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

Norfolk birding (6 Viewers)

Humm, 2 1/2 hours ago there was (?!?) an ad fem Red-footed Falcon about a mile away from where I am watching the One-day international cricket! Suppose I should go and look for it!

Just to note: it's not just Cley, guys :)!!!
 
Nervy moments on arrival at Titchwell this morning, the assembled crowd apparently achieving the odd dodgy view, and I was looking at a Marsh Harrier when the Little Bittern flew across the small pool! Eventually managed decent views of the bird fishing, what a cracker, what a skulker! Been awhile since I have been to the north coast, nice to see some familiar faces, not so nice to see the odd individual leaving the track and sliding down the bank to get a better view- don't do it guys! Other than that, it looked like the majority were behaving and thankfully the bird continued to show on and off.

Stopped off at Sparham Pools on the way home, looks like a decent site although not much doing today. Watching from the bridge over the Wensum in Lyng, we did have a lovely male Grey Wagtail to look at.

Cheers,
Jim.
 
jimbob said:
Nervy moments on arrival at Titchwell this morning, the assembled crowd apparently achieving the odd dodgy view, and I was looking at a Marsh Harrier when the Little Bittern flew across the small pool! Eventually managed decent views of the bird fishing, what a cracker, what a skulker! Been awhile since I have been to the north coast, nice to see some familiar faces, not so nice to see the odd individual leaving the track and sliding down the bank to get a better view- don't do it guys! Other than that, it looked like the majority were behaving and thankfully the bird continued to show on and off.

Stopped off at Sparham Pools on the way home, looks like a decent site although not much doing today. Watching from the bridge over the Wensum in Lyng, we did have a lovely male Grey Wagtail to look at.

Cheers,
Jim.
Click to expand...

Glad you connected Jim! I arrived about 11:30 to about 80-100 people (rough head count) and some very loud voices....mainly from "photographers" I might add...general behaviour was acceptable.
No sign of any Goosander yet at Sparham? They are supposed to winter there but still a bit early.
Do need Grey Wagtail so may take a look tomorrow!
Oli
 
Visualisation’s a striking (get it?) success: cold comfort

Towards the end of my visit to Wells Woods (nothing), this afternoon, I wondered where I would go for an ice cream, after my rolls: the town itself, or the caravan at the end of Lady Anne’s. Lo and behold, the Pointen’s green and cow-decorated van hove into view (no, I hadn’t gone to Sussex, in the meanwhile).

Eerily, its bell clanged almost simultaneously with the tolling from the poignant radio broadcast of the 9/11 commemoration service from New York.

I’ve gone twitching without my bins (re: #13000)! Jumped out of the car, grabbed my ‘scope from the boot and raced off. When I got to the bird, I reached below my chin, and . . . nothing. Fortunately, it was a bird that wasn’t too close.

No-one actually slid down the bank yesterday at The Bittern (re: #13002; had the RSPB volunteer gone off shift?), although I could think of a few I’d’ve liked to’ve chucked down it, as there were some talking extraordinarily loudly when this secretive Ardeid was on view. Perhaps, as with the Citrine, it didn’t mind the chatter- rather than the clatter.
 
David Norgate said:
Where on earth have all these birds in Norfolk come form? Obviously slightly retorical, but the 'influx' seems rather remarkable, especially considering the weather system! Just a decrease in wind or some 'window' that I hadn't noticed? Any thoughts?!!!
Click to expand...

Alright Dave, The Bittern and Wagtail are from the breeding populations at Titchwell and Cley respectively. The Pallid is one of the birds that started out up North. The Red-foot is an Amur and the waders are the result of the hurricane, the cricket was always going to be a tie - bleeding obvious - thought you would have known all that!
 
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Spent most of the day again at Titchwell watching the Little Bittern, but it wasn't as mobile today as yesterday. There were indeed people going down the bank including a elderly lady who at her age should know better!!!!

Full account on blog.

Penny:girl:
 
Penny Clarke said:
Spent most of the day again at Titchwell watching the Little Bittern, but it wasn't as mobile today as yesterday. There were indeed people going down the bank including a elderly lady who at her age should know better!!!!

Full account on blog.

Penny:girl:
Click to expand...

Age is often not an indication of wisdom! Drive through Holt on an afternoon and you will see my point!
Cracking little bird though! Showed better for me around 11:30am than 6:30pm.
 
O.Reville1989 said:
Age is often not an indication of wisdom! Drive through Holt on an afternoon and you will see my point!
Cracking little bird though! Showed better for me around 11:30am than 6:30pm.
Click to expand...

