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Norfolk birding (18 Viewers)

Today's highlights

Today's highlights

Rough-legged buzzard - 1 west @ 10:30
Harrier sp - probable juv Northern harrier over reedbed mid-morning before flying south. Seen again over the Thornham saltmarsh late afternoon.
Common buzzard - 1 over reedbed
Twite - 30 on brackish marsh
Snow bunting - 30 at Thornham Point
Brambling - 1 on feeders

Paul
 
Thanks everyone for the heads up on the Wells car park prices.
Had a good morning's birding with highlights being;

3 Northern Bullfinch's 2 females and a trumpeting male in the dell
3+ Mealy Redpoll within a flock of 15 or so Lessers
11 Waxwings west over beach (in off)
17 Shorelarks towards the Gap
1 Rough Legged Buzzard
Also there were a lot of Coal tits of which a few looked and sounded continental (anyone else seen them recently?)

All in all a very good 3hrs birding!
 
Titchwell November 25th

Today's highlights

Ringtail harrier sp - probable juv 'Northern' harrier' over the reserve and Thornham saltmarsh although mobile and elusive
Twite - 43 on brackish marsh
Waxwing - 6 west
Water pipit - 1 on fresh marsh
Grey partridge - 17 on brackish marsh

Paul
 
john miller said:
Three very distant pics of the presumed northern harrier. It passed Steve G at about 1/3 of the distance so look at Cley Birds for much better shots.

John

http://kellingnaturegallery.fotopic.net/
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting these, John.
Can anyone suggest anything that 'says' this isn't a Northern Harrier?
I expect we might have to wait for a certain publication before we see some other pictures! But I'd like to be proved wrong!
 
David Norgate said:
Did you realise they were 'Northern' Bullfinches, Pete and therefore the significance? I am sure people would have liked to have known about them at the time if you did!

Thanks Lightthiscandle for the info.
Click to expand...


Its quite ironic that I work at Strumpshaw and went to Wells yesterday in the hope of seeing Northern bullfinch (along with other species). I should get out of the reedbed more!

Thanks for posting the info on here, a great record for the reserve, I believe there was 1 last year too.
I'll check them out before work tomorrow morning.

Cheers
 
6 Waxwings over Sheringham School this morning.
Was just putting on my coat for playground duty when I got a call from JB who was standing on the playground (don't worry he's a parent!) to say he'd just seen them. Walked out, phone still in hand and chatted to him and his lovely wife, when they did another fly round, just to the north. A great way to do birding!! Then gripped off when he told me that c130 were outside his office and that he saw them in hand whist ringing took place! (...and also how well the Aylesham birds had been showing!)
 
David Norgate said:
Did you realise they were 'Northern' Bullfinches, Pete and therefore the significance? I am sure people would have liked to have known about them at the time if you did!

Thanks Lightthiscandle for the info.
Click to expand...

Sorry didn't know they were Northern Bullfinch 's , I just got a quick glimpse of them as they flew off over the path & reported them to reception when I got back there , whats the difference between a residential & a Northern Bullfinch other than their call ? as I didn't hear them only saw them , have you been there & seen them David
 
Last edited:
ben_lewis said:
Its quite ironic that I work at Strumpshaw and went to Wells yesterday in the hope of seeing Northern bullfinch (along with other species). I should get out of the reedbed more!

Thanks for posting the info on here, a great record for the reserve, I believe there was 1 last year too.
I'll check them out before work tomorrow morning.

Cheers
Click to expand...


I did tell the voluntary warden at the time: he put it upon the board, so hopefully others might have seen them.
There were some of 'our' Bullfinches in the Alders by the entrance to the Meadow Path too.
 
petehasset said:
Sorry didn't know they were Northern Bullfinch 's , I just got a quick glimpse of them as they flew off over the path & reported them to reception when I got back there , whats the difference between a residential & a Northern Bullfinch other than their call ? as I didn't hear them only saw them , have you been there & seen them David
Click to expand...

No problem, Pete, good to hear they are sticking around.

Northern Bullfinches are much 'beefier' than 'ours'. Firstreejohn has taken some good pics from Wells that he has posted on this thread, so a scroll back to his posts to see both male and females (and hopefully he might add some slightly more detailed differences)!

I haven't visited Strumpshaw to see these, but might do so if Ben confirms they are still around (please, Ben!!)
 
Beefier is an understatement! I reckon these were 50% larger! Also: paler and larger billed: their bills were reminiscent oif a Hawfinch!
But the call is really cute! Like a Red-breasted Nuthatch!
 
Shorelarks

We had 43 of these little beauties between holkham and wells this afternoon, looking back at the last few years reports, this would appear to be quite a big flock ?
 
john miller said:
Three very distant pics of the presumed northern harrier. It passed Steve G at about 1/3 of the distance so look at Cley Birds for much better shots.

John

http://kellingnaturegallery.fotopic.net/
Click to expand...

The pictures taken of the Harrier by Robin Chittenden clearly show a few 'chinks' in the feathers on the left wing, whereas these picture show a faultless wing. Perhaps the wind and/or widespread gliding flight in Robin's pictures effected the feathers?
 
David Norgate said:
No problem

I haven't visited Strumpshaw to see these, but might do so if Ben confirms they are still around (please, Ben!!)
Click to expand...


Hi David,

As the lack of news should have told you... no sign of any Northern Bullfinches this morning, I saw 4 standard Bullfinches but no Northerners were hanging around with them unfortunately.
I'm working again tomorrow so will have another pre work look, would be a good patch bird, I'll put them on the pager if they turn up again.
 
ben_lewis said:
Hi David,

As the lack of news should have told you... no sign of any Northern Bullfinches this morning, I saw 4 standard Bullfinches but no Northerners were hanging around with them unfortunately.
I'm working again tomorrow so will have another pre work look, would be a good patch bird, I'll put them on the pager if they turn up again.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ben, appreciate that!

Still 5 or 6 Waxwings hanging around School in Sheringham today!
 

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