• 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.

ANOTHER Norfolk / Suffolk info Request...(please) (1 Viewer)

StevieEvans

Well-known member
Hello

Visiting for the weekend - May 22-23.

We are certainly visiting the well known locations for Stone Curlew & Golden Oriole, but would like to try to locate the following species :-

Cettis Warbler
Nightingale
Montagus Harrier
Honey Buzzard
Hobby
Nightjar
Dartford Warbler ?

We would like info on Minsmere too, but this may mean coming back down another weekend !

Thanks in anticipation

Steve & Julia.
 
I've seen Cetti's at Strumpshaw Fen and Darford Warblers at Dunwich heath. There's a good Nightjar site at Sandringham.
 
Hey Stevie

Cettis Warbler - Strumpsgaw, Buckenham
Nightingale - Salthouse Heath at second crossroads is excellent
Montagus Harrier - North Wootton used to be the spot and the birds were warened 24-7 so no danger there, not sure if they still breed there though
Honey Buzzard - Raptor watchpoint at Swanton Novers or Great Ryburgh will produce these in good weather
Hobby - As above plus you could bump into one anywhere almost
Nightjar - Salthouse Heath or any likely spot in the brecks
Dartford Warbler - Dunwich Heath - not too easy though
 
I would think that Cettis W, Nightingale, Dartford W, Nightjar and probably Hobby would all be fairly easy to see in the Minsmere, Westleton & Dunwich heath area (about a 3 mile radius of minsmere). Probably not much chance of Honey Buzzard or Monty's although I did have a Honey B in off the sea last year!
I'm going again bank holiday weekend (along with all the world and his brother I expect) and will expect to see Cettis W, Nightingale, Dartford W, Nightjar, Hobby along with Woodlark, Bittern, Bearded Tit and lots of other good birds. May stop off in the Brecks on the way back.

Have a good trip wherever you decide.

Nick
 
Cheers!

Will be setting off 3PM on Friday & hope to get to Salthouse for the Njar & Ngale, if traffic's slow then we'll stop at Sandringham area for the Njars.

First thing Saturday hope to see the Orioles & then St.Curlew, Woodlark etc.

...........still thinking where to head next.......?

Maybe head across to Dunwich/Minsmere areas for rest of the day?
& start Sunday morning at Strumpshaw/Buuckenham.
Then head to Fakenham area for the Honey Buzzard sites.
North Coast for rest of day, ending at Salthouse for dusk.

Drive back in the dark on auto-pilot.

Thanks again for your assistance guys.
Will let you know how we fare.

PS. Tim any Well known LEO sites?

SE.
 
As others have said - Cetti's, nightingale, dartford warbler are all easy in Minsmere area and very good chance of hobby. All birds in your list (except monty's) are doable in Norfolk, if you go up through Fakenham area and then along the coast (if you wanted to give Minsmere a miss).
The honey buzzard site at Rybrugh is as close to reliable as you'll get - should also get hobby, common buzzard, and who knows what else (osprey have been almost regular this week).
The Monty's site at North Wootton is not really any use now - few years since there have been a pair in the area - more reliable sites are outside Norfolk/Suffolk.
If you go up to Salthouse for nightjar, you should stop of at Walsey Hills where Cetti's is fairly easy (just be patient with them) - you could also get some other interesting birds in the area.
 
If you stop at Sandringham for the Nightjars I may see you,will be there myself Friday evening.If you want excellent views this is the place to be.
 
Thanks a LOT.

Very Enjoyable Weekend with 142 species

2 Lifers - Purple Heron (fluked itjust befor getting into car!) & Golden Orioles & 2 Brit ticks - Cettis down to 4metres & Dartfords, a pair down to 4 metres feeding young at the nest.

Saw 82 species in 5 hours at Minsmere on Sunday aftnoon/evening.

Other Yearticks (15 in total) were:-

Hobby, Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Woodlark, Stone Curlew, Nightjar, WWBTern, 9 Dotterel, 2 Spotted Crake, Little Stint, Curlew Sands.

Saw Buzzard ssp at Grt Ryb. but not well enough to id, but that was about the only thing we 'missed'
Got info on breeding Montagus Harriers too.

Once again thank you all for Your help.

Regards SE.
 
Hi Steve,

Glad you had a good weekend - you have my sympathies re: Greater Ryburgh.... spent a couple of hours there myself last Friday and views were 'distant' to put it mildly!

Interested in the Dotterel and Spotted Crake.... was that at Waxham??


Rgds... Ruby
 
Is the Honey Buzzard spot at Great Ryburgh related in anyway to the famed one at Swanton Novers? Are they close together, an extension of the same site? Any preferences?
The reason I ask is that it's just possible that on my annual trip away from my North Atlantic Rock next week I might actually set foot in Norfolk for the first time and I'd be very interested in seeing Honey Buzzard, amongst other things

Sounded a great trip by the way Stevie: Nightjar, Golden Oriole and Dotterel would have been much wanted lifers for me!

E
 
Edward said:
Is the Honey Buzzard spot at Great Ryburgh related in anyway to the famed one at Swanton Novers? Are they close together, an extension of the same site? Any preferences?

The Ryburgh site is not far from the site at Swanton Novers and both have been getting daily sittings of honey buzzard for the last couple of weeks. Personally I prefer the Ryburgh site - you seem to get more other raptors while you wait for the honeys. I two trips up there in the last week I've had honey and common buzzard, kestral, sparrowhawk, hobby, marsh harrier and osprey. If you do make it over good luck with the honeys, although daily they are somewhat unpredictable.
 
Thanks for that poscardcv. I'll definitely try both sites out next weekend. I suppose there are easier ways to see Honey Buzzard than visit Britain (e.g. go to Israel or Gibraltar during passage) but it beats waiting for one to turn up here!

E
 
StevieEvans said:
Got info on breeding Montagus Harriers too.
Any chance of a PM on those Monty's Harriers? I tried to PM you but apparently your folder is full and no one can PM you.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top