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Norfolk birding (16 Viewers)

Fantasy birding

valley boy said:
is this fantasy birding;-)

Yup, and that's given me a good idea!



10 points for a correct prediction of scarce (barred warbler, ybw) etc, trebled if within 10 km of predicted location. 20 points for a low-grade rare (e.g. AGP), 30 points for a medium-grade (e.g. Boneparte’s) etc. etc.

As pointed out, it even has the possibility of affecting the real result!
 
1 Snow Bunting on Caister beach at first light this morning (the first of many with a bit of luck)

Plus c.6 Red-throated divers close inshore
7 Brent Geese, northwards
a few juvenile and 1 adult Gannets
2 Harbour Porpoises heading north and c.4 seals around & about

Then went for a mornings bike ride round the broadland lanes in the sunshine and spotted myself a total of 42sp. inc 7 Marsh Harriers, a Kingfisher and a Goshawk. Very nice.
 
That was a fantastic day's birding Karl J!!!!

Was going to out at first light this morning but it was thick fog earlier, so carried on sleeping!!, starting to clear so now going out now.
 
Best bird of the day was a female black redstart that I found in willow tree just off the bank at Holme NOA 2.30ish, Jed + others, then rushed back to see it, lovely. Don't often find things myself. A couple of brambling, 2 grey wags, chiffchaff 7 redwings, 3 stonechats, goldcrests, brents etc etc, must go party to get ready for!!!!
 
Did Waxham today with Jane and Tim. Probable yellow-browed (on call) and a definite barred warbler for our efforts. A few other migrants around, but not feeling that rare.
 
Whiskered Tern (Titchwell), white morph Snow Goose (Brancaster) and Cattle Egret (Blakeney) were all very pleasant today... but not exactly what I had in mind for the weekend. At least now it's turned murkier and the breeze has freshened by the coast, things look a bit more promising for tomorrow...
 
dbradnum said:
Whiskered Tern (Titchwell), white morph Snow Goose (Brancaster) and Cattle Egret (Blakeney) were all very pleasant today... but not exactly what I had in mind for the weekend. At least now it's turned murkier and the breeze has freshened by the coast, things look a bit more promising for tomorrow...

similar itinerary to mine David. I think we saw 102 species. highlights as above plus white rumped sandpiper oh and Woodcock at Holkham. Juvenile Puffin off coast was interesting. The Pink Feet were great.
 
An interesting day, with all points of the compass covered!
From the West: White-rumped Sandpiper
From the North: Snow Goose and Shorelark
From the South: Whiskered Tern and Cattle Egret
From the East: Yellow-browed Warbler
Hopefully more from the East to come tomorrow!
 
Ilya Maclean said:
Did Waxham today with Jane and Tim. Probable yellow-browed (on call) and a definite barred warbler for our efforts. A few other migrants around, but not feeling that rare.

Don't forget the Peregine and the Black Redstart!
 
Fantasy birding

Ilya Maclean said:
OK I'm an optimist, but for what it’s worth, this is the weekends predictions of rare birds in Norfolk:

American Golden Plover - moving between fields in the Glaven Valley, Cley and Stiffkey.

Radde’s Warbler - either on Blakeney Point or Winterton Dunes

Common Rosefinch - on Blakeney Point

Yellow-browed Warbler -and/or Pallas’s Warbler - Holkham Pines

Pallid Swift - flyover somewhere along the North Norfolk Coast

Anyone agree / disagree?

dbradnum said:
Broadly agree - I was reading up on Pallid Swift for exactly this reason last night! I'm struggling to visualise Radde's at Winterton though - Wells Woods, more likely.

I'd add Pallas's Warbler in Trimingham cliff-top wood as a likely (though perhaps underwatched) spot as well.

Plus a few flyover Richards Pipits... Blyth's would go down well.

This would all be very nice, especially if it's me that finds any of it.... but I'd really like one top-notch thrush. Eye-browed, Dusky, Whites... don't mind, I'm not choosy!


Ilya Maclean said:
Agree totally with pipits. Blakeney the obvious place, but if not Skolt Head or East Hills if anybody checks them and if not, then somewhere between Sheringham and Kelling. Probably Richard’s, but Blyth's or Red-throated possible (mates just found Blyth's on Shetland). Can't see the thrush happening, but fingers crossed. Sib Thrush at Wareham Green if anything anywhere.

