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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk birding (9 Viewers)

On the topic of weather sites I still think the surface pressure charts at the Met Office website are worth checking daily. The current chart predicts as far ahead as Monday pm, and the post cold-frontal stream of northerlies ought to produce some interesting seawatching. I feel that the weather over Scandinavia, with the associated occluded front, may be just too mucky for any exciting drift migration...

James
 
Wait and see I guess. Agree though - looking at pressure charts in more detail, seawatching looks good, but a bit too cloudy over Scandinavia to get the migrants going in the first place. See how it goes...
 
Arrived at Holme at 9am and went straight up to dunes for seawatch. It was extremely high this morning - an 8.3 tide, lapping the dunes, spectacular and it was colder than I expected this morning. Had 8 gannets, 8 teal, 1 dark phase arctic skua, 1 bonxie, several sandwich terns, 2 swallows, 1 great crested grebe and 6 sanderlings made their way along the tide mark. Went back to observatory to hear something dreadful, Ray R. had watched an Osprey fly past along the sea edge (sea lapping dunes, imagine the scene under your nose!!!) going west at 8.45am, 15 minutes before I stood there:-C absolutely gutted!!!! Anyway less said about the better, there seemed to be a flurry of birds for a while, watched at least 4 common whitethroats, a few long tailed tits, a great spotted woodpecker flew from pines and flew over to Thornham sluice. I walked back to coastal path and walking to Thornham chanel where I counted 28 ringed plover, 17 beautiful grey plovers all standing in a row huddled against the wind, 38 sanderlings, 5 turnstones and lots of gulls that I could not be bothered to count! Walked back and then decided after chin wag to go and have early lunch at 12.30pm. Ambled up to carpark, got picnic rug out, sat and had lunch and cup of tea and then decided to have 40 winks, which turned into a glorious couple of hours (still shattered from Blakeney Point yesterday, see previous post). Whilst sitting here 11 curlew went over and had 6 goldfinches. Left and went to In Focus to look at bins again (still have not decided) and went to mother's and father's for cup of tea and photographed a Palpita Unionalis moth that father had caught this morning in moth trap and then went home.

(last day of holiday tomorrow:-C )

High tide tomorrow at Holme is 9.34am and is 8.2 metres

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
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

cheers for that link, interesting. Thanks too Ilya

Interesting too how 5 Spoonbills were on Breydon til a couple of days before i went !

Anyone know south Norwich well ? .... In particular, whats worth an hour or so around the new N&N hospital, or somewhere between the city and hosp on the way out there. Next week i'm starting 6 weeks worth of mon-fri visits up there so seems maybe an opportunity to look in on somewhere a bit different
 
Anyone know south Norwich well ? .... In particular, whats worth an hour or so around the new N&N hospital, or somewhere between the city and hosp on the way out there. Next week i'm starting 6 weeks worth of mon-fri visits up there so seems maybe an opportunity to look in on somewhere a bit different

There are a couple of walks I would recommend in that area, although they will probably only turn up fairly common species at this time of year.

1. From the hospital go back along Colney Lane towards the B1108, then turn right near the research park. This takes you across the playing fields to the River Yare. Going left goes along the woods through Earlham Park, where there are sometimes a pair of Grey Wagtails near the bridge under the main road. If you go right, you can walk round to the UEA broad and nearby woods. Round the Broad makes a nice circular walk, there are sometimes flocks of long-tailed tits in the alders nearby, and green woodpecker is quite common.

2. Go back down Colney Lane as before and head back towards the city, then take the first left down to an area called Three Score. To your left there are some wet meadows to walk through, complete with inquisitive horses, and at the far end there are views over Colney Gravel Pits, which usually turn up a rare grebe or too in winter, although there probably won't be too much at the moment. There are some dead trees that are good for Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a heron usually around. On the right side of the road to Three Score are Bowthorpe Marshes. This side has Reed Buntings, and you can follow the River round to Earlham Park, keeping an eye out for the aftorementioned Grey Wagtails and Kingfisher.

Let me know if you see anything good! :t:
 
Excellent high tide at Snettisham this morning. Highlights included 2 little stints (ad + juv) and purple sand roosting on the beach between the chalets and the Shore Hide. 30,000+ knot over the high tide with at least half of the birds roosting on the pits.

Couple of hours at Titchwell this afternoon produced 3 common buzzards and red kite west along the ridge inland of the reserve and good numbers of waders on the lagoons.

Paul
 
Couple of hours at Titchwell this afternoon produced 3 common buzzards and red kite west along the ridge inland of the reserve and good numbers of waders on the lagoons.

Paul

Grrrrrrr.... I hate that stupid ridge!!!

Seawatching at Holme today produced two really nice Pom Skuas, also 7 Great Skuas, 6 Arctic Skuas, good numbers of Gannets and scoters, Guillemot, 4 Fulmars etc.etc.

