Norfolk birding (40 Viewers)

Andy Musgrove said:

That would be great, thanks Irene. I'm sure you'll pull Little Owl out of the bag for us at least!

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Sooo, no pressure then!

I would be very grateful if the Mods don't delete this post as it will help me out please - I know several people on this thread and just wanted to let people know why etc I have not posted much/or will be in next days/weeks. Wanted to post why on my blog but can't - see below:

My Applemac is absolutuly CR*P - can't afford to buy another computer of any kind. My computer friend still can't solve all the problems. Firefox crashes all the time, using Safari but that crashes too on SOME things eg can post on here I have just discovered, BUT cannot sign into my blog - crashes every time. But to be honest I don't give a monkeys about this cra*p computer or anything else right now as I have had one of the worst, most distressing weeks of my life.

On my mother's 70th birthday on Tuesday 9th, she had to call the doctor as my father became extremely dizzy/ill post a cold virus - doctor came out and diagnosed a kind of inner ear balance problem connected with cold and prescribed/administered tablets. Mother also that day developed the same horrible cold virus that tons of people have had recently. Went to see them, father looked ok to me and mother looked terrible. Next day after mother returns home with groceries mid day (both parents are the most stubborn, independent people ever and mother would not let me shop for her). Phoned parents lunch time - both ok but quote from father 'can't chat - got to help mother unpack shopping' - 2pm phone call to me at work - father fallen in hall, possible broken hip, paramedics etc etc. Joined parents in hospital - horrible, horrible, distressing time, father terrified, never been in hospital ever apart from catarract operation and the only reason he agreed to that was because it was his photography eye!!!! X-ray proved broken hip, father pleading with me to take him home. Settled him on ward, well not really.... took mother home, went back to hospital etc etc. Work next day - operation for partial hip replacement late Thursday pm, back onto ward, fine for first 20 minutes, then massive hallucinations, confused, anger, distress, pulling oxygen off and all kinds of stuff, extremely distressing to see my father in this state. Still confused today but not quite so angry tonight (Friday). I have cried so much I can't cry any more.:-C

So, no birding this weekend.

Will post again when life becomes normal.

Penny:-C

Penny, so sorry to hear about your disastrous week and I'm sure everyone will, like me, be wishing your father the best and hoping for his swift recovery. Hang in there,

Penny; I'm new around here, but you can be reassured that all of us humans meet these dark places at sometime during our lives and that there is always light at the end of the tunnel - NOT, as cynics say, from the train that's coming!
Crying's good, anger's good - because it gets better from then on.
Sorry too about your Apple - I use one (always have) and I used to have 'issues' with the old one. Time for some retail therapy, perhaps?
Remember the birds are always out there. Spring's coming.

Johnners

Andy Musgrove said:

OK, next square in need of a bit of winter help is TG22, which is the one containing Coltishall, Buxton and the south edge of North Walsham. Anyone live around here? Not that far from the north side of Norwich either. There's some decent patches of woodland, and the upper reaches of the Bure Valley.

The omissions for this square aren't quite so major as for TG24, but there should be the chance of getting a few more dots on the maps. Quite a few waterbirds missing that could be present along the valley - no Wigeon, Shoveler, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe (must be along the river somewhere), Bittern, Water Rail, etc. Now that spring is approaching, there must also be an excellent chance of Oystercatcher being present, whilst the wide open spaces around Coltishall airfield seem a reasonable bet for a Peregrine perhaps. One missing species here is Little Owl, which has got to be present somewhere but can take a little finding (perhaps by an evening visit). Might the woods near North Walsham hold Crossbill, or still harbour LS Woodpecker (I've a feeling I remember someone reporting one from this area some time over the last few years?) Finally, still no Waxwing for the square...

Again, please help if you can - thanks!

