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Norfolk birding (29 Viewers)
- Thread starter Edward woodwood
- Start date
Dave Hawkins
Dear diary, what a day it's been...
Titchwell RSPB Snday 29th May
Little gull 2 1st summers freshmarsh
Med gull 2 ad freshmarsh
Garganey pair freshmarsh
Red crested pochard male grazing meadow pool
Bittern at least 6 flights over west bank path
Greenshank 1 beach
Knot 207 beach
Sanderling c100 beach including Mauritanian flagged bird
Spoonbill 1 west to east 445pm
Curlew sandpiper 1 freshmarsh
Little gull 2 1st summers freshmarsh
Med gull 2 ad freshmarsh
Garganey pair freshmarsh
Red crested pochard male grazing meadow pool
Bittern at least 6 flights over west bank path
Greenshank 1 beach
Knot 207 beach
Sanderling c100 beach including Mauritanian flagged bird
Spoonbill 1 west to east 445pm
Curlew sandpiper 1 freshmarsh
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Penny Clarke
Well-known member
guernsey_dave
Registered User... registered user sounds like som
Osprey just west of Cockshoot Broad early this morning, wonder if its got a mate on a nest somewhere nearby...
Dave Hawkins
Dear diary, what a day it's been...
Titchwell RSPB Monday 30th May
Wood sandpiper 1 showing well Island hide
Ruff 2 freshmarsh
Red crested pochard grazing meadow pool
Bearded tit family party of 11 (9 juvs)
Bittern at least 2 birds present, 8+ flights during the day.
Curlew sandpiper 1 freshmarsh
Spotted flycatcher 1 between visitor centre and second bench on west bank path
Pintail female with three young
Whimbrel 1 freshmarsh
Knot 1000+ beach am
Herring gull 500+ mostly immatures pm
Hummingbird hawk moth sheltering inside Parrinder hide most of day
Wood sandpiper 1 showing well Island hide
Ruff 2 freshmarsh
Red crested pochard grazing meadow pool
Bearded tit family party of 11 (9 juvs)
Bittern at least 2 birds present, 8+ flights during the day.
Curlew sandpiper 1 freshmarsh
Spotted flycatcher 1 between visitor centre and second bench on west bank path
Pintail female with three young
Whimbrel 1 freshmarsh
Knot 1000+ beach am
Herring gull 500+ mostly immatures pm
Hummingbird hawk moth sheltering inside Parrinder hide most of day
Paul Woolnough
Well-known member
Happisbirder
Always looking, seldom finding...
Phil... I can't imagine the Sculthorpe bird(s) go very far but whether or not views are still being had I don't know. Also, two males were seen at Wolferton this last Bank Holiday Monday by all accounts. Good luck anyway...
James
rlass and me
Well-known member
rlass and me went to sculthorpe whilst in norfolk last week
couple of spotted flys and is it a mudjack at rear of visitor centre
we thought what a great place really liked it
will be a regular place for us to visit
back down again end of month may be the last visit this year
isle of mull on the books for later in year hoping for otters and sea eagles
couple of spotted flys and is it a mudjack at rear of visitor centre
we thought what a great place really liked it
will be a regular place for us to visit
back down again end of month may be the last visit this year
isle of mull on the books for later in year hoping for otters and sea eagles
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Dave Appleton
Well-known member
I hope Phil knows the Sculthorpe Golden Pheasants are not part of any self-sustaining feral population so wouldn't qualify for ticking any more than an escaped budgie.
But while we're talking about escaped (or deliberately released) birds, does anyone know if the Eagle Owl at Hunstanton is still knocking around?
But while we're talking about escaped (or deliberately released) birds, does anyone know if the Eagle Owl at Hunstanton is still knocking around?
Penny Clarke
Well-known member
I have looked for it a couple of times and not seen it Dave. I have just emailed my local contact
and will let you know their reply.Cheers Penny:girl:
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Penny Clarke
Well-known member
Just got a reply back:I have looked for it a couple of times and not seen it Dave. I have just emailed my local contact
Cheers Penny:girl:
"Sorry to have to report that the owl seems to have gone. Hopefully it has moved on to a more appropriate environs."
When they saw it last they "thought it looked rather uneasy; standing back to the wind, feathers all over its face and shifting its feet a lot."
The lady who emailed me has also asked if I could let her know if anyone else sees it again please.
Best Wishes Penny:girl:
Dave Appleton
Well-known member
Thanks Penny!