OK so the AGP turned up near Welney instead of on the North Coast, and Radde's never made it south of Scotland in the East. Plenty of yellow-broweds at Holkham, although no Pallas's warblers, Pallid swifts or grotfinches in Norfolk. Richard's Pipit did turn up near Salthouse rather than Kelling, but still not far off. Good guess on the Eye-browed dbradnum even if it only made it as far south as Spurn, albeit unconfirmed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
But despite the migrants partially turning up on cue, the weekend wasn't half as good as I'd hoped... the only thing I can assume is that without any rain to push migrants down, the majority of birds carried on west (giving rise to things like Radde's Warbler in Devon!)

2 White-rumped Sandpipers at Cley this afternoon were good, though.
 
whiskered tern continued to entertain the crowds at Titchwell today, at times it was fishing just in front of the hide...

Also had pec sand there today along with all the standard Titchwell birds.
 

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Went to see the whiskered tern at about 5pm today, hardly any people left, much less crowded, poor light though but fantastic views, it was fishing right by the bank next to me!!!
 
Nice weekend

The fantastic Doctor Turner came over for Fri night and Sat in the coolest motor you've ever seen... with the looniest dog you've ever seen too

Roaring drunk on Fri night with a few of the Norwich birders including the inimitable Clive Byers, then a day in the field (after Ilya remembered where he'd left his car from the night before). A few migrants about and hard work was eventually rewarded when we flushed a largish Sylvia from Waxham churchyard. Jane had it as a Barred/Garden (on flight - show off!) and 20-30 mins later Ilya nailed it as a Barred.

Black Red on Waxham Barn Cafe roof was nice inbetween the tea and paninis, and a huge female Peregrine was buzzing the geese for an hour or two. Grey Partride wasn't rare but a good local bird. Only one other birder too.

Sat night was Norfolkbirder's birthday do. Despite being rather worse for wear from the previous night we enjoyed a few beers with Chris and met a few good friends from the Norfolk birding scene. Very nice to meet Penny and Sophie from Holme too...

Sunday spent recuperating

Tim
 
Tim Allwood said:
Nice weekend

The fantastic Doctor Turner came over for Fri night and Sat in the coolest motor you've ever seen... with the looniest dog you've ever seen too.

The dog slept all the way home. She stopped trying to rub the top of her nose on soft furnishings sometime yesterday morning. A least it wasn't her arse that she stung on nettles.

Loved East Norfolk....
 
Tim Allwood said:
Nice weekend

Sat night was Norfolkbirder's birthday do. Despite being rather worse for wear from the previous night we enjoyed a few beers with Chris and met a few good friends from the Norfolk birding scene. Very nice to meet Penny and Sophie from Holme too...

Sunday spent recuperating

Tim

Hi Tim, it good to meet you too. Its nice to put a face to a name. Isn't it funny how we all get this image in our heads of what someone looks like - as I said on Saturday, you look much younger than I expected!

Best Wishes Penny
 
Had an early start and was riding across down through the villages just as daylight broke this morning

spotted a Kingfisher on Muck Fleet dyke, c.60 Pinkfeet over, and for some reason there seemed to be absolutely 100's (1000's ?) of Woodpigeons,
loads of corvids too all streaming over in a long black ribbon flying out onto the marshes for the day. couple of deer about too

and really pleasing were the 2 Barn Owls and a Marsh Harrier on the stokesby levels , both of these are the first i've seen on this particular "patch" this Autumn / winter but now hopefully they will become almost-daily . Redwings streaming in again tonight but i still haven't seen one
 
Frank (hollis_f) and I went to Titchwell on Saturday (and a bit on Sunday), then on Sunday we went to Cley and also did a boat trip (my first time seeing seals - really awesome!)! This was my first time in Norfolk and boy was it fantastic birding - I can't wait to go again! We stayed at Briarfields Hotel which was a really nice place.

Additions to my life list:

whiskered tern
pink-footed geese
bearded tit (which I have always wanted to see)
red-throated diver
red-legged partridge
white-rumped sand
jack snipe
guillemot
arctic skua
gannet
eider
avocet
common scoter

Frank I think I saw one more lifer but can't remember what it was? We dipped out on pec sand and ybwarbler unfortunately - it just got too busy at Titch to see pec sand.

I have never seen so many marsh harriers or heard so many cetti's.

I got 3 lifers on the BF members front as well: Pete Duxon, a geezer whose name I can't remember (sorry!) and Chris (NorfolkBirder) who did the guided walk with us. Nice to have met you all. Cheers Chris if you read this - hope you didn't have too much of a hangover on the Sunday ;-)

Didi
 
Hi Didi

Glad you both had a fantastic time in Norfolk. It was nice that the whiskered tern was there for you! I was at Holme in the morning/afternoon on Saturday and I had intended to go to Titchwell mid afternoon, but after finding a female black redstart I stayed at Holme rest of day. Did go on Sunday though about 5pmish to tick whiskered tern!

Best Wishes Penny
 

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