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I live not too far away from there and in the last two years i have had: Red Kite, Mealy Redpoll, Stone Curlew, Little Egret, Common tern, Little Owl, Whimbrel, Crossbill, Redshank, Oystercatcher etc etc (80 sps) over my tiny garden ... i have also walked the areas listed so I will log on and submit the details asap!

sacha said:

I live not too far away from there and in the last two years i have had: Red Kite, Mealy Redpoll, Stone Curlew, Little Egret, Common tern, Little Owl, Whimbrel, Crossbill, Redshank, Oystercatcher etc etc (80 sps) over my tiny garden ... i have also walked the areas listed so I will log on and submit the details asap!

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Hi Sacha - this is great. Are you definitely within the TG22 square? If so, I will abort my possible evening visit to try to find Little Owls this weekend.

Even if you're not within TG22, that's a great haul of birds, and I'm sure they would add a few dots to the atlas maps, so yes please do get the records in.

Cheers

Andy

2 Marsh Tits ringed at Bates Wood this morning (photo attached). 5 Siskins and a Redpoll flew over calling, and back at home 4 Bullfinch and 2 Yellowhammer flew over.

Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Strumpshaw y'day?!?!?!?!

David Norgate said:

Hume's Yellow-browed Warbler at Strumpshaw y'day?!?!?!?!

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I was working at Strumpshaw yesterday and didnt hear any reports of this one! Where and at what time was it seen?

4 otters were seen by a visitor in the front of Fen hide. Ive been working at Strumpshaw for over 4 years and am still waiting to see one. I live in hope - obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time.:cat:

sunday sightings

snettisham

2 shore larks
13 snow buntings
twite heard


hunstanton

7 long-tailed ducks
several velvet scoters and eiders in the common scoter flock
2 red-breasted mergansers


chosely

30-40 corn buntings
15-20 yellowhammers
3 ruff
15 buzzards - 11 in one thermal to the south of the barns - the most I've ever seen together in Norfolk. Another 4 over a wood to the west

gordon

Finally been persuaded to put all my records into BirdTrack so I spent 2 hours this afternoon putting in my first 10 or so records. I've got 2 years worth of survey data from one site to put in - it's going to take a while! Also some interesting records from Denver Sluice...it should be rewarding in the end (I hope)!

We caught a Jay this morning at Bates Wood which was the first I've ever seen in the hand. I will soon put a picture or two on my website... Interesting to note that we caught a total of 71 birds over the weekend - 35 of which were Great Tits!

I sought the Chiff from the Chaff; and Eider down

With a bright blue sky beckoning, I decided to have a walk around Muckleburgh. Nothing much took my attention until I was near the runway, when I heard a Chiffchaff calling. However, as I approached, it dried up. I waited 5 minutes, but it remained silent. As I walked away, it started up again- only to stop as I retraced my steps ! This happened twice- at which I gave up.

Casting a disconsolate eye over the sea, I saw a flock of Eider flying east. They drew level with the Hill and then pitched down, almost one-by-one and from the rear of the flock. There were about 30, about 20 of which were drakes.

The beach car park at Salthouse held possibly 80 Snow Buntings today, although they were hard to count and very mobile. Gramboro’ was Chat-less and the Reed Buntings had dropped in number to a couple. The photo shows just how smart they are.

Friary was very quiet. The obliging Dunnock enables us to appreciate its intricate plumage. It’s just as well it’s not a rarity- I wouldn’t like to have to write a description for this. The eastern accentors at least have striking head patterns.

3 Goosander and scaup plus flocks of siskin at Whitlingham today.

Andy Musgrove said:

Hi all

There's just a couple of weeks left until the end of winter no 3 for the current Bird Atlas project. We've identified a few gaps that SURELY someone can fill, possibly just by looking at their notebook, or possibly by a short saunter this weekend.

Firstly, does anyone regularly watch the coast between East Runton and Overstrand, including Cromer. There's a little sliver of a 10km square here - TG24. There's not a lot of water in it (apart from the North Sea that is) - just a few ponds according to the OS map, but surely there's a Mallard and a Moorhen in it somewhere? These haven't been recorded yet for this square. Just think of the glory if you could provide those dots for the atlas maps! Seriously, there's quite a few other surprising omissions from the list recorded for this square in winter so far, including Common Scoter, Buzzard, Coot, Golden Plover, Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Tawny Owl, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Fieldfare, Goldcrest, Marsh Tit, Siskin and Yellowhammer, to name but a few. There must be someone who watches this area regularly?