Didn't realise that the Sculthorpe birds were not countable, all Golden Pheasants are dodgy though aren't they?? Although the Woolferton birds are self-sustaining, some of them are supposed to be hybrids (so I am told anyway).
If the Woolferton birds are countable then, have they been reported lately. I think they are much easier to see in the Winter though??
Early mornings/Evenings best??
Cheers
Dave Appleton
Well-known member
Well, they're all non-native, so dodgy in that respect, but as the Breckland and Wolferton birds were breeding in the wild and, for a while, maintained a healthy self-sustaining population they were added to category C of the British (and Norfolk) list and are therefore considered countable by most listers. In fact both the Breckland and Wolferton populations are in serious decline and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't prove to be self-sustaining in the long term. With smaller numbers they have a reduced gene pool and both populations have started to develop mutations, especially at Wolferton, where as far as I know all birds now have dark throats (var. 'obscurus', often seen in captive birds). I believe UK400 Club no longer accepts the Wolferton birds, though in my opinion there isn't really any more justification for treating them differently from the Breckland birds, at least some of which are also showing dark throats, albeit not so obviously as at Wolferton.
The Sculthorpe birds are a different kettle of fish. They are reported to have been deliberately released (I'm not going to speculate why...). Even if that assertion turned out to be unfounded and they weren't released there, then they must at best be escapees. I think we can be pretty certain that they didn't make their own way there from any self-sustaining feral population.
The Wolferton birds are usually easier to see in winter or better in early spring, but you have a chance at any time of year. I'm not aware of recent reports apart from the one mentioned by Frootshoot above, but that doesn't mean they aren't being seen. I don't think many people look for them at this time of year. But they can be difficult at the best of times, so don't get your hopes up too much!
Dave Appleton
Well-known member
So far as I can tell the claims that the Wolferton birds are hybrids were based on a belief that dark throats are a sign of hybridisation with Lady Amherst's Pheasant. This can be the case, I think, but my understanding is that it can also arise through mutation without any input from Lady A's. Mutants are most likely to appear in tiny populations with limited gene pool and consequent in-breeding, which is, I presume, why such mutant birds are frequent in captive and small feral populations and not so apparent in larger healthy feral (or wild) populations. There aren't any Lady Amherst's Pheasants in the Wolferton area, so hybridisation is unlikely. There was a suggestion that a Golden x Common Pheasant hybrid had been seen there but I never saw any evidence for this - it's a most unusual hybrid even in captivity.
I'm a bit of a Sandpiper fan,and I see that the Broad-billed has again been reported from Breydon Water again today.Described as being on the north side from hide on rising tide.Those that know these things- is this bird accessible if I park at Asda,and would the tides be favourable mornings or afternoons? Thanks in advance on this one.
Cheers,
Jim.
Cheers,
Jim.
Garybirder
A bird a day
Broad-billed
I few people all around Breydon scaning from both the rugby club and the asda side when I drove past at 12 the tide seemed to be high at present
I few people all around Breydon scaning from both the rugby club and the asda side when I drove past at 12 the tide seemed to be high at present
PYRTLE
Old Berkshire Boy
"The Sculthorpe birds are a different kettle of fish. They are reported to have been deliberately released (I'm not going to speculate why...). Even if that assertion turned out to be unfounded and they weren't released there, then they must at best be escapees. I think we can be pretty certain that they didn't make their own way there from any self-sustaining feral population."
It is not a secret around these parts that a resident from the quaint town of Fakenham released the birds a couple or three years ago and this was a bit of a topic for a while as to whether he / they should have been prosecuted etc, etc....but time and things move on. Pleased to say that we have two pairs of spotted flycatchers on nests and turtle doves only a stones throw from the outskirts of pretty Fakenham. Quail still calling early morning today at Swanton Novers raptorless watchpoint, and adult mediterranean gull "flycatching" Monday mid morning but no sign of any honey buzzards there.
It is not a secret around these parts that a resident from the quaint town of Fakenham released the birds a couple or three years ago and this was a bit of a topic for a while as to whether he / they should have been prosecuted etc, etc....but time and things move on. Pleased to say that we have two pairs of spotted flycatchers on nests and turtle doves only a stones throw from the outskirts of pretty Fakenham. Quail still calling early morning today at Swanton Novers raptorless watchpoint, and adult mediterranean gull "flycatching" Monday mid morning but no sign of any honey buzzards there.
