Norfolk birding (15 Viewers)

Lightthiscandle · Jun 30, 2009

Just back from Marsham Heath: FANTASTIC!!!! The 'jars were churring well before dusk, and flying in good light at close range (We stood on the path, having put a handkerchief out on a bush: they really did come to it!) There were six of us there and we agreed there were 5 Nightjars active!

PYRTLE · Jul 1, 2009

Lightthiscandle said:
Hi Robert!
Generally speaking, Skua passage starts in August on the North Coast....
Where did you see the Marsh Helleborines? They used to be a feature of Wells Dell, but seem to have disappeared.

There are still a few at the Dell as we write, however I counted over five hundred spikes yesterday at Holme NWT. some in really tip top condition but a few days more should see them at their best. 1st summer little gull also at this site

JCLynn · Jul 1, 2009

Tim Allwood said:
there's a dead Harbour poropise 3/4 mile south of end of Nelson Head Track on the beach.

bit gruesome but very fresh - see http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=59919

worth a look if you're nearby

Tim

Firstly, the post I am quoting is old news, I just came accross it while having a browse through postings.
From 1985 - 2002, I found 4 dead porpoise(s) between nelson head and winterton. This post from 2006 points to an approx 1 dead on the beach every couple of years, could be more. I have never seen a porpoise showing while sea watching in the area, maybe others have? You get a lot of odds and sods on the strandline human rubbish and natural stuff like the odd dead auk sp, so my guess is that the currents in the north sea at this point favour beaching of miscelaeneous flotsom. This is also the only area along our 'local' coast where I have seen eider and long tailed ducks very close in on the surf sometimes only a few feet from the beach.

SueBryan · Jul 1, 2009

Hi Penny

Like most people I was glued to the tennis and so frustratingly arrived at Back Lane, Pott Row (less than 2 miles from my home) too late for the Bee-eater (I spied you down the end of the lane). However I went to see Dave Abdulla (a former Narvos chairman) whose bungalow backs onto the field and who found the bird. He watched it for a short while before it flew off. I also checked it out again the following morning without any luck. Grrrrr.........

Hi HarassedDad

I have walked Back Lane Pott Row this afternoon taking about 30 mins and saw

18 Meadow Brown
7 Ringlets
6 Large White
6 Tortoiseshell Butterflies

When I get back from Sicily I will do a Butterfly transect in Pott Row and let you know how I get on.
PS Enjoyed the Large Blue Butterflies in Somerset last week!
Sue

Happisbirder · Jul 1, 2009

Hickling South Wall up to the public hide was rather quiet this (mid/late) morning with Hobby, Green Sandpiper, Curlew, 2-3 Ruff, c20 Avocet, c160 Black-tailed Godwits, 4 Cuckoo's (inc. a flock of 3) and 1S Little Gull being the highlights. Also c4 Swallowtails were on the wing as the sun tried to breakout. Other sightings elsewhere locally were a pair of Spotted Flycatchers and 2 Turtle Doves, one of which was a singing male...

James

HarassedDad · Jul 1, 2009

Sue, many thanks. Another tetrad ticked, only 401 left!

Happisbirder · Jul 2, 2009

HarassedDad said:
Sue, many thanks. Another tetrad ticked, only 401 left!

Andy, is there anywhere online where unsurveyed tetrads can be viewed? If not, would you be able to post a list of them on here? I'm sure you get some counts back...

James

ChrisBish · Jul 2, 2009

cheersm8 said:
I have never seen a porpoise showing while sea watching in the area, maybe others have?

I've regularly seen Harbour Porpoise off Winterton during the summer, even when just on "family days out", though I didn't look last year. I've also seen them from Waxham, Horsey, Caister and Great Yarmouth so I've always assumed this area was very good for Harbour Porpoise!

Chris

JCLynn · Jul 2, 2009

ChrisBish said:
I've regularly seen Harbour Porpoise off Winterton during the summer, even when just on "family days out", though I didn't look last year. I've also seen them from Waxham, Horsey, Caister and Great Yarmouth so I've always assumed this area was very good for Harbour Porpoise!

Chris

Thanks Chris, From the feedback I have received so far it seems like I have just not been looking, so now, I've put 'harbour porpoise' on my 'tick list' for this year and I'm fairly confident in getting a sighting. I'm glad that I made the post now, otherwise I might not have bothered.

