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Norfolk birding (11 Viewers)

Lesser golden plover

Looks a bit odd for a PGP with just the white shoulder patch, though the wings are short. I've not seen it yet (just back from France) but is this possibly an American?

I see where you are coming from.

Only a few flecks of white along the side, below the folded wings.
American GP would not show any white here(?).

Under the tail / vent.
There are many white feathers. Undertail is not black or dark enough for American GP.

Collins Guide says some Pacific GP are dark.

Perhaps a bit subjective but I would expect an American GP to be darker backed. This bird is more gold than black on it back.
 
Barn Owls in daytime are not as common on the North coast in summer as they are in late winter. However they are usually around in the evening along the Glaven valley, from Blakeney bank or the fields just North of Natuaral Surroundings at Glanford. Otherwise as said Salthouse Marsh. Probably the highest concentration is in the Burnham Norton area, just West of the bridge on the coast road. Best time is after a stormy or rainy night and morning.
Turtle Dove, two or three calling males on Kelling Heath. But please stick to the footpaths as other birds are breeding.
Hobby, nobody is going to put anything specific on a public forum, but the odd bird can sometimes be seen hunting over Cley/Salthouse in the evening.

John

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Hi John,

Thank-you for the reply; very helpful.

Understand entirely the point with regard to Hobby. I was concious of the request proving a little controversial with respect to safety and protection.

Thanks again.

Andy
 
Yes indeed. Last year there were two in the second week of May. Wood Sands tend to pass back from early July, so I guess that this was just a week or so early. I think there has been one at Buckenham/Strumpshaw quite recently too, so maybe even that one.



Barn Owls are common all along the North Norfolk coast. In previous years I have seen Barn Owl and Hobby from the garden of the Dun Cow pub at Salthouse, the village east of Cley. The only place I have seen Turtle Dove this year was at Choseley Drying Barns near Titchwell.

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Hi jim,

Thank-you for replying. Very much appreciated.

Andy
 
Hi All, I'm coming down for a family holiday in a couple of weeks but hoping to do some birding.mim staying Cley area and was hoping for some advice on finding a good spot for Barn Owl and, Hobby, Turtle Dove? Thanks. Andy

Turtle Dove this year seem to be patchy, but if you wander in a broad band 2-6km south of Burnham Market, wherever roads cross this area, a few ought to turn up, but given the recent downpours, they might have given up!
MJB
 
PGP and Sacred Ibis

The Pacific Golden Plover was showing well this morning - pity it hadn't read the field guides and lacked a good white/barred flank strip, still the tertials were long, the undertail coverts were not pure black as in the American GP a few years back (see John's photo in earlier post).

The Sacred Ibis was on Pope's Marsh this afternoon showing very well from the coast road. Someone said that this bird has cleared out colonies of Natterjack Toads and frogs on its travels but all I saw it eating was slugs (as in this shot) and snails.
 

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Holy cow ! Is nothing Sacred ?

The Sacred Ibis . . I saw it eating was slugs (as in this shot) and snails.

Just as well there were no puppy dogs in the vicinity ! As Dave said, it was feeding well, seen from the coast road towards the eastern end of Walsey Hills NOA. I couldn’t ID the species of slug, from his photo, though.

It seems to be missing an alarming amount of feathers ‘on top’: is this moult, or what ?

A walk around Walsey produced a mere half-dozen butterflies. There is a worrying paucity of these this summer.
 

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The Sacred Ibis was on Pope's Marsh this afternoon showing very well from the coast road. I see Steve G. has this down as a wild bird, presumably from the French feral population, so a tick if accepted. Someone said that this bird has cleared out colonies of Natterjack Toads and frogs on its travels but all I saw it eating was slugs (as in this shot) and snails.

Quite a striking bird, great shot as well!
Presumably the same bird that resided in Holkham/Burnham Overy earlier in the year?
Amazing bird to see close up, first time I bumped into it was from the Burnham Overy sea wall....the Ibis being close to Holkham pines! Not ideal views.....
 
Titchwell June 25th

Today’s highlights

Spotted redshank – 16 on fresh marsh
Knot – 2000 on fresh marsh
Little gull – 8 on fresh marsh
Med gull – 1st summer on fresh marsh
Green sandpiper – 2 on fresh marsh
Bittern – feeding flights over the reedbed all day

Paul
 
The Pacific Golden Plover was showing well this morning - pity it hadn't read the field guides and lacked a good white/barred flank strip, still the tertials were long, the undertail coverts were not pure black as in the American GP a few years back (see John's photo in earlier post).

The Sacred Ibis was on Pope's Marsh this afternoon showing very well from the coast road. I see Steve G. has this down as a wild bird, presumably from the French feral population, so a tick if accepted. Someone said that this bird has cleared out colonies of Natterjack Toads and frogs on its travels but all I saw it eating was slugs (as in this shot) and snails.

At the risk of sounding sceptical (moi?) why might this be thought to be from France? Surely we are going to need a ringed bird to prove that! Or is it a case of all UK captive birds being rung therefore an unrung bird is 'le vrai affaire'

GH

Bye the bye, I believe we are getting at least some French birds, just how to prove it without a ring, unless an unprecedented influx? Have we had that this year? Possibly! (must stop answering myself
 
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At the risk of sounding sceptical (moi?) why might this be thought to be from France? Surely we are going to need a ringed bird to prove that! Or is it a case of all UK captive birds being rung therefore an unrung bird is 'le vrai affaire'

GH

Bye the bye, I believe we are getting at least some French birds, just how to prove it without a ring, unless an unprecedented influx? Have we had that this year? Possibly! (must stop answering myself

Surely all the legal bird jailers keep their birds close-ringed so that any escapees can be recognised (or not). As the French population grows the percentage that is ringed will get smaller so making it even harder to prove vagrancy from the feral population.

So why is this bird from France? I haven't a clue where it is from but that is the nearest feral population. If it isn't an escape then that is probably the most likely source. :t:

I went to see it because the editor of BW suggested it 'seems to be an unringed, wild bird', it was posing for photos and 5 miles didn't add too much to my carbon footprint. It was better than cutting the hedge but that still had to be done when I got back home. B :)

Scepticism is good.
 
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Surely all the legal bird jailers keep their birds close-ringed so that any escapees can be recognised (or not). As the French population grows the percentage that is ringed will get smaller so making it even harder to prove vagrancy from the feral population.

So why is this bird from France? I haven't a clue where it is from but that is the nearest feral population. If it isn't an escape then that is probably the most likely source. :t:

I went to see it because the editor of BW suggested it was a wild bird, it was posing for photos and 5 miles didn't add too much to my carbon footprint. It was better than cutting the hedge but that still had to be done when I got back home. B :)

Scepticism is good.

To be fair the actual quote is: 'this seems to be an unringed, wild bird!'
Note the 'seems' and the exclamation mark!
 
Well I made it up to Cley this evening in time to see the PGP before some muppets in powered parachutes flew over and flushed everying, two hours later there was no further sign of it. Nice supporting cast including five spoonbill and an nice adult Med gull on the beach. Also had two red kite between Fakenham and Holt.

Added some dodgy record shots of the plover...
 

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