Have u got your own transport now , as to your bit on Holt , try driving a large vehicle down prince of wales rd in Norwich on a thu fri or sat eve after 11pm & its idiots of all ages drunk in the road
 
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Jonah about this ?

For those without pagers:

A whale sp. went east, slowly, past Cley at 0742h.

Yes, I know it's not a bird (and Wales should be on the west coast), but . . .
 
petehasset said:
Have u got your own transport now , as to your bit on Holt , try driving a large vehicle down prince of wales rd in Norwich on a thu fri or sat eve after 11pm & its idiots of all ages drunk in the road
Click to expand...

Yea mate got a new car on Saturday. Managed to see the Little Bittern thankfully.
Prince of Wales road is what I imagine driving through Delhi is like....just with more chavs and drunks than rickshaws and cattle!
 
Wails of anguish

Well, it is a homophone !

No sign of any large cetaceans past Sheringham, yet.

Were this to occur, I would breach the news immediately.
 
Red Kite and Black Swan west past S'ham at 0943h.

Bizarre combination: it could never make the title of a TV series in a million years !

The Kite wasn't even a window tick.
 
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There are, indeed, rollers; but they are further out, as the wind is offshore.

Sheringham is interesting: inasmuch as how often it is incorrectly spelled. It is nothing to do with shushing herrings. Think ‘Alan Shearer’:
“. . the ancient town of Sheringham, today known as Upper Sheringham, is the settlement listed in the Domesday book of 1086. The town was then know variously as Silingham, Siringham or Schyringham. As with many of Norfolk's town and villages, the name is of Scandinavian origin, meaning the 'home of Scira's people.'” (from http://www.poppyland.co.uk/index.php?s=SHERINGHAM)

As for dragons: everyone knows they became extinct in Europe in the Middle Ages and haven’t been seen since den.

Drive through the town this lunchtime and you will be able to more than sate yourself with frying fish, too.
 
Titchwell

Was back for the 3rd evening on the trot and had my best views yet of the Little Bittern although when viewing the bird I was still looking at it through reeds. A Little Stint and 7 Curlew Sands were in a small group of Dunlin on the freshmarsh, a spoonbill dropped in too and a pos Yellow-legged Gull was in a group of Large Gull spp.

Rob
 
John off to buy some stringy string from the stringing shop. Also a mammal trank from josh's general stores. I would also get a fictionary/dictionary from the local waterstones. However that was closed as nobody round here can either read or spell!
 
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Good morning guys, or it may well be the afternoon by the time I post this/anybody reads it.

Out of the desire to help my fellow man, but most properly an attempt to dull the pain of another 12 hour shift at work, I have decided to list together as many identification articles from the internet as possible into an index on my blog. I am unaware if there is such an index already in operation, although a couple of minutes searching produced nothing that i could see. I have found around 20 identification articles so far covering about 13 species/genus of British/vagrant birds. I was hoping that the lovely birding people of Norfolk and beyond could 'inbox' me any more useful articles/papers that they know of to add to the index. I appreciate that at first it may look a bit slim/experimental, but with a few more additions I hope that it could become a rather useful tool for birders still in the very early stages of learning like myself.

Thanks muchly guys and dolls and hope to hear from you all very soon.

http://showingwell.com/identification-articles/ Identification Article Index

Regards Kieran

Actually my middle name is John Robert, how does KJRN sound? anyone know where I can get my hands on a white T shirt and a George Micheal LP? All in Jest ;-)
 
Wonderful Norfolk

Just spent a wonderful week in Norfolk having seen many species and achieving 2 of my targetted 4 birds despite indifferent weather, heavy winds for three days and a wife and two dogs demanding my attention.

The first day started with an early morning trip to Snettisham to watch the fascinating flock formations which I am told was not particularly good. If that was a poor showing I cant wait to experience a good day!

During the course of the week I managed to combine day trips with birdwatching and feasted on the abundance of birds and wildlife generally.

Saw three different Barn Owls at two seperate locations one of which was hunting in the middle of the day. It was on the Sunday before the strong winds and rain set in so I am guessing that it was probably hunting to feed a second brood.

Thursday was the pinnacle of the week where a dawn start provided two Barn Owls hunting for an hour or so and a later trip to Cley presented me with Marsh Harrier, Hobby and Kestrel. Once back at our cottage an evening walk finished the day nicely with a Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl. Can you believe that at the time I was slightly dissappointed by the fact that at Cley a Peregrine had been seen throughout the morning but sadly it evaded me?

I can't wait to get back to Norfolk.
 

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