Lightthiscandle · Jul 3, 2009

Osprey north over Blofield Heath around 11.00am

Paul Eele · Jul 3, 2009

Titchwell July 3rd

Today's highlights

Marsh harrier - 6 fledged juveniles over reedbed
Spotted redshank - 5 on fresh marsh
Little ringed plover - 1 on fresh marsh
Hobby - 1 over reedbed

Paul

stuart white · Jul 4, 2009

£6.73 well spent today, got to the buxton hide at welney at 5.44pm. Saw the caspian tern for all of 15 seconds before it flew off. I don't think its been seen since !! Think the £6.73 would have seemed a lot if I'd got there at 5.46pm !!

HarassedDad · Jul 5, 2009

Frootshoot said:
Andy, is there anywhere online where unsurveyed tetrads can be viewed? If not, would you be able to post a list of them on here? I'm sure you get some counts back...

James

I'm in the middle of putting together a website. At the moment going to www.norfolkbutterflies.co.uk gives you a simple list of OS squares that you can click on and see which tetrads have data

http://www.norfolkbutterflies.co.uk/TF50.html

for example. Hopefully it will be more user-friendly shortly.

Lightthiscandle · Jul 5, 2009

Hi!
I'd love to add reports for Blofield Heath (TG 333 115) but I can't work out what tetrad that's in! There doesn't seem to be a connection betwen the O/S ref and the numbers on the large map on your site
David

Penny Clarke · Jul 5, 2009

Stonking views of the CASPIAN TERN this morning at Welney at 10.40am from Buxton Hide both in flight and snoozing amongst black headed gulls - stunning bird - got several half decent shots too! Black tailed godwits, 1 ruff. Little Ringed Plover and young yellow wags from main hide at Welney.

5 Turtle doves around Ten Mile Bank along with a few greenfinches.

Tree Creeper at Fordham.

Pentney Gravel Pits 1.45pm - 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Common Tern, loads of greylags and egyptian geese.

Best Wishes Penny:girl:

P.S. CASPIAN TERN now at Wiggenhall St. Germans on sandbank viewable from Crown+Anchor pub + showing well - 3.30pm.

jimbob · Jul 5, 2009

Sat out late last night with friends who live near New Buckenham. Never heard or seen one before, but a Quail was singing around 12am. Fantastic! Quite a few records appearing on RBA, is it a Quail Year?
Cheers,
Jim.

Mark43 · Jul 5, 2009

Just a quick round up of the better stuff on my 3 days in Norfolk.

3/7/09

Lakenheath - 2 G.Orioles tail chasing,Bittern flying.
Lynford -Firecrest, 2 Spotted Fly and surprisingly a pair of Hawfinches in the paddocks.

4/7/09

Cley-Spoonbills
Stiffkey-Green Sand
Swanton Novers-2 Honey Buzzards at 2.50pm thermalling high
East Barsham-2 Tawny Owls

5/7/09

Somewhere- Male Montagu's Harrier dropping food into the nest then sat on a tree-female nearby also-fantastic.
Titchwell-2 Red Kite over then drifting South
East Barsham-Tree Sparrows

Several Turtle Doves,3 different Little Owls and many Bearded Tits also over the 3 days.

Great 3 (very hot ) days.

Birding Bob · Jul 6, 2009

Buff Breasted Sandpiper at Cley!

Ready

Steady

Cook :-O

I mean Go.

HarassedDad · Jul 6, 2009

Lightthiscandle said:
Hi!
I'd love to add reports for Blofield Heath (TG 333 115) but I can't work out what tetrad that's in! There doesn't seem to be a connection betwen the O/S ref and the numbers on the large map on your site
David

To convert a grid ref to a tetrad reference you need to truncate it to 4 digits (so TG 33 11) and then round each pair down to the previous even number if it's not already even - (so 33 goes to 32 and 11 to 10 - so Blofield is in TG3210).

This works because tetrads are 2km by 2km squares ie they hold 4 OS 1km squares. By convention you quote the bottom left square but the tetrad TG3210 includes the OS 1km squares TG3210, TG3310, TG3211 and TG3311.

But submit the record with the full 6 figure ref - we only use the tetrads to define what areas need coverage.

Colin · Jul 6, 2009

HarassedDad said:
To convert a grid ref to a tetrad reference you need to truncate it to 4 digits (so TG 33 11) and then round each pair down to the previous even number if it's not already even - (so 33 goes to 32 and 11 to 10 - so Blofield is in TG3210).

This works because tetrads are 2km by 2km squares ie they hold 4 OS 1km squares. By convention you quote the bottom left square but the tetrad TG3210 includes the OS 1km squares TG3210, TG3310, TG3211 and TG3311.

But submit the record with the full 6 figure ref - we only use the tetrads to define what areas need coverage.

TG31F?

Norfolk birding (15 Viewers)

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