You can submit records online via http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/, or if that's not your cup of tea then let me know and we'll post you some paper forms.

More Norfolk squares to follow...

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Hi Andy

Thats part of my patch and should be able to add most of the above, and I'll also have a look round over the next week or so for any that I haven't specifically noted down.

Regards

Simon

Decided to go and see as much as I could today after a stressful week. Once again a few good birds changed my mood.

Followed up the record of a bittern at Colney more in hope than expectation.

Decided to walk down to the river from the car park off one of the Bowthorpe roundabouts. Clear things are moving about. Fieldfares and a few redwings on the meadows with the horses. A small flock of teal. Plenty of passerines.

Scanned the pools by the river west of Colney church and found three goosander. Gave up on the bittern and decided to head off to West Norfolk.

Once again I dipped the golden pheasants, only ever had one poor sighting: three years ago under the south side Rhododendrons.

Decided to cut my losses and head to Hunstanton cliffs.

Good decision. Buzzard north of Heacham.
Fulmar and common scoter quickly found offshore from Hunny lighthouse.
A few eider and merganser plus hard to find long-tailed ducks. Only two LT ducks for sure.

The scoter flock flew a couple of times and one velvet seen in the flock on both occasions. After a third flight, I was surprised, as the birds turned south to see three velvet scoter together.

To Snettisham where for once it wasn't windy. I reached the sea wall and found the snow buntings with goldfinches where the path from the RSPB car park ends.

Knot the most common wader with a good selection of other species.
A ***** in a microlight flew low close over the mud. Birds disturbed again by what I assumed was a juvenile peregrine flying low south past the chalets. Eventually found the two shore larks.

Time to head back. Pink-feet coming in. Two close barn owls off the path to RSPB car park. 5pm by then.

Hope you are feeling a bit better Penny. Been where you are now. My late father's birthday is today and the best day this week for me.

If you feel up to it, Penny, get out of the house and go and see some birds. Am sure you will get support from work if you need time.

The Black Redstart was still along the cliffs east of the car park at West Runton today although it was fairly mobile and elusive due to lots of walkers out enjoying the sunny day and the disturbance from a number of paragliders which were going low along the cliffs, tho I did manage a couple of pics which are attached below.

Also a couple of pics below of Brambling from a flock of 20+ birds at Roughton, with a few Lesser Redpolls having also joined the same finch flock this week.

Simon

mr.sim said:

Finally been persuaded to put all my records into BirdTrack so I spent 2 hours this afternoon putting in my first 10 or so records. I've got 2 years worth of survey data from one site to put in - it's going to take a while! Also some interesting records from Denver Sluice...it should be rewarding in the end (I hope)!

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Fantastic - thanks very much. Yes, it will take a while at first, but it soon speeds up. As I say, we're making quite a few improvements this year but any comments from a new user very welcome - please send to me or Nick Moran (BirdTrack Organiser) at BTO (email [email protected])

Cheers

Andy

Tractorboy69 said:

Hi Andy

Thats part of my patch and should be able to add most of the above, and I'll also have a look round over the next week or so for any that I haven't specifically noted down.

Regards

Simon

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That would be great Simon - thanks very much indeed. It'll save me lurking around Cromer looking for garden ponds big enough to hold a Moorhen!

Cheers

Andy

Tractorboy69 said:

The Black Redstart was still along the cliffs east of the car park at West Runton today although it was fairly mobile and elusive due to lots of walkers out enjoying the sunny day and the disturbance from a number of paragliders which were going low along the cliffs, tho I did manage a couple of pics which are attached below.

Also a couple of pics below of Brambling from a flock of 20+ birds at Roughton, with a few Lesser Redpolls having also joined the same finch flock this week.

Simon

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Fabulous photographs!:t: