. But tomorrow I might get the train to Sherringham then the coasthopper to somewhere. I'd like to get out and do some bird sketching/painting. Was thinking of Cley but does anyone out there have any better suggestions that are easily accessible from the bus?
matt green
Norfolkman gone walkabout
You might get closer views of waders at Titchwell, but thats a solid hour from sheringham!, Cley would be a safe bet, should get good close views from Dawkes hides of various waders, ducks and the greylag flocks (lots of those there at the mo)
The area around Salthouse is good for close views of Ringed Plovers, Redshank, Ruff, Whimbrel and Avocets, they seem to be more trusting here than anywhere else for some bizare reason? also watch out for wheatears around the fence posts etc.
Was tempted to go up myself tomorrow but the transport etc will be mental at the weekend!!
Matt
Ilya Maclean
charlatan
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week looking very interesting, with strong northerly winds + rain, starting slightly westerly and then veering easterly. Expect amazing sea-watching and a deja-vu haul of scarce / rare passerines: greenish warblers, red-backed shrike, wryneck, icterine warbler, barred warbler. Ortolan bunting, rosefinch and rose-coloured starling for the more ambitious. Or if you really want to pull the stops out: citrine wagtail or even yellow-breasted bunting.
kittykat23uk
Well-known member
Thanks for the info Matt. I do think Twitchwell might be too far to go on the bus. Are there any scarcities at Cley or Salthouse atm?
Just curious as to where you got this forecast from? - I normally use the met office website and it has a very different forecast to this for early next week.
I don't think so, all a bit quiet after last weekends rush of goodies. There should be some stuff about though - garganey, curlew sands and the like.
Ilya Maclean
charlatan
thanks that looks like a useful one.
