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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Norfolk birding (37 Viewers)

Some extremely interesting reports from Great Yarmouth Bird Club recently including Steppe Lesser 'throat (Winterton) and Corncrake (Waxham) Bee-eaters at Winterton 19th and 20th May... Ross' Gull (California) Eastern Greylag (Happisburgh) earlier in the year

Tim
 
<i>any Lurkers care to add anything in here </i>

OK. Diary of a not-very good birdwatcher...

So I went to Cley on Saturday and thought I'd have a go at trying to see this white-rumped sandpiper. (Now bear in mind here I'm a novice with a pair of 8x30's so I was well pleased to independently identify the little stints). Lots of very nice folk in various hides also looking, several of whom let me look through their scopes at the white-rumped they'd found.

Only problem is, of the three views at different times I had, at least two were either looking at dunlin, or I'm just not very good at noticing the difference between a dunlin and a juv white-rumped. The last one did indeed seem greyer and with longer primaries - but by then I was convinced that at least some people were hypnotising themselves into seeing something that wasn't there - so maybe I was too.

So can the more experienced here tell me, should a novice have been able to tell at a glance, or is it indeed the case that the differences are slight and need experience to work them out? (Obviously no-one was seeing the white rump, but then the birds I was looking at weren't flying?) I mean these guys had obviously been birding a while and had all the gear - but I just wasn't seeing the features they were describing. So is it me?

Other goodies that day included the Cattle Egret at Blakeney (lifer), brilliant marshie hunting in the sunlight, my first (albeit plastic?) ruddy shelduck, two red-throated diver and several razorbills off the sea, three stonechats off the boardwalk, and a barn owl to finish off. Oh and a possible spotshank on the scrape at the edge of the reserve - but I'm not at all sure of my ID at that distance.
 
Hi H
No its the ones who come on to look for anything worth lifting out for their own website and little crowd, but won't put anything back in. It followed a conversation with a clearly rather knowledgeable bloke the other night, who could make a reasonable contribution for those of us who know a good deal less, if he wanted to that is.

Obviously it is a public forum etc but the whole thing just seemed to me to lack a little common courtesy really.

Apologies for any confusion or offence i may have caused.
 
HarressedDad: it does sound like at least the last bird you saw a white-rumped, they are smaller, slimmer bodied and very extenuated in appearance mid-way in size between the Little Stints and the dunlin. The greyer look is a good pointer, although all thw White-rumps at Cley are showing some rusty feathering.

As for the sptshank - quite likely. I assume the area you mean is at the North end of the East Bank, usually called Arnold's Marsh and is a favourite plave for them. They usaully appear very grey (in winter) and much more elegant than Common Redshank.
 
Karl J - as a lurker for many years I understand your frustation as it has only since I have become active that I feel that this site has taken on more relevasnce. I had always been amazed at the lack of websites and their quality coming out of Norfolk (I realise that this is steadily changing, but I do feel that many of them have a 'competative' feel, trying to get one over the rest of the Norfolk birding community) and the real strange lack of enthusiasm. Lets hope this thread continues to attract more people to make Birding in Norfolk more open.
 
Ruralchill, Tim, would either of you be good enough to post a link to the Great Yarmouth Bird Club? I've tried accessing it from a link on the Fatbirder site but the link bore no fruit. Would be interested to check it out...

James
 
Karl J said:
biked round to stubb mill this evening

counted about 11 - 12 harriers, 2 Cranes, 1 Barn Owl and a few other bits & pieces so quite quiet really. Not even many geese about.

Afterwards as i rid back up the Stubb road and through Hickling village there were loads of night-moths and, interestingly, about 20 - 25 bats ... small ones whatever sort they are
Click to expand...

I went to the raptor roost at Stubb Mill on Friday (got 2 Barn Owls & 4 Cranes amongst other things) while I was staying in Norfolk and also saw lots of small bats. I believe that they were just Common Pipistrelles.
 
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timmyjones said:
I'm gonna be going to titchwell holkham and cley tomorrow so any information or tips would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

WR Sands at Cley

Surf Scoter drake form TItchwell boardwalk this afternoon (late)

Little Auks started passing

myself, holly, chris and pete had a firecrest at Meals House, Holkham this morning. Then a long trek out to East Hills, the tide was hardly out due to the wind, which meant wet feet for some! Not much out there, peregrine, fieldfares, redwings a few crests etc

Chris, Holly and Pete all went flying on the muddy walk out to the hills. Not funny at all.

Birders beers in the Fat Cat tonight 9.00pm if anyone has time to get down there..
 
drake Surf Scoter at Titchwell from boardwalk - very nice bird

Brents piling in etc

redwings still appearing in off in reasonable numbers

a few Little Auks reported, haven't managed one myself yet...
 
According to Birdline today:

Dusky Warbler seen early afternoon, not located later, Gunton Cliffs near Lowestoft today.

Surf Scooter (drake) with 500 common scooter and 8 velvet scooter seen again at Titchwell, along with Pectoral Sandpiper, a snowbunting, 16 whooper swans sw early morning, slavonian grebe, long tailed duck, great skua, 2 eiders, golden eye, red throated divers, greenshank and 15 spotted redshanks, brambling. Short eared owl at Holme, fieldfares and redwings.
 
Went to Titchwell for the afternoon, should have got there at high tide at 10.30 but couldn't get up this morning, rotton week at work and exhausted. The carpark was choca block due to Surf Scooter and being a Saturday. As I walked along the path through wood to centre two gentlemen stopped to ask if I was Penny Clarke - they were pduxon and reader from BF!!! Walked on and viewed the new massive bird feeder which is in picnic area and had a great tit and a very nice brambling on it. The RSPB have submitted it the Guiness Book of Records as possibly the world's largest bird feeder!! Saw the Surf Scooter, but very very distantly and not through my girly scope!!!! - I have a 13-40 Zoom eye piece, but not enough. A very nice man let me look through his scope, must have been 60x I think and had a quick glimpse of it. Also met HelenElizabeth from BF on the beach!! Other birds seen: common and velvet scooter, 2 slavonian grebes (at least), golden eye, wigeon, brents and pink feets, cettis warbler singing, spotted red shank x 3, bar tailed godwit x 2 plus all usual stuff. Left Titchwell, and diverted through Thornham up the Ringstead hill and had a fantastic view of 115 Lapwing sitting in a field. Popped into parents for a while and drove home. :girl:
 
What fun!,glad you had a good day penny

At least if the birds are thin on the ground (if thats possible in north norfolk)
you could go on a birdforum member hunt!

Highlight of my afternoons birding in south norfolk..

13 golden plover, jealous aren't you...not :girl:

Matt
 
Had a few hours at Snettisham today.

Three Shore Larks on the shingle provided a near-perfect birding experience: rare and beautiful birds feeding at very close quarters against an awesome wilderness backdrop...well, as "wilderness" as we get in southern England.

Close inshore Long-tailed Duck was feeding energetically, and there were the usual spectacular flocks of waders on the mud.

James
 
Had a good day in norfolk y'day, including the birders on the pager.
However, I spent quite a bit of time searching in vain for the blue-phased Snow Goose. Two large flocks (4000+) of Pink-feet were found, one just west of North Creake (where the Snow Goose was seen during the week) and between Walsingham and South Creake. Great sites of the birds moving around.

Does anyone have an opinion on the Black Brant at Cley? is seemed rather brown to me!
 

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