• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk birding (9 Viewers)

Cheers for that James. As Simeon said, the light was appalling, so there was no chance of separating it from a hybrid even if we had known how to! On the other hand, the light was so rubbish that the wing panel had to be pretty obvious for us to have picked it out at all... Pity the bird wasn't refound today. Maybe next year ;)

Out of interest where was this bird.

I had a female/imm male with pale wing panel near the pool.

Sean
 
Thanks Simon, will have a look at that when I have time tomorrow.

Sean, the bird was on the edge of the dell, by the black bench.
 
Anyone seen the Little Bunting at Thornham today?

Reading the RBA website in my lunch at work today, it was frustrating to read "Little Bunting, Wood Warbler, Redstart and 4 Pied Flycatchers and a Hen Harrier" ALL at Thornham Point!!!!!:eek!:
 
Did Denver Sluice this morning. Not a lot to report, but a few bits and peices going over and around 50 Song Thrushes in the hedgerows, so some stuff is moving inland.
 
Hi, this is my first post. I have had some problems getting my account up and running which fortunately has now been resolved - hence the delay in posting this item.

The reason for my post is related to the articles re. samamisicus Redstart and possible 'Eastern' Bonelli's Warbler and the dilemma I am having in identifying a warbler I saw on Blakeney Point on Tuesday morning, the likely suspects of which all share similar ranges.

I came across the warbler as I was walking along the shingle ridge. It was standing on the shingle, which in itself struck me as odd however after watching for c.10-15 seconds it flew up and landed briefly on top of some 'tangly' vegetation where I was able to get some further views. What was immediately striking to me was the obvious 'greyish' tones above. I also noticed a long bill, large size - bigger than Garden Warbler almost wagtail-like in stance if that makes sense, contrasting pale wing panel and white edges to its tail feathers. It also had traces of a white supercilium. Its underparts were white, no obvious markings and overall the bird had quite a 'clean' appearance with some buffy overtones particularly to its upperparts and head. When perched its head appeared more rounded than when it was on the ground however this could just have been the angle it was sitting at and the fact that the bird was front-on. After c.5-10 seconds, the bird flew south towards the marshes and out of view, so I simply made a note of its features to check later.

If anyone has any thoughts on what this could have been please let me know.
 
If this should be a different thread then somebody feel free to move it but I'm going to be in Norfolk for a weekend's birding and it's my first visit. We're staying at a friend's in Heacham apparently and I wondered if anybody had any suggestions for where to spend Saturday and Sunday looking at the weather. I can't wait to visit some of the reserves I always hear about and to be honest any of the commoner Norfolk birds'll be good birds for me. Any advice would be much appreciated.
 
I'm sure stuff is moving inland jimmyg; no doubt a lot of small migrants follow hedgerows inland after making landfall at the coast and regaining some energy reserves. There have been good numbers of Song Thrush and Robins in a small wood on the edge of North Walsham during the last few days as well as 'over the top' Siskins. This is about 5 miles from the coast. A single Redstart was here too yesterday. Unfortunately not been able to hit the coast as such but did have a Pied Fly close to the garden at Happisburgh on Tuesday.

Picathartes, good luck in your quest to put a name to your mystery Warbler. Follow this link and compare what you saw to Steve Gantlett's recent photographs of Icterine Warbler.

Atb,

James
 
Last edited:
Titchwell September 30th

Today's highlights - another cracking day

Barred warbler - 1 on west side of main path, 50yds south of the Meadow Trail late afternoon although very elusive
Yellow browed warbler - 1 in picnic area but mobile
Grey phalarope - 1 on tidal pool showing well
Spotted flycatcher - 1 in carpark
Pied flycatcher - 1 in picnic area
Lapland bunting - 16 west @ 09:50
Bittern - 1 in flight over main path
Hen harrier - ringtail east over reserve
Redstart - 1 at Thornham Point
Little stint - 4 on fresh marsh

Paul
 
If this should be a different thread then somebody feel free to move it but I'm going to be in Norfolk for a weekend's birding and it's my first visit. We're staying at a friend's in Heacham apparently and I wondered if anybody had any suggestions for where to spend Saturday and Sunday looking at the weather. I can't wait to visit some of the reserves I always hear about and to be honest any of the commoner Norfolk birds'll be good birds for me. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Anything vaguely Norfolk related gets put in this thread, so I think you're safe!

The latest weather I've looked at suggested a fine Saturday then rain on Sunday. I would recommending to Holme and Titchwell on Saturday as both have a good mix of habitats and you should get a decent number of resident and migrant species. If it does rain on Sunday you have the option to look for migrants in Wells Woods or look out over the marshes from Cley NWT visitors centre and hides. Cley also does decent lunches. Away from the coast there is a small hide at Flitcham Abbey Farm where you can spend an hour or too, which is good for Little Owl, Grey Partridge and raptors.
 
Still good numbers of birds on the coast today with a check of the patch between Cromer and Trimingham producing Yellow-browed Warbler, Lapland Bunting, Ring Ouzel, 5 Redstarts, 4 Spotted Flys, 4 Pied Flys, loads of Song Thrushes and Robins, Bramblings, Siskins, a few Wheatears, Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat and Reed Buntings.

A Common Swift over Cromer y'day evening was a good latish record too.

Simon
 
Still good numbers of birds on the coast today with a check of the patch between Cromer and Trimingham producing Yellow-browed Warbler, Lapland Bunting, Ring Ouzel, 5 Redstarts, 4 Spotted Flys, 4 Pied Flys, loads of Song Thrushes and Robins, Bramblings, Siskins, a few Wheatears, Blackcaps, Lesser Whitethroat and Reed Buntings.

A Common Swift over Cromer y'day evening was a good latish record too.

Simon
Yes seemed like there was another arrival yesterday afternoon, 13 Redstart, 36 Wheatear, 6 Whinchat, 3 Stonechat, 3 Garden Warblers, Lesser White, Hen Harrier over the Marsh. Also Ring Ouzel and YBW the day before. Winds now coming strongly from SE
 
Last edited:
James aka Frootshoot, thanks for the pics of Icterine Warbler.

Still having problems reconciling with the bird I saw due to the very obvious grey tones to the upperparts and contrasting wing-panel, large appearance and bill.

I saw the bird best when it was on the ground as it was side on and it just struck me as something different. The view on the vegetation was of the front of the bird. When it flew off, the white lines down the outer tail feathers were very obvious. The tail appeared dark not brown, hence why the white outer feathers were so visible.

I appreciate that plumages can vary a lot particularly at this time of year, my first Icterine Warbler was a very worn individual so perhaps this will have to be assigned as 'one that got away'. On sideways views the bird closely resembles the image of OTW in Collins however given that this bird is extremely unlikely, I dismissed the bird as 'obviously' being something different. Given the comments re. Redstart and Bonelli's Warbler, it made me wonder...!

Thanks for trying to help me out.

Mike
 
Anything vaguely Norfolk related gets put in this thread, so I think you're safe!

The latest weather I've looked at suggested a fine Saturday then rain on Sunday. I would recommending to Holme and Titchwell on Saturday as both have a good mix of habitats and you should get a decent number of resident and migrant species. If it does rain on Sunday you have the option to look for migrants in Wells Woods or look out over the marshes from Cley NWT visitors centre and hides. Cley also does decent lunches. Away from the coast there is a small hide at Flitcham Abbey Farm where you can spend an hour or too, which is good for Little Owl, Grey Partridge and raptors.

Cheers for the advice, I think I'll definitely do Titchwell and Abbey Farm sounds like a good idea as Grey Partridge would be a lifer! (blame it on living in London :-O) If I can't get my mum out of bed early enough I think I'll also do Heacham beach and maybe Snettisham GP on the advice of JimmyG if I can get there by my own steam. And if it does start chucking it down Cley seems like a good option, definitely if they do good lunches! Cheers for the advice.
 
Inland movements

I'm sure stuff is moving inland jimmyg; no doubt a lot of small migrants follow hedgerows inland after making landfall at the coast and regaining some energy reserves. There have been good numbers of Song Thrush and Robins in a small wood on the edge of North Walsham during the last few days as well as 'over the top' Siskins. This is about 5 miles from the coast. A single Redstart was here too yesterday. Unfortunately not been able to hit the coast as such but did have a Pied Fly close to the garden at Happisburgh on Tuesday.

Picathartes, good luck in your quest to put a name to your mystery Warbler. Follow this link and compare what you saw to Steve Gantlett's recent photographs of Icterine Warbler.

Atb,

James

Good numbers of Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock appeared out of the dull sky on Wednesday over Holt, upsetting the residents in their winter territories. Yesterday, seven Common Buzzards in trail at lowish level soaring drifting south-southeast, a couple of Sparrowhawks keeping to a determined course and a quick smallish distant falcon silhouetted behind a thin hedge, again on southerly heading. Today, the common birds are squabbling as the newcomers try to find somewhere to rest and feed - a lot of activity in the hedgerows. Wind picking up from the south-west, so maybe we'll hang on to the numbers for a day or so.
 
Titchwell October 1st

Today's highlights - the calm after the storm

Hen harrier - ringtail over saltmarsh
Little stint - 1 on fresh marsh
Velvet scoter - 2 with 500 common scoter
Snow bunting - 3 over dunes

Paul
 
Wells Woods and other where

Gramboro’ held a small group, hoping to get Barred. They were positioned far too close to where it was feeding yesterday- and I’m not sure there are berries in the bramble patch. Apparently it did emerge later.

There was also an interestingly-shaped mushroom here.

Birds look to have left overnight, while it was clear.

Friary was quiet. The westernmost track at Warham Greens similar, although a ringtail Hen Harrier was quartering far out on the saltmarsh.

The best, I left ‘til last: Pied & Spotted Flycatchers and a (silent) Yellow-browed Warbler, on the eastern edge of the Dell.
 

Attachments

  • 002sm.jpg
    002sm.jpg
    310.4 KB · Views: 102
  • 012sm.jpg
    012sm.jpg
    327.9 KB · Views: 149
Re Dave's #9793 - map of Wells Woods

I agree.

Many birders, and not just the visiting ones, would benefit from an accurate, birding-direction-giving map of Wells Woods.

If they were in the US, there would be ground markers of various colours, probably numbered indicating the different trails- and exactly where one was! We can't expect this from the Hike-em (prices-up) Estate.

Perhaps we could create similar, by using the existing features- gates, benches (need to be careful of confusion), etc- as people have been doing on an ad hoc basis ?

I'm sure someone out there has the skills. This could be an ongoing process, too, with an unalterable master copy posted and suggestions for additions on-line, which then could be incorporated.

October's here, when this place come into its own.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top