Belated news from yesterday concerning two Red-backed Shrikes in the dunes. Birder I know met photographer at Flitcham who showed him pic apparantly taken yesterday of two RBShrikes on Blackberry bush in dunes, halfway between house and gate. No sign today in good search this afternoon |:(|

Had the Sacred Ibis go over at c.12:00am but little else bar a few Warblers, Whimbrel, Greenshank and Hobby.

see www.noa.org.uk for best of rest

cheers,
 
Arrived at Holme 10.00am - driving down Firs road had about 20 goldfinches fly into hawthorn bush. Seawatching produced 6 bar tailed godwits, 3 great crested grebes, several cormorants, 2 gannets inc. 1 juv going east, 2 fulmars, 2 red throated divers, 1 arctic skua chasing tern. Quite a big movement of swallows today. In Forestry area had 3 whimbrel going west, 1 lesser whitethroat, 1 turtle dove and over Holme marsh 6 egyptian geese and 1 marsh harrier. I watched something amazing by the pond in forestry - a emperer dragonfly catching and eating a common darter!! got some photos too! Back in the pines a couple of goldcrests and several speckled woods flitting about. Went back to parents for lunch and then spent afternoon trying out new bins at In Focus and Cley Spy. Tried in vain to see the Sacred Ibis! Drove home via Choosely and about 2 miles from barns a very striking wheatear flew off the road as I sped past, so keep a look out tomorrow, I am presuming it was just a common wheatear!?

Back of work tomorrow.

Good Birding everyone.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:
 
Good day out yesterday. Lesser-spotted woodpecker in Cringleford (by River Yare) on te way to picking up my car. Drove to Breydon at high tide - 7 Spoonbills there, walked towards Berney and was rewarded with Roseate Tern, Little Stint and Mediterranean Gull. Walked back to go through the waders and eventually located a White-rumped Sandpiper, probably the same one that's been at Breydon for a while.
 
Osprey currently floating around Burnham Market village area.

(from approx 14.30 this afternoon)

Matt
 
Last edited:
Osprey currently floating around Burnham Market village area.

(from approx 14.30 this afternoon)

Matt

Grrrr... was there this afternoon about three ish (forced into shopping!) and afterwards thought it was a good date for Osprey so visited Holkham park lake. Alas no joy... Did have a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker call several times but it never showed itself. Nuthatch also present in mixed Lotti flock.

Cheers,

Connor
 
Had a look at the gull roost at Heacham south beach this evening. Had 3 med gulls bathing near the outfall and 4 other meds in the fields just inland from the seawall although got driven back inside by the rain.

Purple sand at Snettisham over the high tide again this morning.

Paul
 
I was at Strumpshaw today and an Osprey was listed on the sightings board for yesterday. While we were in a hide a man came in and told us he had just seen an Osprey the other side of the river between Rockland and Wheatfen.

I didn't see it myself and had to make do with the usual suspects plus four Common Sandpipers and two Kingfishers outside the Tower Hide.

Ron
 

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At titchwell today- one pale phase Arctic Skua and 3 Red-throated Divers were the sum total of an hours sea watch but the waders were good with sumplum Grey Plover, flyover Whimbrel and a few other bits and pieces.
 
Looks like we should wake up to a more northerly airstream tomorrow, should be good for some seawatching.

Also looks like a midweek ridge of high pressure extending across the North Sea into Scandinavia and northern Europe, with a warm front tracking through west to east, may well be promising for some good coastal arrivals...

James
 
Cley Saturday 1st Sept

Took the train/bus to Cley on Saturday and spent some time painting in one of the hides, which meant that I didn't get the chance to get to the beach or to Arnold's marsh. However, I did have a nice curlew sandpiper, flock of beautiful golden plovers- a lot still in summer plumage and some greyer-looking plovers which I guess were either winter golden plovers or grey plovers, black tailed godwits (some still in summer plumage), sanderling, dunlin, ruff, green sandpiper, redshanks, greenshank, avocets, whimbrel, loads of snipe (haven't seen that many at Cley before),

Marsh Harriers, linnets, usual stuff. Also a little egret and the black swan. Dipped the water rail, as I was busy painting a lapwing. Strangely enough, didn't notice any oystercatchers, which are normally quite common there, although I was in more of a painting rather than birding frame of mind...
 
White Rumped Sandpiper rptd again at Breydon Water this morning.

Website updated with new pics in gallery and sightings from Holme.

cheers,
 
cheers James, oh yes i forgot all about the UEA Broad, i actually did go there once but it absolutely tipped down with rain so i jacked it in and meant to go back one day...

Spoonbills on Breydon again (or is that Still) eh, hmmm... perhaps i should try again...
 

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